Abstract
Predictions for exponential growth in the incidence and prevalence of cancer will present a significant challenge to the healthcare system. Most of this care will be provided in the outpatient setting. Although inpatient palliative care programs are well established, this is not the case for outpatient palliative care: only 22% to 59% of outpatient cancer centers report a palliative care program, which are usually small in scope. However, development and growth of outpatient palliative care programs are an essential component to providing excellence in cancer care and will be necessary to address the many new cases of advanced cancer anticipated in the next decades. This article reviews current trends in outpatient palliative care in the oncology setting, with a discussion of selected major studies, methods and challenges in the provision of care, and the impact of nurses in this emerging field.