Essay about Alternative Cancer Treatment

Even after Pausch was was given his diagnosis he stayed optimistic, “My personal take on optimism is that as a mental state, it can enable you to do tangible things to improve your physical state. If you’re optimistic, you’re better able to endure brutal chemo, or keep searching for late-breaking medical treatments.” (Pausch, 183) Pausch felt that by remaining positive he would be able to handle the physical pain that comes with cancer, and would have a better chance of beating it or living longer. Pausch’s incredible optimism helped him, and his family, stay strong throughout his limited time left. Because he was able to stay positive, Pausch was able to make the most of the time he had remaining and used it to make memories with his children, get everything settled for his wife and get to spend his last months living life with his family instead of just preparing for death. Pausch’s unimaginable optimism was inspiring throughout The Last Lecture and has inspired me to have a more positive outlook in my own life. In my everyday life if I spend less time complaining and being upset, and focus on being positive and all that I have to be thankful for, my life will be more meaningful. As Pausch said, “We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier.”

Cancer has one of the biggest effects on the patients mental health but also the patients loved ones and friends. It is one of the hardest things to get a grip on when the doctor tells someone that they have cancer and a fifty-fifty chance of making it. "The disease can bring many changes-in what people do and how they look, in how they feel and what they value" (Dakota 4). It makes people look at the world and their lives in a different way, valuing now what they took for granted and seeing the bigger picture in every scenario. It is something that no one can actually brace, even after the doctor tells them. Through it all though, the person must remain strong and optimistic because the cancer can affect the person's moods and in return affect the outcome of the person and the chances of their making it

According to the American Cancer Society, half of all men and one third of all women will develop cancer within their lifetime (Cancer.org). These figures are staggering. Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and is a terrifying and unpredictable disease for many cancer sufferers. As such, it is imperative that healthcare workers have a thorough understanding of the various cancer diagnoses, treatments, and preventative strategies necessary to combat this devastating plague. Skills at managing not only the illness itself, but also the psychological and social side effects

As many patient´s illness beings to progress, many are left feeling “useless” as their health begins to deteriorate and they are unable to function as they used to. And from scheduled check-ups to surgeries, the hospital bill begins to rack up which may cause patients to feel like burdens to the family. According to a case study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a 56-year-old man with leukemia and his wife/caregiver were unemployed due to his condition and her efforts to care for him. She had many caregiving responsibilities such as “cleaning, driving, preparing meals, and coordinating medication, oxygen and other treatment-related activities”. From having no source of income, her finances were limited leading to her close watch on expenses. Meanwhile, as she focused on her husband’s health, she had failed to address her own health conditions. Lacking a support system, the intense and unpredictable future associated with shouldering the burden of her husband's outpatient care created a stressful atmosphere as she alternated her daily life schedule in order to meet his needs. In many instances of cancer, a patient's’ chances of becoming mentally and physically disabled increases. Resulting from such disabling illnesses often leaves the patient's feeling helpless as they begin to lose parts of their minds and bodies.

The author’s meta-analysis article is concerned with people who are depressed and are suffering from cancer which is spreading to other parts of their body. In Australia, where researchers conducted their analysis, various forms of group therapies were administered to assist cancer patients with depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems. Regardless of the group therapy given or the terminal status of their disease, those who were able-bodied enough to experience therapy saw minimal to no results, and if there were favorable results, the positive results declined over time. The only exception to the outcomes of these studies happened in 1982, men were given individual therapy and after three months of treatment the patients’ sense

The effects of a cancer diagnosis can be absolutely devastating, not only for the patient, but for family and loved ones as well. People affected by cancer have to cope with not only cancer treatments, but also with the stress, financial concerns, and the emotions that are part of living with cancer. Fortunately, nobody has to face these problems alone; The Center for Building Hope has free services that can help. “The Center for Building Hope offers free information, programs, and services to cancer patients, caregivers and family members, while connecting them with others who are going through a similar experience. These services are available through

This study was reviewed, and approved by the institutional review board. This used a functional assessment of the chronic illness therapy, which was abbreviated as, (FACIT). This is a measurement system, which consists of a collection of quality of life questions, concentrated in the management of different chronic illnesses. Patients registered, read, and agreed to the study, and grant permission to participate in the study on the website, www.facit.org. After participants met the criteria for the study, those completed a self-report of questions which had evaluated the fatigue and spiritual well-being of the patient. Within this prospective study, the patients were at one point screened during the time of the cancer being active treatment. (1.

