Knowing you are responding well provides a great lift to the spirits. For example, if you've already tried all standard therapies, you may want to think about entering a clinical trial to try an investigational treatment. Besides getting your cancer cured or under control, the main goal of cancer treatment is to enable you to go forward with living your everyday life as normally as possible. To that end, many cancer patients can benefit from one or more forms of rehabilitation. Some patients need physical, occupational or speech therapy.
Many patients can profit from individual or group psychological counseling.
It's not unusual for cancer patients to be overwhelmed by feelings of confusion, fear, denial, anger or depression. Such reactions can even get in the way of successful treatment if they interfere with a patient's ability to follow medical advice or to eat and sleep properly. Meeting with a psychologist or a psychiatrist can help you sort out your feelings and develop a positive attitude toward your situation. No one should hesitate to get professional help to deal with the emotional issues surrounding cancer. Whatever the necessary rehabilitative program, it's important to carefully plan and integrate it into your treatment regimen.