Patients Need Support

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"Having cancer is a stressful experience, and being upset and worried are part of the process," says Karen Stepan, a senior health education specialist in M. D. Anderson's Patient Education Office. "Sometimes, however, distress can interfere with treatment or a patient's ability to cope. That's why we're here to help." Stepan says patients' first lines of defense in coping with distress are talking with the members of their health care team. "It's important for patients to know that we're treating them as a whole person, not just treating their cancer," she says. Six quick tips help patients cope Patients also can participate in dealing with their illness. Stepan offers these do's and don'ts for coping from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). Do: Deal with cancer "one day at a time"- Leave worries about the future behind. The task of coping with cancer seems less overwhelming when you break it up into more manageable pieces. This also allows you to focus on getting the most out of each day in spite of your illness. Get support- Use support and self-help groups if they make you feel better. If the experience makes you feel worse, leave the group. Consider spiritual tools- Explore spiritual and religious beliefs and practices such as prayer that may have helped you in the past. If you don't consider yourself religious or spiritual, get support from any belief systems that you value. This may comfort you and even help you find meaning in the experience of your illness. Don't: Feel guilty about negative feelings- You don't have to keep a positive attitude, especially when you don't feel well. Low periods will come, no matter how great you are at coping. There is no evidence that those times have a bad effect on your health or tumor growth. If they become frequent or severe, though, seek help. Suffer in silence- Don't try to go it alone. Get support from your best resources: your family, friends, doctor, clergy or those you meet in support groups who understand what you are going through. Be embarrassed to seek counseling- Find a mental health expert to help with anxiety or depression that interferes with your sleep, diet and ability to concentrate or function normally. Committee is evaluating, upgrading support materials Plenty of educational materials exist to help patients hope, heal and grow. The challenge today, as Stepan sees it, is providing the right information the right way at the right time. Stepan is a member of a newly formed M. D. Anderson clinical trials advisory committee that will be evaluating best practices for educating cancer clinical trial patients. As a health education specialist, she has the opportunity to assess information needs and preferences of cancer patients and family members throughout the institution.