Caring for cancer patients near death: What can relatives do?
Caring for cancer patients near death: What can relatives do?
“Cancer” is a disease that affects the body, causing deterioration due to changes in cells in the body, which come from many causes, such as genetics, environment, lifestyle, and many other factors. Cancer has many stages of symptoms, but the stage that is difficult to treat is terminal cancer.
What is terminal cancer?
End stage cancer is cancer. That has spread to other organs and cannot completely cured. It is often found. That patients with end stage cancer have rather complicated and severe symptoms, resulting in a decrease in the patient’s quality of life. Both physically and mentally, and a high chance of death in a short period of time.
How many stages of cancer are there? What are the symptoms of each stage?
In medicine, cancer is divide into different stages. Which vary in symptoms and size:
Stage 0: The cancer has not grown into normal tissue, but there is a risk that it will become malignant.
Stage 1: Cancer starts growing in the tissues but has not spread to nearby tissues.
Stage 2: Cancer starts to spread to nearby tissues but has not affected other tissues.
Stage 3: Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. There is a lump or cancer wound that is larger.
Stage 4: The last stage of cancer has spread to other tissues in the body. Or it is called metastasis to other parts such as the abdomen, liver, intestines, bones, brain or lungs, etc. The cancer cells divide and grow beyond the control of the body.
Knowing and understanding the different stages of cancer is important to help doctors and patients cope, plan treatment, https://ufabet999.app and prognose the disease appropriately, especially in terminal cancer, which requires appropriate care and attention to maintain a good quality of life for patients throughout the final stages of life without suffering.
Common symptoms of terminal cancer patients
End-stage cancer patients often have more than one symptom, which affects their quality of life, such as:
- Fatigue, no energy, shortness of breath
- Pain that may increase in severity
- cannot sleep
- Loss of appetite, unable to eat
- Dizziness, nausea
- Have abnormal respiratory symptoms
- Mental disorders such as depression
In addition, the symptoms of terminal cancer before death vary from type of cancer to type of cancer.
How to deal with terminal cancer patients?
When terminal cancer patients have complex symptoms, the care of terminal cancer patients focuses on palliative care or symptomatic treatment. The goal is to relieve pain, reduce suffering, and help patients have a better quality of life, including treating symptoms caused by the cancer itself and side effects from the treatment. Appropriate care requires a care plan from the medical team and cooperation from the family or relatives in caring for the patient together.
