While a cancer diagnosis is life-changing, it shouldn’t take away the parts of life that bring a person joy — and it doesn’t have to. As a cancer survivor, I know this first hand.

There is a new type of specialized medical care that is growing in popularity that aims to preserve patients’ quality of life after being diagnosed with a chronic disease, like cancer, during treatment and throughout survivorship — and U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has the opportunity to be a leader in ensuring cancer patients have access to this crucial type of care.

Palliative care sees the person beyond the cancer treatment. It is a team-based approach among doctors to make sure all symptoms are managed, including pain, fear and anxiety. It helps put patients in control of their care and it works — palliative care not only adds life to patients’ days, research shows in many cases it adds days to their lives.

That is why I am urging Sen. Collins to put cancer patients first by co-sponsoring legislation (H.R 3119) that would increase awareness of and access to palliative care services. Everyone, no matter their diagnosis, no matter their age, deserves the extra layer of support that palliative care provides.

Janet Miles, Auburn

Volunteer, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network