Most patients with incurable cancer will still see their cancer specialist. They may also see other healthcare professionals like a palliative care team, or a palliative or supportive care specialist. The aim of treatment is to keep you feeling as well as possible for as long as possible. You may still have treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.
Palliative care improves the quality of life of patients and their families who are faced with an illness that cannot be cured. It helps by finding problems early, and working out what will help for pain and other problems, whether physical, emotional, social or spiritual. Palliative care is not only for people who are dying. Palliative care can help you live for as long as possible in the best way you can, within the limits of your illness.
There are many benefits of palliative care including:
Depending on your cancer and what you want, palliative care might involve your GP and a community nurse visiting you at home or it might involve hospital care and more members of the palliative care team.
Palliative care can involve support from medical, nursing and allied health professionals, as well as caregivers and volunteers. We call this the palliative care team. People involved in your palliative care team may include:
You, your family and caregivers are part of the team who make treatment and care decisions. For some patients, visiting a palliative care or supportive care specialist in a hospital clinic may help to set up a care program for your needs. Your palliative care team can also help to coordinate complementary therapies, exercise, diet and psychosocial support, which can often be provided at your local hospital.
Palliative care is provided in many different places, including at home, in a hospital clinic or inpatient unit. The palliative care team will help you get the care and support you need in the best place for you. You can find a directory of palliative care services in Australia by visiting the National Palliative Care Service Directory
Being diagnosed with any cancer is an emotional experience. To hear that your cancer is advanced and may be incurable is even harder. While we all know that death is a natural part of life, finding out that it may be closer than you thought can be a shock and hard to believe.
You may worry about work or money, or feel afraid about what will happen, how you will tell your loved ones, or getting your affairs in order.
People react in different ways and there is no right or wrong way to feel. It is common for people to experience a mixture of feelings at different times including:
Many people describe this time as "an emotional rollercoaster, with many ups and downs". However, you don't need to go through these feelings alone. There is support available to help you cope at this difficult time.
Some people choose to share the news of their cancer with other people while others would rather keep it private. This is up to you, but many people find telling their friends and family helps to take in the news and to cope with the next stage.
It can be hard to tell people, so you may find it helpful to:
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