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Palliative care: optimizing quality of life
Ann Kim1, Patrick Fall, Dajie Wang
1Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management, 834 Chestnut St, Suite T-150, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5127, USA. dejogger@cs.com
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
|December 22, 2005
Summary
Palliative care enhances the quality of life for cancer patients by managing symptoms and providing holistic support. This approach focuses on relieving suffering when curative treatments are no longer effective.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Palliative Medicine
Background:
- Cancer remains a leading cause of death globally, with millions of deaths annually.
- For patients with advanced or incurable cancer, improving quality of life and alleviating suffering are paramount.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define palliative care in the context of cancer treatment.
- To highlight the importance of a holistic and individualized approach to patient care.
- To outline methods for enhancing the quality of life for terminally ill cancer patients.
Main Methods:
- Palliative care is defined as active total care for patients unresponsive to curative treatment.
- Focuses on enhancing quality of life rather than disease cure.
- Emphasizes individualized, holistic patient assessment.
Main Results:
- Controlling cancer-related symptoms is crucial for improving the patient's remaining time.
- Various interventions can help achieve this objective.
Conclusions:
- Palliative care is essential for improving the quality of life in cancer patients.
- Symptom management through modalities like palliative chemotherapy, rehabilitation, radiation therapy, surgery, and pain management is key.
- A holistic and individualized approach is vital in palliative cancer care.