Palliative care for breast cancer

Palliative care may be considered when you need help managing symptoms of breast cancer or its treatment. The goal is to improve your comfort and quality of life, while also supporting your loved ones through the process.  

At Edward-Elmhurst Health, physicians, advanced practice nurses and other clinicians work with chaplains and social workers to provide inpatient and outpatient palliative care options in a compassionate, healing environment.

What to expect from palliative care

Palliative care begins when your physician recommends this service for you. A discussion with the referring physician and our consultation team will help determine the next steps.

Palliative care can help you cope with aggressive breast cancer treatments by getting your pain and other symptoms under control to help you fight the disease. Palliative care services may include: the identification of pain and non-pain symptoms, patient and family emotional and spiritual support, caregiver instructions on giving care, home support arrangements, and advance care planning and disease education.

Palliative care is different from hospice, which is a type of care specifically for people who likely have six months or less to live. Palliative care can be received by patients at any time and at any stage of illness, whether it is terminal or not. This means you can have palliative care while you are undergoing breast cancer treatments that may cure or reverse the effects of your illness. 

The palliative team at Edward-Elmhurst Health provides outpatient and inpatient palliative care services. Outpatient palliative services are also offered through Residential Hospice.

Find out which services best fit your needs by calling one of our palliative care nurses today. For Edward Hospital, call 630-646-6870. For Elmhurst Hospital, call 331-221-5900.