Palliative Care for Cancer-Related Disabilities
摘要
Palliative care plays a critical role in the management of cancer-related disabilities, which have become increasingly prevalent as advances in oncology extend survival while often resulting in long-term or progressive functional impairments. Cancer-related disability is best understood through the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health model, which provides a comprehensive biopsychosocial framework for conceptualizing impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. The etiology of such disabilities is multifactorial, involving tumor burden, treatment-induced complications, comorbid aging-related conditions, and psychological and social contributors. Effective management requires a multidimensional assessment strategy that utilizes validated tools to evaluate functional status, patient-reported outcomes, and cognitive and neurological conditions, as well as an appraisal of spiritual, occupational, and environmental factors. This entry addresses a wide range of physical and psychosocial disabilities, including mobility impairments, fatigue, pain, musculoskeletal conditions, speech disorders, visual and auditory impairments, cognitive sequelae, and psychological disabilities. An evidence-based overview of interventions is also presented, with an emphasis on an interdisciplinary palliative approach.