eCQ 11-3 Newsletter

Early Palliative Care Urged for Pancreatic Cancer Patients As Death Rates Continue to Rise

express their wishes, concerns, and goals, so these can be understood and addressed. Approximately 56,770 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during 2019, and an estimated 45,750 are projected to die of the dis- ease this year, according to “Cancer Facts &Figures 2019,” a report released in January by the American Cancer Society (ACS). “For all stages combined, the five- year relative survival rate is 9%,” states ACS. This is as compared with a five-year survival rate of 20% for lung cancer, currently the leading cause of cancer death. The ACS report can be found at: www.cancer.org/research/cancer- facts-statistics.html. For more information about pancre- atic cancer, visit www.pancan.org.

Pancreatic cancer, which is one of the most lethal of cancers in the U.S., is projected to be the third leading cause of cancer deaths during 2019. A national advocacy group strongly recommends that patients with this disease receive palliative care (PC) beginning at diagnosis and continuing through and after treatment. “It’s never too early for pancreatic cancer patients and their families to benefit from supportive (palliative) care, which focuses on comfort, quality of life, and a patient’s total well-being,” states the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), a nonprofit orga- nization providing research funding and patient/caregiver support. MAJOR BENEFITS OF EARLY PC • Symptom relief. Relieving symp- toms and managing side effects can help patients feel better as they face

treatment choices, and may also help prevent future complications. • Well-being. Strengthening physical and emotional well-being can better position patients and families to fight the disease. • Emotional support. Palliative care teammembers can offer suggestions for coping with the range of emo- tions engendered by living with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. • Goals of care. Addressing, estab- lishing, and adhering to goals of care is a critical part of PC for serious illness. The focus of these goals “can be any of the following: prolonging life, managing treatment side effects well, and ensuring peace and dignity throughout the cancer journey.” • Open communication. Discussing palliative care with members of the care team can help patients/families

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