Major professional organizations call for comprehensive
cancer care to include palliative care [1,2]. A growing body
of research demonstrates benefits in clinical outcomes, patient
satisfaction, health care utilization, and cost for palliative care
for patients with serious illness, including urologic cancers,
regardless of prognosis [3–8]. In response to this persuasive
research, the American Society for Clinical Oncology has
called for palliative care consultation for all patients with
cancer with metastatic disease or high symptom burden or
both [2], and palliative care is recognized as integral to
routine oncology care by the National Comprehensive Cancer
Network and the Commission on Cancer.
Integration of palliative care into the routine treatment of
bladder cancer has been limited. The American Urological
Association recommends palliative care for some patients
with advanced prostate cancer but offers no guidance reg-
arding palliative care for patients with bladder cancer