Palliative care for cancer patients

The Most severe stage of the struggle with cancer is the time of knowing that the impact on forecast is not possible.

To relieve symptoms and improve quality of life in such cases palliative treatment. It starts when other means are not effective. What palliative care helps patients to cope with pain, impairment of function of the organs, anxiety, psychological experiences.

It Should be noted that this kind of assistance is impossible without constant professional medical control over the condition of the patient. Palliative treatment involves various activities that can help ease the disease. For their implementation requires a combination of clinical medicine, the availability of qualified nursing and medical staff and professional care.

The main methods are:

radiation Oncology and radiotherapy;

- chemotherapy

- brachytherapy;

stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery.

All these activities are aimed at solving problems to ensure reducing pain and mitigating the symptoms of the disease, psychological support, as well as create the most favorable conditions for more active and longer life of the patient.

Palliative chemotherapy is carried out in order to slow the disease, stop the growth of tumor. The procedures can be combined with radiation. In such cases, many clinics used a combination of protocols, which provides for the introduction of chemotherapy at a certain time during radiation therapy. These events are of great importance in prolonging the life of cancer patients.

Palliative treatment involves several basic principles:

- to recognize death and life by natural processes;

- not to renew aging and not to hasten death;

- eliminate the pain and other manifestations of malignant neoplasm;

- during life and after death of the patient provide psychological support to relatives.

The activities included surveys that identify and assess the severity of individual symptoms, determine the future impact on the patient's condition. Upon completion of therapeutic procedures to produce the analysis of their performance.

In the survey, the symptoms are distributed according to their severity. In addition, it clarifies the prevalence of malignant neoplasms, identified comorbidities, contributing to the manifestation of neoplastic process. The survey conducted also a study of work environment of the patient, identifies sources of support psychological in nature.

Defining the further manipulation is performed on the basis of the data obtained during the examination and review of relevant medical records.

It Should be noted that the instrumental and laboratory research is a very significant step. If not carefully assessing the symptoms and the lack of understanding of the pathogenesis of palliative therapy will be ineffective.

The selection method involved, of course, must take fully and the patient. The doctor is obliged in detail to explain the advantages and disadvantages of each method of influence. However, despite the fairly full knowledge and probable involvement of the patient, the responsibility for subsequent treatment in all cases rests solely on the doctor. It should be noted that the specialist should not have influenced the patient or his relatives to take contrary to medical duty and his conscience decision.