Bringing palliative care to a Canadian cancer center: the palliative care program at Princess Margaret Hospital

It is increasingly recognized that complete care of the patient with cancer includes palliative care, which is applicable early in the course of illness, in conjunction with life-prolonging treatment. Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) is Canada's largest center for cancer care and research, and it is an international referral center for patients with cancer. The Palliative Care Program at PMH has developed into a comprehensive clinical, educational, and research program, with an acute palliative care unit, daily palliative care clinics, a cancer pain clinic, and a consultation service that sees urgent consultations on a same-day basis in inpatient and outpatient areas. We will describe the components, successes, and challenges of our program, which may be useful for others, who are developing palliative care programs in an academic setting.