The cure palliative early and simultaneous are recommended by the World Health Organization in the presence of chronic diseases, such as blood cancer. The experts present at an event organized on the subject by Gimema, the foundation for the Italian group of adult hematological diseases, underlined how the early integration of palliative care leads to a significant improvement in quality and also in patients’ life expectancy.
“Early and simultaneous palliative care is an innovative therapeutic-assistance model which, by integrating the standard oncological therapeutic pathway within two months of the diagnosis of an advanced stage of the disease, improves the quality of life and life expectancy” he explains Marco Vignetti, President of the Gimema Foundation. «In our country it is estimated that at least 150-180,000 cancer patients need palliative care every year and it is probable that, due to the effect of the clinical studies conducted on the integration of early palliative care in the context of anticancer treatments, this question will see a progressive increase”.
Palliative care: recourse to this service is still very late
Despite the benefits, in daily clinical practice recourse to this service is still very late, therefore it is necessary to provide training programs for doctors in palliative care. «Early integration of palliative care leads to a significant improvement not only in the quality of life but also in life expectancy in patients with advanced cancer» confirms Mario LuppiProfessor of the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
«In a study conducted on over two hundred patients suffering from acute leukemia, in Modena, the intervention of early palliative care has shown to reduce physical symptomsOf increase awareness of disease prognosis and goals of care, reducing the therapeutic persistence. However, despite the benefits, recourse to this service is still very late in daily clinical practice. Hence the need to implement palliative care training programs for hematology-oncology specialists.
The help of digital health care is very important
Digital technologies can also be of great support. It proves it alliance platform, initiated by Gimema for remote clinical monitoring and timely communication between doctor and patient. «Early palliative care aims to provide more personalized assistance centered on the real needs of the individual patient within the standard therapy that the patient already follows», underlines Fabio Effectivehead of the Gimema Quality of Life Unit.
«In this sense, the aid of digital health care is very important for having more precise and timely feedback on the progress of patients’ health conditions. The Alliance digital platform has been a very important starting point and has been very well received by the doctors who have used it».
