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Cancer Treatment
How Does Treatment Work?
What Are Treatment Side Effects?
Treatment Chart
Things To Look For
The Waiting
Who Can Answer My Other Questions?
Want To Visit?
"Seeing my dad in pain
was the worst. One day
I just told him how bad
I felt for him. He said
that he actually looked
a lot worse than he
felt. I know he's having
a hard time, but knowing
he doesn't hurt as much
as I thought he did made
me feel a lot better."
- Ashley, age 15
Many teens want to know
what to expect during their
parent's cancer treatment.
This chapter briefly explains
different treatments, how
they work, and their
side effects. You will probably
have more questions after
reading this chapter. It may
help to talk with your parents
or ask if you can talk with a
nurse or social worker.
Cancer treatment aims to get rid of cancer cells. The type of
treatment your parent will be given depends on:
- The type of cancer
- Whether the cancer has spread
- Your parent's age and general health
- Your parent's medical history
- Whether the cancer is newly diagnosed or has recurred.
Remember that there are more than 100 different types of cancer.
Each type is treated differently.
Treatment follows a
protocol, which is a treatment plan. But even
if two people have the same type of cancer and the same
treatment plan, it may not work the same way for both of them.
This is because people's bodies can react differently to treatment.
Side effects happen because the cancer treatment targets fast-growing
cells. Cancer cells are fast-growing, but so are normal
cells like the ones in the digestive tract and hair, for example.
The treatment can't tell the difference between fast-growing
normal cells and fast-growing cancer cells. That's why people
sometimes get sick to their stomach and lose their hair when they
have
chemotherapy
(one type of cancer treatment).
Some side effects, like feeling sick to the stomach, go away
shortly after treatment, while others, like feeling tired, may last
for a while after treatment has ended.
Write down what treatment your mom or dad will get:
Use the chart below to find out more about
different types of cancer treatment.
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|
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This chart describes six types of cancer treatment, how they're done,
and some side effects. Your parent may get one or more of these
treatments. Depending on the exact treatment, he or she may visit
the doctor during the day, or stay overnight in the hospital.
| Treatment |
What is it? |
How is it done? |
What may
happen as a
result?
(side effects) |
Surgery
Also called an
operation
|
The removal
of all or part of
a solid tumor
|
A surgeon
operates to remove
the cancer. Drugs
are used so that
the patient is
asleep during
surgery.
|
- Pain after the
surgery
- Feeling tired
- Other side effects,
depending on the
area of the body
and the extent of
the operation.
|
Radiation
therapy
Also called
radiotherapy
|
The use of
high-energy
rays or
high-energy
particles to kill
cancer cells
and shrink
tumors
|
Radiation may
come from a
machine outside
the body or from
radioactive
material placed in
the body near the
cancer cells.
|
- Feeling tired
- Red or blistered
skin
- Other side
effects,
depending on
the area of the
body and the
dose of
radiation.
|
Chemotherapy
Also called
chemo
|
The use of
medicine to
destroy
cancer cells
|
The medicine can
be given as a pill,
an injection (shot),
or through an
intravenous (IV)
line. It is often
given in cycles
that alternate
between treatment
and rest periods.
|
- Feeling sick to
the stomach or
throwing up
- Loose bowel
movements or
not being able to
go to the
bathroom
- Hair loss
- Feeling very tired
- Mouth sores
- A feeling of numbness,
tingling, or
burning in the
hands and feet.
|
Stem cell
transplantation
Can be a bone
marrow
transplantation
(BMT) or a
peripheral blood
stem cell
transplantation
(PBSCT)
|
The use of
stem cells
found in either
the bone
marrow or the
blood. This
repairs stem
cells that were
destroyed by
high doses of
chemo and/or
radiation
therapy. |
Stem cell
transplantation
uses stem cells
from the patient or
from donors. In
many cases the
donors are family
members. The
patient gets these
stem cells through
an IV line.
|
- The side effects
can be much
like those from
chemo and
radiation
therapy. In
some cases, the
side effects
may be worse.
|
| Hormone
therapy |
A treatment
that adds,
blocks, or
removes
hormones
from the body.
