There are several different cancer treatments. While some are palliative, others are curative. Palliative cancer treatments reduce a patient’s pain or other cancer symptoms, while curative cancer treatments work to eradicate the disease. Although palliative care does not treat cancer, it helps patients live better lives.
Similarly, chemotherapy used to treat cancer is known as curative chemotherapy. Palliative chemotherapy is defined as chemotherapy that is administered to a patient to ease cancer symptoms and enhance the quality of life.
Dr. Vikas Goswami is a Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at Max Healthcare (Vaishali, Patparganj, Greater Noida, and Noida). Before joining Max Cancer hospital in Noida
, he worked for the Fortis Group of Cancer hospital in Noida and IOSPL.
He is a well-trained medical oncologist with national and worldwide recognition and renown. He has been praised for his ethical and professional clinical approach.
Palliative medicine
Palliative care aims to find symptoms while improving your quality of life. Worrisome symptoms, such as pain or sickness, can be taken at any stage of the disease. Palliative care may allow someone with advanced cancer to live longer and more comfortably, even if they cannot be cured.
Palliative care by Best Oncologist in Noida is more than just taking pain relievers and anti-sickness medications to reduce symptoms. Cancer therapies might also help to minimize or eliminate symptoms. They can, for example, alleviate discomfort by decreasing a tumor and relieving pressure on nerves or surrounding tissues.
When should a cancer patient receive palliative chemotherapy?
For incurable tumors, palliative chemotherapy is preferred. In this case, shrinking the tumors or providing respite from cancer symptoms will be beneficial. It can also be given with curative chemotherapy or anytime during cancer treatment.
Palliative chemotherapy can be administered intravenously or orally.
Palliative chemotherapy has been proven beneficial in pancreatic, non-small cell lung, and breast cancer.
Chemotherapy is generally recommended in two situations:
- To cure cancer and keep it from recurring.
Chemotherapy seeks to cure cancer entirely and prevent it from recurring. Chemotherapy heals cancer by eliminating rapidly developing cells, a feature of cancer cells. Chemotherapy can treat and cure illnesses like lymphomas, leukemias, and testicular tumors. In such instances, the administering chemotherapy is called Curative Chemotherapy.
- To effectively treat and reduce tumors.
Chemotherapy is used to decrease tumors in the case of metastatic cancers (when cancer spreads to different places of the body). Palliative Chemotherapy refers to the administration of chemotherapy in such conditions.
Palliative therapy is used to treat what types of cancer?
- Palliative chemotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of malignancies. Although the type of cancer is less relevant than the stage of venom, it may influence the variety of chemotherapy medications employed.
- Palliative chemotherapy has demonstrated considerable benefits in the treatment of various malignancies, including:
- Cancer of the pancreas. Palliative chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer can improve pain, physical function, and life expectancy. It can also delay the onset of other symptoms, such as dyspnea and constipation.
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Targeted biologic therapy used as palliative chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer can relieve discomfort, dyspnea, and cough.
- Cancer of the breast. Palliative chemotherapy can help improve the quality of life and fatigue in persons with breast cancer.
More research is needed to investigate the potential benefits of palliative chemotherapy for people suffering from various cancer types.
Conclusion
There are numerous cancer treatments available. Some medicines are curative, while others are palliative.
Palliative care in Cancer hospital in Noida is a treatment that offers symptom relief and improves the quality of life. It is not used to treat illnesses. While palliative care is commonly associated with end-of-life care, it can also be utilized with curative treatment during infection.
Palliative chemotherapy may be used as part of your cancer treatment. The goals of palliative chemotherapy by Best Oncologist in Noida differ from those of chemotherapy intended to treat cancer.
If your cancer has progressed and your treatment has shifted from curative to palliative, consult the Best Oncologist in Noida about your treatment options. Questions might include:
- What are the chances that my cancer will respond?
- How long will the treatment be effective?
- What are the possible adverse effects?
Speaking with Best Oncologist in Noida can help you establish your treatment objectives. Explain what you hope to gain from the treatment and what to expect while receiving palliative chemotherapy.