Palliative care and colorectal cancer

Recent advances in anti-cancer treatment have seen improvements in survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Increasingly, patients with advanced disease are living longer, sometimes with significant morbidity related to the disease or its treatment. Integration of palliative care in the management of patients with advanced malignancy improves symptom control and quality of life for patients and their families. This article reviews the role of palliative care and provides an overview of current management for commonly experienced symptoms in patients with colorectal cancer.