Palliative Care for Cancer Patients

Palliative care helps manage the physical and emotional symptoms of the treatment of cancer and serious illnesses. It is an extra layer of care that helps focus on quality of life. It is offered to treat and target the symptoms of a grave illnesses, relieve the side effects of treatment, and provide comfort. Symptoms can include pain, nausea, insomnia, constipation, shortness of breath, anxiety, family stress, angst and depression.

Palliative care, also called supportive care, comfort care, or symptom management:

• Begins with interviewing the patient and family to evaluate symptoms to understand the situation; works to craft the best care possible over one or many meetings.
• May be given from the time of a cancer diagnosis through the course of the illness to ease and relieve symptoms.
• Works in conjunction with cancer treatment, helping patients and families understand symptoms as well as review options for the best possible quality of life.
• Helps the multidisciplinary team of oncology specialists, while caring for the whole patient, and the biological and non-biological family facing these challenging times.
• Is not the same as hospice care. (In hospice care, treatment shifts from trying to cure or control cancer, to managing symptoms and supporting patients facing the end of life.)

UM SJMC Palliative Care Team

The team works to ease physical discomfort, emotional distress and spiritual concerns as early as possible in the course of the disease or condition.

The UM SJMC Palliative Care Team includes:

• Helen Gordon, MD, FACP
• Yordanka Kirkova, MD
• Morgan Pembroke, MD
• Allison Kirkpatrick, CRNP
• Shannon Nagy, CRNP
• Sara Latrobe, LCSW-C
• Kenya Cawthorne, Administrative Coordinator

Resources

• Video
  • You are a Bridge
  • Understanding the Advanced Directive: Part One - Selection of a Healthcare Agent
  • Understanding the Advanced Directive: Part Two - Treatment Preferences Living Will
• Maryland Advance Directive Forms and Instructions
  • Maryland Advance Directive – English
  • Maryland Advance Directive – Spanish
• Maryland Advance Directive Forms & Instructions
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
• Caring Bridge

To connect with one of our palliative care specialists, please call 410-427-5352.