Eduardo Bruera, MD, FAAHPM is Professor and Chair, Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA

Irene J. Higginson, OBE, BMedSci, BMBS, PhD, FMedSci, FRCP, FFPHM is Professor and Director, Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College London, UK

Charles F. von Gunten, MD, PhD is Vice President, Medical Affairs, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, OhioHealth, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Tatsuya Morita, MD is Director, Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital, Hamamatsu, and Adjunct Professor, Kyoto University, Japan