If you are told that your cancer is advanced, you are faced with many decisions about your treatment, including the route that you would like to take regarding your medical team and care.
Your Medical Team and Support Factors
If you are considering advanced cancer treatment, you will need a team of specialists who can collaborate to provide you with the proper support. According to the American Cancer Society, there are many professionals that you may encounter, some of them include the following:
Oncologists can include medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists who diagnose and treat cancer.
*Oncology nurses can administer treatments, monitor side effects, and help to educate you regarding your condition.
Patient or nurse navigator: this person can guide you and your family through complex medical systems and help you work with the rest of the cancer care team to overcome barriers to care that may come up so that you can successfully complete your treatment.
Palliative care specialists can include doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who work together to manage symptoms, such as pain, nausea, or fatigue. Palliative care teams can and often work alongside cancer care teams to help manage side effects during and after cancer treatment. These teams are often used to help patients during any stage of cancer, from diagnosis through treatment to the end of life.
Also, it can be helpful to welcome the expertise of social workers, psychologists, and rehabilitation experts. Cancer does not solely impact your body; it also affects your mental health. As cancer patients navigate the disruptions caused by cancer and the alterations in their reality, things like depression and anxiety can begin to surface. You need to know that based on all that you are enduring, ripples in your mental health are normal, but to begin mending them. You should seek help from professionals as well as find support in groups or with your loved ones.
Support programs come in various forms, and you may find comfort in one-on-one sessions or group counseling and support groups. Even if you do not like the idea of support groups, it is worth considering. Talking with others who can truly relate to your situation can help to alleviate some of the loneliness you may be feeling, you can speak to people who have first-hand experience with similar emotions and challenges. To learn more about this option, you may want to ask those who are on your palliative care team for more information. The American Cancer Society also has some in-person and online group support resources.
Understanding Your Treatment Options
Treatment choices for advanced cancers depend on the type of cancer, where the cancer started, and how much it has spread into the area around it, as stated by the American Cancer Society. In general, metastatic cancer will need treatment that reaches all parts of the body, including:
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Hormone therapy
Surgery and radiation therapy only treat a certain part of the body but can help prevent or relieve certain symptoms. You may be suggested to partake in clinical trials. Overall, treating advanced cancer is complex, and your medical team may use a combination of approaches to treat you.
When treating advanced cancer, the goal is to give you the best quality of life so that you can feel as good as you can for as long as possible. You need to communicate effectively with your healthcare team so they can understand what you want from when you have left and those goals can be addressed best. For instance, you may want to focus on shrinking the cancer, slowing its growth, or relieving your symptoms. You have the right to decide what you want for your future, and this could even include the decision to stop treatment. You must make the best decision for you, which can be hard.
It can also be helpful to get your personal affairs in order. Advanced cancer is not an immediate death sentence. In many cases, the cancer can be managed for years. Still, it is important to know what you want to occur when you are no longer here and to prepare for that possibility in all aspects. This could mean organizing your important documents and figuring out insurance policies, or this could include talking with a therapist to help you and your family digest the possibilities involved in your condition. Find out what being prepared means to you and try your best to take the steps toward it.
Things You Can Practice to Help You Through This Journey
Learn as much as possible about your condition; this can help you ask your medical team informed questions.
* Utilize a palliative health team, and don’t neglect the importance of your mental health.
* Find ways to lower your stress levels through a hobby or meditation, and find pockets of time to decompress.
* Seek support in groups or through counseling.
* Candidly share your healthcare wishes with your medical team and your family.
Living with advanced cancer is a deeply personal journey, unique to everyone. Discover what strategies work best for you, and know that you are not walking this path alone. There are many resources and people ready to support you.
Stay optimistic and continue living your life with purpose because you truly matter.
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