Palliative Care

The aim of a palliative care service is to relieve suffering.

Suffering in breast cancer can be multidimensional. A palliative care service responds to this suffering. Suffering can occur in potentially curable disease, in disease with a significantly favourable prognosis, or in the situation of a poor prognosis.

Suffering may be defined as a feeling of threat to a person’s physical or psychosocial being. It may occur due to physical symptoms such as pain, nausea, loss of energy etc. It may occur due psychological symptoms such as feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability, sleep disturbance, and loss of concentration. These psychological symptoms can be due to existential concerns such as uncertainty, changes in body image, changes in social and professional function, a feeling of unfulfilled aspirations, a feeling of depreciation in worth, and distress over future concerns.

This suffering impacts on the whole family.

Sometimes the patient and family need help to understand the diagnosis, the management, and the outcome.

A palliative care service aims at:

• Comprehensive physical symptom management, especially pain management. Addressing anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, feelings of loss of control and loss of comprehension.
• Family support
• Introduction of community support services.
• Help with cognitive restructuring of goals and realistic expectations, always maintaining a focus on hope.
• A palliative care approach:
  
  - Is to understand the uniqueness of a person and their suffering.
  
  - To journey with the person and their family as they cope with the   issues of their suffering.
  
  - To respond to these issues with understanding, symptom   management and psychological support.
  
  - And to help the person find a realistic hope.