Palliative Medicine Program

If you or someone you love has pain or other symptoms related to a serious illness such as cancer, congestive heart failure, neurological conditions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other serious illnesses, our Palliative Medicine Program can help.

Palliative Medicine focused on providing relief from both the symptoms and stress of a serious illness. The goal palliative care is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Palliative care is provided by a specially trained team of providers who work together with a patient’s care team to provide an extra layer of support. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment. 

It is integrated as part of a patient’s care plan at anytime, to manage symptoms related to treatment (such as chemotherapy), or for symptoms that linger or appear after treatment is complete.

What is Palliative Medicine?

Palliative medicine is the comprehensive treatment of the discomfort, symptoms, and stress of serious illness. It does not replace a patient’s primary treatment, but works together with treatment at any point in a patient’s care.

Palliative medicine also addresses psychological, social, and spiritual concerns – all to achieve the best quality of life possible for each patient.

How do I know if Palliative Care is right for me?

Palliative care may be right for you if you suffer from pain, stress, or other symptoms due to a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and many others. Palliative care can be provided at any stage of an illness and can be delivered along with treatment meant to cure and manage your illness.

Where do I receive palliative care?

Palliative care is provided in a variety of settings including the hospital, outpatient clinic, and at home. The MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper palliative care team offers appointments in the outpatient clinic.

What can I expect from palliative care?

Palliative care patients can expect relief from symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping. Palliative care helps you carry on with your daily life. It improves your ability to go through medical treatments. It helps you better understand your condition and your choices for medical care.

Palliative Medicine for People With Cancer

The MD Anderson at Cooper Palliative Care team is exclusively available for patients with a cancer diagnosis.

Palliative care is recommended as a standard part of care given to people with cancer. Palliative care does not treat the cancer itself but can be provided at any time during the cancer experience. Often, palliative care is offered at the time cancer is diagnosed, provided at the same time as cancer treatment, and continued after treatment is complete. One of its goals is to prevent or treat symptoms and side effects as early as possible.

Palliative care looks at how the cancer experience affects the whole person by helping to relieve symptoms, pain, and stress. It gives patients options and allows them and their caregivers to take part in planning their care. It’s about making sure that all their care needs are addressed. The specialized professionals who are part of the palliative care team can help look for and manage mental, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual issues that may come up.

Ask for help. We are here for you.

The Palliative Medicine team works with patients to identify issues that have an impact on a person’s quality of life and eliminate or minimize these problems.

Palliative Medicine can help patients manage the common side effects of illness such as: pain, fatigue, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, depression and anxiety, difficulty breathing, loss of appetite and weight loss, weakness, sleep problems, confusion and end-of-life care.

The Palliative Medicine Team

Our team consists of:

• Physicians
• Nurses
• Social workers
• Counselors
• Chaplains
• Dietitians
• Therapists
• Complementary medicine specialists

Patients benefit from this unique mix of skills as the team works together to identify each patient’s goals and develops individualized care plans that respect patient’s values, goals and lifestyle. This team works collaboratively with the patient’s primary medical care team to ensure seamless care.

Family members receive education and support to develop and strengthen coping strategies in the treatment and care of their loved one.

When appropriate, the Palliative Medicine team offers referral services to visiting nurse agencies, hospice programs, physical therapy and support groups to meet all patient and family needs.

Is Palliative Medicine the same as hospice?

Palliative care is not hospice care. Hospice care focuses solely on a person’s final months of life. 

Palliative Medicine is available to patients along with treatment or on its own. Palliative care can be added to a patient’s care plan at anytime, to manage symptoms related to treatment such as chemotherapy, or for symptoms that linger or appear after treatment is complete.