Helping Your Loved One Face Cancer

Finding out that someone you love has cancer can be worse than hearing the diagnosis yourself. After all, while you won’t be waging the battle at the very front of the line, you will have to put a brave face on and provide strength and support when it’s needed the most. Chances are you’ll be doing so while also wrestling with your own fears, doubts and fatigue. With all that in mind here are some tips that can help you provide a strong shoulder to lean on while ensuring you, too, preserve the necessary energy to face what’s to come:

•    Don’t be afraid to ask questions – If it’s your intent to attend medical appointments with your loved one, feel free to ask questions on your mind and on your love one’s behalf. Keep in mind, he or she is likely dealing with a whole lot of doubt and may not be able to fully articulate every question on the mind. If you’ve been invited in to the appointments with the oncologist, it is OK to ask away and get clarifications about the specific disease and stage, treatment plan, potential side effects and more. If you happen to be the primary caregiver during treatment, having the answers will become critical as the procedures progress.

•    Be firm, but understanding – If your loved one is undergoing chemotherapy and other more rigorous forms of treatment, chances are he or she will not be acting in typical form. Be understanding about the side effects, exercise patience with anticipated fatigue, but be firm in ensuring that doctor’s orders are followed.

•    Be kind to yourself – Do not forget to take time out for yourself. Your loved one is not likely to need you around the clock and you, too, must recharge your batteries. If you find it helpful, lean on a friend to share concerns with or look into a support group that can help you process the life-changing situation you are facing.

While cancer patients must face down the disease head on, they are often not alone in the struggle. If you are caring for a loved one facing this disease, there are ways you can help them stay on course while ensuring you’re taken care of, as well.

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BMI and Cancer Risk

Increased body weight puts us at risk for developing a variety of health conditions. This is not news to anyone. Those who are overweight or obese are more at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, sleep apnea, diabetes, stroke, liver disease, and more. It’s also important, however, to understand that increased body mass index (BMI) - the ratio of your body’s height to weight - can also be an indicator of your potential risk for developing certain types of cancer.

In fact, the American Cancer Society estimates that about one in three cancer-related deaths in the United States are connected to body weight; making losing weight priority number one in taking control of our health. It has been shown that increased BMI is connected to cancers such as pancreatic, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, colon/rectum, and more.

It is believed that increased weight causes inflammation in the body thus causing an imbalance in our natural immune system and hormone levels. This imbalance, in turn, can affect cell division which can result in cancer.

There is no better time to get healthy than now. To lower your risk of a variety of health conditions and potentially lower your risk of developing cancer, it’s important to eat healthy, exercise, and stay in balance.

It is recommended to lower the number of calories that we ingest on a daily basis by eating smaller portions and reducing our intake of fried foods and those foods that are high in fat and calories. Instead, we should be increasing our intake of whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. There is a seemingly ongoing discussion about the potential connection between sugar and cancer but regardless it’s recommended that we limit our intake of sugar as much as possible.

There will always be a good reason to lose weight and live our life at a healthy BMI. Lowering our risk of developing cancer is another fantastic reason to let go of the excuses and get healthy.

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Talking to Your Doctors

Treatment for cancer – no matter how short or relatively comfortable – can be terrifying. There is so much up in the air and so many considerations including choosing the appropriate treatment that fits with the diagnosis and interferes as little as possible with our daily activities. It’s difficult enough to wrap our own heads around what is completely a surreal experience but then there is making sure that our family and friends – essentially our support team – is comfortable with all the information. You can easily find yourself more worried about disseminating information to the appropriate people – and managing bills and paperwork - than getting through treatments and before you know it you’re overwhelmed with the “admin” of cancer care.

This is the time you draw the line in the sand and start asking for help; admittedly a very tough thing for people who are often accustomed to handling everything on their own. But now is the time to reach out to the people who love you and whom you love – and would do the absolute same for in a heartbeat – and elicit their assistance. Here’s what you need:

*Someone to manage the paperwork. No, you don’t need anything else on your plate and you certainly don’t need any more stress. Pushing through the inevitable paperwork associated with cancer treatment should not be your job right now. Your team’s practice will have someone in charge of billing that should happily walk you through what needs to be done and after that you assign someone to manage it – preferably a spouse – who can take that burden off of you.

*Someone to go with you to doctors appointments. A ride is nice but having someone by your side during appointments is also about having another set of ears to listen to what the doctor has to say. This person should be detail oriented, willing to speak up with questions, and will take notes and remind you of important items.

*Emotional support. More than anything you need someone who is a soft place for you - that will accompany you to procedures, sit with you after treatment, and provide you the emotional support you definitely need at this time. This person should be a safe place for you where you can let down and be vulnerable and someone who you will let take care of you both physically and emotionally following treatment. Visit here for more information.

The Best Cancer Doctor for YOU

Those looking for appropriate cancer care can easily find they are inundated with choices. There are many amazing doctors who have devoted their professional lives to treating cancer. But that doesn’t mean that every doctor is a good fit for every cancer patient. This is a professional - and medical - relationship to be sure. But it is also a very personal relationship. This is a person with whom you will be spending a great deal of time and in whom you have entrusted your health and even your life. It is important that there is a comfortable and mutually respectful personal connection. So how do you find the best cancer doctor for you?

Create a short list. Of course you’ll need to first narrow down a list of doctors that meet your medical and logistical needs. That means finding doctors - preferably close to where you live - that specialize in your type of cancer, who have excellent reputations, experience, and superb standing within the medical community.

