What We Now Know About Caring for Cancer

Each year since 1999, we’ve achieved an increasing decline in cancer-related deaths, a reassuring development that is positioned to carry on as researchers discover more and more info on the causes of cancer and are in a position to identify new and better treatment options. Even so, cancer continues to be among the leading causes of death in America, second only to heart disease – making it vital to continue to push ahead with determination to locate a cure.

Here’s what we have observed so far:

• Diet makes a difference. Although a diet high in antioxidants can help minimize cell damage (and protect against cancer), a recent study indicated that in many cases, cancers utilize a nutrient-rich diet, ultimately causing accelerated metastasis. Because of this, the recommendation is to refrain from using antioxidant supplements except in cases where the doctor recommends them. Get your antioxidants from fruits, veggies, and beans instead, since the additional molecules in the whole food makes a difference. In addition, a link is suspected between sugary drinks (soda, artificially sweetened drinks, and even 100% fruit juice) and a heightened danger of cancer.
• Cancer may develop before birth. Notably, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is believed to stem from a mutation that develops in utero, triggered when infection is first introduced. The guideline is to ensure children are exposed to germs in the first year of life, to train the immune system to manage pathogens and steer clear of the secondary mutation that produces leukemia.
• The focus is moving towards immunotherapy. Those who have experienced the ravages of chemotherapy’s side effects will undoubtedly be relieved at the most recent treatment advances, which focus on immunotherapy that enables the targeting of just the cancer cells themselves. A clinical trial of a “cancer vaccine,” in combination with a light dose of radiation, has already shown promising results.
• The financial impact may be tremendous. A substantial study of 9.5 million cancer patients revealed a typical financial loss of over $92,000, as 42% of these patients were required to exhaust their life savings to cover the price of just the initial couple of years of treatment. Authors of this research share, “As large financial burdens have been found to adversely affect access to care and outcomes, the active development of approaches to mitigate these effects among already vulnerable groups remains of key importance.”

If you or someone you love is going through the difficulties of cancer, let us help. At CareWorks Health Services, our reliable in-home care team can prepare healthy meals, pick up prescriptions, provide accompaniment to scheduled appointments, and give the emotional support necessary when caring for cancer. Give us a call at (949) 859-4700 for more information about the most trusted home care services Laguna Woods and the surrounding area rely on.