Monday, July 8, 2013

Why Mesothelioma Patients Encouraged to Discuss End of Life Care?

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Mesothelioma patients often turn to palliative care when combating the effects of the cancer on their bodies. Palliative, or end-of-life, care is typically administered through a hospice organization and works to relieve the cancer’s symptoms and to keep the patient comfortable without actually treating the cancer itself.


A recent study published by the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that cancer patients who did not discuss their feelings toward palliative care before being hospitalized – including a course of action – were more-likely to undergo an aggressive treatment regimen in the latter season of their lives. To ensure palliative options are included according to a patient’s wishes, Dr. Jennifer W. Mack, the study’s lead author, recommends having more than one palliative-care discussion.

What Happens if We Postpone the Discussion?

Putting-off the discussion could expose a patient to treatments that would diminish their overall quality of life. The study’s authors concluded that patients who waited until they were hospitalized to discuss end-of-life care didn’t receive comfort-focused care until the last month of treatment. Some hospitalized patients, according to the authors, couldn’t remember their end-of-life conversations, nor were they fully cognizant that they were discussing such options.

In a hospital setting, many physicians put-off discussing palliative care; however, the authors concluded that a clinical oncologist could have a substantial impact on palliative care discussions – if they began the discussions early. If an oncologist begins the palliative-care discussion more than 30 days before a patient’s end-of-life, the patient was
·         59 percent less-likely to receive chemotherapy in their last two weeks;
·         57 percent less-likely to receive acute care in their last 30 days; and
·         23 percent less-likely to be admitted to an intensive-care unit.

Mesothelioma is a rare and highly-aggressive cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. There is no cure for it, and because of its precarious growth pattern, mesothelioma is nearly impossible to successfully treat with conventional methods (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery).

Its finality leads many people suffering from mesothelioma and their families to choose palliative care rather than aggressive forms of treatment, which could do little to prolong the patient’s life and could diminish the quality of it. To ensure a patient receives the sort of care he or she desires, discuss palliative care early and often.

Palliative Care as a Complementary Treatment Option

As part of a mesothelioma patient’s treatment plan, oncologists often use complementary treatment tracks to bolster a given course of action following diagnosis. In 2011, the American Society of Clinical Oncology released guidelines that encourage physicians to consider palliative care as a complementary treatment option, one that could be used alongside chemotherapy, radiation, or other courses of action.

The society’s guidelines state that physicians should discuss palliative care options – alongside all others – with their patients as soon as the physician diagnoses a terminal condition. Having the discussion as soon as possible, according to the society, ensures that the patient will better understand how palliative care can be used as a complementary treatment option.

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers, which were common in the United States around certain industrial workplaces before the carcinogen’s use was regulated. Though its use isn’t as widespread as it was fifty years ago, many older buildings still contain asbestos in and around plumbing, as insulation in walls, and in other areas.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common variety of the cancer, and it affects the lining of the lungs. Mesothelioma can lie dormant in a person’s body for decades before symptoms manifest.

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