Palliative Care in Ovarian Cancer Explained

Gynecologic oncologists manage the delivery of ovarian cancer therapies, but their involvement in your care doesn’t end with surgery and chemotherapy. Your oncologist can also help you address pain and other symptoms related to your cancer and its treatments – a medical specialty known as palliative care.

“This is such an important part of our field and our specialty, because we have that ability to provide all aspects of the patient care from start to finish,” says Dr. Sarah Todd, gynecologic oncologist at the University of Louisville. “I think it enables us to have a wonderful relationship with our patients.”

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is a holistic type of cancer therapy. The National Cancer Institute defines it as “an approach to care that addresses the person as a whole, not just their disease.” Palliative care isn’t an alternative to treatment; but rather, an addition to it. It can help you manage the symptoms of your cancer and the side effects of treatment.

Your gynecologic oncologist will likely oversee the palliative care you receive from a variety of other specialists. “As far as how we approach palliative care here, we’re able to get the patients into a setting where we coordinate with our pain management specialist in helping them to adequately control symptoms,” Dr. Todd says.

Your palliative care team will also help you cope with the emotional stress of living with cancer. The ultimate goal is to improve your quality of life.

You can receive palliative care at any stage of your illness and treatment process, but the sooner you start, research finds, the better your outcome. Based on a systematic review of evidence, the American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends that people with advanced cancer receive palliative care early in the course of their disease, alongside conventional treatments.

Palliative and Hospice Care: What’s the Difference

It’s common for people to confuse palliative and hospice care, but they aren’t the same. If your doctor recommends palliative care, it’s not because your cancer is untreatable or you’ve come to the end of your journey. You will still undergo active cancer treatment.

Hospice, on the other hand, is care that you receive once you’ve exhausted all curative treatments. Typically, you’ll enter this stage of the process when your doctor expects you to live for six months or less.

Your wishes should govern how and where you receive hospice care. “Sometimes we’ll keep them in house in the hospital, so that they don’t have to go through the trouble of making the transition back to home or other location,” Dr. Todd says. “But we’ve also got the option, if they do desire, to make it home before passing away. We’re able to accommodate those requests and make those arrangements happen. I think patients are pleased with that. They don’t feel like they’re being abandoned right at the end.”

Just as your gynecologic oncologist guided you through the active phase of your cancer treatment, he or she can ease your transition into this final stage of the process. “We don’t have to say…now we’re going to discharge you to another group so that they can help you make that transition to death,” Dr. Todd says. “I think it’s wonderful that we are able to do that with our patients.”

The grieving process that can accompany the move into hospice affects not only you, but everyone who’s supported you through your treatment. “It’s not just about the patient, but it’s about getting the family on board and making sure everybody’s on the same page and feeling comfortable with the next steps,” Dr. Todd says.

While it can be difficult to talk about end-of-life care, it’s an important conversation to have with your oncology team. Voicing your needs and concerns throughout the entire course of your treatment can ensure that you get the exact care you need.

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