LET’S TALK

 The term Cancer or malignancy means that there is an uncontrolled, continuous

growth of cells that are unable to respond to normal signals telling them to stop
and these cells also have powers to spread to different parts of the body.
 A diagnosis of cancer can often be stressful for any person and could lead to
changes in emotional, social, psychological and spiritual well-being. While at
times individual resilience is built with the support of family and friends or health
care providers.
 While at individual resilience is built with the support of family and friends or
health care providers coping through the illness trajectory at times require
additional assistance. Hence, addressing emotional concerns become important
for psychological and physical wellness.

Warning Symptoms of Cancer

Mouth - Any sore or red or white patch that does not heal
Throat - Change in voice
Food Pipe - Difficulty in swallowing
Stomach - Indigestion and loss of appetite
Large Intestine - Altered bowel habits, blood in stool
Bladder - Pain in the bladder or blood in urine
Uterus - Vaginal discharge between menstrual periods or after menopause
Breast - Lump or discharge from nipple
Lung - Nagging cough or blood in the sputum
Skin - Ulcer that does not heal, change in the texture, size or bleeding from a nipple

Causes of Cancer
1. Environmental Causes - Tobacco, diet, Unhealthy diet, occupation, Unhygienic,
Unsafe sex
2. Non-Environmental Causes - Genetic predisposition

Treatment
Cancer is treated mainly by three modalities i.e. surgery, radiotherapy and
chemotherapy. Most of the time combined modalities are offered in a sequence to
form Multimodal treatment.

Psycho-Oncology Consultation
Distress Screening, Psycho-social Management, Case Management, Life Style
modification, Counseling for Operative Services, Family Conference Program,
Support Group Therapy, Grief Counseling, Psycho-Education, Supportive Psycho-
therapy, Self-Management Approach, Crisis Intervention, Relapse Prevention,
Behavioral Activation, Activity Scheduling, Problem-focused Counseling, Cognitive
Restructuring, CBT- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Feedback & Follow-up services.

Focus of Services
 Helping you cope with diagnosis and treatment
 Adjusting to change and loss
 Feeling unhappy about the way you look
 Dealing with changes in your relationships and physical intimacy
 Difficulty balancing work, home and family life
 Feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety and depression
 Distress about pain, fatigue and treatment side-effects
 Living with uncertainty, including fear of recurrence, advanced disease and end
of life care
 Emotional support for family and friends
 Tobacco cessation