Chemotherapy plays a major role in treatment of cancer. Many cancers like certain types of lymphoma, leukemia, testicular cancer etc. can be completely cured by chemotherapy with a good chance that it will never come back. In other cases, it may be helpful in shrinking the cancer and controlling its growth.
Palliative care post chemotherapyAlthough the treatment of chemotherapy has vastly improved in previous decades but still it causes some side-effects to the patient like:
- Anemia
- Fever
- Unusual pain, including intense headaches
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea & vomiting
- Mouth ulcers
- Nerve damage
- Neutropenia & infections
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Hair loss
- Fertility problems
- Insomnia
- Urine and bladder changes
- Bloody stool or blood in urine
- Changes in libido and sexual function
- Bleeding or unexplained bruising
- Memory and concentration changes
Palliative care post chemotherapy
Palliative care is means the treatment that is given to manage the symptoms of a disease or to manage the ill-effects of treatment. Palliative care after chemotherapy serves the purpose of management of ill-effects of treatment. Chemotherapy causes various side-effects to patients. These symptoms make the treatment procedure painful and uncomfortable for the patient. But as chemotherapy is curative and restrictive form of cancer treatment, it is required to manage its side-effects and motivate patient to complete the treatment cycles.
Goals of Palliative care post chemotherapy
- Maintain or improve the best possible quality of life
- Ease the side-effects caused by chemotherapy
- Improve or completely eliminate the distressing symptoms caused by the chemotherapy
- Prevent or treat, as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of chemotherapy
- Provide solution for psychological, social, and spiritual problems related to chemotherapy
- Monitor and attend patient and family needs
Advantages of Palliative care post chemotherapy
- Provides smooth treatment opportunity to the patient undergoing
- chemotherapy by managing its side-effects
- Gives relief to the patient from ill-effects of chemotherapy
- Motivates patient to complete the chemotherapy cycles
- Solves all queries related to treatment and its ill-effects
- Assists patient and his family to make medically appropriate goals in accordance with chemotherapy
- Facilitates effective communication between patient, family and oncologists to make them understand about the possible side-effects and management of chemotherapy related side-effects
In the journey of cancer, patients receive many types of cancer treatments. Cancer surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and pain management are the main treatments. For advanced stage cancer chemo, radiation therapy and pain relief remains the mainstay of treatments. Unfortunately, even with the best treatment; if cancer gradually spreads throughout the body, palliative care is all that is required. Advanced cancer care network (ACCN) is committed to provide specialist health care at home to all advanced cancer patients. Home care is best for stage 4 cancer patients. Advanced cancer care centre is a place for people who don’t need to be in a hospital but can’t be cared for at home and offers an alternative to nearby nursing homes. Hospice care focuses on the palliation of a chronically ill, terminally ill or seriously ill patient’s pain and symptoms, end of life care and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. ACCN is all set to provide not only nursing home care but home care products also at home and home becomes care home. The purpose of home health care or home care services is to provide comfort care to the patients. Home health care services include hospice care, home nurse, junior doctor, specialist doctor and other medical treatments at home. Sometimes home health aide can also work like in home nurse. Most of the health care agencies don’t provide respite care for caregiver, but we do. ACCN provides home care nursing services and doctors for home health for assisted living in Delhi, NCR and other parts of north India. Contact us for arranging home visit or for an appointment at our office.
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Note:-This information should not be used as a substitute for necessary consultations with an Oncologist or Cancer Pain Specialist or Palliative Care Specialist to meet your individual needs. Always consult a medically trained & qualified professional with questions and concerns you have regarding your cancer and cancer related problems.