Palliative treatment for prostate cancer
Palliative treatment seeks to improve quality of life by reducing prostate cancer symptoms without aiming to cure the disease. It can be usedfor symptom control at different stages of cancer, not just at the end of life. Palliative treatment is particularly important for people with advanced cancer. It can assist with managing symptoms such as pain, and slow the spread of the cancer.
Palliative radiation therapy may be used to treat pain, such as bone pain if the cancer has spread to the bones (bone metastases). Pain-relieving medicines (analgesics) are also often used.
For more on this, call Cancer Council 13 11 20, see Advancer Cancer, or download helpful booklets from this page.
Video: What is palliative care?
Find out how palliative treatment aims to manage symptoms and improve people’s quality of life without trying to cure the disease. Many people think that palliative treatment is for people at the end of their life; however it may be beneficial for people at any stage of advanced melanoma. It is about living for as long as possible in the most satisfying way you can.
This information was last reviewed in March 2018
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