Choose the Best Cancer Treatments, Doctors, and Centers
Choose the Best Cancer Treatments, Doctors, and Centers
Get answers to 10 commonly asked questions about clinical trials, where to get cancer treatment, and more.
Nutritionists can also play a key role for the person with cancer. "Cancer treatment can debilitate your body, and you need to be eating a healthy diet to give you the strength you need to deal with the side effects and fight the cancer," Lichtenfeld says. A good nutritionist with experience dealing with cancer patients can advise you, for example, on what foods you might be able to keep down during chemotherapy, or what kind of foods can help with a low white blood cell count.
Many cancer centers and hospitals with larger cancer programs will also have psychiatrists, psychologists, and/or social workers on site. Take advantage of the help these people offer -- and seek them out if your hospital doesn't have them. "Emotional support is critically important for anyone going through a trauma, and a cancer diagnosis is a trauma," Saltz says.
Other helpful professionals might include massage therapists or yoga teachers. "Relaxation tools are great for people dealing with cancer. Anything that helps you cope is good, so I'm 100% in favor of things like massage therapy and meditation," Saltz says.
"Everybody in the world, once they hear you have a cancer diagnosis, will immediately want to share an anecdote with you. It may be the most upsetting story in the world, and you can't figure out why they're torturing you," Saltz says. "Or they'll send you articles from everywhere ranging from The New England Journal of Medicine to the National Enquirer. Just tell them, 'Thanks, but I've got my team together and I'll follow their guidance.' If you want to commiserate and share stories with someone, fine, but if it's upsetting, just say, 'Thanks, I'm going to stop you right there. Lots of people tell me cancer stories and I don't find them helpful.'"
How to Find the Best Cancer Treatment
Get answers to 10 commonly asked questions about clinical trials, where to get cancer treatment, and more.
Besides my surgeon and oncologists, who should be on my cancer care team? continued...
Nutritionists can also play a key role for the person with cancer. "Cancer treatment can debilitate your body, and you need to be eating a healthy diet to give you the strength you need to deal with the side effects and fight the cancer," Lichtenfeld says. A good nutritionist with experience dealing with cancer patients can advise you, for example, on what foods you might be able to keep down during chemotherapy, or what kind of foods can help with a low white blood cell count.
Many cancer centers and hospitals with larger cancer programs will also have psychiatrists, psychologists, and/or social workers on site. Take advantage of the help these people offer -- and seek them out if your hospital doesn't have them. "Emotional support is critically important for anyone going through a trauma, and a cancer diagnosis is a trauma," Saltz says.
Other helpful professionals might include massage therapists or yoga teachers. "Relaxation tools are great for people dealing with cancer. Anything that helps you cope is good, so I'm 100% in favor of things like massage therapy and meditation," Saltz says.
Well-meaning people want to give me advice about what kind of treatment I should have, or tell me their own cancer stories. What should I do?
"Everybody in the world, once they hear you have a cancer diagnosis, will immediately want to share an anecdote with you. It may be the most upsetting story in the world, and you can't figure out why they're torturing you," Saltz says. "Or they'll send you articles from everywhere ranging from The New England Journal of Medicine to the National Enquirer. Just tell them, 'Thanks, but I've got my team together and I'll follow their guidance.' If you want to commiserate and share stories with someone, fine, but if it's upsetting, just say, 'Thanks, I'm going to stop you right there. Lots of people tell me cancer stories and I don't find them helpful.'"
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