AM Charitable Trust -- Advice&tips

ADVICE 1:

"DO NOT BE AFRAID OF CANCER"
First step in tackling Cancer is to remove the fear associated with it. In fact most of the Cancer Patients did not know that it is Cancer until it became large enough or unbearable enough to be noticed. What was your mental and psychological condition when you did not know that you had cancer? Has is not changed dramatically since the news was heard? Are you not deeply affected just by the news?

Why Worry Now?
If the Cancer did not draw your attention through symptoms, you would have been still a normal person but for the pain and related problems. Once the symptoms have been identified as Cancer, all the fear, dread and emotional upheaval takes full control of your mind and body, and you get extremely weak. The news of Cancer is mental stress (as if bomb fell on edifice).
Let us tackle the weakening effect of the " Tyranny of Information about Cancer" first, and then we shall tackle the Cancer itself.
It has been found that many Cancer Patients have lived long and happily with Cancer (unknowingly though) until the dreaded day arrived, that of discovery of their affliction with Cancer, which pronounced their death sentence.
Do not accept this Death Sentence !
You will have to resolve that you will tackle Cancer with all the power in you and with all the goodwill and prayers of your kith and kin in order to be able to overcome this problem.

First Major Mistake
When you find nothing wrong, forget about the matter and sleep well.

ADVICE 2:
Suspect cancer when nothing is traceable

Mistake
To be smug under the belief that only people with carcinogenic habits or exposed to carcinogenic substances get cancer.

ADVICE 3:
Though cancer is more likely to attack one with carcinogenic habits, it can afflict any one irrespective age, sex, habits etc.
The real pre-disposition to cancer, if, any is yet to be identified.

Major Mistake
Not finding the root cause of any abnormality.

ADVICE: 4
Doggedly pursue until the root cause of a problem, its basic reason is identified. Check and recheck if it is correct.

Major Mistake
Resting with one biopsy or a limited number in a limited area.

ADVICE: 5
No conclusions should be made that cancer is absent based on limited number of biopsies. Combine specific diagnostic tools, like cancer markers with above for the final diagnosis
on the other hand, positive biopsies are conclusive.

Fundamental Error
To be satisfied when an unexplained serious problem vanishes all of sudden, and symptoms go away.

ADVICE: 6
Non-specific symptoms, leading to the suspicion of cancer, do recede after attacking once. One should not rule out the possibility that cancer itself does recede without treatment.
But the reasons are yet to be found out.

Error
Putting too much faith in modern test methods - particularly when the results are negative.

ADVICE: 7
With all the advancements in Scanning with CT Scans, MRI etc., the best way to know if there is cancer in the abdominal region - stomach, intestines, ovaries, liver, pancreas,
Kidneys etc. are to look inside through LAPAROSCOPIC examination or by opening the abdominal wall.

ADVICE : 8
Even with laparoscopy or examination of region duly opened up, certain types of cancer may not be spotted or detected early.

ADVICE: 9
Do not overwork a cancer patient.
Or one who is suspected to have cancer
Or one, who has had some unidentified disease,
Which could later on turn out to be cancer.

Possible Error
To have decided on a set of life threatening courses of action - total surgical removal of organs critical for bodily functions plus most aggressive Chemotherapy - without checking, counterchecking and reviewing.

ADVICE : 10
Do not jump into any treatment in a hurry.
Let a panel of doctors consisting of surgeons, Oncologists, Chemotherapists, Radiotherapists and Microbiologists debate the pros and cons of various alternative courses of action and decide on the action plan.

ADVICE : 11
Sometimes starting the treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, followed by surgery would be better than first surgery and then chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Final fatal Error

A latter course of aggressive chemotherapy (the seventh one, after six, all very aggressive) was resorted to when the patient was least prepared.
Momentous decisions, which could expose a patient to grave risks of death, were taken by a couple of people, though they were excellent doctors of repute.
The possibility that chemotherapy could lead to development of cancer into new areas (particularly due to severe immuno-supression) was ignored.

ADVICE: 12

Oncologists should be extremely cautious in administering the latter courses of chemotherapy.

ADVICE: 13
Aggressive chemotherapy can also contribute to cancer moving to newer areas, as immunity is totally destroyed.

ADVICE: 14
Only a team of doctors should take decisions regarding the later courses of chemotherapy, after taking into account ensuring that the treatment would not push the patient over the precipice.

ADVICE: 15
Under take any action only after preparing the patient well for it psychologically as well as physically.

ADVICE: 16
Work with single-minded devotion to establish conclusively whether alternative systems could cure cancer.
If not, least establish how far they can mitigate the sufferings of patients and prolong their lives.