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Cancer: Family And Friends

 
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Cancer: Family And Friends

What is the best way to support a loved one who has cancer?

In terms of how to support a patient with cancer, I think, most important is the psychological support that you can provide. Families, children can provide to their patients. I think the most disheartening thing that I have ever seen as a practicing oncologist, is a patient coming to see me for a new diagnosis of cancer by themselves and it's really hard to see, because in terms of deciding a plan of carrying, a plan of action, you really need the support. They need someone to take them to their first chemotherapy in the future, they need someone to sit with them, they need someone to come to their doctor visits every time. These are people with cancer who require a significant amount of support and a patient can be the strongest person know to man, but, this is a diagnosis and this is a course of treatment whether it be an ongoing indefinite course of therapy. For a 6 month course of therapy or a surgery this is a tough part of their life and the psychological support is extremely important.

What can I say to someone with cancer?

What should I tell someone? What's the best way to support someone is to be there for them. They don't have to say anything. I think nonverbal support is probably the best thing that you can provide. No one needs to hear that they're going to be fine. That's not the best thing to provide patients. I think you need to provide patients a shoulder to cry on. You need to provide their friend a shoulder to cry on. You need to provide them the silent support of knowing that you're around or you're going to be there for them when they need them.

Why is it important for a cancer patient to stay positive?

When patients are positive and patients are optimistic, they tend to tolerate their therapy better. They tolerate their therapy well. They have less side effects, chemo-related side effects or treatment-related side effects, and they ultimately do better in my opinion. It doesn't mean that you have to stick your head in the sand and pretend that no matter what disease you have been diagnosed with you are going to be fine. That may not necessarily be the truth. But I describe it as optimistic realism and you need to know as my patient. Any of my patients out there know that you know what you are up against the second you come into my office. But just because you know what you are up against doesn't mean that you can't go at it and empower yourself to be positive and go through the treatment with a degree of positivity and optimism that will definitely be best for you.

How do I tell my loved ones to stop 'playing doctor' with my cancer treatment?

I would say that you're under the care of a trained physician treating cancer and I trust my physician and thank you very much for your concern and I appreciate all your efforts in trying to come up with other ideas for my and I will bring those up with my physician as time permits. I refer patients to a website that was designed by the American Society of Clinical Oncology namely People Living with Cancer. Org. so it's www.plwc.org which has an excellent resource for general information about a malignancy, support,as well as bulletin boards and the ability for patients to contact other patients with their disease. More education based internet resources include the American Cancer Society and the National Institute of Health as well as the Cancer Network as well as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines which have a very excellent, patient-sponsored, and patient-centric website for patients with cancer and disease.

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  1. What is the best way to support a loved one who has cancer?
  2. What can I say to someone with cancer?
  3. Why is it important for a cancer patient to stay positive?
  4. How do I tell my loved ones to stop 'playing doctor' with my cancer treatment?

