Palliative care is one of the most essential aspects of the total management of cancer patients. While curative treatment seeks to cure the disease in its entirety, the main goal of palliative care is to enhance the patient’s comfort by decreasing suffering, controlling pain, and offering emotional support. The provision of palliative care in cancer management has been well acknowledged for the improvement of the quality of life of the patients as well as their families. This article aims to increase the understanding of palliative care in relation to cancer therapy, the advantages of such care, and the aspects that define quality palliative care.

Understanding Palliative Care

Palliative care is a specific form of treatment that focuses on the alleviation of the suffering and other problems of patients with life-threatening diseases. It is not only restricted to the last days of life but can be integrated at any phase of the illness together with the curative approach. The general objectives of palliative care include enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families, meeting the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and aiding in decision-making.

Basic Principles of Palliative Care

The following are the principles of palliative care in cancer:

Patient-Centred Care

Palliative care is patient-centred, and therefore, the care is delivered based on the patient’s choice. It entails a detailed evaluation to identify the specific obstacles that each patient encounters.

Symptom Management

The care plans for patients with terminal diseases are meant to relieve the patient from unbearable symptoms like pain, nausea, fatigue, difficulty in breathing, and depression.

Communication and Decision Support

Palliative care is characterised by good communication between the patient, the family, and all healthcare givers. It assists the patient in identifying treatment possibilities and selects which one suits the patient best according to the patient’s values.

Support for Families

Palliative care also focuses on the family, providing them with psychological support, counselling and temporary care so they can have a break from caring for the patient.

Palliative Care in the Management of Cancer

Palliative care is therefore essential in cancer treatment since it encompasses various aspects of needs that a cancer patient may have. Here are several ways in which palliative care is integral to cancer treatment:

Pain management and Symptom Control

Cancer and its therapies produce a number of mostly unpleasant side effects. Palliative care specialists are experts in pain control and other symptoms, including symptoms like nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and dyspnea. Thus, through relief from these symptoms, the patients can have a better quality of life and can carry on their regular activities.

Psychological and Emotional Support

It is a known fact that cancer can cause severe psychological problems for the patient and his or her relatives. Palliative care in cancer focuses on the patient’s psychological needs to reduce anxiety, depression, and fear. Counselling and support groups, as well as therapy, are frequently included in the list of palliative care services that aim to address the psychological aspects of cancer treatment.

Better Coordination and Sharing of Information in the Health Care Process

This article seeks to establish the importance of communication in cancer care. Palliative care teams help patients and families make the best decisions, which involves talking about the patient’s condition, treatment plans, and desires. This aids in the formulation of a care plan that is in congruence with the patient’s objectives and principles. Palliative care also enhances the integration of care as other healthcare givers to ensure that all the aspects of the patient’s care are well taken care of.

Help for Families and Carers

Much stress and burden is placed on families and caregivers of the patient with cancer. Palliative care offers assistance to families, since it informs them about the nature of the disease and the possible outcomes. It also provides for the carers to have breaks and a form of relief care that is given to the patients/clients.

End-of-Life Care

If the cancer treatment fails, palliative care concentrates on managing the patient’s symptoms and giving him or her the best possible quality of life in his or her last days. It assures that patients have this quality aspect of care that embraces their values and reduces their discomfort. It involves fixing the patient’s condition and hence controlling the symptoms associated with the disease, supporting the patient emotionally and spiritually, and helping the patient in making some necessary directives regarding his/her care.

Palliative care in cancer treatment: Advantages

Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of integrating palliative care into cancer treatment:

Improved Quality of Life

Studies have shown that patients admitted to the palliative care unit have improved their quality of life, especially due to adequate management of symptoms and provision of emotional support.

Reduced Hospitalizations

Palliative care can be useful in decreasing the utilization of hospitals by effectively addressing the patient’s symptoms and providing treatment and care in the comfort of their homes or other ambulatory settings.

Enhanced Patient Satisfaction

Patients and families are happier with the care that they receive when palliative care services are included because they can easily get what they want.

Longer Survival

Several works indicate that early referral to palliative care may increase survival in specific cancer populations, possibly because of enhanced management of symptoms and other aspects of the patient’s health.

To Sum Up

Palliative Care Cancer treatment should be an essential component of cancer care that focuses on the comfort and well-being of the patient and their family. Thus, meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, the Department of Palliative Care in Action Cancer Hospital assists patients in coping with the challenges of cancer in a decent manner. 

The use of palliative care in cancer management not only helps to reduce the burden of symptoms but also improves patient satisfaction and may lead to better results. In this light, it is crucial to promote the integration of palliative care early in the cancer trajectory so that all patients can benefit from the holistic approach.