Palliative care in hepatocellular carcinoma

Article indépendant

LAUBE, Robyn | SABIH, Abdul-Hamid | STRASSER, Simone I. | LIM, Lynn | CIGOLINI, Maria | LIU, Ken

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common cancer with a poor prognosis, associated with high economic costs and a significant burden of disease. While it is often asymptomatic in the early stages, patients may experience great discomfort from advanced disease, treatment adverse effects or decompensation of underlying cirrhosis. Palliative care has the potential to markedly improve quality of life, physical and psychological symptoms in patients with end-stage liver disease, and has been shown to prolong survival in some non-hepatocellular carcinoma malignancies. However, this service is underutilized in hepatocellular carcinoma and referrals are frequently late due to factors such as stigmatization, inadequate resources, lack of education for non-palliative care physicians and inadequate modelling for integration of palliative and supportive care within liver disease services. In the future, education workshops, population-based awareness campaigns, increased funding and improved models of care, may improve the uptake of palliative care and subsequently optimize patient care, particularly towards the end of life.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgh.15169

Voir la revue «Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology»

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