Oral Cancer (cont.)
Follow-up care for oral cancer
Follow-up care after treatment for
oral cancer is important. Even when the cancer seems to have been completely
removed or destroyed, the disease sometimes returns because undetected cancer
cells remained in the body after treatment. The doctor monitors your recovery
and checks for recurrence of cancer. Checkups
help ensure that any changes in your health are noted. Your doctor will probably
encourage you to inspect your mouth regularly and continue to have exams when
you visit your dentist. It is important to report any changes in your mouth
right away.
Checkups include exams of the mouth, throat, and neck. From time to time,
your doctor may do a complete physical exam, order blood tests, and take x-rays.
People who have had oral cancer have a chance of
developing a new cancer in the mouth, throat, or other areas of the head and
neck. This is especially true for those who use tobacco or who drink alcohol
heavily. Doctors strongly urge their patients to stop using tobacco and drinking
to cut down the risk of a new
cancer and other health problems.
The NCI has prepared a booklet for people who have completed their treatment
to help answer questions about follow-up care and other concerns. Facing Forward
Series: Life After Cancer Treatment provides tips for making the best use of
medical visits. It describes how to talk to your health care team about creating
a plan of action for recovery and future health.
Support for people with oral cancer
Living with a serious disease such
as oral cancer is not easy. You may worry about caring for your family, keeping
your job, or continuing daily activities. You may have concerns about treatments
and managing side effects, hospital stays, and medical bills. Doctors, nurses,
and other members of the health care team can answer your questions about
treatment, working, or other activities. Meeting with a social worker,
counselor, or member of the clergy can be helpful if you want to talk about your
feelings or discuss your concerns. Often, a social worker can suggest resources
for financial aid, transportation, home
care, or emotional support.
Support groups also can help. In these groups, patients or their family
members meet with other patients or their families to share what they have
learned about coping with the disease and the effects of treatment. Groups may
offer support in person, over the telephone, or on the Internet. You may want to
talk with a member of your health care team about finding a support group. The
NCI's fact sheets "Cancer Support Groups: Questions and Answers" and "National
Organizations That Offer Services to People With Cancer and Their Families" tell
how to find a support group. See "National Cancer Institute Information
Resources" for ordering information.
The Cancer Information Service can provide information to help patients and
their families locate programs, services, and publications.
The promise of cancer research
Doctors all over the country are conducting many types of clinical trials.
These are research studies in which people volunteer to take part. In clinical
trials, doctors are testing new ways to treat oral cancer. Research has already
led to advances, and researchers continue to search for more effective
approaches.
People who join clinical trials may be among the first
to benefit if a new approach is shown to be effective. And if participants do
not benefit directly, they still make an important contribution to medical
science by helping doctors
learn more about the disease and how to control it. Although clinical trials may
pose some risks, researchers do all they can to protect their patients.
Researchers are testing anticancer drugs and combinations of drugs. They are
studying radiation therapy combined with drugs and other treatments. They also
are testing drugs that prevent or reduce the side effects of radiation therapy.
If you are interested in learning more about joining a clinical trial, you
may want to talk with your doctor. You may want to read Taking Part in Clinical
Trials: What Cancer Patients Need To Know. The NCI also offers an easy-to-read
brochure called If You Have Cancer...What You Should Know About Clinical Trials.
These NCI publications describe how research studies are carried out and explain
their possible benefits and risks. NCI's Web site includes a section on clinical
trials at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials with general information about
clinical trials and detailed information about specific studies. The Cancer
Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER or at LiveHelp at http://cancer.gov can
answer questions and provide information about clinical trials. Another source
of information about clinical trials is http://clinicaltrials.gov.
Next: What resources are available to patients with oral cancer? »
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