» Families Facing Cancer – Helping carers to cope with cancer

Stage

Anne Orchard — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:29:55 +0000

Cancer stage is a measure of how large and invasive the tumour is, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body (this is different from the cancer grade). The exact cancer staging system varies depending on the type of cancer and where in the body it is found, so you should ask for a detailed explanation. However, the cancer stages will generally follow this pattern:

Stage 1 – the tumour is small and well contained in the area of the body where it started.
Stage 2 – the tumour is larger than Stage 1, but still contained with possibly some cancer cells present in lymph nodes in the surrounding area.
Stage 3 – the tumour is larger, may have spread in the local area of the body and cancer cells are present in nearby lymph nodes.
Stage 4 – the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. These additional tumours are known as metastases.

Cancer stage is sometimes written in roman numerals, so Stage 4 may be written as “IV”.

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Sarcoma

Anne Orchard — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:56:45 +0000

A sarcoma is a tumour originating from connective tissue, such as cartilage, bone, muscle, blood vessels etc. Sarcomas make up approximately 6% of all cancers. Sarcomas can be described as low-grade or high-grade, which describes how aggressive they are. High-grade sarcomas, being more aggressive, are likely to have a tougher treatment program.

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Skin Cancer

Anne Orchard — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:52:37 +0000

Skin cancer is a malignant (harmful) growth on the skin. There are three main (most common) types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Most skin cancers can be treated successfully and be completely removed. A biopsy may be used to determine if any suspicious growth is in fact skin cancer. In this case the biopsy might remove all the growth and no further treatment might be needed.

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Side-effects

Anne Orchard — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:48:48 +0000

Side-effects are results of treatment that are not part of the wanted effect. In other words when a person is given chemo or radiotherapy the wanted effect is to shrink the tumour or prevent recurrence. The treatment, though, will cause other effects, which can include a lowered immune system as well as a range of physical or emotional problems. For a good book to explain these effects and how to get through them, see The Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy Survival Guide by Judith McKay and Nancee Hirano on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
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Screening

Anne Orchard — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:45:00 +0000

Screening is another word for testing to see if you have an illness. In relation to cancer, there are screening programs in place for a variety of cancers. These include breast cancer and cervical cancer. Screening programs may be able to pick up cancers at an early (or even pre-cancerous) stage, which could make treatment less difficult and improve survival. Sometimes screening can show suspicious results when in fact there is no cancer (called false positives), so further investigation is usually needed.

Support group

Anne Orchard — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:41:15 +0000

A cancer support group is a gathering intended to help people such as those who have or are supporting someone with cancer. Some support groups have regular meetings, others run on a drop-in basis. Others exist online, for instance The Hysterectomy Association and Families Facing Cancer (this website). To find support groups for cancer, you can ask your medical team, or look on MacMillan’s website here for UK groups.

Surgery

Anne Orchard — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:35:10 +0000

Surgery for cancer involves the physical removal of the tumour (or some of it) by a surgeon. This is usually done under general anaesthetic (where the person is asleep) but can occasionally be local anaesthetic (where they are awake). Some extra tissue will often be removed, often including lymph nodes to see if the cancer has affected them. Plastic or reconstructive surgery may also be needed to repair the damage caused by removal of the cancer. For longer lasting effects, physiotherapy may also be needed.

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Symptoms of cancer

Anne Orchard — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 07:58:56 +0000

Symptoms of cancer are the ways it makes a person unwell. The symptoms of cancer vary according to the type of cancer and where it is. Amongst the hidden symptoms are extreme tiredness and unexplained loss of weight without dieting. If you (or a family member) have any symptoms you fear may be related to cancer, the best course of action is to check them out with a doctor.