Advanced cancer is a life-limiting condition that can negatively impact quality of life and function. Patients often suffer from physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and decision-making issues. As such, most would benefit from basic palliative care (PC) which includes establishing goals of care through serious illness conversations (SIC), managing basic pain and other symptoms and addressing psychosocial needs, among others. Patients with advanced cancer are also at higher risk of functional decline due to receiving multiple concurrent treatments. Yet, among patients with advanced cancer undergoing major surgery, there has been little consideration of PC and functional needs.
The palliative surgical care model is a care model in which PC educated surgical oncology teams deliver basic PC, allowing sustainable PC provision to an increasing number of patients living with advanced cancer. In a local pilot palliative surgical care model, it was found that a care coach-led palliative surgical oncology (PSO) care model significantly increased palliative care delivery, ensuring more consistent and comprehensive support for patients. In addition, cancer rehabilitation delivered by rehabilitation professionals addresses functional impairments during the cancer journey, restoring and/or maintaining function and improving quality of life. It also plays a preventive role before surgery, a restorative role during treatment, and a supportive role during cancer progression.
Therefore, to address longitudinal PC and functional needs, an integrated care coach-led palliative surgical oncology rehabilitation (PSO+R) care model involving PC-trained care coaches, surgical oncology teams, rehabilitation professionals, supported by specialist palliative care (SPC) physicians who will provide PC and cancer rehabilitation throughout the patient's advanced cancer journey, is proposed.