This page has been fact checked by aDoctor of Nursing Practice who specializes in Oncology and has experience working with mesothelioma patients.

Sources of information are listed at the bottom of the article. We make every attempt to keep our information accurate and up-to-date.

Please Contact Us with any questions or comments.

Palliative treatment is especially important for mesothelioma patients who often live with severe side effects and symptoms, distress, anxiety, and fear. More than just treating the disease, palliative care is supportive care for the person as a whole and aims to improve their quality of life for as long as possible.

Palliative treatment is any type of care provided for a patient with a serious or terminal illness with the goal of improving quality of life. Instead of solely treating a disease, it focuses on factors that affect symptoms as well prioritizing personalized care. Treatment is geared towards what matters most to patients. This includes all kinds of supportive care:

While there may be some overlap in strategies, palliative care is not the same as other cancer treatments. The goal of treatments that are not palliative is to cure, slow, or stop the progression of a disease. Many patients with mesothelioma benefit from both palliative and non-palliative treatments.

Studies find that malignant mesothelioma patients have a high burden of symptoms. In one study, for instance, 92 percent of patients lived with three or more difficult symptoms: shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pains, loss of appetite, and cough, among other less common symptoms. They also experience distress, uncertainty, and a sense of lack of control.

Management of symptoms to improve quality of life is the main reason to use palliative care. Without treatment for symptoms, patients may struggle with severe, uncomfortable, and painful side effects of the cancer and its treatments. Palliation can help patients physically but also give them better control over quality of life, which improves mental health.

Historically, palliative care was reserved for patients in the latter stages of cancer. However, literature supports introduction of palliative care at the time of diagnosis, especially for those cancers that tend to be aggressive with shorter survival trends. Palliative care can work in conjunction with the medical and surgical oncology teams to provide patient centered care. Mesothelioma is a particularly painful cancer, though, and palliation early on in the disease can be beneficial too.

Studies have shown that cancer patients with early access to palliative care enjoyed better quality of life and improved survival times.

Patients in need of palliative care will generally work with a specialist. Some centers have dedicated palliative care teams. They have specialty training in palliative care and can create a strategy with the patient and their family. If a dedicated team is not available, the medical care team can certainly have a more palliative approach and work to provide support that best fits an individuals goals.

The actual medical procedures are provided by physicians. The palliative care specialist will also reach out to other caregivers to help implement the plan: pain specialists, holistic care providers, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists, spiritual leaders, and others.

Palliative treatments do not have to wait until a patient is in hospice car. Hospice may be in a medical facility or at home, but is care that is provided to patients at the end of their lives. Palliative care does not require enrollment into hospice.

Palliative care becomes especially important in hospice, where it provides relief, comfort, and the best possible quality of life for the time a patient has left.

Patients living with pleural mesothelioma experience a number of difficult symptoms, including pain, a relentless cough, and difficulty breathing. Several treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy can be used for relief and palliation:

Many of the same strategies used for pleural mesothelioma palliation can be applied to the peritoneal patient. Paracentesis is the term for removing fluid from the abdomen. Standard chemotherapy may provide some benefits, but radiation is not generally used for peritoneal mesothelioma.

The buildup of fluid in the abdomen, know as ascites, can be particularly uncomfortable for peritoneal patients. Specialists who provide HIPEC, a debulking surgery followed by heated chemotherapy, may offer this service for palliation. It is generally used as a treatment to slow or cure the cancer, but studies have also found it can improve quality of life as a palliative treatment.

Managing this rare type of mesothelioma is especially challenging because it is so close to the heart. A percardiocentisis a surgical procedure that can be used to drain fluid from around the heart, which relieves pressure and pain. Chemotherapy may also help relieve symptoms, but radiation is not effective with pericardial mesothelioma.

A surgical procedure known as a pericardiectomy may help relieve symptoms specific to this type of mesothelioma. It involves removing part or all of the pericardium around the heart. This may help relieve pressure on the heart, which is both uncomfortable and dangerous.

For any type of mesothelioma, pain is a major symptom and focus of palliative treatment. The medical treatments used for each type can help relieve pain but are often not adequate. Medications and other management strategy can help reduce pain or make it more tolerable:

While most complementary and alternative (CAM) practices are unproven to help treat cancer, they can help manage symptoms and play an important role in palliative care.

For example, a study from MD Anderson Cancer Center included 375 cancer patients and found that acupuncture relieved several symptoms: fatigue, hot flashes, numbness, nausea, and dry mouth.

CAM may also include aromatherapy, massage therapy, herbal supplements, and other strategies. Patients may have a CAM specialist on their treatment or palliative care team. Some CAM practices may help some patients feel better or not work for others. Most are safe to try, though.

Palliative treatments are essential for helping mesothelioma patients enjoy a better quality of life. This is a devastating disease that is most often terminal but also very painful physically. Palliative care can provide psychological and spiritual assistance and medical treatments to relieve symptoms.

Sources

Follow this link:

Palliative Treatment for Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma.net Blog