Physiotherapy in Advanced Cancer and Palliative Care

Dear Colleagues,

Oncologic palliative care is a crucial part of integrated, patient-centered health services. Addressing palliative needs in cancer patients, be they physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, is a global ethical responsibility.

Given the WHO’s definition of palliative care, interventions provided by palliative care have a broad focus and can therefore not be delivered by a single profession. Multiple professions organized in teams are therefore common in palliative care. This Special Issue wishes to provide insights into the role of physiotherapy, amongst others, in palliative care.

We advocate a place for physiotherapy within multidisciplinary, patient-centered oncologic palliative care, in order to start helping patients even more closely, working towards their needs and providing comfort.  Early referral to palliative care physiotherapy has previously been linked to higher functioning patients, and therefore appropriate referral to palliative care physiotherapy is critical for optimal and patient-centered care.

Moreover, by means of this Special Issue, we want to prevent misconceived perceptions of the inappropriateness of physiotherapy for terminally ill cancer patients. As Cicely Saunders, one of the founders of the modern hospice movement, once said: "You matter because you're you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you to die peacefully, but also to live until you die." We believe that physiotherapy can help cancer patients to live their lives how they want in every stage of their life-threatening disease. Providing the best possible and highest quality care, this is what we should strive for.

This Special Issue therefore aims to contribute to the growth of this promising field.

Dr. Nele Adriaenssens
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• advanced cancer
• palliative care
• palliative needs
• physiotherapy
• physical therapy modalities
• quality of life
• physical autonomy