PALLIATIVE CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS AND THE CHALLENGES OF ENSURING A DIGNIFIED DEATH IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Palliative care constitutes a fundamental approach to the comprehensive care of oncology patients, particularly in advanced stages of the disease when curative therapeutic options are limited (WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, 2020). This type of care focuses on improving quality of life, alleviating physical, psychological, social, and spiritual suffering, and ensuring respect for human dignity throughout the dying process (MATSUMOTO, 2012). In the Brazilian context, despite normative and institutional advances aimed at humanizing health care, structural, educational, and cultural barriers persist, hindering the equitable and effective implementation of palliative care (SILVA; AMARAL; MALTA, 2020). This article aims to analyze the relevance of palliative care for cancer patients and discuss the main challenges in ensuring a dignified death in Brazil. This qualitative bibliographic study is based on scientific articles, books, and official documents. The findings indicate that the shortage of specialized services, insufficient professional training, regional inequalities, and sociocultural barriers related to death compromise the provision of humanized end-of-life care. It is concluded that strengthening public policies, investing in continuing professional education, and promoting cultural change regarding death are essential to guarantee the right to a dignified death in Brazil.