Palliative care is professional-level medical care that is given to people who have serious illnesses like cancer. This care focuses on providing relief from the stress and symptoms of the illness to improve the quality of life for the patient and their family. Palliative care focuses on comfort, dignity, and support, helping patients live better, not just longer.
We speak to Dr Siddhesh Tryambake, Consultant Medical Oncologist, TGH Onco Life Cancer Centre, to understand the importance of palliative care and how this type of medical intervention can improve the lives of patients.
Cancer cases are rapidly rising across the country. Many are battling lung, breast, prostate, head and neck, ovarian, cervical, colon, and pancreatic cancer. However,
a majority of people fail to understand the importance of palliative care. This type of care offers an extra layer of support by providing specially trained doctors and nurses. It can be taken at any age and at any stage of your illness. Palliative care is often misunderstood as care given only at the end of life.
In reality, it is a specialised approach that can be started at any stage of a serious illness, along with the curative treatment. The aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of life for patients and their families by reducing pain, easing symptoms, and providing emotional and psychological support.
Role of Palliative Care
Palliative care helps manage symptoms such as pain, breathlessness, fatigue, nausea, and loss of appetite, which often affect people with chronic or life-limiting illnesses like cancer or even heart disease, lung disease, or neurological disorders. By controlling these symptoms, patients can stay more comfortable and active in their daily lives.
Cancer can lead to fear, anxiety, sadness, and stress, not only for patients but also for their families. Palliative care teams include doctors, nurses, counsellors, and social workers who listen, guide, and support families through difficult decisions.
Moreover, palliative care helps with treatment planning and communication, ensuring that care aligns with the patient’s values, wishes, and goals. It supports families by offering guidance, caregiver training, and respite, reducing emotional and physical burnout.
The goal of this treatment is to enhance the patient’s and their family’s quality of life by relieving stress and illness-related symptoms. Early palliative care can reduce the chances of depression and can give you a longer survival rate. It can also reduce the chances of other mental health disorders in cancer patients.
There is a misconception that palliative care should be taken in the later stages of illness. The fact is that if you have serious or life-threatening illnesses, you can get this care at any time. In a number of diagnoses, palliative care is more beneficial when started early. Since this care has been more accessible lately, you might be able to get it at home. Palliative care can take care of you as well as your loved ones during this devastating time, as it helps to manage the pain.
