INDEX
- Living with lung cancer. How to help the patient
- Lung cancer: what it is and main characteristics
- Supportive care and drug therapies
- Nutritional support: the role of nutrition
- Psychological support: a fundamental help for the patient
- Rights of the cancer patient: what are they?
Living with lung cancer. How to help the patient
Following a diagnosis of lung cancer , one can feel confused and overwhelmed. Becoming aware of having to live with this disease can be complicated from many points of view and can be very challenging.
For this reason, it is very important that the patient receives complete support , not limited to the treatment of lung cancer itself, but which also includes concrete support in all other aspects that, inevitably, can be influenced by the presence of the disease.
In the course of this article, therefore, we will see what are the means that can – and must – be put into practice to help the patient live and live with lung cancer .
Lung cancer: what it is and main characteristics
The first useful step to start living with this pathology is to learn to know it. Let’s go into more detail.
Lung cancer is a malignant neoplastic disease that can develop from the cells of the bronchi , bronchioles or alveoli .
In Italy, lung cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in men and the third in women.
There are different types of lung cancer; clinically, it is usual to distinguish the main forms in:
- Small celllung cancer or SCLC ( small cell lung cancer );
- Non-small cell lungcancer or NSCLC ( non-small cell lung cancer ).
Small cell lung cancer accounts for about 10-15% of lung cancer cases; while non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85% of lung cancer cases.
In most cases of non-small cell lung cancer it is possible to identify specific genetic mutations , such as: mutations of the KRAS gene, mutations of the EGFR gene, mutations of the ALK gene, of the MET gene of the HER2 gene, of the RET gene, of the ROS1 gene and NTRK gene.
Both types of lung cancer can give rise to metastases and invade other organs and tissues, such as: bones , brain , liver , adrenal glands .
Early diagnosis is of fundamental importance for prognosis and survival, in order to ensure timely therapeutic intervention.
In addition to the direct treatment of the pathology, all the support treatments – involving different areas – are also very important, which are implemented to promote the well-being of the patient, helping him to live with the disease he suffers from.
Supportive care and drug therapies
Supportive treatments and drug therapies are treatments that are used to relieve the symptoms caused by lung cancer itself, but also to reduce the symptoms that may be triggered by specific treatments against it.
Not surprisingly, supportive care is usually accompanied by therapy aimed at treating the tumor from its earliest stages.
Depending on the condition and symptoms manifested by the patient, the supportive treatments can be different. Here are some of them.
Pain therapy
Pain therapy is undoubtedly one of the most commonly used supportive care. As you can easily guess, its purpose is to counter the oncological pain caused by the tumor mass, but not only. Pain therapy, in fact, can also be used to manage the painful stimulus that may arise from the treatments put into practice in an attempt to fight the disease (think, for example, of post-operative pain following surgery or pain which could be caused by other therapeutic approaches).
In the context of pain therapy, the use of analgesic drugs is used, such as:
- Non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs), whose use is reserved for the treatment of mild to moderate pain;
- Opioid analgesics, these are powerful pain relievers whose use is generally reserved for cases of moderate to severe pain.
To these may be added other medications such as corticosteroids , some types of antidepressants and some types of antiepileptics . Although they do not act directly on pain, they can accompany the action of the analgesics listed above.
Naturally, the type of pain therapy to be used will be established by the specialist individually for each patient.
Agents modifying the bone structure
Bone-modifying agents are drugs that are used to prevent skeletal-related events, particularly when the tumor metastasizes to bone tissue . This, in fact, can commonly give rise to fractures and consequent problems that could hinder the therapeutic path. Hence the importance of intervening early in order to avoid complications of this type. For example, active ingredients such as denosumab or zoledronic acid are used to reduce the frequency of bone fractures related to any metastases affecting the bones.
Use of stents
When the tumor mass grows and expands, it can reach a size such as to cause an obstruction of the airways, resulting in dyspnea and breathing difficulties . Should this occur, it is possible to intervene with the application of a stent, whose task is to reduce the occlusion of the airways and the resulting complications.
Nutritional support: the role of nutrition
Nutritional care also belongs to the group of supportive care. Lung cancer and the strategies implemented to combat it, in fact, could also have repercussions on the patient’s appetite and body weight .
For example, both the disease and the treatments against it can give rise to undesirable effects such as:
- Alteration of the sense of taste;
- Decrease or loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Difficulty swallowingor chewing
- Irritation and inflammation of the mouth and digestive system;
- Weight loss.
From this list, therefore, it is easy to understand how the patient’s diet and way of eating can be altered and lead to a series of more or less serious problems.
Weight loss, on the other hand, can be due not only to the loss of fat mass , but also to the loss of muscle mass with all the consequences of the case.
Sometimes, the patient can even go into a condition of malnutrition . In this regard, however, it is important to underline that malnutrition is not always associated with weight loss: in such situations, the condition may not be identified promptly.
