Palliative care in oncology
Palliative therapy in oncology is necessary in cases when antitumor treatment is predicted to fail. It will provide optimal comfort to the patient, functionality and social support to him and his family members.
Palliative radiation therapy allows the patient not to resort to surgical intervention, retaining the affected organ, which significantly improves the quality of his life.
Palliative medical care for cancer patients leads to a reduction in tumor manifestations, although it does not allow the patient to radically get rid of the disease. In Ukraine, palliative medicine is well developed, therefore, it is possible to improve the quality of life of incurable patients.
As is known, when carrying out chemotherapy a patient experiences a number of painful sensations, for example, nausea and vomiting, which can lead to refusal of treatment. In modern clinics, patients are prescribed new pharmacological drugs that have a minimum of side effects, while effectively inhibit the development of the disease.
The main task of palliative therapy in oncology is the use of methods and means that the patient can apply at home. Specialists in this field of medicine give advice to patients at home, and before discharge from the hospital, they carry out psychological training for both the patient himself and his family members. Proper initial training and lay the foundation for effective care and treatment at home in the future.
Such help in oncology is successful only if there is a professional long-term observation of the patient. The patient and his relatives should be sure that outside the treatment and prevention facility they will not be without adequate support and attention. A specialist in this area can initially motivate a patient to seek advice 2-3 times a week: this will significantly help improve his psycho-emotional state.
Palliative treatment of cancer patients should support their well-being, and sometimes lead to an improvement in overall well-being for those who are in the terminal stage of the disease. Special antitumor treatment and palliative care should complement each other, which ultimately leads to an increase in the effectiveness of therapy. Palliative treatment of cancer should be carried out immediately after diagnosis. This necessarily leads to an increase in the effectiveness of antitumor therapy by improving the quality of life of the patient, improving his psychological and emotional state.
