Living With Cancer

Controlling Cancer Related Fatigue

t is estimated that more than 8 million people in the U.S. today are living with cancer—they are cancer survivors! In the past decade alone, major research and treatment advances have contributed to marked improvements in survival for virtually all cancers. And with revolutionary breakthroughs in genetic engineering and biotechnology on the immediate horizon, the future looks especially promising.

Cancer is increasingly being referred to as a “chronic condition” rather than a life-threatening illness, especially when it is caught in its earliest, most treatable stages. And while there will always be uncertainty about what lies ahead, the challenge of the disease can have some unexpected results: relationships can be strengthened, emotions can be more fully expressed, dreams can be pursued with renewed vigor.

All July and August, cancerpage.com focuses on special issues affecting you as a “cancer survivor.” These articles, listed and linked to at the right, include:

Is a support group right for you?
Returning to sexuality.
Financial and insurance issues.
Surviving a childhood cancer.
Setting priorities and fulfilling dreams.
Workplace discrimination and the ADA.
The ongoing doctor-patient relationship.
Taking care of YOU: nutrition, exercise and overall wellness.
Anxiety, depression and fear of the unknown.
How your caregivers are surviving.
The impact of your cancer on your family.
Being single and a cancer survivor.
Facing a recurrence.
Living with advanced disease.

The latest news about research into issues of interest to the survivor community such as quality of life and secondary tumors is listed on the right side of this page with the most recent stories on top.

Read stories of courage by those who are "thriving despite cancer" from the cancerpage Stories and Experiences file:

I'm More Real; I'm Tougher
Brain Cancer; Three Time Survivor
Inspirational Example of My Twin Sister
I Learned To Accept Love
Cancer Changed My Life For The Better
Proud Of How Bold I Have Become

Quality of life is no longer a short-term goal for most patients with cancer. It has become a lifelong pursuit.

Written by medical writer Richard Zmuda for cancerpage.com

SOURCE:

-National Guideline Clearinghouse.
-National Comprehensive Cancer Network -Proceedings, November 1999, pp 91-97
-Oncology Nursing, Fatigue. pp. 234-238
-Mind, Body and Soul: a Guide To Living With Cancer - by Nancy Hassett Dahm (Taylor Hill Publishing, IBSN: 0-9702904-0-3)

WEB RESOURCES:

-National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship - offers free "tools" for living with cancer
-Oncology Nursing Society
-Cancer Fatigue Website
-Mayo Clinic – Nutrition tips for cancer patients.
- CancerCare.org teleconference archives offers recorded discussions on fatigue and many other issues affecting patients and their families
- Cancer Supportive Care Program - Web site derived from the book Cancer Supportive Care by Ernest H. Rosenbaum, MD & Isadora R. Rosenbaum, MA

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