April 2, 2009
Life before death
Palliative care's not end of treatment
In this first of a four-part column brought to you by the Lien Foundation, experts dispel the taboo of death and explain the importance of hospice palliative care
Q: My father has advanced lung cancer and his doctors have suggested putting him on palliative care. Does this mean he will not get active treatment and just waits to die? Is this a humane way to let a loved one go?
A: Dr Rosalie Shaw, a consultant at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), said palliative care does not mean the end of treatment.
'Even though we know the cancer is advanced, this does not mean that we are not going to do everything we can to give treatment that might improve the patient's quality of life,' she said.
Palliative care is specialised care that focuses on relief and management of pain caused by illnesses or treatments.
Agreeing with Dr Shaw, Dr Cynthia Goh, centre director of the Lien Centre for Palliative Care and head of the department of palliative medicine at the NCCS, said palliative care does not mean doing nothing.
For example, in palliative care, if a bone is found to have weakened and is in danger of breaking, doctors will try to treat it so there is no fracture. If the spinal cord is being pressed on by a cancerous tumour, they will try to treat it before paralysis sets in.
'Even though the chance of cure is very low, many of our patients still want some treatment for the cancer. When they go for palliative care, these treatments continue. It does not mean they have to give them up,' said Dr Goh.
Readers can send their feedback to talk@lifebeforedeath.sg
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