Interview. Once you have your list narrowed down to those doctors who meet your medical criteria, take the time to go and speak with each. Ultimately, it may come down to how comfortable you feel with each of them. This is a relationship like any other and your personalities must align.

Determine what’s important for you. This is your journey and every person’s experience with cancer treatment is different. The style of care that works for one person may not necessarily work for another. Do you need someone who spends a lot of time with you answering questions? Do you prefer someone who has a softer bed side manner or someone who is more cut to the chase? Your style must ultimately dictate the doctor you choose.

Certainly no one wants to be in a position to be searching for a cancer doctor. But unfortunately there are circumstances in our life where we have to be an advocate for ourselves, whether we want to be or not. Taking the time to find the best fit for your cancer care is well worth the time and effort and will ultimately make this a much more successful relationship with a mutual focus on your health. Visit here for more information.

Are Prostate Seed Implants the Right Treatment for You?

While there’s nothing positive about a positive diagnosis of prostate cancer, some patients will discover battling this disease isn’t as frightening as they think. When prostate seed implants are an indicated treatment option, facing down cancer can be a whole lot easier than many realize. This alternative form of therapy has been used by doctors for years with very positive results.

Prostate seed implants are tiny radioactive seeds that are implanted directly into the prostate itself. Unlike more invasive forms of therapy, seed implants are typically handled on an outpatient basis and since they dissolve on their own there’s not a huge commitment of time involved.

There are a number of cases when prostate seed implants make the most sense for a patient to consider. This form of therapy is indicated when prostate cancer is caught in its early stages. Here are just a few of the reasons to consider the alternative if a doctor recommends this form of treatment versus traditional surgery:

•    Less disruption to routine – Many people facing down cancer find the diagnosis even more troubling because it can derail plans and make holding a routine tough. Unlike surgery that can have a long recovery time, implant therapy generally enables people to go back to their normal routine within a few days.

•    Fewer side effects – While side effects are possible with any form of cancer therapy, patients tend to notice fewer with this form of treatment. This can assist those who want to get back to their normal routine to do so faster. Plus, it can help ensure patients feel better as they are battling the disease.

•    Strong success rate – When implant therapy is indicated, doctors offer this option because it works. It’s that simple. When cancer is in its early stages, implant therapy can be as effective – and sometimes more so – than surgical procedures.

Prostate seed implant therapy is a very viable option for many men who are facing down cancer. To know more about the cancer therapy and if it is right for your unique case then you can ask your doctor about it. Keep in mind, a doctor is the only one who can determine if this type of treatment will have the desired effects in your case. Visit here for more information.

Undergoing Radiation Therapy with Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

Cancer diagnosis and continued testing during treatment relies heavily on advanced imaging equipment that can show us most accurately what is happening in the body. When that imaging is combined with the treatment itself that is time when the most pinpoint accurate treatment can be delivered to the cancer site. To that end, as a cancer patient, you may have been introduced to the term IMRT - or intensity-modulated radiation therapy. When most people think of radiation therapy, they think of a beam of radiation being pointed at the general area of the cancer - meant to shrink the tumor and kill the cancer cells. Of course, in this process, healthy cells are also impacted.

However, with intensity-modulated radiation therapy, computers guide a precise beam of radiation to the tumor or the specific area where cancer cells exist. Imaging is used to precisely map the location of the tumor or cancer cells, after which a course of treatment is carefully planned according to the calculation of these locations.

IMRT allows for the most effective treatment of tumors. With this pinpoint technology, tumors are shrunk and even eliminated. IMRT also puts a stop to the ongoing growth and division of cancer cells. Best of all, because this radiation is delivered to such a precise location, healthy tissues and organs that surround the area are minimally impacted. This results in fewer side effects and the ability for you to continue with your normal activities.

If radiation therapy is a part of your treatment plan for your cancer diagnosis, IMRT is one of the most effective ways to go in terms of aggressively addressing cancer while reducing the body’s exposure to radiation. For more information click here

You’ve Been Diagnosed With Cancer: Now What?

Cancer is a very heavy topic and it’s a word no one wants to hear. Chances are you heard the diagnosis and then very little else your doctor had to say.

After you take a breath and step back to process it all, it’s time to get proactive with treatment. While not every cancer is the same, the truth is many forms of this disease are quite treatable. With millions of cancer survivors living and thriving in the United States, it’s possible to take on the “C-word” and win.

So, how can you play an active role in your fight? Here are some tips that can help you once you’re ready to move forward from that initial diagnosis:

·                     Find a good team to help you – Ideally, you’ll want to work with a group oncology practice as you battle the disease. The advantage here is that groups tend to offer a strong team of players that offer a variety of specialties and years of combined knowledge. You’ll benefit from the entire team as you go through treatment.

·                     Ask questions – Your diagnosis doctor probably explained a lot during that initial appointment, but there’s a good chance you didn’t take it all in. When you find an oncologist, feel free to ask all the questions on your mind. A good doctor will take the time to explain in detail, so you can make informed, accurate decisions about your care.

·                     Explore the options – If you’re working with a solid group practice, you may find there are a variety of treatment options available to you. Take the time to explore them all and gain input from your treatment team on the best possible approach.

·                     Stay positive – This is a hard one to hold on to throughout the entire treatment process, but it’s important. Work with your doctors to ease side effects and try to keep your mind in the game. Positive thinking won’t “cure” cancer, but it can help you focus on getting better.

When it comes to treating cancer, you are the key player on the treatment team. Find skilled professionals to work with and do your part by asking questions, understanding the process, and staying positive to increase the odds of the desired outcome. For more information click here