RCS 6080Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation Counseling

Cancer

Cancers There are more than 100 forms of

neoplastic disease, with different biological and clinical manifestations

A neoplasm is defined as the growth of new cells proliferating without control and serving no useful function

Metastasis is the spread of neoplasm to other body parts

Cancers Cancers are further specified in terms of

the type of tissue of origin

Carcinoma

Sarcoma

Lymphoma

Leukemia

Incidence rates(Per 100,000 Floridians; 1999)

Lung and Bronchus (15,660)

Prostate (13,922) Breast (13,223) Colorectal (12,184) Bladder (4,892) Non-Hodgkin’s

Lymphoma (3,452) Melanoma (2,982) Oral (2,446) Pancreas (2,256) Uterus (2,249) Kidney (2,247)

Leukemia (2,220) Ovary (1,736) Stomach (1,462) Brain & Nervous (1,171) Esophagus (1,119) Larynx (1,078) Thyroid (978) Multiple Myeloma (969) Cervix (952) Liver (748) All other sites (7,574)

Mortality rates(Per 100,000 Floridians; 1999)

Lung (11,271) Colorectal (3,883) Breast (2,557) Pancreas (2,256) Prostate (2,196) Pancreas (1,973) Non-Hodgkin’s

Lymphoma (1,514) Leukemia (1,439) Ovary (897) Brain (863) Bladder (853) Stomach (840)

Esophagus (812) Brain & Nervous (770) Kidney (707) Multiple Myeloma (691) Liver (681) Oral (662) Melanoma (542) Larynx (306) Cervix (268) Uterus (176) Thyroid (83) All other sites (4,181)

The Impact of Cancer

PHYSICAL

Pain Fatigue Illness Deformity

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Anxiety and depression

Fear Loss of independence

and control Self-concept and

esteem Financial well-being

Cancers Treatment:

Surgery

Radiation therapy

Chemotherapy

Cancers Some specific therapeutic issues

Cancer may assault body image in a multitude of ways

Many fears are encountered when people face surgical procedures

Counselors must clarify the misunderstanding, confusion, and fear of the unknown that people often feel when facing radiation therapy

When people are undergoing chemotherapy, they often have to balance toxicity against benefits

Vocational Implications of Cancer Limitations are based on symptoms and

side effects of treatment

Can include: Fatigue/weakness Medical allowances Respiratory difficulties Skin irritations Stress Temperature sensitivity

Additional Resources and Information from the Web

JAN’s Webpage (www.jan.wvu.edu/media/cancer.html)

Florida Cancer Data System (http://fcds.med.miami.edu)

American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

CancerEducation.com (www.cancereducation.com)

National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information (http://cancer.gov/cancerinformation)

Additional Resources and Information from the Web

CancerGuide (http://cancerguide.org)

OncologyChannel.com (www.oncologychannel.com)

Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention (www.yourcancerrisk.harvard.edu)

Locks of Love (www.locksoflove.org)