Palliative care: Surprising benefits from an underused therapy
Hippocrates, the father of medicine, called on physicians to "cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always." With the limited tools available to the doctors of ancient Greece, it's no surprise that medical treatment succeeded in providing comfort more often than cure.
Little changed during most of the 2,400 years that have elapsed since the Greek era. But as medicine developed powerful new ways to diagnose and treat disease over the past century, cure has become the main goal of treatment. It's great progress, and the improvements are bound to accelerate in our age of modern molecular medicine.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
