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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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