World Cancer Day Highlights That Every Patient Is Unique
To be told you have cancer is a mortifying experience and one nobody ever wants to have to deal with, but the good news is that treatments are advancing all the time and that the prognosis for most patients is far better than it used to be.
There are various reasons people tend to live longer after a diagnosis, including the quality of treatment, the development of new and more effective drugs and better screening to bring about early diagnosis.
However, another very important factor is the understanding that the right treatment for one patient might not be the best way forward for another. This is partly about the treatment schedule and methods, but also the personal aspect.
Treating every individual patient as unique is not just a matter of good service or dignity, but a necessary means of maximising the chances of each patient beating their cancer or, short of that, extending life by as much as possible. This is the approach we take at our radiotherapy centre.
World Cancer Day Campaign Is All About Unique People
The importance of seeing every patient in unique terms is to be the theme of this year’s World Cancer Day on February 4th. The title of the theme is ‘Unique by Unique’ and the campaign of awareness based on this philosophy will run until 2027.
Stating that “behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story – stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more,” the campaign notes that the best health outcomes take a holistic approach, which incorporates a wide range of needs.
A particular theme of the campaign is the notion that medics should “treat the person, not just the disease” as a means of people-centred care. It notes that cancer patients “don’t always feel heard, seen or understood.”
This highlights the fact that your journey when fighting cancer will be your own for a range of reasons. Some people may be stoic in the face of adversity, some may feel angry but determined to fight the disease. Others may find it puts extreme strain on their mental well-being and relationships and need some particular support.
As a result, the treatment you need will not just be what you get from a gamma knife or a linear accelerator. It will also be about helping you deal with the emotional side, the practical arrangements you may need to make to deal with changed life circumstances and the connections you may need with those who can help, such as support groups.
Giving Guidance
Patient support need not be just external, however. One of the issues is the confusion and lack of guidance and information some people face when navigating their way through health systems.
The exact problem may vary from country to country as the systems are different, with those seeking private care then encountering something new again, but by providing lots of information and helping patients know their rights, we can help. In doing this, patients really can know we are treating them and not just their cancer.
Of course, tailoring care is also about the treatment itself. Some people may have more radiotherapy than others. Some may have it combined with surgery or chemotherapy, depending on their own medical circumstances.
Why Personal Factors Make A Difference
Underpinning all of this will be other personal factors such as age, genetics and underlying health. How far the disease has progressed when you are diagnosed and how far it subsequently progresses are further factors in shaping treatment, while ongoing treatment decisions may be made by assessing how well patients respond to therapies given already.
A critical way in which this variation in treatment and the personalisation of care are brought together is in the way you will be given information and involved in making decisions about treatment.
This can work itself out in different ways. There are instances, especially with end-of-life situations, where a patient may decide not to undergo further treatment to minimise side-effects while making the most of the time they have left.
In other instances, some patients may be very willing to undergo a certain treatment that contains risk, or involves trials of a new drug. Above all, people will appreciate being kept in the loop and treated as individuals with specific medical and supplementary needs.
The big hope is that the three year campaign will help to make some changes in how cancer treatment is provided, with the whole process being more consensual, more informative, but also centred on the needs of every individual, recognising that they differ.
If you need cancer treatment, you are not just another patient. You are unique. That is why we will aim to fulfil the aims of the World Cancer Day campaign.
