Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Caregivers Should Be Cautious for Mesothelioma Patients’ Depression
The average age of a mesothelioma patient is 72 when diagnosed. Although depression is not necessarily part of the aging process or with battling cancer, it is not uncommon for mesothelioma patients to struggle with depression. It is also not uncommon for depression to be overlooked or ignored. However, it is vital for caregivers to recognize symptoms of depression and to encourage their loved ones to get help from their doctors.
John is a 74-year-old man who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January of this year. He underwent chemotherapy pre-op, and with his supportive family with him, he underwent a partial pleurectomy in June. He did well physically with just a few complications. When he returned home he seemed to be doing well, but he was depressed.
His wife of 45 years recognized the symptoms and contacted his care team who quickly started him on an antidepressant. Although it can take up to six weeks for the medication to become effective, John responded well and was quickly feeling better and has started to enjoy life again.
What were the symptoms that John’s wife recognized? What are the symptoms of depression? Who suffers from depression? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the symptoms of depression are:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” feelings;
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism;
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness;
- Irritability, restlessness;
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies once pleasurable, including sex;
- Fatigue and decreased energy;
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions;
- Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping;
- Overeating or appetite loss;
- Thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts;
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease, even with treatment.
Depression is likely caused by a combination of personal, environmental, and circumstantial factors. Cancer doesn’t directly cause depression, but one in four patients with cancer are clinically depressed.
The American Cancer Society website has a thorough explanation of cancer and depression. One point that is made is that people who have depression, along with other medical illness, tend to have more severe symptoms of both depression and their medical illness. They have more trouble adapting to their medical condition, and more medical costs than those who do not have co-existing depression.
In John’s situation, he was lucky that his wife was aware of the symptoms of depression and encouraged him to seek treatment. She knew that her husband was suffering. Depression can be treated, it is real. Help is available for both the patient and the caregivers to deal with the impact on the patient and family.
To read more about depression and cancer visit the National Institutes of Health or the American Cancer Society.
Consider reaching out to a mesothelioma support group. They are available through the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected].
Educate Yourself About Mesothelioma to Be a Better Advocate
In order to be an effective advocate for the mesothelioma community, it is important that you become educated about the disease, its causes, effects, treatments, and latest updates. The more you know, the better you can help teach others and encourage them to support the cause. You owe it to yourself and those you fight for to be as well prepared for questions as possible.
Many times, while attending a fundraiser in the community, people ask a lot of questions. Some have never heard of mesothelioma, while others are just curious to learn more; there are even some who want to question the validity of what they are donating to. Either way, it would be a disservice to any of them if you don’t at least let them know how to obtain more information. It’s okay to say that you don’t know the answer to their inquiry, but it’s important to be able to steer them toward someone who can help them.
There are many ways to learn more about mesothelioma, one being getting in contact with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. Their staff dedicate their lives to eradicating this disease and are a wealth of knowledge. They can help you learn, provide you with valuable information to pass on to others, and even help you organize a fundraiser. They are extremely helpful and are always willing to share what they know with you.
Thank you for working so hard to advocate for and support mesothelioma patients and their loved ones! Educating yourself on this disease is hard, sometimes very trying, work, but believe me when I say that the appreciation from this community knows no bounds!
Know more about Mesothelioma and how you can deal with it.
Nobody Should Have to Lose Her Father to Mesothelioma
Losing a loved one hurts in any case, no matter the cause. I have found that losing my Dad to mesothelioma was a particularly tough pill to swallow. Losing him would have been the toughest pain in my life, no matter what. The fact that it was to mesothelioma made it even worse for me; being such a rare disease, it is often overlooked and forgotten about. The general population, for the most part, knows nothing about it other than the commercials that you see on television. With mesothelioma, Dad didn’t have a choice. It was there, and there was nothing he could have done about it.
Many people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma contracted the disease from serving in the military or at work, trying their best to provide for their families. Thinking that these individuals were essentially punished for that is inexcusable to me. These men and women served their country, helped others, and made a life for their families. Then, later in their lives, they come to find that their pure, good intentions have made them ill.
Other people might have gotten sick from working on a vehicle, helping a friend with home renovations, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. No matter what the situation, the tragic results of the use of asbestos is too much to ignore.
When I think about how Dad and others in the mesothelioma community have and continue to suffer, both physically and emotionally, it truly angers me. I wish that the dangers of asbestos would have been, and would now be, publicly known. It should be banned and outlawed throughout the world. Why expose people to this terrible material when we know better at this point? It is truly difficult for me to wrap my head around it.
Asbestos and the resulting cancer of mesothelioma have hurt enough people. Let’s work together to end this vicious cycle so that no one else has to go through the pain of this disease.
Mesothelioma Nurse Alerts Patients and Families About Issues From Cachexia
Have you ever noticed that a friend or family member will get diagnosed with mesothelioma or a different kind of cancer, and will be going along fine for a while then suddenly start to lose weight? This is actually a wasting syndrome called cachexia. Cachexia is defined by the American Cancer Society as “a profound state of general poor health and malnutrition – poor food intake – and/or poor food absorption.”
This syndrome affects more than half of all cancer patients and kills nearly 20 percent of them before the cancer can. It is characterized by muscle wasting, weight loss and protein degradation. This syndrome is not limited to cancer; it also affects patients with chronic illness. Doctors do not know what starts the syndrome or how to reverse it, but there is promising research to bring relief to the patients.
What starts cachexia? The research is focusing on molecular causes of this disease. The hope is that this will lead to more advanced treatments. One theory is that cachexia causes white fat cells, that store calories in the body, to turn into fat-burning brown cells that release heat – thus, burning calories. Cachexia is often a sign that the chronic illness that a patient has been battling is terminal.
Regardless of what turns the syndrome on, the effects leave the patient unable to receive additional treatment for their underlying condition. It is difficult for families and friends to see the patient exhausted and unable to enjoy the things that they used to. It affects all aspects of their lives.
As mesothelioma moves into a chronic disease, it is important to keep an eye on your loved one’s weight, and energy level. If they start losing weight, and are more tired than usual, make sure that you let the patient’s medical team know.
There were two studies published this month about cachexia – in the journal Nature and the journal Cell Metabolism. Also, a July 28 article by Yasmeen Abutaleb in the Boston Globe has an excellent explanation of the devastating physical and psychological effects cachexia has on patients and families.
Consider Designating Your Donation Dollars to Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are vital in the fight against mesothelioma. New data and treatments can stem from these trials, bringing us one step closer to finding a cure to mesothelioma in the near future. Like any research, these trials need funding, and you can help!
When you donate to a mesothelioma cause, you often have the option to designate where the funds will go. One option is toward research and clinical trials. Just imagine, you could contribute to finding the cure for this devastating disease; what a huge honor that would be!
My father participated in a clinical trial through Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City during the Summer of 2012. Dr. Lee Krug, a brilliant, dedicated physician, was in charge of the study. Dad knew that taking part in the trial would help in the overall fight against mesothelioma. He was excited to share in something like this, even though it meant a lot of travel and some time away from home.
When you are advocating on behalf of mesothelioma patients and their families, be sure to let your listeners know the importance of clinical trials. They are among the most promising avenues to find new ways to help those in need and to ultimately eradicate mesothelioma altogether.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
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