Supportive Oncology is a growing field of cancer care focused on preventing and managing the physical, emotional, psychological, and practical challenges experienced by people living with and beyond cancer.
It brings together expertise from oncology, palliative care, psycho-oncology, rehabilitation, acute oncology, and many other specialties to improve quality of life throughout the cancer journey.
The aim is to help patients live as well as possible, for as long as possible, while receiving treatment and beyond.
Why is Supportive Oncology Needed?
Advances in cancer treatment mean more people are surviving and living longer after diagnosis.
Cancer and its treatments can cause significant physical, psychological, and social challenges that require specialist support
Traditional healthcare models alone cannot meet the increasing complexity of modern cancer survivorship. Supportive Oncology helps bridge this gap through proactive, patient-centred care.
How is Supportive Oncology Different from Palliative Care?
Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care share many important principles, including symptom management, communication, and person-centred care. However, Supportive Oncology focuses on supporting patients throughout the entire cancer journey—from diagnosis, through active treatment, living with cancer and survivorship, and where appropriate, end-of-life care.
Supportive Oncology brings together expertise from multiple specialties, including oncology, palliative care, psycho-oncology, rehabilitation, acute oncology, pain medicine and other allied specialties. The aim is to address the physical, psychological, social and practical effects of cancer and its treatment, helping patients achieve the best possible quality of life throughout their illness.
Supportive Oncology aims to improve quality of life and optimise care at every stage of the cancer journey.
Diagnosis → Treatment → Living with Cancer → Survivorship → End of Life
Unlike traditional models that focus on a single stage of illness, Supportive Oncology provides coordinated support throughout the cancer continuum. This includes helping patients manage treatment-related toxicities, symptoms, psychological challenges, rehabilitation needs, co-morbidities, survivorship issues, and where appropriate, end-of-life care.
By bringing together expertise from oncology, palliative care, psycho-oncology, rehabilitation, acute oncology and other specialties, Supportive Oncology helps patients live as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Supportive Oncology aims to improve the experience of living with and beyond cancer by providing personalised, coordinated care throughout the cancer journey.
Patients may benefit from:
Better symptom control
Improved quality of life
Enhanced physical and emotional wellbeing
Greater confidence navigating treatment decisions
Improved support for living with the effects of cancer and its treatment
More personalised and holistic care
Timely supportive care interventions can improve patient outcomes while supporting the effective use of healthcare resources.
Healthcare systems may benefit from:
Improved treatment tolerance and completion
Earlier identification and management of complications
Reduced avoidable hospital admissions
Better coordination between services and specialties
Improved patient experience and outcomes
More efficient use of healthcare resources
As supportive oncology services continue to develop, there is an increasing need for clinicians with the knowledge, skills and experience to work across traditional specialty boundaries.
The Fellowship in Supportive Oncology has been developed to support clinicians in gaining expertise across the cancer continuum, including symptom management, treatment toxicities, survivorship, rehabilitation, psycho-oncology, co-morbidity management and palliative care.
By combining clinical experience, supervision, education, quality improvement and research, the Fellowship aims to develop future leaders capable of delivering and shaping supportive oncology services for patients living with and beyond cancer.
The Fellowship is designed to develop clinicians who can help patients live as well as possible, for as long as possible, throughout the cancer journey.