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Supportive Care
A cancer diagnosis involves not only a change in life-style,
as a patient navigates surgical intervention, chemotherapy
and radiation therapy, but also has an effect on several other
aspects of a patient’s life, including emotional and
psychosocial issues, spousal and child concerns, work-related
and financial issues, etc. Many patients find themselves overwhelmed
by these issues, and benefit greatly from supportive care.
Supportive Care is the provision of the necessary services,
as defined by those individuals, living with or affected by
cancer, to meet their physical, informational, emotional,
psychological, social, spiritual, and practical needs during
the pre-diagnostic, diagnostic, treatment and follow-up phases.
(Fitch, 1994; 2000). Nurses can play a vital role in a patients
care by providing supportive care.Patients may benefit from
several supportive care components, including self-help, emotional
and peer support, informational/educational support, psychological
support/therapy, pain and symptom control, social support,
rehabilitation, complementary therapies, spiritual support,
palliative care and bereavement care.
Supportive care must be comprehensive to augment the individual’s
capacity to deal with the impact of a cancer diagnosis and
treatment and the full range of issues that emerge for an
individual and family as they try to deal with the situation.
(Fitch, 1994; 2000)
References
Whelan,
T., et.al. (1997). The supportive care needs of newly diagnosed
cancer patients attending a regional cancer center. Cancer,
80, 1518-1524.
Fitch,
M. (1994). Supportive care framework. Ontario Cancer Treatment
and Research Foundation.
Fitch,
M. (2000). Supportive care for cancer patients. Hospital Quarterly
3(4), 39-46.
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