Author(s): Tricia Bogossian
When very advanced or in a terminal stage, cancer causes acute painful events. Care applied to patients with active, progressive, and incurable diseases such as cancer must receive effective and broad relief of symptoms, whether physical, psychosocial or spiritual, which only increases the challenge. In this context, this study aims to describe the means used to manage pain in cancer patients. To this end, bibliographical research was used in books and articles that discuss the topic under analysis. It has been seen that in patients with severe cancer, the objective is, until the moment of death, to maintain their dignity and ensure that their existence remains as comfortable as possible. Thus, at the end of the study it is concluded that, for professionals who deal with patients in an advanced stage of serious illnesses, such as cancer, it is crucial that in addition to technical procedures, there is a constant concern with alleviating suffering. In some moments, all that is possible to do is alleviate their pain and this is already a very important step to maintain the patient’s dignity even when, in curative terms, nothing more can be done.
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