When the Focus Shifts: Hospice and Advanced Cancer Care
By Dr. Sendhil Krishnan | Expert Hospice Podcast
When a cancer diagnosis reaches an advanced stage, families are often met with overwhelming questions. Should we continue treatment? Are we doing enough? Is it too soon to consider hospice?
In the latest episode of the Expert Hospice Podcast, I talk about these exact questions and walk listeners through the emotional and medical realities of navigating advanced cancer care. This episode, titled “Diagnosis to Dignity: Cancer, Comfort, and the Role of Hospice,” is available now on Apple Podcasts.
🎧 Listen here
What Hospice Really Means for Cancer Patients
Hospice is often misunderstood. People think it means giving up. They worry that their loved one will be sedated into silence or left without care. But hospice is the opposite. It’s a shift from curative treatments that may no longer be helping — and sometimes are hurting — toward a plan that focuses on comfort, dignity, and time well spent.
Hospice isn’t the end. It’s a different kind of beginning — a beginning of peace, presence, and purpose in the final chapter of life.
In this episode, I explain how hospice care is not about withdrawing support, but rather adding meaningful support from an interdisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual care providers, hospice aides, and volunteers. It’s designed to meet the needs of the whole person — physically, emotionally, and spiritually — and to walk with families through one of life’s most tender seasons.
A Story That Stays With Me
I share the story of a patient who had been through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and hospitalizations. Her family was doing everything they could — out of love — to extend her life, even though it was clear her quality of life was slipping away.
When she transitioned to hospice, everything changed. She went from a hospital bed to her own home. From rounds of aggressive treatment to quiet mornings with her grandchildren. From fear to laughter.
Hospice allowed her family to be family again, not just caretakers or medical decision-makers. She regained moments that mattered — sitting on her porch, holding her son’s hand, listening to her favorite music. She passed peacefully, surrounded by love.
Why Timing Matters
Many families wait until the last few days to consider hospice. But the earlier a patient begins hospice care — once treatment is no longer effective or aligned with their values — the better their experience can be.
Hospice offers:
- Pain and symptom relief
- Emotional and spiritual support
- Home visits by nurses and aides
- Respite and bereavement care for families
- Equipment, medications, and 24/7 on-call support
And most importantly, hospice offers time to live meaningfully, even at the end of life.
Final Thoughts
If you or someone you love is facing advanced cancer, I encourage you to listen to this episode. Whether you’re a caregiver, a healthcare provider, or a patient yourself — having these conversations early opens the door to compassionate care when it’s needed most.
🎧 Listen now: Diagnosis to Dignity: Cancer, Comfort, and the Role of Hospice
Let’s reframe the narrative around hospice. It’s not about giving up. It’s about choosing peace, choosing presence, and choosing to live fully — right to the end.
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