Cancer: A Guide for Patients and Their FamiliesCancer is the disease people dread most. It is surrounded by myth, mystery, and most of all, silence. Often we assume that all cancers are painful and fatal - a disease for which there is no cure and no hope. Although this is not true, the attitude persists amongst cancer patients and their families, largely as a result of poor communication and lack of factual information. Considerable progress has been made in the control of cancer and in many cases it can be cured or contained - but this is not widely understood. |
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abdomen adjuvant adriamycin anaesthetic anticancer drugs Appendix barium barium meal biopsy bladder bleeding blood count blood vessels body bone marrow brain breast cancer cancer cells catheter cause cervix chance of cure Chemotherapy Chapter 12 Chest X-ray Colonoscopy colostomy common commonest complete remission CT scan develop diagnosis discomfort discuss doctor drug treatment effects examination feel Figure fluid gall-bladder gastroscope glands gullet hair high doses Hodgkin's disease hormones hospital injection isotope kidney large bowel leukaemia liver lump lung cancer lymph nodes Lymphangiogram lymphomas mastectomy microscope mouth nausea and vomiting needle normal nurse Occasionally oesophagus operation ovaries pain painless pancreas patients pelvic radiotherapy Radiotherapy Chapter 11 rectum relapse respond Risk of infection routine scan page 47 screening side-effects Sigmoidoscopy skin stage stoma surgeon Surgery Chapter surgical removal symptoms taken thyroid tissue treated tube ultrasound page 45 urine uterus vein vincristine women