Category Archives: Palliative Care

More on Additional Help

Costs: Medical health services are generally not offered free as part of the medical cancer care, but they are often covered in part by your health insurance plans. You need to call your health insurance company to find out which types of professional services are covered and what will be the dollar amount of the

Nausea and Vomiting

For many people who have been diagnosed with cancer, therapy administered using cytotoxic (chemotherapeutic) agents will play a crucial role in their curative or palliative treatment. Although cytotoxic therapies are beneficial for cancer patients, many people believe that it leads to chronic nausea and vomiting. Earlier, most patients who were administered chemotherapy experienced moderate to

Psychosocial and Mental Health Concerns in Cancer Patients

At this stage, social workers tell you how to approach problems and resolve them in a manner that is most beneficial to you. There may also be times when the social worker should speak up on behalf of the patient who does not have proper family support, or refer a member of the family to

Do You Require Additional Help for Your Distress?

Some individuals face an increased risk of severe distress, for instance, if they: Had experienced major mental health problems such as depression in the past Have other serious medical complications apart from cancer Face communication problems (for instance hearing problems or a different language) Are facing some kind of family or social problems Are younger

Finding Support When You Have Cancer

There are many types of resources available for cancer patients and their family members. You can seek support from family members or friends, support groups, health professionals, or your place of worship. When you ask for support, you will feel more in control of the changes occurring in your life. You may feel lonely or

Coping within the family

The way a family copes with cancer will depend upon how the members of the family may have dealt with problems earlier. People who can openly express and share their feelings are more likely to be able to talk about their experiences with cancer. Families wherein problems are resolved more at individual levels rather than

Ask Questions of Your Mesothelioma Health Care Team

Your doctors and nurses can act as reliable sources of information, especially for your medical questions. Prior to your appointments, you need to prepare a list of question that you may have about your specific type of cancer, its treatment, side-effects of treatment, and any activities that may be barred during the treatment. Other health

Requesting your health care team to provide information

Your health care team will first gather all information about you and your mesothelioma. Physical examination, imaging tests, a biopsy and other types of lab tests will be carried out in order to determine your cancer’s stage (extent). In the next step, your doctor will use the collected information to shortlist options and recommend treatment

Hospice Care for Cancer Patients

Hospice care is based on the medieval concept of providing shelter to travelers. There are many religious organizations that still offer hospice shelter to individuals experiencing the most critical and emotional moments of their lives. To denote specialized care for terminally ill patients, the term “hospice” was applied for the first time in 1967 by

Palliative Care for Mesothelioma

A specialized form of care for patients, palliative care reduces pain and eases symptoms. It does not seek to increase the life span or hasten death; it has more to do with comforting the patient, while offering moral and emotional support to both patients and their families. Palliative care improves the quality of life of