My doctor says there is nothing more that can be done.
While it is true that many patients will go on to die of lung cancer
despite all treatments available at this time, it is usually possible to provide
some prolongation of life, and almost always possible to provide comfort and
dignity to the patient during this difficult time.
The take-home message from the Southern California Pain Control Initiative
Meeting at City of Hope, on December 3, 1997 was that nurses experienced in the
care of cancer patients hate the statement; "there is nothing more that
can be done" because it is almost never true.
They emphasize that the correct philosophical approach should always be.
To provide cure sometimes
To relieve often
To comfort always.
Because of the current atmosphere in which shortened hospital stays are
emphasized by insurance entities and managed care organizations, the care of
cancer patients is increasingly being done in Hospice and Home Care settings.
Some informative and helpful links on these topics can be found at these
locations
An excellent new web site at URL
http://www.acponline.org/public/h_care/contents.htm, from the American College
of Physicians provides an entire textbook of
Home Care for
Advanced Cancer Patients directed specifically for the caregiver.
http://www.nho.org/ques1.htmNational
Hospice Organization: General Information: 20 commonly asked questions.
http://www2.nas.edu/hcs/21d6.htmlInstitute
of Medicine Division of Health Care Services From the Institute of Medicine_
APPROACHING DEATH: Improving Care at the End of Life
http://www.dyingwell.com/links.htmDr.
Ira Byock of Missoula, Montana has an excellent web page with a book list and
collection of links on hospice and home care.
The full text of the AHCPR guidelines on management of cancer pain can be
found at http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/From
the home page, click on "Clinical Information". On the following page,
click on "Clinical Practice Guidelines Online". Then chose the type
of publication (professional, layman, Spanish) and #9. ( Sorry to make it so
complex, but AHCPR requests that all links be to their home page.)
An extensive collection of documents relating to pain control has been
collected by Jane Roach and Betty Ferrell PhD at the
City of Hope National Medical Center
Nursing Research and Education/ Mayday Pain Resource Center
1500 East Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010
626-359-8111 Ext. 3829
FAX 626-301-8941
E-mail [email protected]
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An excellent resource for training in Home Care of cancer patients has been
prepared by Betty Ferrell PhD, FAAN, Marcia Grant DNSc, FAAN and Rose Virani
RNc, BSN, MHA, OCN of the City of Hope Department of Nursing Research and
Education, who have established HOPE: Home Care Outreach for Palliative Care
Education. Funded by Project on Death in America Open Society Institute. This
program includes five modules, an extensive bibliography and other teaching
materials