Palliative Care: Prioritizing Your Needs While Living With a Serious Illness
By Helana Shumway, Public Relations Coordinator
For many, the term “palliative care” can feel overwhelming and even frightening. It is not regularly discussed in everyday life, and the unknowns associated with this type of care can be off-putting. At the Breast Cancer Coalition, we are passionate about providing educational resources surrounding topics that relate to breast and gynecologic cancer survivors.
This past October during the Coalition’s Advanced Breast Cancer Webinar Series, Tools for the Journey: Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer, we were honored to have Etta Eskridge, MD, and Connie Pearce, RN, present on palliative care and how it differs from hospice care. This webinar remains available in our Webinar Library on the Coalition’s website (https://bccr.org/webinar-library/).
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Denzil Harris, MD, to further discuss palliative care and what it entails. This fruitful exchange revealed helpful insights into what palliative care can look like for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors, along with anyone who may be living with a serious illness. Dr. Harris hopes to change the conversation around palliative care, or if nothing else, to simply start one.
What is Palliative Care?
As an Internist and Palliative Care Specialist at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Harris works daily in both the inpatient hospital setting and in the community to offer education on what palliative care is, and what it isn’t. He defines palliative care as, “specialty care for people living with serious illness.” While it was born out of the hospice movement, palliative care is not hospice.(1) Rather, its goal is to address the many needs of individuals living with a serious illness that may progress in severity over time.
Palliative care can and does look different from person to person – as Dr. Harris purports, it exists on a spectrum. Some patients may decide to connect with palliative care right at the time of diagnosis to help clarify what this means for their health. Others might engage with their palliative care team on a routine basis for extended periods of time, as many serious illnesses can be well-monitored and allow for patients to maintain a good quality of life for years.
Often, Dr. Harris will meet with patients who are experiencing symptoms that have become difficult to manage as a result of treatment or disease progression. For those living with advanced breast or gynecologic cancer, working with palliative care can help to manage symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, nausea, or pain. As many survivors know firsthand, non-physical symptoms can also result from living with an advanced cancer diagnosis – addressing mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, or fear of the unknown is also an important component of palliative care.(2)
Whenever Dr. Harris meets with a patient – whether they are newly diagnosed or have been living with a serious illness for many years – he shares that one of his main interventions is always the same, and perhaps surprising to some, it isn’t considered inherently medical.
It is communication.
Beyond the Medical – Communication is Key
A palliative care specialist such as Dr. Harris addresses more than just the symptoms a patient is experiencing, because, as he emphasizes, every patient is much more than a diagnosis. Each person that he meets comes with their own complexities, their own lived experiences, their own hopes. In meeting with his patients, Dr. Harris utilizes strong, transparent communication as a standard of care.
“We have to listen to the people that are in front of us,” he explains. Through active listening, being open-minded and curious, and maintaining a holistic perspective, Dr. Harris provides each patient with the space to express what is important to them in their medical care.
“A major part of our role is understanding goals and an individual’s values,” he shares. “From a clinical perspective, it is easy to see a disease has progressed and see a need, but it is important to think about the individual, their family, and how those values come into play in determining the direction they choose.”
Indeed, Dr. Harris believes that it is a disservice to the patient if their family and those who support them are not acknowledged. Sometimes, a patient’s wishes and medical decisions can differ from what their support system is hoping to pursue. In such instances, Dr. Harris provides ample time to listen, advise, and validate the patient and their family’s experiences.
In order to advocate on a patient’s behalf, Dr. Harris always prioritizes honest communication, reporting, “I am very upfront with my patients.” He focuses on patient autonomy and self-determination, while also communicating that their safety and well-being are paramount. By truly taking the opportunity to understand an individual’s hopes and fears, Dr. Harris hopes to work collaboratively with each patient to decide on the right treatment options that are safe and in line with their wishes.
A Focus on Community Engagement
On top of Dr. Harris’ full schedule as a clinician, he is determined to spend time in the Rochester area to speak with local residents about palliative care. His objective in meeting people in community spaces as opposed to the medical setting is straightforward: “We can do more for people when we can meet them where they are before they even get to the steps of the hospital.”
Through education and engaging in meaningful conversations around palliative care, Dr. Harris hopes to provide community members more of an opportunity to be proactive with their health. Sometimes, he will be asked, “How is this relevant to me?”
From his perspective, when it comes to discussing the benefits of palliative care, the earlier the better. A proactive approach allows for people to clearly define personal values and hopes before further disease progression. If, for example, an individual is having difficulties with pain as a result of a serious illness, addressing this symptom earlier on could help in avoiding a hospital visit. Dr. Harris shares that the ultimate goal is to minimize suffering as much as possible and to always provide the highest standard of care.
Moreover, he aims to engage with communities that have historically been neglected or underserved and may not have strong access to healthcare, resulting in poorer health outcomes. With a focus on equity, Dr. Harris wants to direct educational resources to where they are most needed through cultural humility, respect, and the willingness to listen.
Steps in the Journey
It can be difficult and perhaps even a bit frightening to talk about palliative care. It is okay to feel this way. Acknowledging how we feel allows us to begin exploring our core values related to our health. Through taking small steps to learn more about palliative care and how it works to address symptoms, minimize discomfort, and maximize quality of life, individuals can feel empowered in making the best medical decisions for their needs.
Dr. Harris works faithfully to honor those living with a serious illness, whether in a medical setting or in a community space. He concentrates on nonjudgmental communication, active listening, and respect as core properties of his clinical practice. “At the end of the day, it’s not my journey; it is the journey of the person in front of me,” he maintains.
Thank you, Dr. Harris, for serving our survivor community with such care, consideration, and guidance.
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- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/hospice-and-palliative-care/what-are-palliative-care-and-hospice-care
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22850-palliative-care
This article first appeared as the feature article in the Spring 2025 issue of Voices of the Ribbon.
