Palliative treatment helps to improve quality of life by managing the symptoms when a brain tumour is no longer curable. As well as slowing the spread of cancer, palliative treatment can relieve pain and help with other symptoms.
Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or other medicines.
Palliative treatment is one aspect of palliative care, in which a team of health professionals aims to meet your physical, emotional, cultural, spiritual and social needs. You can have palliative care services in the home as well as in a hospital or in residential care.
For more on this, see Palliative care and Living with advanced cancer.
My wife Robyn was diagnosed with grade 4 brain cancer when she had just turned 50. After getting a diagnosis like that, you just go into shock for a couple of days, then you start thinking about how things will change, you evaluate your life and what you need to do to help.
Ross
→ READ MORE: Living with a brain or spinal cord tumour
Video: What is Palliative Care?
Watch this video to see how palliative treatment aims to manage symptoms and improve people’s quality of life without trying to cure the disease.
More resources
Prof Lindy Jeffree, Director of Neurosurgery, Alfred Health, VIC; Caitriona Nienaber, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof Tamara Ownsworth, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Research Director, The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, QLD; A/Prof Hao-Wen Sim, Medical Oncologist, The Kinghorn Cancer Centre and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Megan Trevethan, Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapy – Cancer and Lymphoedema Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital, QLD; Chris Twyford, Cancer Specialist Nurse, Canberra Health Services, Cancer and Ambulatory Support, ACT; Dr Adam Wells, Clinical Academic Consultant Neurosurgeon, The University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA.
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