Diagnosis: Cancer
Reported November 04, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Cancer will hit one in two men and one in three women in their lifetime. That means it’s one of the top killers in the United States, and you or someone you know will likely battle the disease. How would you react in the hours after a diagnosis? Doctors say your actions could save your life.
This year, 1.4 million Americans will get the news Josh Sommer received.
“The closest feeling I can describe it as is right after 9/11, just that complete feeling of helplessness and hopelessness, not knowing what to do next,” cancer patient Josh Sommer told Ivanhoe.
Today, cancer will take the lives of more than 1,500 people. This year, it will take the lives of more than half a million. When you hear “diagnosis cancer,” what do you do? There is no official roadmap for navigating the disease. Top oncologists say start by making a plan. Step one is to find a doctor you can call anytime.
“Sometimes, bad things happen in the middle of the night, and you need to know who you can call,” Amy Abernethy, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., told Ivanhoe.
Step two is to get a second opinion. Ask for copies of your x-rays and test results and bring them to each appointment. Step three is to get a long-term view of your treatment.
“First, you’re going to have surgery, then you’re going to have chemotherapy, then you’re going to have radiation therapy approximation of how long this is all going to take,” Freya R. Schnabel, M.D., professor of surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, N.Y., told Ivanhoe.
Your cancer roadmap should include a support network. For Michael Perry, support came from a stranger.
“[I was] scared to death, didn’t know how long I was going to live,” Perry told Ivanhoe.
Michael has a rare inoperable brain tumor. He traveled 3,000 miles alone for treatment.
“I didn’t know what I was going to do,” Perry said. “I didn’t know where I was going to go.”
The American Cancer Society matched Perry up with Abby Losordo. Although she’s blind, she became Perry’s patient navigator. Abby leads him through the medical maze, finding the best doctors. She also helps with practical issues like housing and hobbies.
“I’d say it saved my life,” Perry said of Abby’s assistance.
The next stop on the map is to know what questions to ask your doctor. What stage is the cancer in, and what does that mean? What clinical trials are available? Are there alternative medicines? What is your backup plan? Dr. Abernathy said another important question to consider is if your cancer will affect your children.
Doctors encourage patients to take an active role by taking notes and doing research, but believing everything online may do more harm than good.
“We all make that big huge mistake, and I scared the living daylights out of myself,” breast cancer patient Marilyn Wattman-Feldman said.
There are three websites doctors recommend. The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, the National Institutes of Health at www.cancer.gov and the American Society of Clinical Oncology at www.asco.org.
“You’re right, cancer really sucks!” Wattman-Feldman said.
Some of the best advice comes from patients themselves. Feldman schedules time to laugh.
“I sat down, and I watched some of the funniest movies created on the planet,” Wattman-Feldman said.
She also sets aside time to cry.
“[I] look at the clock and I go, ‘Alright, you’ve been doing this for 15, 20 minutes,'” Wattman-Feldman said. “‘Alright, shut the water works off.'”
Cancer is a bumpy, winding road — but no patient is alone.
“I’m in this with a lot of other people,” Wattman-Feldman said. “I’m not alone.”
By taking charge of the journey, patients have a greater chance of reaching the desired destination: the land of survivors.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
The American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org
The American Society of Clinical Oncology
http://www.asco.org
The National Institutes of Health
http://www.cancer.gov