Palliative treatment helps to improve people’s quality of life by managing symptoms of cancer without trying to cure the disease.
Many people think that palliative treatment is only for people at the end of their life, but it can help at any stage of advanced cancer of the uterus. It is about living as long as possible in the most satisfying way you can. Being referred to palliative treatment does not necessarily mean that you are at the final stages of life.
As well as slowing the spread of cancer, palliative treatment can help to relieve pain and manage other symptoms, such as bowel problems. Treatment may include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone treatment, or immunotherapy (alone or in combination with targeted therapy). Palliative treatment is one aspect of palliative care, in which a team of health professionals aims to meet your physical, emotional, cultural, social and spiritual needs. The team also supports families and carers.
For more on this, see Palliative care and Living with advanced cancer.
→ READ MORE: Managing side effects
Watch video on how palliative treatment aims to manage symptoms and improve people’s quality of life without trying to cure the disease.
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A/Prof Orla McNally, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist, Director Oncology/Dysplasia, Royal Women’s Hospital, Honorary Clinical Associate Professor, University of Melbourne, and Director of Gynaecology Tumour Stream, Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, VIC; A/Prof Yoland Antill, Medical Oncologist, Peninsula Health, Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Cabrini Health and Monash University, VIC; Grace Guerzoni, Consumer; Zeina Hayes, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; Bronwyn Jennings, Gynaecology Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant, Mater Hospital Brisbane, QLD; A/Prof Christopher Milross, Director of Mission and Radiation Oncologist, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Mariad O’Gorman, Clinical Psychologist, Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre and Bankstown Cancer Centre, NSW.
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