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What cancer patients should know

When diagnosed with cancer, patients always feel overwhelmed and anxious. While they may be too shocked to get a clear mind for the next step, it is necessary for either patient’s family or patient himself to gain enough knowledge of cancer treatment. Care from family and friends is helpful since supports from them can warm the heart that gets cold because of newly diagnosed cancer. For cancer patients, psychological care and well-designed treatment guidance help eliminate their desperation. New cancer patients are unfamiliar with the diagnosis, but it doesn’t mean the unnecessity of gaining guidance for what matters most in cancer treatment. There are lots of elements for a positive outcome when cancer is diagnosed.

Abandon the unhealthy diet

Maintaining a healthy diet is an essential step for the treatment of cancer. You are what you eat. The food that provides nutrients promotes the organic metabolism, while others may potentially damage or destroy the body function. Compared to a healthy person, cancer patients suffer a higher possibility of getting functional degradation since some of their body tissues have already been attacked by cancer cells. The attacked parts have a very low chance to get recovered as cancer cells are so firmly rooted. Vegetables and fruits are the safest choices as they are rich in fiber and extremely less likely to cause any damage to human body unless eating excessively. Food high in cholesterol is definitely bad for cancer patients since it promotes the activity of cells and thus is more likely to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.

One reason for keeping a healthy diet is that it lowers the cancer cell growth to some degree. Cancer cells are able to get nutrients from the body as normal cells do. The nutrients then provide cancer cells with great support for growth and division. Once cancer cells grow to a point where they are ready to attack a new spot, they destroy healthy tissues and gradually invade the parts of the body. Since cancer cells continue to grow, divide uncontrollably and never die, the block of nutrients for their growth is possible to slow their activity. In addition to that, a series of food contains carcinogens that either accelerate the development of precancerous cells or promote the growth of cancer cells. Although the cultivation of a healthy diet prevents cancer cells from growing at a high speed to some degree, cancer treatment should rely on medical therapy instead of diet adjustment.

Manage the negative emotion

Keeping the mood under the control is essential for cancer patients. People are more likely to feel anxiety, desperation and a sense of fear. Research shows that negative mood damages human body by secreting harmful substance. As many cases show, negative mood worsens the situation of cancer patients, while positive mood reverses the situation of cancer patients. Psychological activity affects human body performance in a way that is subtle but can’t be ignored. It is hard to explain how positive emotion makes cancer disappear, but try to believe it as it will provide encouragement and belief. Keep hopeful and never give up the passion for life. When diagnosed with cancer, try to think of the positive side of everything even though it sounds hard to do so. Emotional factor plays an extremely important role in the treatment and recovery of cancer.

Receive regular therapy

Have an examination and receive therapy on a regular basis, and the changes in cancer development will be discovered and then timely treatment can be given. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are usually common for cancer treatment. Tumor patients are suggested to have a surgery if the tumor is at the early stage. They need to receive chemotherapy to get a radical elimination when there are tumor cells left after a surgery. Radiotherapy is suggested for advanced cancer patients as terminal treatment. In some case, these two kinds of therapy are combined to treat cancer. Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy have side effects such as nausea, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, etc. Keep a journal about the side effects, and your doctor will help resolve it effectively as they know more about the details.

Hold an unbiased attitude toward cancer-fighting products

Once cancer patients receive therapy, doctors are going to provide enough suggestions about the drugs for cancer treatment. Drugs are suggested by doctors mainly because they know the exact constituents contained in the drug help fight or kill cancer. Try not to seek for a magic drug if these drugs make you feel better without side effects. Also, try not to be blinded by any cancer-fighting propaganda. There is a variety of supplements on the market claimed with cancer-fighting effects, some affordable, while some extremely expensive. Cancer patients are usually suggested to use anticancer products by family or friends as they heard the efficacy. It is generally reasonable to seek help from supplements if drugs fail to get cancer under the control or even bring painful side effects.

Certainly, there are supplements that have their values as drugs do. For example, some ginseng products contain some highly bioactive rare ginsenosides that were found with anti-cancer effects. The research on rare ginsenosides has been initiated by Japanese chemist since 1962, followed by scientists from Korea, Canada, Taiwan, etc. Research shows that rare ginsenosides inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce tumor cell apoptosis, prevent tumor cell metastasis and reverse tumor cell resistance to chemotherapy drugs.