Cancer treatment is no longer just about treating the disease. It is also about treating the person and maintaining their quality of life during cancer treatment and after.
Quality of life refers to the level of health, happiness and comfort you experience in life. Maximizing quality of life during cancer treatment involves responding to the physical, emotional and mental well-being of cancer patients. Maximizing quality of life for cancer patients means that cancer treatment is focused on treating both the disease and the person. This form of treatment is also called palliative care. According to National Cancer Institute, the goal of palliative care is to prevent or treat, as early as possible, the symptoms and side effects of the disease and its treatment, in addition to the related psychological, social, and spiritual problems.
Questions to Consider When Evaluating Your Quality of Life as a Cancer Patient
- Do you experience chronic pain everyday?
- Do you have trouble staying mentally focused on or remembering your daily routines?
- Is your level of fatigue so overwhelming that you cannot do normal tasks without extreme effort?
- Do you get stressed out or worried all the time?
- Do you experience depression or anxiety related to your cancer diagnosis?
These are all example questions of what to ask yourself when evaluating your level of quality of life. If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider talking with your doctor about ways to control these problems and maintain a healthy quality of life.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, offers a form of cancer treatment that includes palliative care: treating both the disease and person’s quality of life. At Comprehensive Cancer Centers, we are focused on helping heal our cancer patients and ensure they experience the least amount of discomfort and pain possible. The following are a few tips to keep in mind when working to improve your quality of life during cancer treatment:
- Tell your doctor about chronic pain, extreme fatigue, and other side-effects of cancer treatment. He/she may be able to prescribe a medication to improve these side-effects
- Stay active. Although it is challenging to do all the same activities prior to your cancer, it is important to stay as active as your body will allow. The more active you are, the stronger your body will be to fight cancer.
- Reach out for support. Maintain social support networks and find new support groups to help you throughout a cancer diagnosis, so you don’t have to do everything yourself.
- Get educated. Knowing what is going on with your body and what to expect from cancer treatment can significantly lower your level of stress over the future of your cancer diagnosis. No one can predict the future, but staying educated on the subject and your body will help you maintain a sense of control.
Follow these tips and more from the American Cancer Society to maintain and maximize your level of quality of life during cancer treatment. And don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, an affiliate of The US Oncology Network, is an award-winning oncology group located in Southern Nevada. We have helped develop more than 65 FDA-approved cancer treatments and participate in 170 clinical trials each year. We are dedicated to helping our cancer patients fight cancer and maintain quality of life. Visit our website at www.cccnevada.com to learn more about how we are your biggest ally in the fight against cancer.
