Palliative therapy for breast cancer

Today, breast cancer is curable in many cases if the disease is detected early enough. Unfortunately, there are still patients who are so far advanced that a cure with conventional therapies is not to be expected. These patients should be introduced to a palliative therapy concept at an early stage, as this can significantly improve their quality of life and lifespan.

Palliative therapy for breast cancer often includes chemotherapy, which may not heal, but can limit the local growth of the tumor and thus slow down the progression of the disease. Advanced breast cancer can form bone metastases. These often lead to severe pain in the corresponding areas.

Local radiation of these metastases can help to maintain bone stability and reduce pain. In addition, drugs that inhibit bone resorption – so-called bisphosphonates – can be administered. This restores a large part of the patient’s quality of life. In addition, adequate drug-based pain therapy and psychosocial care should be provided – if desired.

Palliative therapy for prostate cancer

The palliative therapy for prostate cancer aims to alleviate the symptoms caused by the incurable disease as much as possible and to increase the patient’s quality of life and lifetime as much as possible. If a prostate carcinoma is very large, sooner or later it will lead to a blockage of the urinary tract. The patient will then have difficulty passing urine, which can lead to a build-up of urine up to the kidneys and can cause secondary infections and even life-threatening complications.

These situations can be avoided by palliative surgery. For example, the ablation of pathologically altered prostate areas can create more space for the urethra and prevent the obstruction of the urine flow. Tubes can also be inserted into the urethra to prevent compression of the urethra by the tumor.

Another alternative is urine drainage using a bladder catheter, which can be placed either through the urethra or directly through the abdominal wall (so-called suprapubic catheter). Prostate cancer can form metastases in the bone, which in turn can cause pain and bone fractures.In the palliative therapy concept, these bone metastases can therefore be treated by radiation, hormone treatment and/or chemotherapy. In addition, bone-stabilizing drugs such as bisphosphonates can be used. Adequate pain therapy is also one of the most important pillars in the palliative treatment of prostate cancer. In addition, the patient should be offered psychosocial care.