It is the responsibility of both the healer and the patient to recognize this and to do the maximum possible to bring about healing and acceptance even without a cure. I have had the privilege of working with a few people who were dying. When I am able to get out of the judgment that death is a failure and just do what I can and share what I know, many times I find that the patient is in some way thankful for their condition. When they focus on this, suffering ends and healing begins. At these times a cure may be out of the question.
Healing however is always possible.