Curative care is directed at healing or curing a disease....like taking an antibiotic for a bladder infection, or Vitamin C if you have scurvy. Palliative care involves offering care that helps...
Palliative care to reduce suffering and improve quality of life in situations where there is no cure available is certainly appropriate, as would be palliative care in conjunction with curative...
Palliative care treats the symptom but does not cure. Instead, the cure comes from the body healing itself.
Antonyms are ameliorative care or interventional care, where the treatment is the cure.