The spillover effect of cancer diagnosis is found throughout the family and the community. Beth Cooper discusses the importance of not forgetting her close relatives throughout this journey.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world, killing about 10 million people worldwide. In 2020, there were an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases worldwide. The burden of cancer continues to grow worldwide, placing physical, mental and financial burdens not only on individuals but also on families. Much of the current research on the effectiveness of diagnosis focuses on the concerns and effects of illness on the diagnosed individual and is of considerable short-term and long-term identified as affecting both physical and mental health. There are results. However, it is often the whole family, not just the individual, who experience the ongoing effects of cancer. The spillover effect of cancer diagnosis is seen throughout the family, and the consequences of this disease often have the most significant impact on relatives.
Has your loved one recently been diagnosed with cancer? You don’t have to squeeze your emotions, as this huge life-changing diagnosis will affect you as well.
There was no standard or framework developed for the continued support of close relatives through the existing diagnosis and management of cancer patients. This is a complex area, but the need for effective intervention in this area is paramount. Existing studies of relatives with cancer focus on experiences and opinions about the quality of care received by loved ones, but where is the study on the impact of this diagnosis on the relatives themselves?
Most of the following relatives are working very well on the role of long-term care, but this does not mean that they do not need continuous support. Relatives play a major role in decision making, often spending hours going to appointments, clinics and treatment centers. The new way of life formed by the invasion of this disease affects not only individuals but also their partners. Or parents too. Scans, blood tests, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are new ways of life, and as people fight for their lives, they take precedence over all other issues. And loved ones often take on the role of caregiver, provide support, and let the patient take control of the story. Of course, how they want to deal with the diagnosis is their choice, but these choices affect everyone.
The effects can be seen emotionally and psychologically, as well as physical health, quality of life, financial burden, and even the impact on personal education and employment. These effects can be seen by the whole family.
Often there are changes to normal routines and roles in family and relationships. Still, helping families of cancer patients, especially their close relatives, is not a standard part of treatment services. Individual practitioners often take the lead in providing family support, but experience shows that what they are experiencing is compared to what their significant others are experiencing. It turns out that relatives often ruin their emotions because they look trivial.
So how can I make changes?
First, if you’re experiencing this yourself, it’s perfectly understandable to ask for help.You can access the service through you GPMake time to talk with extended family and friends and think about the effects of the illness on your own life in general. Feelings of negligence, uncertainty, and lack of control affect both of you. It’s important to have an open and honest discussion with your partner about this, and don’t be guilty of accessing the support available throughout this process.
And what about the clinician?
Can clinicians begin to integrate support for close relatives into their treatment plans? Providing knowledge and education to the entire family can greatly help prepare them for the adjustments they receive through diagnosis. Providing knowledge, support, and guidance to close relatives is a very important aspect in helping them understand and deal with the situation at hand, and the amount of burden they experience in their long-term care role. Greatly helps to reduce. Pilot studies on regular telephone consultations, care channels and educational resources for relatives, the role of health care workers in providing support, and the establishment of support systems have been considered throughout the study, from a standardization perspective. Has a long way to go. Care.
And if this post resonates with you and comes to mind who might be experiencing this with your close relatives, listen to them as well.
