HJBR Nov/Dec 2024

60 NOV / DEC 2024 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE ONCOLOGY DIAL GUE COLUMN ONCOLOGY Many people equate palliative care with hospice, which can prevent them from ben- efiting from this vital service early in their treatment journey. In reality, palliative care is compassionate specialized medical care that focuses on providing relief from symp- toms and stress due to cancer or other seri- ous illness. The misconception: palliative care vs. hospice Palliative care is often mistakenly associ- ated with hospice care. While both hospice palliative care seeks to lessen the burdens of illness by improving overall well-being. It is not limited to end-of-life care but instead focuses on enhancing the quality of life from the time of diagnosis onward. This is an essential distinction to under- stand. By associating palliative care solely with terminal stages, many patients miss the opportunity to address their symptoms and improve their quality of life earlier in their illness. When patients receive a cancer diagnosis, their focus is typically on treatments aimed at curing or controlling the disease. However, there is another critical aspect of care that is often misunderstood — palliative care. UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF Early Palliative Care in Cancer Treatment and palliative care prioritize comfort and quality of life, they serve different purposes. Hospice care is specifically for individuals in the final stages of a terminal illness, typically with a life expectancy of six months or less. It focuses on comfort when curative treatment is no longer pursued. On the contrary, palliative care can be initi- ated at any stage of a serious illness and can be provided alongside curative treatments. Its aim is to alleviate physical symptoms while also offering emotional and psychological support. As a specialized field of medicine,