Symptom Management

One of our primary goals at The Cancer Center at Presbyterian is to help our patients be as comfortable as possible throughout their treatment.  In addition to treating cancer, we are also dedicated to helping patients tolerate possible side effects and symptoms of treatment.  We do this through a process known as symptom management or palliative care. 

Palliative Care

Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is the medical specialty that focuses on relief of symptoms of serious illnesses. The goal is to prevent or ease suffering and offer patients and their family’s peace and comfort during treatment.  Palliative care is appropriate at any point with a serious illness and is not dependent on prognosis.  Many times it is provided at the same time as curative treatment.

Palliative care aims to relieve symptoms such as pain, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and a number of other “possible” conditions.  In addition to improving a patient’s ability to tolerate medical treatments, it offers patients more and better control, enhanced ability to make sound decisions that are in line with their goals and experience the best possible quality of life during the treatment of their disease.

Palliative care is NOT the same as Hospice care. Palliative care may be provided at any time during a person’s illness, even from the time of diagnosis. 

Specialized Physicians

The Cancer Center at Presbyterian employs physicians who are board-certified in palliative care and dedicated to helping patients comfortably tolerate treatment.  Patients may or may not have the symptoms or side effects described in this book.  However, if a patient does experience discomfort or side-effects from chemotherapy, we are here to help them through that aspect of their treatment as well. 

As a leading provider of cancer treatment in our community, The Cancer Center at Presbyterian is at the forefront of Palliative Care and we are pleased to be able to provide this coveted service to our patients battling cancer.  For more information, please talk to your doctor or nurse.