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Fighting cancer is more than just treating the disease itself. Supportive care complements special cancer treatments and improves a patient’s quality of life, according to AFSOS President Prof. Ivan Krakowski.
What is supportive care?
This assistance includes all necessary care for patients and is carried out simultaneously with the course of treatment for a specific disease (if any).1, 2
The goal of supportive care is to improve the quality of life of patients during and after cancer treatment, whether medical interventions are required or not.
Such assistance includes the work of cosmetologists who help to cope with shortcomings in appearance, the use of cosmetics that reduce the manifestations of skin reactions, nutritional advice, adapted physical activity, etc. Cancer supportive care includes both conventional care and complementary therapies such as Pilates.
80% of patients believe that supportive care is as important as treatment.
80% of patients believe that supportive care is as important as treatment.
Professor Ivan Krakowski
President of AFSOS
When is support provided?
Help starts from the moment the diagnosis is announced and then continues in parallel with the treatment of the oncological disease itself, that is, surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, etc. Supportive care continues after treatment is completed.
its task is to alleviate side effects and reduce the likelihood of complications.
Who to turn to for help?
At each stage of treatment, discuss with your doctor and other health care providers the possibility of obtaining supportive care.
Experts will give you the necessary advice and tell you what to do.
Many organizations provide moral and informational support to patients and their families.
You can find information about such organizations that provide supportive care services on specialized websites.
What benefits do patients receive?
Modern scientific research shows that supportive care significantly improves the quality of life of patients.
Research conducted by the French Institut Curie in 2014 confirmed that patients support this holistic approach. 72% of respondents consider it important to have a comprehensive approach to the patient with the participation of specialists from different fields, which includes treatment and supportive care.3
Importance of care
Taking care of your body during illness, thinking about maintaining a good mood and your attractiveness are not trifles at all. On the contrary, doctors have noticed that self-care leads to favorable physiological changes: patients even reduce high blood pressure and muscle spasms, stress decreases, nausea attacks are reduced.
As a result, patients respond better to the treatment. And of course, it is so important when people smile again.4
Skin care is an essential part of a supportive care package, but it is equally important to take care of your physical, mental and emotional state.
1 Krakowski I. (Krakowski I.) et al. As part of the coordination of maintenance therapy for seriously ill people: proposals for its organization in public and private care institutions. Medecine palliative. June 2004; 3:134-143. 2 Colomba P. (Colombat P.) et al. On the introduction of maintenance therapy in oncology: reflections and suggestions. Médecine & Hygiene “InfoKara”. 2009; 14(2):61–7. 3 Cancer Barometer Study, Curie Institute 2014 (Institut Curie Vivavoice Cancer barometer 2014). 4 Source: www.afsos.org