How does a cancer patient feel and how can you help them?

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, it has a strong emotional impact on themselves as well as on friends and family..

One of the most frequent emotions is the afraid, which is usually linked to others such as tension, anxiety or anguish. It is difficult for the affected person to understand why it has happened to him to suffer from this disease and that usually triggers rage and anger when he perceives cancer as a great injustice.

In GenesisCare they have the possibility of conducting genomic studies with the aim of offering advice to people who are more likely (due to personal history or characteristics) of developing cancer.

How can we help a person with cancer?

Probably the two most important guidelines that people with cancer should receive is to know well what they are living through reliable sources of information. 

It is also important to make the person see that they do not need to be strong all the time and that they have permission to feel and cry. 

When a person is ill their needs are intensified and, specifically, a person suffering from cancer will need security, a sense of belonging, feeling loved and receiving affection and human contact to alleviate all this period of confusion, fear and uncertainty.

The person with cancer must learn that the feelings they experience can change daily in order to accept them and not be magnified by trying to eliminate them. The values ​​with which a person has been raised can affect their way of thinking and dealing with cancer, in this sense some people:

• They have a need to be strong to protect their loved ones
• They turn to loved ones and cancer survivors for support
• Seek professional help from counselors, psychologists, or other professionals
• They turn to faith and religion for support in coping with illness

To help someone with cancer it is necessary to know how to listen, be there when they need us and help them cope with the disease as much as possible. Cancer patients' feelings of fear and uncertainty are reduced when they feel they have firm support around them..

As family members of a person with cancer, we need to know adapt and be flexible to the new situation. It is possible that some aspects of our usual routine change such as schedules, obligations and change in family responsibilities and functions.

Cancer support groups

A tremendously helpful tool for people with cancer is attending support groups. Some studies argue that attending a cancer support group improves both quality of life and survival.

Attending a support group increases the feeling of well-being of the patient by feeling that they have more hope and support during the process. There are different support groups for cancer depending on the needs of the patient.

Peer groups or self-help groups: In these groups, the same members organize and coordinate the meetings..

Groups led by professionals: As its name suggests, the direction and coordination of one of these groups is carried out by a professional trained to do so. These are usually psychologists and social workers who use their knowledge and experience to benefit the group and the patients..

Informative groups: These groups are more informative and didactic in nature. Its main objective is to transmit information and resolve doubts about any aspect related to the development of the disease. It is usual to include an "external guest" in the meetings, such as a doctor, to expand the information and offer expert advice..

References:

https://www.cancer.gov/cancer/coping/feelings

https://www.cancer.net/es/asimilaci%C3%B3n-con-c%C3%A1ncer/c%C3%B3mo-buscar-apoyo-social-e-informaci%C3%B3n/groups-de- support for