TITLE:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Final Moments of Life
AUTHORS:
Rodrigo Martins Abreu, Camila Silva Ferreira, Paulo Dominguez Nasser, Luciana Oba Onishi Kikuchi, Flair José Carrilho, Suzane Kioko Ono
KEYWORDS:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma; Liver Cancer; Palliative Care; Terminally Ill; Death
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.4 No.2A,
February
28,
2013
ABSTRACT:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a wide world prevalent hepatic disease, being the third greater cancer related death cause and most of the patients are not eligible for liver transplant. Palliative care is an option for, in average, half of hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed patients and only recently the molecular targeted drug, Sorafenib, has been introduced among the therapeutic options for these patients. The physical pain comes frequently associated with progression disease (metastasis). Patients may be very fragile, with immobility, loss of interest in food and beverage intake, as well as weakness and drowsiness. Therefore, it is important that health professionals start planning care with patients and their relatives, before the end-stage disease. Informing the patient about therapeutic options guarantee a doctor patient relationship improvement and more belief on the health team.