Cancer: Helping people make decisions

Some medical professionals believe that many patients, when they are faced with cancer, would rather die naturally without having to deal with the pain involved with invasive procedures and chemotherapy. Another belief is that patients faced with cancer don’t want to drain their family’s resources, so they assume patients want to give up. Families sometimes expect loved ones to fight the cancer no matter what stage of cancer. The truth of the matter is that it’s up to the patient, and they should be informed of what resources are available for them.

When making a decision on what patients should do about cancer, they should know the facts of their disease that could assist them in making a decision. Every cancer situation is different, so each case should be examined separately. Some cancers are less aggressive than others, and patients should know those types of facts before deciding to give up on their treatment possibilities.

Those difficult days when doctors and physician assistants are going to have to tell a patient that they have cancer. Patients are going to contemplate whether or not they should go onto their next appointment. Things that should determine whether they should fight the cancer should be the stage of cancer, the invasiveness of treatment, and the quality of life. It should not only be based on how much money it’s going to cost since there are programs that give financial assistance to patients in need.

Recently a jovial patient came in to see the doctor; he was about 70-years-old. Previously he had a CT scan that showed he had “a spot on his lungs.” His doctor requested that he get a biopsy to find out what exactly that spot was. The smiling man stated he didn’t have the money to pay for it. The patient could barely pay for the CT scan that he had done. He was recommend to see an oncologist. A few months went by and this particular patient returned, and he stated that was noticing severe weight loss. The man still refused to have any diagnostic procedures done or see an oncologist.

Being diagnosed with cancer is a very stressful time for any patient. During a Swedish study that looked at men who were recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, these patients were shown to have 1.9 times higher risk for a cardiovascular event due to emotional stress of being told they had cancer. New cancer patients are trying to process the new information including: possible invasive treatments and potential side effects of their disease and the overall shock of being diagnosed. Many patients may not have someone to talk to, and this could cause more stress.

Many patients who have symptoms of cancers may not want to follow through with tests because they don’t want to deal with the possible outcomes if they do have it. Those, who knew their diagnosis of cancer, had greater anxiety and depression than those who may be in denial or didn’t know that cancer was the main cause of their symptoms.

A predictor in determining cancer survival has been quality of life along with emotional response and coping style. Someone who is lonely, anxious, and pessimistic is going to have a worse survival rate than someone who has a positive attitude and calm. People having no one to confide in are going to be more likely to feel sad and worried, and this fact could impact their outcome.

Good people are going to develop cancer, and they are going to have a difficult time dealing with this new change in their life. Counseling could help those dealing with depression and anxiety by providing support. Having someone to talk to during these particular times, can make a world of difference.

Need someone to talk to?

http://www.apos-society.org - American Psychosocial Oncology Society

This group helps patients obtain referrals to local counseling services. For a confidential referral, call 1-866-276-7443.  Please leave name, number, city, state, zip code and diagnosis.

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https://www.uchealth.org/pages/services/colorado-cancer-center.aspx 
Cancer Information and Counseling Line

800-525-3777

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http://www.cancerrecovery.org  - Telephone Support Groups 

More information is located on the website under programs & resources.  They want people to sign up on their website, but it does provide a phone number to start.

Financial Help is available for those in need

American Cancer Society has many financial programs available depending on need, where you live and what type of cancer a person may have. They also have many programs listed from independent organization that may help with costs for those in need and some are focused for those with Medicaid. To find out more about these programs visit their website, www.cancer.org or call them at 1-800-ACS-2345.

Another well known resource is Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition, and their website is www.cancerFAC.org. The resources are by need or by diagnosis.

National Cancer Institute is a governmental agency, but they keep note of programs that may help financially. 1-800-4-cancer (1-800-422-6237)

Other financial resource:

Patient Advocate Foundation  Phone: 800-532-524  www.patientadvocate.org

Cancer Care, Inc.  Phone: 800-813-4673  www.cancercare.org/get_help/assistance

Patient Services, Incorporated  Phone: 800-366-7741  Website: www.uneedpsi.org

Patient Access Network Foundation  Phone: 866-316-7263  www.patientaccessnetwork.org

The C.H.A.I.N. Foundation  Phone: 203-530-3439  www.thechainfund.com

Questions to ask your doctor:

1—What type of cancer do I have?

2—What tests have you used to determine the cancer?

3—Are you certain these tests are accurate and this is the correct diagnosis?

4—What was abnormal on my lab reports?

5—May I have a copy of the pathologists report?

6—Are there any addition tests needed?

7—What are the treatment options for this type of cancer?

8—What treatment do you recommend?

9—Who would you recommend for a second opinion if I later feel like I need someone to review my case?

General Terminology

Benign—means mild and unprogressive disease.
Tumor—means growth. Many tumors are not cancerous.
Cancer stages—describes the extent of the cancer. It is usually done stage O to IV. It takes account the size of the tumor. TNM staging system is another way to classify cancer. The initials represent Tumor, Node, Metastasis.
Malignant—means to become progressively worse by uncontrolled.
Metastasis—is the spread of disease from organ to another non-adjacent organ.
Remission—is the disappearances of the sign and symptoms of cancer.
Prognosis—is the outcome of the situation.
For more definitions try: http://www.cancer.gov/dictionary



This was first written for my thesis. Then it was updated for a friend, but I feel many people could use these resources. I hope it is helpful to those looking for answers.