Cancer is usually a terrifying word. Those who have never received a diagnosis of cancer, likely cannot fathom the anxiety such an event produces. Even forms of cancer that are highly treatable often bring about significant and immediate life changes for patients. Hopefully, the ideas from this article can help to demystify cancer, and make it somewhat easier to cope with the disease and its effects.

According to the American Cancer Society in 2014 there is an estimated of 585,720 cancer deaths in the United States. Remaining in the second place of the most common cause of death in the country. Being diagnosed with terminal cancer changed any person life. The patient start suffering all kind of physical and psychological problems, related to the imminent death. During this period the doctor, the patient, and the family form an indispensable bond in order to help the terminal ill person to cope with the symptoms and complications the best possible way. However, this bond is usually broken in cases where one of the subjects decide to withhold information from another.

treatment continuum, as clients transitioned through the use of mindfulness to hope and then to setting goals, certain results were noted; negative affect began to decrease, while positive affect and quality of life in regards to one’s mental health began to increase (Thornton, et al., 2007). It could be assumed that the use of mindfulness and hope would also demonstrate similar results for those individuals who are experiencing the cancer diagnosis for the first time.

They go through enormous physiological and psychological stressors once they diagnosed and throughout their treatment program. There is an immediate need of rehabilitation program for cancer patients to meet their physiological and psychological need. Those who try to manage their stress with risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking or they live sedentary lives can lead to poor quality of life during their diagnosis and their treatment (Harding, M. 2012). On the other hand people with the good coping mechanism, they deal their stressors with effective relaxation technique and have less psychological and physiological stress related to cancer and its treatment. Evidence from experimental studies shows that psychological stress increases the tumor to grow and advance quickly. As a nurse, we should provide emotional and social support that can help patient to cope effectively with their psychological stressors (Andrykowski et al., 2008). This will help them reduce anxiety and also assist them in adopting good coping behavior for example participation in yoga and meditation. Other approaches of good coping behaviors are exercise, participating in counseling and attending cancer education programs (NCI, 2015). Also, people who used to exercise before their cancer diagnosis they cannot return to their same level of physical activity due to fatigue and pain. As

From the article Positive Psychology in Cancer Care: Bad Science, Exaggerated Claims, and Unproven Medicine by James C. Coyne and Howard Tennen, any new treatment introduced to the medical community the theory of a “Fighting Spirit” has come under analysis. While there is no current concrete evidence shown to support the physical effects of a fighting spirit there have been studies to support the positive mental effects of patients taking this stance. I feel that these initial findings should guide the medical community to further test the effects of patients possessing a fighting spirit. I do find it beneficial to promote a “Fighting Spirit” as a coping mechanism to those facing a terminal disease. By bringing out your inner fighting spirit

Koocher and O’Malley1 (2001), suggested that many survivors with cancer were at increased risk for maladaptive psychosocial effects, moderate emotional difficulty, including depression and symptoms of posttraumatic stress, behavioral adjustment problems and preoccupation with somatic concerns, lowered self-esteem and body image, and other psychosocial adjustment problems.

The care for a cancer patient can often be lengthy, from diagnosis, to treatment and remission or if the disease progresses and the patient is terminal, to end of life care (Turnbull Macdonald et al, 2012). Generally, the psychosocial issues tend to be issues outside of the immediate medical concerns however, psychosocial care must also be included as part of the medical care. To accomplish this, all aspects of care should be coordinated, the biological, psychological and social needs of the patient

The pain from cancer will have an impact off psychology problem. “Find out what people need to know about the most common types of cancer treatment, learn how they work and why they are