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Dear Editor:
A cancer diagnosis changes your whole world. I witnessed this first hand when I was a caregiver for my mother when she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2000. Every day brings a new and different challenge; fear, anxiety and pain are a regular part of the diagnosis and treatment of a serious disease. Over time, these can take a toll on your quality of life.
But there is a promising field of medical care that could change the way care for those with a serious illness like cancer. Palliative care treats the whole patient, not just the disease. Specialized medical professionals can improve the quality of life of the patient and their family through coordination of care, focusing on relief from pain and other symptoms of the disease and treatment. Not only can it improve patient experience and outcomes, it can also reduce medical costs.
A couple weeks ago, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge Senator Braun to support the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, a bill that would increase education of and access to palliative care. This bipartisan legislation has tremendous support in both the House and Senate, and it could make a world of difference for cancer patients, like my mother, and their families.
Congress has the opportunity to increase access to palliative care, so patients and their families have that extra layer of support when they need it most. Join me in calling on our lawmakers to help move this important bill forward.
Bill Russo
Volunteer, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
Noblesville