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Palliative Care for Cancer
What does palliative treatment include?Treatments that directly treat the underlying disease, such as chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer, are not palliative. Palliative treatments are those which aim to make the patient more comfortable and to reduce the symptoms associated with the disease. The treatments include such things as pain reflief and other symptomatic treatment as well as nutritional support. Palliative treatments can proceed concurrently with other cancer treatments or are sometimes used alone if it is decided not to attempt to treat the cancer.
What is end-of-life (hospice) care?In some cases of severe disease, such as widespread cancer, it is felt that ongoing treatment is not in the best interest of the individual. The patient and their physicians reach the decision that they should stop fighting the disease and let it take its course. Obviously, this likely results in the death of the patient. However, rather than just leave the patient to suffer the ravages of the cancer alone, palliative care, hospice and end-of-life care aim to aid the patient in this difficult transition. The goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible and prepared to face their mortality in the best way possible. In addition to treatment of pain and other symptoms, patients may be offered spiritual, social and psychological support and care. |
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Palliative care is care oftered to patients to help alleviate symptoms and provide comfort but do not directly treat the underlying disease. While some palliative or symptomatic treatments are oftered to most patients with cancer, it is also part of what is considered "end-of-life care" or hospice.