Hormone
therapy is
especially
useful to slow
or stop the
growth of
some types of
cancers. |
Hormone therapy
can be given as a
pill, through an
injection, or
through a patch
worn on the skin.
Sometimes
surgery is needed
to remove the
glands that make
specific hormones. |
- Feeling hot
- Feeling tired
- Weight changes
- Mood changes.
|
Biological
therapy
Also called
immunotherapy
|
Biological
therapy uses
the body's
own defense
system (the
immune system) to
fight cancer
cells. |
Patients may be
given medicine in
pills, through an
injection, or
through an IV line. |
- Chills/fever
- Muscle aches
- Weakness
- Feeling sick to
the stomach or
throwing up
- Loose bowel
movements.
|
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In addition to one or more of the treatments described in the
chart on the previous two pages, your parent will get tests to
monitor the cancer and how the treatment is working. A list of
common monitoring tests can be found in
Appendix A in the back of
this booklet.
Some treatments may make your parent more likely to get an
infection. This happens because cancer treatment can affect the
white blood cells, which are the cells that fight infection. An
infection can make your mom or dad sicker. So your parent may
need to stay away from crowded places or people who have an
illness that he or she could catch (such as a cold, the flu, or
chicken pox).
Because of this, you may need to:
- Wash your hands with soap and water often to keep from
spreading germs
- Tell your parents when you've been around someone
who's sick or has a cold
- Stay away from your parent if you get sick.
It's hard to wait to see whether the treatment will work. Your
parent's doctor may try one treatment, then another. One day
your parent may feel a lot better. The next day or week he or she
may feel sick again. Treatment can go on for months or sometimes
years. This emotional roller coaster is hard on everyone.
During this time, remember that the treatment is working to stop
the cancer and make your parent better. For more information
about the people who will be treating your parent, see
Appendix B
in the back of this booklet.
"I had questions but didn't know who
to talk to. I asked my mom if I could
go with her to her doctor's visit, and
she said yes. The first time I just sat
there. The next time the doctor asked
if I had questions--so I asked a
couple. It was easier than I thought
it would be."
- Katie, age 14
Ask your parent or
other trusted adults
any questions that
you have.
Ask your dad or
mom if it is okay
to go with them to
their appointment.
Perhaps your parent
can arrange for you
to ask the nurse or
social worker a few
questions. To make
things easier:
- Bring a list of questions with you.
- Ask people to explain things using simple words.
- Ask for information to be repeated.
- Ask the doctor or nurse to show you things on a model or
draw a picture.
| Questions you might want to ask |
- What kind of cancer does my parent have?
- Will my parent get better?
- What are the chances I will get this kind of cancer, too?
|
| Questions about the treatment |
- What kind of treatment will my parent get? Will there be more than one?
- How do people feel when they get this treatment? Does it hurt?
- How often is this treatment given? How long will it last?
- Does the treatment change how people look, feel, or act?
- What happens if the treatment doesn't work?
- Where is the treatment given? Can I go along?
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Here's space to write down your own questions: |
It's okay to ask these questions more than once.
|
"I
really
wanted
to
visit,
but
the
hospital
made
me
nervous.
I
wasn't
crazy
about
the
smell
and
didn't
like
seeing
Dad
hooked
up
to
machines.
I
made
excuses
not
to
visit,
but
I
missed
him
too
much.
Then
one
day
a
neighbor
drove
me
over
to
the
hospital
after
school.
I
took
my
homework
and
did
some
of
it
there.
Dad
looked
happy
just
watching
me--and
that
made
me
forget
about
how
strange
it
was
to
be
in
this
place."
- Keisha,
age
13
If your parent is in
the hospital, you
may be nervous
about visiting them.
Learn ahead of time
how your parent is
doing and what to
expect. Remember
that they are still
the same person,
even though they are
sick. Don't be afraid
to ask them questions
and share your
thoughts. You can
also call, write,
and e-mail them.
| Where to go for more information |
|
To learn more about cancer treatment, visit the National
Cancer Institute's (NCI) Web site
(http://www.cancer.gov).
Look for the booklets
Chemotherapy and You, Radiation and
You, or Biological Therapy, among others. You can also call
the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237) to speak with an information specialist.
All calls are free and confidential.
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