Oncoguía de cuidados paliativos 2023

Abstract

Palliative care in oncology focuses on improving patients' quality of life with advanced cancer by controlling physical, psychological, and spiritual symptoms during their illness. It can be started as soon as advanced neoplasia is diagnosed, combined with disease-modifying therapies. This approach also includes the accompaniment of the family members by guiding the patient's care and providing psychological support to relatives of patients. The integration of palliative care in oncology must be flexible according to the type of oncological care provided and adapted to the level of care where it is necessary. In these guidelines, we describe the implementation of palliative medicine at Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan). This gradual process began with the care of patients at the end of life. It is being integrated early into advanced cancer care and psychological attention and adapted to the patient's needs as we did during COVID-19. In the INCan model, the palliative cancer team works with the medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, radio-oncologist, and hemato-oncologist at all levels of care. Oncoguía de cuidados paliativos 2023 also incorporates the experiences and recommendations of teams from different hospitals that care for pediatric, young adults, and geriatric cancer patients in the Mexican Health System. Likewise, referral criteria and pharmacological resources are also included. Its objective is to provide an essential guide and contribute to the standardization of criteria.