The treatment plan for cancer depends mainly on the type of cancer and the stage of the disease. Caregivers should discuss all options with their parent's doctor. Treatment options include:
Surgery
In most cases, the surgeon removes the tumor and some tissue around it. Removing nearby tissue may help prevent the cancer tumor from growing back. The surgeon may also remove some nearby lymph nodes. The side effects your elderly parent will experience depends mainly on the size and location of the tumor, and the type of operation. It takes time to heal after surgery. The time needed to recover is different for each type of surgery and will vary for your senior mom or dad. It It is common to feel tired or weak for a while. Most people are uncomfortable for the first few days after surgery. However, medicine can help control the pain.
Before surgery, caregivers should discuss the plan for pain relief with the doctor or nurse. The doctor can adjust the plan if your aging parent needs more pain relief. Some people worry that having surgery (or even a biopsy) for cancer will spread the disease.
This seldom happens. Surgeons use special methods and take many steps to prevent cancer cells from spreading. For example, if they must remove tissue from more than one area, they use different tools for each one. This approach helps reduce the chance that cancer cells will spread to healthy tissue. Similarly, some people worry that exposing cancer to air during surgery will cause the disease to spread. This is not true. Air does not make cancer spread.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Doctors use several types of radiation therapy. Some people receive a combination of treatments:
External radiation: The radiation comes from a large machine outside the body. Most people go to a hospital or clinic for treatment 5 days a week for several weeks.
Internal radiation: The radiation comes from radioactive material placed in seeds, needles, or thin plastic tubes that are put in or near the tissue. The patient usually stays in the hospital. The implants generally remain in place for several days.
Systemic radiation: The radiation comes from liquid or capsules containing radioactive material that travels throughout the body. The patient swallows the liquid or capsules or receives an injection. This type of radiation therapy can be used to treat cancer or control pain from cancer that has spread to the bone. Only a few types of cancer are currently treated in this way.
The side effects of radiation therapy depend mainly on the dose and type of radiation you receive and the part of your body that is treated. For example, radiation to the abdomen can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your skin in the treated area may become red, dry, and tender. Your aging parent also may lose your hair in the treated area. Your mom or dad may become very tired during radiation therapy, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as they can.
Fortunately, most side effects go away in time. In the meantime, there are ways to reduce discomfort. If a caregiver's aging parent has a side effect that is especially severe, the doctor may suggest a break in their treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs that kill cancer cells. Most patients receive chemotherapy by mouth or through a vein. Either way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect cancer cells all over the body. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles. People receive treatment for one or more days. Then they have a recovery period of several days or weeks before the next treatment session. Most people have their treatment in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. Some may need to stay in the hospital during chemotherapy. Side effects depend mainly on the specific drugs and the dose. The drugs affect cancer cells and other cells that divide rapidly:
- Blood cells: When drugs damage healthy blood cells, you are more likely to get infections, to bruise or bleed easily, and to feel very weak and tired.
- Cells in hair roots: Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. Your hair will grow back, but it may be somewhat different in color and texture.
- Cells that line the digestive tract: Chemotherapy can cause poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, or mouth and lip sores. Although the side effects of chemotherapy can be distressing, most of them are temporary. Your doctor can usually treat or control them.