부산대학교 도서관

Longer life expectancy has resulted in the elderly making up the largest proportion of the population. As a result, medical care has trended toward focusing on wellness, quality of life, and symptom relief in addition to curative therapies. Palliative care is dedicated to improving overall patient quality of life by providing treatment focused on symptom management rather than cure. A greater appreciation for palliative care has expanded the field to include multiple specialties, including surgery. Undoubtedly, palliative interventions are an important part of the thoracic surgeon’s armamentarium, considering the innumerable malignancies—primary and metastatic—as well as the proportion of elderly patients in this patient cohort.