Lung Cancer
...begins their day by assuming they are going to be told they have cancer. Along with denial may come anger and guilt, we live in a society where people point the finger at smokers. The attitude Americans portray is, if you contaminate your lungs with cigarettes there are horrific consequences. Springen voices her opinion by writing, you don’t ever see charities for lung cancer “It doesn’t have a race for the cure” (69). I do not feel that it is fair to justify a disease on anyone. There are other deadly diseases that result from poor decision making. Diabetes which comes from being overweight and practicing a poor diet. Suicide also, which stems from being depressed and not being treated properly. Liver disease is common also, and that comes from the abuse of alcohol (Henschke, McCarthy, Wernick 16). These types of illnesses do not carry the guilt trip that our society places on smokers. It is wrong to place this blame on lung cancer victims. When dealing with all of these emotions it is important to give yourself time to adjust. This statement seems overwhelming to comprehend. Lee says “Everything is negative. You can’t see the positive for all the negatives” (Thompson 22). It is not an easy task when one is dealing with mortality, pain, life changes. One thing to keep in mind is to seek psychological help if needed (23). Another painful experience of lung cancer is having to share the news with loved ones and friends. It is suggested, if possible to inform someone who will respond in a helpful way (Henschke, McCarthy, Wernick 127). This way they will hopefully be able to listen and keep their emotions restrained. I can still remember when my mother told me she had lung cancer; my life has never been the same. Learning of a terminal illness is never anything you’re prepared to hear. It is often said when someone gets cancer the whole family gets it. Finding support is a way to ease some of the emotional burden when living with cancer. There are several support groups available sponsored through the American Cancer Society or Alliance for Lung Cancer Advocacy (ALCASE) and even Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR), which offers 100 free online groups (137). Participating in a support group allows a patient to release a lot of emotions that they may not feel comfortable informing a family member of. This is also a way to interact with people that are in the same situation and learn of different strategies in coping with this disease. It is important to prepare yourself emotionally as much as you can before your treatment process starts. This is a journey that will feel like a roller coaster ride. When learning of your diagnosis it is important to educate yourself (142). Finding out information about your disease will help you understand your physician more clearly, and it will help you decide what treatment is best for you. If you are not able to educate yourself it is important to take someone along to the doctor visits. If surgery is recommended for your initial treatment, that is normally good news. Before undergoing surgery the physicians will learn as much as possible about your disease. It is important for them to make sure the surgery is appropriate for the individual before opening up the chest (164). In some instances the cancer may be far too advanced, or in a position where it could be too risky for operating. Surgery normally is not an option for SCLC because the tumors are usually found through both of the lungs, however if detected early enough it may be considered. Surgery is most often a treatment for stage I or II NSCLC. In some cases if the cancer is already advanced to stage III doctors may perform surgery if the patient is treated with chemotherapy or radiation (166). There are four types of surgeries used in treating lung cancer. The two most common ones are Pneumonectomy which is the removal of the entire lung, when the cancer has affected all the lobes on one side. Lobectomy is the removal of one lobe, if the cancer is restricted to one lobe, only that lobe will be removed. If two out of the three lobes are cancerous, both will be removed, this is called a Bi-Lobectomy. The least common operation is the Sleeve Resection, which is the removal of a portion of an airway and surrounding tissue of a lobe. This operation is more complicated, but it saves more of the lung than the Lobectomy does. Extensive Resection is removal of a lung and parts of the chest wall, ribs and membranes near the lung (172).After surgery your body will need a few weeks for recovery, lung cancer operations are traumatic. Dealing with this disease also leaves questions as to whether all the cancer was really removed, or will it reappear. Surgery is only one of the many treatments that go along with this process. Even after surgery a patient will likely be considered for chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy treats cancer by killing cancerous cells or stopping them from dividing, During this process a lot of healthy cells are damaged as well (http://www.lungcancerinfo.net/content/treatments/chemotherapy/). The side effects that go along with the treatment of chemotherapy are life altering. Chemotherapy is normally administered through an intravenous needle. The majority of patients eventually receive a port or a catheter, in order to avoid being poked by a needle each time a treatment is given. A port is a metal or plastic disc that is inserted under the skin. There is a movable thin tube that is attached to the port, and this is also threaded into a large vein in the patient’s chest. The chemotherapy then flows through the bloodstream. A catheter is similar the only difference is one end of the tube is left hanging outside of the body instead of under the skin (Henschke, McCarthy, Wernick 192). Rarely chemotherapy is given orally or through a pill form, however this is not common. The side effects that patients experience while taking chemotherapy are almost unbearable. The most common side effect is hair loss but it does not stop there. Nausea and vomiting occur often and this is one of the reasons patients may give up the treatment. The nausea and vomiting are caused by the neurotransmitters that are triggered in the brain. These chemicals act on nerve or muscle cells, they are then released by the gastrointestinal tract and are weakened by chemotherapy (199). Loss of appetite is also a major issue during treatment; this in turn causes the immune system to deteriate. Constipation and diarrhea are common and this stems from ones diet changing and lack of vitamin intake. One of the most critical side effects is called leukopenia; this means insufficient white blood cells. Different cells tackle various things; the kind that is known for fighting germs is called neutrophil. The white blood cell is most common for being affected by chemotherapy. If our body does not have enough of these cells a condition called neutropenia begins and the patient is more accepting to infection. Anemia may also occur, which is the result of insufficient red blood cells. This can make the body feel dizzy, fatigue, and short of breath (206). When receiving chemotherapy and the cells are being damaged, blood transfusions may be given. Chemotherapy is not an easy task to handle and the side effects are never-ending. A large amount of patient are left wondering if the disease is killing them, or the treatment? While chemotherapy is suppose to removes the cancer it leaves the rest of the body feeling miserable. According to the American Cancer Society, radiation is unlike chemotherapy. Instead of exposing the entire body to cancer-fighting chemicals, radiation affects the cancerous spot and only the immediate area around it. Radiation therapy includes x- rays and gamma rays to destroy the growth of cancerous cells. Radiation is one of the most common treatments used for cancer. This may be the only type of treatment the patient receives, however there is a limit to the number of treatments the body can stand. Often physicians use radiation before surgery to reduce the size of a tumor (2). Again, a lot of the side effects that are prone to chemotherapy exist with radiation as well. It is just important to try and get plenty of rest, eat as well as possible and be gentle to the skin where the treatment is occurring (14). The one positive aspect of radiation is the treatment time is normally quick, and the amount of treatments are usually less. The overall stages of treatment leave a patient feeling very weak. Your life is normally spent at the doctor’s office. Living with cancer is a struggle everyday. A large number of lung cancer patient are experimenting with alternative medicines. Ann Fonfa has been studying the use of Chinese herbs and vitamins for over a decade now and has been cancer free for three years. After having surgery in 1993, she was advised to start taking chemotherapy, she refused. When deciding to decline that option, she began the use of alternative medicines. Throughout this time she has also improved her quality of life. She attends many meetings focused on the various treatments of cancer and she writes “I love watching the faces of the scientists at these meetings as they realize they’re facing an expert patient who cannot be cowed by authority or technical jargon” (75). A few of the natural medicines Fonfa has used are Chinese mushroom, acupuncture, coffee enemas and high do...