Integrating early palliative care (EPC) in the management of lung cancer: The role of the thoracic oncologist.
Early introduction of palliative care in the management of patients with metastatic lung cancer is recommended since it improves quality of life and improves survival rates. In many hospitals the focus of palliative teams is often on terminal care due to limited resources. How is Early palliative care (EPC) in this setting implemented in daily oncologic care? It seems obvious that thoracic oncologists will have to become involved in EPC for lung cancer patients. In this review we want to determine the assignments for the thoracic oncologist in EPC and to give some practical tools how we started EPC in collaboration with the palliative team.
Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium. Electronic address: annelies.janssens@uza.be.
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Janssens
Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium; Multidisciplinary Pain Team, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
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Teugels
Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium; MOCA, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
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Kohl
Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium; MOCA, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
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Michielsen
Thoracic Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium.
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van Meerbeeck
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods
Early palliative care; Lung cancer; Practical tools; Thoracic oncologist