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Doctors at Paras Cancer Centre and Paras HMRI Hospital Patna conducted a special academic program and organized a special CME on Palliative Care Program In Cancer Care on March 1, 2018 at Paras HMRI Hospital Auditorium. The academic session was attended by 41 internal and external doctors and Nurses of various cancer allied specialties. A special academic session was delivered by Dr (Prof) Odette Spruyt from Australia. (Assoc .Prof).

Palliative Care in Cancer Management is an important aspect in India where 70% of the cases are usually detected in the last stage, in advanced cancer stage, with limited treatment options. In such a situation the cancer spreads to numerous parts of the body and hence the cancer specialists provide special treatment to the patients to manage the pain and improve the quality of life of the patient. Paras Cancer Centre is a renowned and reputed cancer treatment centre in Patna providing comprehensive cancer care.

According to  Paras HMRI Oncologists “ Academic sessions on palliative care for cancer is important, this is also important as today cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment and management is not just limited to the oncologists, a multi disciplinary approach is required in numerous cases. Also it is important to know the difference between palliative care in cancer and hospice care. Treating symptoms, including pain, nausea, breathlessness, insomnia, and other physical issues caused by cancer or its treatment need important focus from doctors.”

Dr (Prof) Odette Spruyt, Cancer Specialist from Australia also shared her experience, “ It was a pleasure and honour to address the doctors of Patna, Paras Cancer Centre and Paras HMRI Hospital. Exchange of medical knowledge is essential and we sincerely hope that with the times to come, there shall be more opportunities to work and collaborate together.”

Dr Odette was Director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac)Department of Palliative Medicine 1998-2014. In 2016, she joined the Parkville Integrated Palliative Care Service. Odette founded the charity, Australasian Palliative Link International (APLI), in 1996, and manages Project Hamrahi, a mentoring project between Australian and Indian palliative care services. She has extensive clinical and R&D experience in palliative care and has supervised over 30 advance palliative medicine trainees. Odette is enrolled in a PhD program, Lancaster University, exploring Indian and Australian palliative care doctors’ perceptions of and responses to patient suffering.

The CME session was also addressed by Ms Shalini AJ- Senior Project Officer with Pallium India in Trivandrum, Kerala. Pallium India is a registered charitable trust working in the field of palliative care, founded by Dr. MR Rajagopal, also called “The Father of Palliative care in India”. The nursing aspects were covered by Ms Mary Duffy – Nurse Consultant for the Lung Cancer Service   at the Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre, Melbourne Australia and works primarily with patients who have lung cancer or mesothelioma, and their families.

Mary has worked with lung cancer patients for over 20 years in a variety of roles. Her areas of interest include all aspects of supportive care for people with lung cancer and mesothelioma   including, symptom management, patient and carer information and support. Mary advocates for palliative care for the patient groups she cares for and has a close working relationship with the PCU teams in the hospital and local communities.

Paras Cancer Centre and Paras HMRI Hospital Patna is the first hospital in Bihar to provide comprehensive cancer care facilities in the state. The hospital is also the first in Bihar and Jharkhand to provide PET CT facility and comprehensive nuclear medicine facility.