A review of systemic anticancer therapy in disease palliation.

Background: Systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) is a collective term to describe the growing number of differing therapies used in malignancy to achieve palliation. Improving symptoms, quality of life (QOL) and where possible quantity of life are the goals of these treatments.

Sources of data: A comprehensive literature review was undertaken using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane database.

Areas of agreement: The use of palliative SACT can lead to increases in symptom control, QOL and survival. The breadth of treatable cancers has increased along with the number of therapeutic options.

Areas of controversy: The increasing use of SACT in the last weeks of life and the lack of consistency about the terms Supportive Care/Best Supportive Care in the trial setting.

Growing points: Integration between oncology and other palliative services leads to better outcomes.

Areas timely for developing research: Improved prognostication tools to elucidate which patients will benefit from SACT.