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Surviving cancer: What happens next? By Harvard Health Letters
The patients know. Do you?
Then, your doctor finally gave you the news you'd been waiting for: "You're cancer-free." Your first instinct might have been to celebrate your survival and then wash your hands of the whole ordeal and move on. But for many women, a positive prognosis is just a transition from constant surveillance to self-reliance. Instead of fearing that your cancer will progress, your worry becomes--will it return?
Thanks to improved treatments, more people are surviving cancer. A recent study reported in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians estimated that there are 13.7 million cancer survivors--more than half of them women--living in the United States today. Better survival odds make planning for life after cancer almost as important as planning treatment for the disease.
PLANNING FOR LIFE AFTER CANCER
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Yet there are many things you can do to reduce the risk of your cancer returning, and enhance your health as you move forward. According to new guidelines from the American Cancer Society (ACS), these steps include:
1. Stay at a healthy weight. If you're overweight, limit high-calorie foods and exercise more often.
2. Exercise for at least 150 minutes a week. Alternate aerobic exercise with two or more days of strength training.
3. Eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Limit processed and red meats and high-fat foods.
Try these resources with your post-treatment transition:
1. Cancer Survivors Network: csn.cancer.org
2. Livestrong: http://www.livestrong.org
3. National Cancer Institute: supportorgs.cancer.gov
EMOTIONAL HEALTH AFTER CANCER
"A lot of patients ask me, 'Why am I feeling so horrible now?' Because they finally have the time and space to process it," explains Dr. Elyse Park, an associate professor in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a clinical health psychologist who treats cancer patients at Massachusetts General Hospital.
You're also transitioning out of a very structured treatment program. Gone is the constant presence of the doctors and nurses who cared for and looked after you. Less available are the friends and family members who rallied around you when you were sick.
You still need that support now, but outside of a sheltering medical environment it can be harder to find. Many cancer survivors look to organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Lance Armstrong Foundation, and National Cancer Institute, which host support groups and other programs for cancer survivors.
As you return to your day-to-day life, take things slowly.
"I think people should think of it in terms of a process," says Dr. Park. "Don't try to jump 100 percent back into what you were." Gradually transition back into your job, activities, and friendships, allowing yourself time to re-acclimate along the way.
THE FUTURE
Be proud that you've survived your cancer, but also be realistic. "I think people shouldn't be lulled by this label of 'survivor,' because that can be a heavy label to wear," Dr. Park says. "Sometimes it takes people a while to get to the point where they're ready to feel in a way that matches that image." - Harvard Women's Health Watch
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© 2012, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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