Cancer Palliative Care: Relieving Symptoms and Improving Quality of Life

Cancer Palliative Care: Relieving Symptoms and Improving Quality of Life In the medical field, the treatment of advanced cancer often faces many challenges, especially when the disease enters an incurable stage, palliative care has become an important treatment strategy. Palliative care, also known as palliative care or conservative treatment, is a comprehensive medical care for patients with advanced cancer that cannot be cured. Its core goal is not to pursue the radical cure of cancer, but to alleviate the symptoms of patients, improve the quality of life, prolong survival through a series of comprehensive measures, and provide psychological, social and spiritual support in this process. 1. The core idea of palliative care is not to give up passively, but to make a positive and rational choice of treatment after fully weighing the pros and cons, aiming at maximizing the overall interests of patients. It emphasizes patient-centered, respects patients’wishes and choices, and provides personalized treatment programs. 2. Main methods of palliative treatment Symptom control: Pain is one of the most common symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. Palliative care emphasizes the development of individualized analgesic programs, according to the degree and nature of pain in patients, select appropriate analgesic drugs and administration methods to ensure that patients can maintain a lower level of pain, thereby improving the quality of life. Nutritional support: Patients with advanced cancer often suffer from malnutrition due to tumor consumption and loss of appetite, which affects the therapeutic effect and survival time. Palliative care focuses on nutritional assessment and support, through adjusting dietary structure, increasing nutritional intake, using enteral or parenteral nutrition support, to improve the nutritional status of patients and enhance their resistance and tolerance. Psychological intervention: In the face of the threat to life and physical pain, patients with advanced cancer often bear tremendous psychological pressure. Palliative care emphasizes the importance of psychological intervention, through psychological counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, family support and other ways to help patients and their families alleviate anxiety, depression and other negative emotions, and enhance the confidence and ability to cope with the disease. Social support: Patients with advanced cancer also need support and care from society. Palliative care teams usually include doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors and other multidisciplinary professionals, who work together to provide comprehensive care and support for patients, help them solve practical difficulties in life, and improve their social participation and quality of life. 3. The practical application of palliative treatment takes a patient with advanced rectal cancer as an example, who can not receive radical treatment because of extensive metastasis and multiple underlying disease. Through palliative treatment, including traditional Chinese medicine conditioning, pain management, nutritional support and psychological intervention, the symptoms of patients were significantly alleviated, physical strength was gradually restored, and the quality of life was significantly improved. This case fully demonstrates the practical application value and effect of palliative care in patients with advanced cancer. 4. Conclusion Palliative care for patients with advanced cancer is a complex and meticulous work, which requires the close cooperation of multidisciplinary teams and the formulation of individualized treatment plans. Palliative care should be emphasized and promoted as an important treatment strategy by effectively alleviating symptoms, improving quality of life and prolonging survival. Let us work together to fight for the quality of life and dignity of patients. It is hoped that this article will help you better understand the importance and practical application of palliative care for cancer. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please consult a professional doctor or medical institution.