Symptom Management Support

Each patient's experience is different as they go along their treatment journey. Most patients experience some, but not all, of these symptoms. This information is offered as a resource for patients and family members. Please talk with your nurse and doctor about specific concerns.

SCCA provides you with patient manuals, symptom management sheets, pamphlets, and drug information. Click on the document links at the bottom of the page for more info.

Please see the following pages for how to handle other symptoms:

Nausea and Vomiting

Many patients experience these side effects some time during the treatment process. Contrary to what most people think, these side effects have little to do with your stomach. They are actions controlled by certain centers in your brain and are involuntary. Willpower alone cannot stop them from happening.

Fatigue

Being tired is a very common experience for patients in treatment. There are a number of possible causes. It usually takes time to work out ways to live with and manage fatigue. Read more about how you can do it.

Memory and Concentration

Changes in memory and concentration are common throughout treatment. These changes are almost always medically related. In most cases, they will be temporary and will decrease as you continue to get better.

Taking Care of the Caregiver

Caregivers are encouraged to take care of themselves through exercise, proper diet, and adequate sleep. The caregivers can benefit from breaks. The following suggestions are helpful for both self-care and care giving.

Anxiety

It is very common to experience anxiety when facing a new or stressful experience. Our goal is to help you reduce that anxiety.

Body Image Changes

Treatment can affect your body and your life in ways that are hard on your self-esteem. The first step in coping with body changes is to direct your energy and thoughts toward what you can and will do for yourself.

Change and Uncertainty

The treatment process is one filled with changes and uncertainty: When will this be done? How can I plan ahead? Answers to these questions are difficult because each patient responds differently to treatment, and complications are hard to predict. Patients often adapt to this uncertainty by trying to take each day one at a time.

Suggestions for Managing Care at Home

Here are a list of suggestions for managing care at home developed by SCCA patients and staff to help you.

Pain Management

Cancer patients may sometime during the course of their illness experience pain. Most pain can easily be treated with medications and/or other treatments. Your oncologist and nurse will assist you. Read more to learn about your rights to pain managment.

PATIENT INFORMATION

SCCA provides you with patient manuals, symptom management sheets, pamphlets, and drug information. Click on the example topics below for more information.

 

07-10-2008		Body Image Changes (84kb)
07-10-2008		Change and Uncertainty (58kb)
07-10-2008		Depression (68kb)
07-10-2008		Memory and Concentration (57kb)
07-10-2008		Resources, Support and Information (201kb)