Comprehensive Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for Patients with Cancer

Leading palliative care experts illustrate how you can improve both communication with cancer patients and their quality of life.

For more than twenty years, this guide has been the go-to resource for busy practicing oncology and palliative care clinicians. This fourth edition, now titled Comprehensive Guide to Supportive and Palliative Care for Patients with Cancer, provides physicians, advanced practice clinicians, and patients and their families with detailed information and advice for alleviating the suffering of cancer patients and their loved ones. Drawing on the work of experts who have developed revolutionary approaches to symptom management and palliative care, as well as on lessons learned during her decades as a teacher and clinician, Dr. Janet L. Abrahm and her coauthors illustrate how to help patients and families understand their prognosis, communicate their care preferences, and minimize their distress.

This edition reflects important updates in the field while addressing the informational needs of a broader market of health care providers, including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, bereavement counselors, and chaplains. This new edition features three new chapters―"Spiritual Care in Palliative Care," "Psychological Considerations," and "Bereavement"―as well as specific guidelines about
• advance care planning at all phases of cancer
• understanding complex family dynamics and communication challenges
• partnering with interpreters in the care of patients and family members with limited English-language proficiency
• special considerations to take into account for LGBTQ+ patients and their loved ones
• caring for patients who have a serious mental illness along with a cancer diagnosis
• nonpharmacologic management of pain and other symptoms associated with cancer or its treatment

The book features self-reflective exercises that encourage readers to consider their own biases before having discussions with patients and family members, as well as numerous patient stories that illustrate the techniques and insights clinicians can use to provide holistic, multidimensional care for a diverse cancer patient population.

Janet L. Abrahm, MD (Cambridge, MA),is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an institute physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, where she is a member of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care in the Division of Adult Palliative Care.

Bethany-Rose Daubman, MD (North Billerica, MA), is an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of Continuing Medical Education for palliative care at Massachusetts General Hospital, and codirector of the Massachusetts General Hospital Global Palliative Care Program.

Molly E. Collins, MD (Yardley, PA), is the director of medical education and the fellowship program director for the Supportive Oncology and Palliative Care Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center and an associate professor of medicine at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.