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First Steps After Diagnosis of Cancer
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| Welcome
to The Cancer Information Network |
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Booklet: What You Need to Know about
Laryngeal Cancer |
Living With Cancer
The diagnosis of cancer can change the lives of patients and the people
who care about them. These changes can be hard to handle. It's natural for
patients and their families and friends to have many different and sometimes
confusing emotions.
At times, patients and their loved ones may feel frightened, angry, or
depressed. These are normal reactions when people face a serious health
problem. Most people handle their problems better if they can share their
thoughts and feelings with those close to them. Sharing can help everyone
feel more at ease and can open the way for people to show one another their
concern and offer their support.
Worries about tests, treatments, hospital stays, learning to talk again,
and medical bills are common. Doctors, nurses, speech pathologists, social
workers, and other members of the health care team can help calm fears and
ease confusion. They can also provide information and suggest resources.
Patients and their families are naturally concerned about what the future
holds. Sometimes they use statistics to try to figure out the chance of
being cured. It is important to remember, however, that statistics are
averages based on large numbers of patients. They can't be used to predict
what will happen to a certain patient because no two cancer patients are
alike. The doctor who takes care of the patient is the best one to discuss
that person's outlook (prognosis).
People should feel free to ask the doctor about their prognosis, but not
even the doctor knows for sure what will happen. Doctors may talk about
surviving cancer, or they may use the term remission
rather than cure. Even though many people with cancer of the larynx recover
completely, doctors use these terms because the disease can recur.
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