Palliative Medicine

What Is Palliative Medicine?

People mistakenly believe Palliative Care is the route of care one goes through when there is no cure and no further treatment available. In actuality Palliative Care can be given to any patient at any stage of his or her disease. Good palliative care is holistic patient care. It can even help one recover from his illness by treating the symptoms of his disease and those associated with his treatment whilst other doctors work with the patient to try and cure him.

Palliative Care is aimed at improving QUALITY OF LIFE of a patient whether his disease is curative, long standing or life threatening. Palliative Care relieves pain and other uncomfortable symptoms, provide emotional support for the patient and his carers and assists a patient in making difficult medical decisions.

At Prince Court Medical Centre, Palliative Care is an important aspect of excellent cancer care. It is common to find uncertainty, fear and a sense of hopelessness among cancer patients and their carers. We encourage discussion to identify problem areas where we can work together towards preservation of quality of life for both the patients and their carers.

Common symptoms managed by our highly qualified team comprising a Palliative Medicine physician, trained nurses, dietitians and physiotherapists:

• Chronic and Acute Cancer Pain
• Breathlessness
• Lethargy
• Poor appetite / nutrition
• Excessive weight loss
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Agitation
• Poor mobility
  

Managing Cancer Pain Effectively

Living with cancer doesn’t mean that one has to put up with unbearable pain. Unrelieved pain destroys quality of life for both the patient and the family.

The course of cancer pain can be unpredictable. However, cancer pain can be managed effectively and safely with appropriate titration of pain killers and the use of adjunct medications. Many of our cancer patients continue to live active lifestyles with excellent pain and symptom management.

Good palliative care and appropriate use of pain killers relieve cancer pain in 90% of patients. Let us help you or your loved ones overcome cancer pain.