An Overview of Non-pharmacological Therapies for Palliative Cancer Care

Abstract

It is estimated that 1,596,670 new cancer cases were diagnosed in 2011. Symptoms commonly associated with cancer and cancer treatment include pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, insomnia, dyspnea, delirium, anxiety, depression and distress. An important aspect of cancer control is palliative care, which is guided by the principles of symptom relief, integration of psychological and spiritual care into the treatment plan, and promotion of quality of life (QoL). Palliative care is patient-focused, family-centered care delivered by a multidisciplinary team and is indicated early in the course of the illness. Palliative care has a broad mission to reduce symptom burden (in all domains of life), improve QoL, and as a result, reduce suffering. Palliative care provides a supportive environment in which there is collaboration between patients and health care providers to achieve the best possible results for the patient. This collaborative framework can incorporate the patient’s use of non-pharmacological therapies such as relaxation and guided imagery to reduce stress and enhance QoL. Patients diagnosed with cancer are increasingly using non-pharmacologic strategies to address their illness concerns, including pain relief, desire to improve health, and desire to enhance QoL. Many of the non-pharmacological therapies used by patients do not have sufficient evidence to determine efficacy or safety. This chapter provides an overview of some of the most commonly used non-pharmacological therapies with a discussion of the evidence supporting their use and indications of risk of each therapy.