Living With Cervical Cancer? Here’s How Palliative Care Can Help
By Beth Popp, MD
If you or a loved one are living with cervical cancer, palliative care can help. From helping to relieve physical symptoms, working through difficult emotions, coordinating care, and supporting you through decision-making, palliative care offers all of this and more.
Palliative care (pronounced pal-lee-uh-tiv) is specialized medical care for people living with a serious illness, like cervical cancer. This type of care is focused on relief from the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work together with your other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatment.
Thinking of it as an extra layer of support is key.
How Palliative Care Helps with Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer and its treatments—like radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery—can cause a variety of symptoms, like skin irritation, digestive issues, and pain with intimacy. It can also bring emotional challenges, such as regret, sadness, or guilt. Depending on the issue, palliative care doctors can work with you to help you feel more like yourself.
Here are three of the many ways that palliative care can help:
1. Symptom Relief
Treatment for cervical cancer can cause side effects like skin soreness (pelvic area), digestive issues (like loose stools), or pain during intimacy. Palliative care doctors can help manage these symptoms and more with medications, lifestyle adjustments, and referrals to other providers to help with specialized needs. Their focus is your overall health and prioritizing what is most important to you.
2. Emotional Support for You and Your Loved Ones
A cervical cancer diagnosis can bring strong emotions like guilt, regret, worry, or loneliness. Regardless of how you feel, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone. Palliative care can help by providing a safe space to talk about your feelings, connecting you with mental health professionals for counseling or support groups, and even offering resources to caregivers who may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
3. Better Communication and Coordination of Care
Cervical cancer treatment involves a team of doctors and specialists, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. Palliative care can help you understand and manage all the parts of your care by communicating with your doctors—and even coordinating care. This includes but is not limited to helping between the visits with your other doctors so you can stay at home and out of the emergency room. Palliative care doctors can also help plan your recovery during and after treatment and connect you with specialists like physical therapists or wound care experts when needed.
When Should You Ask Your Doctor for Palliative Care?
You can receive palliative care at any stage of cervical cancer, whether you’ve just been diagnosed, are starting treatment, or are dealing with long-term side effects. The goal is to help you feel comfortable and supported with a care plan made just for you. Remember that you will still work with your other doctors.
If you or a loved one are living with cervical cancer, make sure to ask your doctor for a palliative care referral. You can receive palliative care in a doctor’s office, hospital, or even home. Visit the Palliative Care Provider Directory to find palliative care near you.
About GetPalliativeCare.org
GetPalliativeCare.org is an online resource for patients and families that focuses on providing information on palliative care from the point of diagnosis. For more information about palliative care and to see if it’s right for you, visit GetPalliativeCare.org.
The site is provided by the Center to Advance Palliative Care.
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