Reflecting a trend toward reconsideration of medical care which concentrates only on the treatment of disease, a new paradigm of "palliative care" has recently been developed with a focus on the treatment of cancer patients. As part of our palliative care program, we have provided an "outpatient salon" for outpatients in the Department of Radiology of this hospital. The goal of the outpatient salon is to assist patients who live at home in coping with their disease. We regard this outpatient salon as a preparatory step in establishing a palliative day care center to support patients and their families at home and to improve patient QOL. Currently, two staff members are acting as counselors at the salon, and most of the patients visiting the salon are breast cancer patients. The salon appears to provide the following benefits to patients: 1) self-assurance, by allowing them to talk to others about their problems, 2) development of self-help skills, through involvement with other patients, 3) a place to relax, and 4) comfort from focusing. We have two future goals: to develop the salon into a day care center, and to nurture a self-help group within the salon.