What cancer patients often ask before starting treatment

This is an automatically translated article.

Cancer patients always have anxiety, insecurity, discomfort, unwillingness to receive treatment and also indirectly affect the results of treatment.

1. When do I need radiation therapy?

In fact, radiation therapy is often applied for two main purposes: to cure disease or prevent complications. For the purpose of curing the disease, doctors will try to completely remove the tumor, destroy it before it spreads, or shrink it and then surgically remove it.
In the case of radiation therapy to reduce complications, avoid tumor growth or metastasis, doctors will use this therapy to reduce the size of tumors that have spread, contributing to prolonging the patient's life. core.

2. Does radiation therapy cause hair loss?

Unlike chemotherapy, which affects the whole body, radiation therapy only affects the irradiated area, so hair and hair only fall out in the radiation area. For example, during radiation therapy to the breast area, hair in the armpits may be shed but not hair loss. Hair loss can only occur during brain radiation.

3. Is radiation therapy painful?

During radiation therapy, the patient will not feel any pain. However, after a few weeks of treatment, patients may experience pain and dryness of the irradiated skin. If radiation is in the head and neck area, the patient's mouth or throat may develop sores. But these symptoms are only temporary and do not affect the patient much.

4. Will radiation make me radioactive?

In most cases of radiation therapy, the radioactive substance will not remain in the patient's body and therefore the patient will not be radioactive after the treatment. Patients can have normal contact with people around them and even children.
However, there are some special cases where radioactive substances are still left in the patient's body after treatment such as radioactive iodine implantation to treat thyroid cancer, prostate cancer, etc. In the above cases, the patient will be instructed by the doctor on appropriate measures to keep both the patient and loved ones safe.

5. Will radiation therapy cause me to have a genetic mutation and pass the mutant gene on to my children?

Radiation therapy can cause mutations in some cells in the irradiated area, but most of these cells will be repaired by the body's own repair mechanisms. In addition, radiation therapy usually does not affect the sex cells, so the mutation will not be passed on to the next generation. If a pregnant woman needs radiation therapy, special measures will be taken to limit the effects of radiation on the fetus. If the patient suspects that she is pregnant, the medical team should be informed immediately before radiation therapy is performed.

6. Is there any way to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy?

Currently, many patients use tight bandages or bandages to limit the amount of blood containing chemotherapy drugs to the scalp and hair follicles. However, the method is controversial because it raises the question: does reducing blood flow to the scalp reduce the effectiveness of therapy in that area? Therefore, there is currently no effective and safe method to prevent hair loss that is recommended for chemotherapy patients.

7. Do all chemotherapy patients experience hair loss?

Not all chemotherapy patients experience hair loss. Hair loss during chemotherapy depends on the type and dose of the drug used. Hair loss can occur as early as about the second or third week after the first chemotherapy session.

8. How long does it take for hair to grow back after chemotherapy?

Hair can grow back about 3 to 6 months after chemotherapy ends. But in some cases, hair can start to grow back while the patient is still receiving chemotherapy.

9. Should cancer surgery or not?

Cancer surgery is the removal of a tumor by surgery, removing the tumor and part of the surrounding healthy tissue to completely remove the cancerous cells. This therapy is usually applied to tumors in locations that are not life-threatening. Therefore, there is no answer should or should not, depending on the tumor characteristics and disease status of each person, the doctor will recommend the appropriate treatment method.
For cancer patients, the patient's psychology plays a very important role, which can positively affect the effectiveness of treatment. Therefore, patients need to keep a relaxed, happy mood and trust in the therapy. Before conducting treatment, doctors need to give clear and detailed advice on treatment therapy as well as problems that may be encountered during and after treatment to create psychological readiness and comfort for patients. .
Psychological Clinic - Vinmec International General Hospital officially came into operation in April 2019, has the function of examining, consulting and outpatient treatment of psychological problems and psychological health. With modern equipment, Vinmec Psychological Health Clinic is currently cooperating with experienced professors and experts:
MSc. Doctor Nguyen Van Phi - Psychologist, Vinmec Times City International Hospital: with 7 years of experience working as a lecturer in Psychiatry - Hanoi Medical University, Doctor Psychiatrist at Hanoi Medical University Hospital & Central Geriatric Hospital, and a member of the Vietnam Psychiatric Association. MSc. Dr. Pham Thanh Luan - Psychiatrist, Vinmec Times City International Hospital: with 5 years of experience in research and treatment of Psychiatric diseases, trained at prestigious universities professional practice in the French Republic. MSc. Doctor Nguyen Trong Hien - Psychiatrist, Vinmec Times City International Hospital: with 6 years as a lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry - Hanoi Medical University and Central Geriatric Hospital, together with Dr. Experience in research and treatment of diseases in Psychiatry such as: Emotional disorders, stress related disorders and body dysmorphic disorders, developmental disorders in children, adolescents & childbirth .... Along with the combination of implementing psychological tests, intensive psychotherapy for diagnosis and treatment, in order to bring the best medical examination and treatment effect.
Customers can go directly to Vinmec Times City to visit or contact hotline 0243 9743 556 for support.