2020 Maine Session Summary
Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care.
News
Palliative care legislation would help cancer patients and survivors
September 1, 2016
Everyone is touched by cancer – whether they know someone who has been diagnosed or have been diagnosed themselves. The recent post on The Hill’s Contributors Blog – “After cancer care needs improvement” – highlighted the critical need for cancer patients and survivors to have access to supportive care that treats the whole patient, not just their disease. That’s where palliative care can help. Palliative care is a team-based approach that can be given with curative care right from the point of diagnosis. It improves quality of life for both patients and their families by addressing the pain, anxiety, and other debilitating symptoms that patients often feel.
Patient comfort should not take a back seat during treatment, and it does not need to. In Illinois, Blaine Lytwyn, 59, is currently fighting stage 4 breast and ovarian cancer. In December, she underwent a complex and emotional surgery to get rid of the cancer that had invaded her stomach, pelvis and surrounding areas. The procedure led to the removal of parts of her organs, including her gallbladder, spleen, and appendix. Before her surgery, Blaine’s doctors assured her that a palliative care team would give her the support she needed to transition back home.
“After being cared for at the hospital 24/7, it was very reassuring to know that I would be home and still have my doctors paying attention and caring for me. That was a big help, both physically and emotionally,” Blaine said.
Once home, a nurse visited her several times a week to take her vital signs and assess her incisions. A physical therapist also came by to help her start moving and gain confidence about getting around her house. A nutritionist assisted her in finding food that wouldn’t further irritate her digestive system and help her gain weight back after surgery. Finally, a social worker was available to provide emotional support and care to Blaine and her family throughout her journey.
Today, most large hospitals have palliative care teams on staff, but often patients don’t know to ask about the services available to support them and many doctors don’t think to refer them. Patients with serious illness, like Blaine, who receive palliative care have fewer trips to emergency rooms, spend less time in the hospital, have fewer hospital readmissions, and generally experience a better quality of life during treatment. Palliative care can transform the way health care providers treat patients with cancer and other serious illnesses by improving their quality of care, while also saving health care dollars.
“I didn’t have to worry about calling my doctors all of the time with questions because my palliative care team was able to address problems that I didn’t even know to look for,” said Blaine. “Every cancer patient should go home with palliative care after a hospital stay. The peace of mind it gives you is so valuable.”
Congress has the opportunity to expand patients’ access to palliative care by acting on the “Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act” (PCHETA). The legislation (H.R. 3119/S. 2748) would increase federal research on palliative care and pain and symptom management, and enhance training for nurses, doctors, social workers, and other health care specialists to practice palliative care effectively. PCHETA would also establish a national palliative care public education and awareness campaign to educate patients and health professionals about the availability and benefits of palliative care.
The PCHETA legislation currently has 191 House cosponsors, including strong bipartisan representation from more than half the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its health subcommittee. That alone should be sufficient to assure some action in Congress.
We can make significant strides against cancer and other life-threatening conditions through patient-centered care that treats the person as well as the disease. We’re hopeful the Energy and Commerce Committee will hear testimony on the PCHETA bill when Congress returns and begin the process of enacting this smart legislation into law.
Dick Woodruff is vice president of Federal Relations of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).