Talk with your doctor about palliative care

This is taken from cancer.net (ASCO)

ASCO recommends that doctors, patients, and caregivers talk about palliative care soon after diagnosis for any patient with metastatic cancer and for patients with many or severe symptoms.

What this Means for Patients

Patients who receive palliative care at the same time as cancer treatment often have less severe symptoms, better quality of life, and report that they are more satisfied with treatment. “Preserving quality of life is of utmost importance for all patients,” said PCO co-author Tom Smith, MD, Director of Palliative Care for Johns Hopkins Medicine and Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, Maryland. “We now have strong evidence that combining palliative care with standard cancer treatment for metastatic cancer improves our patients’ lives in many ways and, in some cases, can help lengthen their lives.”

Jamie Von Roenn, MD, Professor of Medicine in the Hematology/Oncology Division at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois and the co-author of the PCO, adds, “Palliative care is about maintaining quality of life throughout the cancer journey.”

It’s important to talk with your health care team soon after diagnosis so you understand your prognosis, goals of treatment, and your options if the cancer worsens. Planning for all possibilities helps you and your family and caregivers better cope with the disease, no matter the outcome.