[Palliative Medicine as a New Career Path for Anesthesiologists: Preface and Comments]

The aim of Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists is to provide safe and comfortable medical care through biological management in emergency and intensive care using pain management and palliative medical care to deal with disease and surgery. Thus, in addition to the fields of intensive care medicine and emergency medicine, anesthesiologists have been expected to play an important role in the field of palliative medicine. Recently, anesthesiologists have been becoming professors and heads in the field of palliative medicine at many university hospitals in Japan. This is because anesthesiologists can provide care for the patient to prevent pain and various distress symptoms they would experience. Palliative care is provided by a team of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals who work together with the primary care physician and referred specialists to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. Palliative care is also appropriate for patients from the point of diagnosing a serious illness--not just for the end of life. Anesthesiologists should show more leadership in the field of such palliative medicine in Japan.