Caregivers are individuals who provide care to chronically ill or disabled family members or friends. Helping someone go through a cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery requires understanding, encouragement, patience, and energy. Caregivers become part advocate, nurse, organizer, and financial analyst in addition to maintaining their other responsibilities. Caring for someone with a life-threatening [...]
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The Role of Caregivers
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What is Cancer?
Cancer is not one disease, but many diseases that occur in different areas of the body. Each type of cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells. Under normal conditions, cell reproduction is carefully controlled by the body. However, these controls can malfunction, resulting in abnormal cell growth and the development of a lump, [...]
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Getting a Second Opinion
A second opinion is an important part of becoming educated about your cancer and your treatment options. The more you can learn about your diagnosis and your treatment options, the better chance you have of receiving the most appropriate treatment. Cancers are now more treatable than they once were, but there are also many more [...]
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A Word about Clinical Trials
When you or a loved one are diagnosed with cancer, it is important to know all of the treatment options available in order to make the best decision about your cancer treatment. This may include clinical trials, which are research studies designed to evaluate new cancer treatment options. Clinical trials test the safety and effectiveness [...]
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Questions to Ask
Being educated and informed will help you make the best decisions about your cancer treatment. Get all the information you can as early as possible concerning your evaluation, treatment, and possible side effects. The sooner you know about side effects and possible treatments, the more likely you are to protect yourself against them, or manage [...]
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Optimizing Treatment
By proactively understanding and managing aspects of your treatment, you can help ensure the best possible outcome from treatment and maintain some degree of control in your life. Things you can do to optimize treatment of cancer are:
• Get informed
• Stay organized
• Discuss the effectiveness of treatment
• Work with your physician to select the best treatment for you
Don’t forget that fighting [...] -
Introduction to Cancer Treatment
Choice of cancer treatment is influenced by several factors, including the specific characteristics of your cancer; your overall condition; and whether the goal of treatment is to cure your cancer, keep your cancer from spreading, or to relieve the symptoms caused by cancer. Depending on these factors, you may receive one or more of the [...]
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Diagnosing Cancer
What is a cancer diagnosis?
Diagnosis is not the same as detection. Cancer may be detected when symptoms or abnormalities, such as a lump or growth, are recognized by a patient or doctor. After a cancer is detected, it still must be carefully diagnosed.
A diagnosis is an identification of a particular type of cancer. When making [...]