About the Symptom Management Service

The Symptom Management Service (SMS) is a consultation service offered to improve the quality of life and care of patients at UCSF’s Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Patients can be referred to the SMS by their cancer doctor. Patients will be seen by one or more of the members of the SMS interdisciplinary team.

The SMS provides treatment and counseling for both physical and emotional symptoms caused as a result of cancer. This includes treatment for pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, advanced care planning, and spiritual distress. Treatments for these symptoms include integrated medical, psychological, social work and spiritual approaches, offered along with your regular cancer care. All SMS care is coordinated along with your cancer treatments and with the support of your cancer doctor.

As a consult service, we do not have after hours or emergency on-call availability but work directly with your oncologist for this need. Your doctor is kept abreast of the detail of your medication and symptom management needs that you have discussed with us. If you should go into the ER or become hospitalized, please let us know so we can be of help.

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