In light of what has been said so far, nutritional support is emerging as fundamental in the treatment of the patient suffering from lung cancer. The doctor or the specialist can, therefore, refer the patient to the consultation of specialized figures in this area, such as dietician and / or nutritionist.
In general, for patients with cancer – including lung cancer – a diet characterized by the consumption of fruit and vegetables and preferring foods such as oily fish and legumes over other foods of animal origin may be recommended.
In any case, what has just been said is purely indicative, since it will be the nutrition specialists who will evaluate the nutritional needs of each individual, providing him with indications on the correct diet to follow for his specific case.
To know more:Be there to help. The role of associations for lung cancer patients
Psychological support: a fundamental help for the patient
Psychological support plays a primary role in the therapeutic path of the patient with lung cancer.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, getting a diagnosis of lung cancer is certainly difficult and it is not unusual to find yourself overwhelmed by a mix of negative emotions and feelings.
Psychological support can, therefore, be extremely useful in helping the patient to deal with concerns and fears related to the diagnosed pathology, the therapeutic path that he will have to face, or that he is already facing, and in managing all the sensations and emotions that one feels in a similar context.
In particular, if you feel anxious and / or depressed, it is very important to inform your doctor or family members who, in turn, can contact this health professional. The physician can then refer the patient to specialists (eg, psychologist, mental health specialist , etc.) who will be able to provide the help that the individual needs; even better if they are specialized figures with experience in managing the emotional and psychological problems of patients who are faced with malignant neoplasms such as lung cancer.
Furthermore, the patient could also be directed to support groups in which he can talk and compare with other individuals who have faced or are facing his own malignant pathology.
In addition to the support from specialist figures, the emotional support received from family and friends is also very important; for this reason, it can also be very useful for the patient to talk and confide in them.
Rights of the cancer patient: what are they?
In order to protect and support the patient and his family in the path against malignant neoplasms such as lung cancer, our country has issued specific laws that define the rights due to each cancer patient .
In fact, the presence of a malignant tumor pathology not only affects the physical and psychological level of the individual, but also inevitably affects the work or school environment, the economic one, as well as the social sphere.
The laws enacted on the subject are intended precisely to preserve the rights of cancer patients who are faced with a situation that is already difficult in itself and who is capable of compromising multiple aspects and areas of their life.
Among the main rights of the cancer patient we mention some:
Right to know the state of health
If he so wishes, the cancer patient has the full right to be made fully aware of his or her state of health through understandable and clear information that must be provided by the medical staff, as well as has the right to be involved in the therapeutic choices that concern him.
Ticket exemption
The cancer patient has the right to have the exemption from paying the ticket both for visits and examinations to which he will have to undergo because of the tumor, and for the drugs that must be used in his treatment.
Rights in the workplace
The cancer patient has the right to flexibility in working hours and may request, for example, to have part-time hours, or to carry out their duties in a teleworking or smart working regime during cancer treatment, and then return to presence and full time as soon as possible.
At the same time, the cancer patient has the right to apply for work permits and leave .
As regards, however, self-employed workers registered in the separate management, they have the right to a sickness allowance . Should hospitalization be necessary, this category of patients is entitled to a hospital stay allowance .
Right to recognition of civil invalidity
Depending on the conditions of the cancer patient and their severity, the State can recognize a certain percentage of civil disability and the state of handicap caused by the disease itself or by anticancer therapies.
More in detail, depending on the severity of the patient’s state of health and economic conditions, the State can recognize the invalidity with the following percentages:
- 11%: favorable prognosis with modest functional impairment;
- 70%: favorable prognosis with severe functional impairment;
- 100%: Probably poor prognosis despite tumor removal.
In case of civil disability equal to or greater than 74% , the patient of working age (therefore, with an age between 18 and 66 years and 7 months) has the right:
- To the disability allowance paid for 13 months;
- To the exemption from the ticket for health services and drugs (varies from one Region to another).
In case of civil disability of 100% , however, the patient of working age has the right:
- To the disability pension paid for 13 months;
- To the exemption from the ticket for health services and drugs (varies from one Region to another).
Right to attendance allowance
If the illness afflicting the patient is recognized as the cause of a 100% disability and if the latter is no longer self-sufficient , the State recognizes the accompanying allowance in order to allow family members to help the patient at home. .
Right to attendance allowance
The attendance allowance can be recognized by the State for underage cancer patients who are enrolled in or attend schools of any order and degree, training, therapeutic, rehabilitation or professional training centers and who present persistent difficulties in carrying out their tasks and their own functions.
This type of allowance is compatible with the attendance allowance.
Right to home care
The cancer patient may have the right to medical or nursing home assistance . To obtain it, you can make a request to your family doctor, or you can contact the hospital in your area.
