title: Palliative care: an international necessity.
abstract: Palliative care is the care of patients whose disease is incurable and whose life expectancy is limited to weeks or months. This commentary describes the development of modern palliative care, some of the elements and underlying philosophical constructs of such care, and calls for expansion and improvement in end of life care throughout the world.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford University, United Kingdom. robtwy@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Twycross
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D026690:Ethics, Clinical; D006040:Goals; D006281:Health Occupations; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics; D010348:Patient Care Team; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012046:Rehabilitation; D029181:Spirituality; D013727:Terminal Care
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations