Psycho-oncology and Palliative Care: Two Concepts That Fit into Comprehensive Cancer Care

Abstract

For a variety of different tumor entities, early diagnosis and multimodal cancer treatments have markedly improved survival rates during the last years, resulting in the fact that cancer is increasingly regarded as a chronic disease (Globocan 2012). Nevertheless, for many patients, the diagnosis of cancer is associated with significant limitations on their quality of life and a shortened lifetime. Research has shown that early integration of palliative care leads to significant improvements in quality of life and even enhances survival rates among patients with advanced cancer (Temel et al. 2014). These developments have been addressed in models of comprehensive cancer care where palliative care begins at diagnosis or at an early disease stage and is integrated throughout the course of cancer care (Irwin and von Gunten 2010). It is recommended that clinicians increase their focus on the patients experience of illness to improve congruence of treatment with patient goals and preferences (Hartenstein 2002; Griffin et al. 2003; Cooley et al. 2010). Palliative care should be integrated as a component of assessment of goals of treatment and treatment planning. Thus, according to a patients disease status, his or her goals and priorities should determine which treatment approaches and care plans might be the most valuable and should be negotiated within an interdisciplinary health-care team. Along the palliative care continuum including acute illness, chronic illness, end-of-life and hospice care, as well as bereavement care, within this approach, abrupt transitions are avoided. Early palliative care models adequately reflect the course of psychosocial distress in patients and their families and indicate patients and families psychosocial supportive care needs.