Luna does live with an array of symptoms and side effects related to her disease and treatment, however. Among the symptoms she contends with are pain, nausea, fatigue, and numbness in her hands. Thanks to palliative care, an approach that focuses not on treatment of cancer per se, but rather on treatment of symptoms and side effects through methods that range from yoga to pain medication, the California resident has been able to keep up with interests that include half-marathons and skydiving.
Misconceptions Keep Some People From Pursuing Palliative Care
Palliative care has become more commonly available at hospitals in recent years, as it’s become clear that attending to discomfort and symptoms associated with diseases like (but not limited to) cancer often allows patients to tolerate treatment better, improves outcomes, and lowers healthcare costs. According to the Center to Advance Palliative Care, for instance, while only a quarter of hospitals in the United States had a palliative care program in 2000, three-quarters of them did by 2016. Still, some patients don’t avail themselves of the services, oftentimes because of a misperception about what palliative care is. The term “palliative care” is often seen as synonymous with hospice or end-of-life care, which aims to help ease the process of dying, says Fatima Zelada-Arenas, the manager of patient central operations for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN). But that isn’t the case, says Zelada-Arenas. “End-of-life care is just a branch of palliative care,” she says. Ideally, she says, palliative care is offered from the very beginning, at the point of diagnosis. “Making sure palliative care is offered at the beginning ensures that the journey is easy to tolerate,” she says.
Palliative Care Is Particularly Helpful for Pancreatic Cancer
Palliative care is a worthwhile approach for all forms of cancer, says Zelada-Arenas. But it’s particularly relevant with regard to pancreatic cancer because of the array of pervasive symptoms associated with the disease and its treatment. Pain is an issue for many patients, because the pancreas is set deep in the abdomen and entwined with many blood vessels and nerves. Other common issues include bile duct obstructions caused by tumor growth, as well as weight loss, fatigue, nausea, and neuropathy that may occur as a side effect of chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. “Pancreatic cancer is a disease that comes with a lot of symptoms related specifically to gastrointestinal difficulties, and because of that, palliative care is really critical,” Zelada-Arenas says. “Patients should always be working with their doctor to make sure all symptoms and side effects are adequately managed, and also work with a registered dietitian when experiencing weight loss, loss of appetite, and issues with malabsorption or enzyme insufficiency.”
Treatments Range From Yoga to Surgery
Medication to combat symptoms such as pain and nausea is perhaps the most expected type of palliative care for pancreatic cancer. But other forms of care may include surgery to ease obstructions of the bile duct or intestine, which can occur depending on where the tumor is located and how large it has become, Zelada-Arenas says. Other common forms of palliative care for pancreatic cancer include yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and massage therapy, Luna says. “Not all palliative care is medications,” says Luna. “Even aromatherapy can help with stress, and certain aromas can help with nausea. Those are things most people wouldn’t look at.” Over the years, Luna has learned, through trial and error, that her pain is best controlled through a skin patch that slowly releases medication into her system, while tactics such as yoga and massage therapy boost her energy and make her hands more functional. “It’s important to understand that palliative care isn’t giving up and it’s not replacing treatment — it gives us hope that we can manage our pain and side effects so we can have a good quality of life,” she says. “If I hadn’t been able to manage my symptoms with palliative care, I don’t think I would have been able to do the things I’ve done.”
