A Physician S Guide To Pain And Symptom Management In Cancer Patients

Janet L. Abrahm argues that all causes of suffering experienced by people with cancer, be they physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, should be treated at all stages: at diagnosis, during curative therapy, in the event that cancer recurs, and during the final months. In the second edition of this symptom-oriented guide, she provides primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, internists and oncologists with detailed information and advice for alleviating the stress and pain of patients and family members alike. The new edition includes the latest information on patient and family communication and counseling, on medical, surgical, and complementary and alternative treatments for symptoms caused by cancer and cancer treatments, and on caring for patients in the last days and their bereaved families. Updated case histories, medication tables, Practice Points, and bibliographies provide clinicians with the information they need to treat their cancer patients effectively and compassionately.

This highly regarded handbook provides clinicians with the information they need to treat their cancer patients effectively and compassionately. This comprehensive guide to managing pain and other symptoms for people with cancer has helped tens of thousands of patients and families. Designed for busy practicing clinicians, A Physician's Guide to Pain and Symptom Management in Cancer Patients provides primary care physicians, advanced practice nurses, internists, and oncologists with detailed information and advice for alleviating the stress and pain of patients and family members alike. Drawing on the work of experts who have developed revolutionary approaches to symptom management and palliative care, as well as on the lessons learned from patients and their families during her thirty years as a teacher and clinician, Dr. Janet L. Abrahm shows how physicians and other caregivers can help patients and families heal emotionally even as the disease progresses. The third edition includes updates to medications and clinical stories, and features two new chapters: “Working with Patients’ Families” and “Sexuality, Intimacy, and Cancer.” New lessons from palliative care and hospice care can help patients, their professional caregivers, and their families support each other every step of the way.

Most cancer patients fear unremitting pain more than the prospect of an untimely death, and are surprised to learn that most of the pain and related symptoms of cancer can be successfully addressed by an informed patient working with a determined health care team. Thoroughly updating their widely praised 1994 book, You Don't Have to Suffer, Dr. Richard B. Patt and Susan Lang offer a much-needed handbook for patients and caregivers on all aspects of cancer pain and suffering. The authors identify the reasons why patients are so often under-medicated--from patients who feel the need to tough it out to doctors buried in time-consuming paperwork--and argue that properly medicated patients are better able to resume active lives and marshal strength to fight their disease. Those in chronic pain not only suffer, but also jeopardize their recovery. They demonstrate methods that can be used to cope with pain, nausea, constipation, fatigue, and other symptoms related to cancer and cancer treatment, and describe all of the pain-relieving options available in the modern medical arsenal. This includes drugs and high-tech medical procedures, as well as psychological, cognitive, and mind/body techniques. The authors also discuss depression and other psychological components that can contribute to suffering, as well as end-of-life issues. The book includes detailed charts of all the pain medications presently available and lists many available resources, from pain specialists to hospice and home care. This book will empower cancer patients and their families to make informed decisions about their care and will be of enormous value to the growing number of patients, family members, and health-care professionals determined to relieve needless suffering.

Awarded second place in the 2013 AJN Book of the Year Awards in the Palliative Care and Hospice category "This book provides many options for pain management in cancer patients, including pharmacological and nonpharmacological options,...[and] is well organized and easy to navigate." Score: 92, 4 Stars.--Doody's Medical Reviews "Overall, [this book] is a comprehensive and wide-ranging text that, as proclaimed on the cover, is evidence-based and fully referenced. Practitioners and students alike will find it useful, and it deserves a place on the library shelf where people from a wide range of backgrounds can gain access."--International Journal of Palliative Nursing ì[This] text is full of ëclinical pearlsí based on [the authorsí] extensive clinical experience with effective and ineffective pain management interventionsÖThe scope of the content in this text is extremely comprehensiveÖnewer content on the effect of opioid polymorphisms, cancer pain emergencies, myofascial pain, and chronic pain in cancer survivors places this text at the forefront in terms of cutting-edge issues in cancer pain management.î Christine Miaskowski, RN, PhD, FAAN Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor Sharon A. Lamb Endowed Chair in Symptom Management Research Department of Physiological Nursing University of California, San Francisco, CA From the Foreword Although the prevalence of uncontrolled cancer pain remains unnecessarily high, research has indicated that 90% of cancer patients with pain can be successfully treated with standard therapies. This concise yet extremely comprehensive guide to managing cancer pain will enable nurses on the front lines of pain assessment and management to incorporate effective strategies into their daily practice. It offers quick access to current evidence-based guidelines for busy nurses and nurse practitioners working in all oncology care settings. To facilitate quick information retrieval, the text is designed in a consistently organized, bulleted format with highlighted key information and tools for assessment and standardized treatment. It also serves as an important review for the ONS and HPNA certification exam. This book focuses on all aspects of cancer pain, including assessment and screening tools, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment options, current national guidelines for pain management, regional anesthesia techniques, patient-controlled anesthesia, and epidural pain management. It also includes updated information on the effect of opioid polymorphisms, cancer pain emergencies, myofascial pain, and chronic pain in cancer survivors. The book covers palliative care and end-of-life pain management, especially for patients who have symptoms that are not managed. Information on chronic pain conditions such as neuropathic pain in cancer and the use of adjuvant medications for pain control are included, along with special treatment options for addiction and substance abuse in the cancer population. The text additionally provides information on managing pain with difficult-to-treat populations. Key Features: Provides current, evidence-based information on all aspects of cancer pain management Includes important new guidelines on using a combination of pain management scales for optimal pain assessment and management Describes interventional techniques for managing severe pain situations Organized for speedy information retrieval

"The contributors educate health care providers on the principles and practices of pain and symptom management in cancer patients. The content was expanded significantly for the fourth edition"--

Handbook of Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care is a practical guide to providing evidence-based and value-based care to adult and pediatric cancer patients experiencing severe symptoms and stressors due to cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, and comorbid conditions. This accessible reference provides the art and science behind the whole-person and family approach to care by delivering the best practices to relieving a cancer patient’s symptoms across physical, psychosocial, and spiritual dimensions. Unlike other resources, this book covers all dimensions of palliative care but with a special emphasis on primary palliative care. Part One of the handbook provides the essential background and principles of supportive oncology and palliative care, including chapters on understanding the adult and pediatric patient and family illness experience, the roles and responsibilities of the palliative care team, and the art of the palliative care assessment interview. Part Two covers symptom management and includes ten chapters considering the major physical and psychosocial symptoms a cancer patient may face—neurologic, cardiac, respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, psychiatric, sleep and fatigue, pain, and psychosocial and spiritual distress. Part Three addresses special considerations and issues that an oncologist, physician, nurse or other healthcare provider often face in these settings, including chapters on intimacy, sexuality, and fertility issues, grief and bereavement, running a family meeting, care for the caregiver, and survivorship. Written by expert clinicians, this state-of-the-art handbook is a necessary resource for any oncologist, nurse, primary care physician, psychosocial expert, or related practitioner who endeavors to improve quality of life and provide healing to those suffering from cancer and its treatment. Key Features: Provides the binding principles of palliative care for pediatrics, adults and families from diverse cultures and spiritual beliefs Easy-to-read format makes extracting content fast and convenient for both the clinical and educational setting Guides the clinician and practitioner through the palliative care assessment process, including the appropriate questions for the palliative care interview