Famous TV Star, Jonnie Irwin, 49, Has Remarkable Red Carpet Moment While Revealing He Is Under Hospice Care for Lung Cancer Understanding Late-Stage Care

Irwin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2020, however, he further added his cancer was terminal. Since the diagnosis, he's focused on his family and dedicated much of his time to creating lasting memories for his three young sons. He admitted telling his wife his cancer was terminal was a very difficult thing for him to do. He said he's since avoided explaining his health condition to his sons whose ages range between three and four years old.

“I want to make memories and capture these moments with my family because the reality is, my boys are going to grow up not knowing their dad and that breaks my heart," Jonnie told Hello Magazine in an interview.

Irwin recently revealed he spends time in hospice care to help him deal with his cancer.

"I remove myself on a number of occasions because I'm not good to be around when I'm in pain," Irwin said.

"I'm like a bear with a sore head and I don't want them to be around that," he added.

Treating cancer in advanced stages of the disease is an emotional experience for patients and their loved ones. However, it's important to remember that late-stage cancer treatment is not all the same.

Hospice and Palliative Care

"Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness who is approaching the end of life," the National Institute of Health (NIH) explains.

Irwin's decision to leave his family home in favor of hospice care when his pains intensify is an emotional thing to do. However, he believes his children should see him in a positive light and in good spirits.

Hospice care provides comfort care, but it does not attempt to cure the illness. It's recommended families faced with potential hospice care talk to their care team early enough before pursuing hospice care to take advantage of all the comforts it provides.

"Starting hospice early may be able to provide months of meaningful care and quality time with loved ones," the NIH says.

During palliative care, the patient is provided specialized medical care as they manage symptoms associated with their medical condition. This form of care may also provide treatment "intended to cure" the illness as opposed to hospice care which does not.

 

WATCH: Palliative care improves your overall treatment by focusing on comfort.

"It's not the same thing as hospice. It's really important to recognize that palliative care, whether provided by your oncologist or by a specialty palliative care team, is an important adjunct to your oncologic care," Dr. Lisa Diver, a gynecologic oncologist and Medical Director at ImmunoGen tells SurvivorNet.

"It doesn't mean that your doctor is going to stop treatment or even wants to talk about that, but simply that he or she thinks it's important to support all aspects of your health. That could be pain control, [relief for] nausea or constipation, or mental health care. All of these other symptoms that commonly arise and are intertwined inextricably with your cancer care," Dr. Diver added.

Research has been published showing the benefits of beginning palliative care early on in the course of treatmentsometimes as soon as the initial diagnosis.

In 2016, based on results from a total of nine randomized clinical trials, one quasi-experimental trial, and five secondary analyses, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) issued a set of guidelines stating that "inpatients and outpatients with advanced cancer should receive dedicated palliative care services early in the disease course, concurrent with active treatment."

Some oncologists have adjusted how they talk about palliative care because of the common misconception about it compared to end-of-life hospice care.

Dr. Ishwaria Subbiah, a medical oncologist and palliative care physician at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, shared a fascinating experiment from 2009 (published in 2011): rather than trying to eliminate the deeply ingrained end-of-life connotations of the term "palliative care," Dr. Subbiah's colleagues at MD Anderson decided to change the name altogether, rebranding their palliative care center as the "Supportive Care Clinic."

"We found out that the name was a big barrier to referrals," Dr. Subbiah said. "The name itself was a barrier to accessing our services."

Within a year of changing the name, MD Anderson's Supportive Care Clinic saw their referrals (that is, patients coming from their medical oncologists and tumor-directed cancer treatment to access their symptom management services) rise 41 percent. "And it has been consistently increasing in the double digits ever since," Dr. Subbiah said.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you are in the middle of your cancer journey, or caring for a loved one who is asking questions about late-stage care can be helpful. To help you begin your conversation, consider the following questions.

• How will I know if I need palliative care to aid my cancer treatment?
• How does palliative care differ from the care I'm getting now?
• Who provides palliative care?
• Will my insurance cover palliative care?
• Is there a moment when palliative care becomes hospice care?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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