Supportive care strategies for patients with non-small cell lung cancer, including pain relief and temporary relief for caregivers
For individuals living with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their caregivers, palliative care can provide a range of benefits that improve their quality of life and overall well-being.
Palliative care, a specialized form of medical care, offers physical, emotional, and spiritual support for those dealing with chronic conditions or serious illnesses, such as NSCLC. This care can be received alongside traditional treatment regimens for NSCLC.
Research has shown that early involvement of palliative care improves outcomes for both patients and their caregivers. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that palliative care can lead to improved quality of life, better mood, enhanced symptom control, and greater satisfaction with care [1].
The services provided by palliative care teams address the full spectrum of patient and caregiver needs. These include managing physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, and breathlessness, as well as offering emotional and psychosocial support, spiritual care, nutritional guidance, and assistance with financial concerns [1][2].
Palliative care teams often include patient navigators and multidisciplinary specialists who help coordinate treatment, educate patients and caregivers about healthcare decisions, and provide comprehensive support throughout the cancer journey [1][2].
In addition to improving patient and caregiver quality of life, comprehensive palliative care helps relieve caregiver burden by involving caregivers as crucial members of the care team and addressing their stress and anxiety related to the cancer diagnosis and treatment process [2].
Caring for someone with late-stage lung cancer can be challenging, involving making care decisions, dealing with financial issues, handling sudden lifestyle changes, experiencing uncertainty about the future, and encountering other unexpected changes and stressors. In such situations, respite care can provide temporary relief for caregivers, allowing them to rest and reducing stress and improving mood. Respite care arranges for someone else to provide support to the loved one, offering a few hours, days, or weeks of relief at a time [3].
It's important to note that insurance coverage for palliative care can vary. Most private insurance companies and Medicare cover palliative care, but individuals should contact their insurance provider to confirm what and how much their plan will cover [4]. Medicare covers most of the cost of up to 5 days of respite care in a hospital or skilled nursing facility, but people may need to pay out of pocket for any costs that Medicare or their private insurance plan does not cover [5].
If insurance is not enough to cover the costs, individuals can talk with their care team for potential resources to help pay for the cost of care. Additionally, a resource is available to search for palliative care based on state, city, or zip code, and a tool can be used to find respite care near them [6].
In conclusion, for people with advanced NSCLC, early specialized palliative care alongside cancer treatments enhances symptom management, supports mental health, improves satisfaction with care, and reduces unnecessary aggressive medical interventions, benefiting both patients and their families [1][2].
References: [1] Temel, J. S., Greer, J. A., Muzikansky, A., Foss, N. E., & Patig, D. M. (2010). Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. The New England journal of medicine, 363(8), 733-742. [2] National Cancer Institute. (2020). Palliative care and supportive care for people with cancer. In Cancer.gov. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/supportive-care/caregivers-and-caregiving/palliative-care [3] National Institute on Aging. (2021). Respite care. In Nia.nih.gov. Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/respite-care [4] National Palliative Care Research Centre. (2021). Palliative care funding and costs. In Palliative care Australia. Retrieved from https://palliativecareaus.org.au/information-and-resources/palliative-care-funding-and-costs/ [5] Medicare.gov. (2021). Respite care. In Medicare.gov. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/respite-care [6] National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. (2021). Find care. In Nhpco.org. Retrieved from https://www.caringinfo.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3374
- For individuals diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), palliative care can improve their quality of life and overall well-being by offering physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
- Research demonstrates that early involvement of palliative care can lead to better mood, enhanced symptom control, and greater satisfaction with care, benefits that extend to cancer caregivers as well.
- Palliative care teams provide a range of services, such as managing physical symptoms, offering emotional and psychosocial support, spiritual care, nutritional guidance, and assistance with financial concerns.
- In cases of caregiver overwhelm when managing late-stage lung cancer, respite care can offer temporary relief, allowing caregivers to rest while someone else provides support to the loved one, reducing stress and improving mood.
