Shaken, I admire your strength to reach out to others for answers as you go through this very trying time. Knowledge and information can be very powerful tools in understanding what to expect and in aiding our battles.
And I certainly understand your concern about chemotherapy. I don't think anyone who has undergone chemo will say it's easy. However, a National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship survey of more than 300 patients found while those patients had been fearful of undergoing chemotherapy, most also said the treatments were much less trying than they had expected. And 90 percent said the treatments had given them real hope for survival.
Here are some other findings ...
* Around eight out of 10 cancer survivors said they had been fearful prior to starting chemotherapy, with most (76 percent) worried primarily about side effects such as hair loss, nausea and fatigue.
* Looking back, almost two-thirds (62 percent) said those fears were unjustified. Just 14 percent described their side effects as "very difficult," and about a third (32 percent) had a "somewhat easy" or "very easy" experience with treatment.
* Almost all (87 percent) of survivors said that new supportive care products made the side effects that they did experience much more manageable than they had expected.
* Eighty-seven percent of survivors who had experienced side effects said that chemotherapy was worth going through.
The NCCS strongly advises that patients also get written "Treatment Plans" from their health-care team before they begin chemotherapy -- a document that outlines the interventions they will receive; potential side effects; and ways to manage those side effects.
If you'd like to read more about the survey, you can check out this link ...
And while we have posed your specific question to experts and hope to have an answer for you in the next few days, after some research, we wanted to pass along some resources related to your question about what to look out for and what to expect:
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
Provides information, counseling, support and educational meetings to help men with prostate disease in making decisions about their treatment www.pcacoalition.org
US-Too
Offers information, counseling, and educational meetings to men with prostate disease to help them make decisions about their treatment and support www.ustoo.com
Comment Reply
Shaken, I admire your strength to reach out to others for answers as you go through this very trying time. Knowledge and information can be very powerful tools in understanding what to expect and in aiding our battles.
And I certainly understand your concern about chemotherapy. I don't think anyone who has undergone chemo will say it's easy. However, a National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship survey of more than 300 patients found while those patients had been fearful of undergoing chemotherapy, most also said the treatments were much less trying than they had expected. And 90 percent said the treatments had given them real hope for survival.
Here are some other findings ...
* Around eight out of 10 cancer survivors said they had been fearful prior to starting chemotherapy, with most (76 percent) worried primarily about side effects such as hair loss, nausea and fatigue.
* Looking back, almost two-thirds (62 percent) said those fears were unjustified. Just 14 percent described their side effects as "very difficult," and about a third (32 percent) had a "somewhat easy" or "very easy" experience with treatment.
* Almost all (87 percent) of survivors said that new supportive care products made the side effects that they did experience much more manageable than they had expected.
* Eighty-seven percent of survivors who had experienced side effects said that chemotherapy was worth going through.
The NCCS strongly advises that patients also get written "Treatment Plans" from their health-care team before they begin chemotherapy -- a document that outlines the interventions they will receive; potential side effects; and ways to manage those side effects.
If you'd like to read more about the survey, you can check out this link ...
https://www.empowher.com/news/08/04/04/most-cancer-survivors-say-chemo-f...
And while we have posed your specific question to experts and hope to have an answer for you in the next few days, after some research, we wanted to pass along some resources related to your question about what to look out for and what to expect:
National Prostate Cancer Coalition
Provides information, counseling, support and educational meetings to help men with prostate disease in making decisions about their treatment
www.pcacoalition.org
Prostate Cancer Foundation
A leading philanthropy supporting prostate cancer research
www.prostatecancerfoundation.org
US-Too
Offers information, counseling, and educational meetings to men with prostate disease to help them make decisions about their treatment and support
www.ustoo.com
The National Cancer Institute also has an extensive amount of information.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/prostate
Stay strong.
June 7, 2008 - 6:17amThis Comment
Reply