Palliative care for cancer patients

By Nicole Ferrara • November 22, 2024

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

By Sonya Goins

Patients undergoing cancer treatments often use palliative medicine to cope with nausea, fatigue and other bothersome symptoms.

Palliative medicine is a medical specialty whose main focus is supporting patients and families/caregivers who need help managing symptoms related to cancer or side effects related to the treatment of cancer, along with other life-limiting diseases.

Dr. Touré Barksdale, a Mayo Clinic cancer rehabilitation and palliative medicine specialist, explains the benefits of palliative care.

Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute

Patients with cancer not only have to worry about fighting the disease, but they also must battle the cumbersome side effects, like fatigue and other symptoms related to cancer and its treatment.

"Side effects from cancer and treatment of cancer, such as pain, delirium, nausea, vomiting and debility, can also contribute to their cancer-related fatigue," says Dr. Barksdale.

Palliative care provides relief

Tai Chi is often used in palliative medicine.

Palliative medicine is a crucial component of cancer treatment. Its main purpose is to improve the patient's overall well-being.

"Whether that's more holistic care through integrative and complementary medicine, more Western-based medicines, psychological care, music therapy, aromatherapy, Reiki, tai chi — we have lots of things we can do to help reduce suffering," explains Dr. Barksdale.

Palliative care is not the same as hospice care. The latter focuses on making patients comfortable and managing symptoms nearing the end of life when further curative treatments are no longer available.

"Palliative care, to me, is hope because what we're doing is we're improving your quality of life," says Dr. Barksdale.

This type of care is available at any stage of cancer treatment.