When people hear “palliative care,” they often think it means stopping treatment or focusing only on end-of-life care. But that’s not the case. Palliative care is about helping people feel better—physically, emotionally, and mentally—while they’re receiving treatment for a serious illness.

Many people don’t realize that research has shown that early palliative care can actually help patients live longer.

One of the most common questions I hear from patients and caregivers is, “Why isn’t my loved one getting the same treatment as someone else with cancer?” It’s an understandable question. After all, we often hear cancer talked about as one big disease, and it seems like treatments should be fairly standard across the board. But the truth is, not all cancers are the same.