Palliative care

What is Palliative care?

Palliative care is a medical treatment designed to enhance the quality of life for people battling serious or life-threatening diseases, such as cancer. It may be administered with or without treatment. The goal of palliative care is to treat the patient as a whole, not just their illness. The objective is to prevent or treat the disease’s symptoms and side effects, as well as any associated psychological, social, and spiritual issues, as early as feasible. Under the supervision of a qualified healthcare professional, patients can receive palliative care in a hospital, an outpatient clinic, a long-term care facility, or at home. Palliative care is available to everyone, regardless of age or disease stage.

Palliative therapy can help a patient feel more comfortable by using many of the same techniques that are used to treat cancer, such as medications and specific treatments. As an illustration, doctors may administer chemotherapy or radiation therapy to stop the growth of a painful tumour. Or a tumour that is impinging on certain nerves and causing discomfort might be surgically removed.

What is Palliative care for Cancer?

As both symptoms and therapy can significantly affect your quality of life, cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases connected with palliative care. The type of palliative cancer care depends on the kind of cancer, its symptoms, its treatment, the age of the patient, etc.

Palliative care may be given to a patient who has just received a cancer diagnosis to assist them to cope with the side effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment or to speed up their recovery from surgery. Treatments for despair or anxiety as well as resources to aid family members in making plans are frequently included in palliative care for cancer patients.

Who provides Palliative care?

Healthcare professionals who have acquired specialization in palliative care are typically the ones who provide it. They offer comprehensive care to the patient, their family, or caregivers, concentrating on the medical, emotional, social, and spiritual challenges that cancer patients could encounter.

Palliative specialists usually work in a multidisciplinary team. This includes experienced doctors, nurses, registered dieticians, pharmacists, therapists, psychologists, and social workers. Together with the cancer care team, the palliative care team manages a patient’s care and upholds the highest level of quality of life for them.

Additionally, palliative care specialists support caregivers, encourage team communication, and assist in talks about the patient’s care objectives.

Where can you receive the necessary palliative care?

Palliative care units are not bound to a specific place. Palliative care can be made available to a patient as and when he/she requires it. The place can be the patient’s house, the clinic from where they are receiving the treatment, the hospital, the nursing centre, the living facility, etc.

Locations

Patna Cancer Centre was established to provide comprehensive cancer care to patients from all over India. The centre has since grown to become a leading cancer treatment and research facility in Jehanabad, Gaya and Patna. Along with a wide range of cancer care services from diagnosis, treatment, and research, to preventive education, the hospital also offers a state-of-the-art surgery suite equipped with the latest surgical equipment and technologies.