025 Palliative Care to Live Well with Cancer

In This Episode:

Dr. K talks with Amy Berman, RN, Senior Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, who has been benefitting from palliative care ever since she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in late 2010. They discuss:

• Why palliative care is the best friend of the seriously ill, and doesn’t mean “giving up” care
• How palliative care helps people align medical care with what’s most important to them
• How palliative care has helped Amy maintain her quality of life, despite having incurable cancer
• How palliative care complements — rather than replaces — usual treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses
• The difference between palliative care and hospice
• Why it’s worth looking for an oncologist who regularly partners with a palliative care team
• Tips on accessing palliative care for yourself or your relatives

Related episode:

019 Interview: How Foundations Are Improving Health & Aging

Related Resources:

• GetPalliativeCare.org
• Amy Berman Tells Senate Committee: ‘Palliative Care Is Best Friend of the Seriously Ill’
• A nurse with fatal breast cancer says end-of-life discussions saved her life
• Palliative Care and Advanced Illness Management