The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers (TCCC) takes pride not only in offering our community the very latest cancer therapies and technologies, but also in providing palliative care to help preserve the best possible quality of life for patients throughout their treatment journey.
The term “palliative care” may be unfamiliar to many people, but the concept is actually quite simple. According to Mary Bailey, a certified nurse practitioner with TCCC, the basic objective of palliative care is symptom management—easing pain and other unpleasant symptoms that are associated with the patient’s cancer or occur as a side effect of treatment.
“Neuropathy and other forms of pain, nausea from chemotherapy, breathing issues, swelling, depression, and sleep issues are just some of the symptoms we can help alleviate with palliative care,” she explains.
Bailey emphasizes that palliative care should not be confused with hospice care, even though both forms concentrate on symptom relief. Hospice care is for terminally ill patients at the end of life for whom attempts at curative treatment are no longer effective or desired. The general guideline is that patients with a life expectancy of six months or less (assuming the illness runs its normal course) are eligible for hospice care, though patients who live longer than this period can often be recertified to continue receiving services.
“Palliative care, on the other hand, does not signal end of life. The only criterion for eligibility is to have symptoms from a serious disease or its treatment. You can still receive all life-sustaining treatments, and there’s no limit to how long you can be on palliative care,” Bailey clarifies.
Everyone on the TCCC multidisciplinary care team plays at least some role in providing palliative care to patients, and if an individual’s symptoms become too severe to manage on site, he or she can be referred to a collaborating palliative care team or other specialist in the community. “For example,” Bailey says, “patients who are in severe pain and taking high doses of medication might benefit from working with someone who specializes in narcotics or other avenues of pain management. Or, if a patient has abdominal swelling, we can coordinate with a hospital team to perform a drainage procedure called abdominal paracentesis, which will reduce pressure and improve the patient’s breathing and comfort.” Bailey points out that other medical or surgical procedures can be used for palliative rather than curative purposes as well. Examples she gives include chemotherapy to keep symptoms at bay, surgical removal of a tumor that’s pushing on the spine and causing pain or weakness in the legs, and even the use of radiation to shrink tumors and help patients achieve relief.
Furthermore, the impact of palliative care goes beyond providing relief and comfort. Effective management of symptoms and side effects can also influence patient outcomes. “For instance, a patient who is experiencing overwhelming symptoms as a side effect of treatment might be inclined to discontinue the therapy, potentially increasing the aggressiveness of the cancer and the likelihood of mortality. On the other hand, patients whose symptoms are well controlled tend to comply with treatment and live longer, healthier lives. After all, no one wants to live in misery,” Bailey says.
The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers, located at 1200 Medical Center Parkway in Maumee and 4126 N. Holland Sylvania Road, Suite 105 in Toledo, also provides imaging, laboratory, chemotherapy, specialized pharmacy, and IV services. The cancer center consists of 13 physicians and 11 advanced practice providers. The cancer center also has satellite centers in Napoleon, Bowling Green, Wauseon, Bellevue, and Monroe.
The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers has earned Patient-Centered Specialty Practice recognition and Oncology Medical Home recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Oncology homes align systems and resources with coordinated care focused on cancer patients and their needs. This reduces fragmentation, supports shared decision making, and improves the patient experience. They are the first oncology practice in the state of Michigan and the second oncology practice in the state of Ohio to receive this recognition.
For more information, please call The Toledo Clinic Cancer Centers at 419-479-5605. ✲