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Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
Meet the Expert
  • What is the best way to support a loved one who has cancer?
  • What can I say to someone with cancer?
  • Why is it important for a cancer patient to stay positive?
  • How do I tell my loved ones to stop 'playing doctor' with my cancer treatment?
more ...
About Cancer
 Cancer Basics 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is a 'cancer cell'? 
  3. What causes cancer? 
  4. Can cancer be 'cured'? 
  5. What is a 'tumor'? 
  6. What's the difference between 'advanced cancer' and 'metastatic cancer'? 
  7. What is 'remission'? 
  8. What is 'apoptosis'? 
  9. What is 'angiogenesis'? 
  10. What is 'signal transduction'? 
  11. Is one type of cancer worse than another? 
  12. Is cancer on the rise? 
 Cancer Detection 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What are the cancer warning signs? 
  3. How can I examine myself for cancer? 
  4. What is a 'biopsy'? 
  5. What is a 'needle biopsy'? 
  6. What scanning techniques are used to detect cancer? 
  7. What is a 'PET' Scan? 
  8. What is 'CT' or 'CAT Scan'? 
  9. What is an 'MRI'? 
  10. Can I be sedated when taking a PET scan, CT scan or MRI? 
 Cancer Prevention 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What increases my risks of getting cancer? 
  3. How does drinking alcohol increase my cancer risk? 
  4. How does smoking increase my cancer risk? 
  5. How does being overweight increase my risk of getting cancer? 
  6. Are there cancer-fighting foods? 
  7. What are the environmental risk factors for cancer? 
 Cancer Treatment 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is 'pre-medication'? 
  3. What is 'interferon therapy'? 
  4. What is 'gene therapy'? 
  5. How do I choose a cancer treatment facility? 
  6. What does it mean to treat a cancer 'globally' compared to 'locally'? 
  7. How does my doctor 'stage' my cancer? 
  8. What do the different stages of cancer mean? 
  9. How do I choose between different cancer treatment options? 
 Cancer Surgery 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. Is surgery always necessary to treat cancer? 
  3. Can all cancers be treated with surgery? 
  4. How can cancer spread if I had surgery to remove it? 
 Chemotherapy 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is 'chemotherapy'? 
  3. What are the basic types of chemotherapy? 
  4. How does chemotherapy work? 
  5. What other types of chemotherapy kill cancerous cells? 
  6. How does my cancer doctor choose which treatment is best for me? 
  7. Why does chemotherapy cause hair loss? 
  8. Can chemotherapy cause oral problems? 
  9. Can chemotherapy cause digestive problems? 
  10. How can chemotherapy affect blood production? 
  11. How do I deal with nausea caused by chemotheraphy? 
  12. What is 'chemobrain'? 
  13. Is chemotherapy painful? 
  14. How soon will I start to feel better after a chemotherapy treatment? 
  15. Will there be long-term side-effects from my chemotherapy treatment? 
 Radiation Therapy 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is 'radiation therapy'? 
  3. What happens to my body when I get radiation treatment? 
  4. Is radiation therapy painful? 
  5. How soon will I start to feel better after radiation therapy? 
 Hormone Therapy 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is 'hormone therapy'? 
  3. Can hormone therapy fight and cure cancer? 
 Biologic Therapy 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is 'biologic therapy'? 
  3. Will biologic therapy 'cure' cancer? 
  4. What are the side effects of biologic therapy? 
  5. What is 'bevacizumab'? 
 Alternative Cancer Treatment And Medicine 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What is the difference between 'complementary' and 'alternative' cancer therapy? 
  3. How do I find out if an alternative method for treating cancer is effective? 
 Patient Basics 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. What does it mean to be diagnosed with cancer? 
  3. What questions should I ask my doctor first if I am diagnosed with cancer? 
  4. Who should I have on my cancer support team? 
  5. What's the best way to tell my loved ones about a cancer diagnosis? 
  6. What does it mean to be proactive in my cancer care? 
  7. What is a 'clinical trial'? 
  8. How do I find out about the latest research and newly approved drugs for my cancer? 
 Cancer: What To Expect 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. If cancer is suspected, what is the first thing my doctor will do? 
  3. Will I go through significant lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis? 
  4. Why does cancer cause fatigue? 
  5. How should I manage my cancer-related fatigue? 
  6. How much should I rest during my cancer treatment? 
  7. Will my hair fall out from my cancer treatment? 
  8. Will my hair grow back after cancer treatment? 
  9. Will I be able to work during my cancer treatment? 
  10. How might cancer treatment impact my children? 
  11. How will cancer treatment impact my sex life? 
  12. How will my cancer treatment impact my friendships? 
  13. How will my cancer impact my spouse or significant other? 
  14. How soon will I start to feel better after my cancer treatment is done? 
  15. How often will I be scanned after I am in remission? 
 Cancer Doctors And Specialists 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. How do I pick the right cancer doctor for me? 
  3. How important is a second opinion if I've been diagnosed with cancer? 
  4. How do I get a second opinion when I've been diagnosed with cancer? 
  5. Will my insurance cover a second opinion concerning my cancer treatment? 
 Insurance Long-Term Planning 
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin
  2. How will cancer treatment impact my finances and money? 
  3. How can I get health insurance after being diagnosed with cancer? 
  4. How can I get life insurance after being diagnosed with cancer? 
  5. Will my insurance pay for specialized cancer treatment? 
  6. How do I consider end-of-life matters when I'm battling cancer? 
  7. How do I consider fertility before I start cancer treatment? 
Cancer: Family And Friends (Now Playing)
  1. Dr. Christian Cable, Dr. Ryan Osborne & Dr. Noam Z. Drazin

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