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FAQs
Is pancreatic cancer contagious? Will it affect my family members if I am in close contact with them?
- Pancreatic cancer is not contagious and it won't spread to family members even with close contact.
- You can hug and kiss your children without the fear of causing harm to them, it is also safe to continue sexual relations but the therapy may affect fertility in both men and women.
- When you are on chemotherapy and or radiotherapy, your immune resistance (ability to fight against infections and disease) is low and so you should avoid contact with people with infections like cold, cough, fever or any other infection. Children who have been recently immunised can also be a source of infection.
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I feel I am at risk as my father died of pancreatic cancer, what should I do?
- Up to 10% of patients with pancreatic cancer have one or more, first or second degree relatives with the disease.
- You should approach a doctor and try to clarify your doubts.
- The doctor will refer you to a specialist or ask you to take some screening tests.
- If the result of the tests suggests that you may have pancreatic cancer, the doctor will ask you to take more tests to diagnose the cancer, stage the cancer and select the appropriate treatment option.
- Early referring and early detection is very important as it drastically improves outcome of the treatment.
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I have been diagnosed for pancreatic cancer, can I continue to smoke and chew tobacco?
- Smoking and chewing tobacco are the most important modifiable risk factors associated with all types of cancer.
- You are strongly advised to give up smoking and chewing tobacco.
- If you find it difficult to overcome the habit, you can join a programme that helps you in quitting the habit.
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I am not sure if the current treatment is proper, can I assure by consulting another doctor?
- You can consult another specialist for a second opinion.
- A second opinion will also give you an insight of other treatment options practised at other centers and help in making an informed decision.
- You can get a reassurance of the current treatment prescribed by your doctor.
- Your doctor can help you to seek a second opinion and at specialty centers there is a multidisciplinary team (specialists from all cancer related fields e.g. pathology, radiology, surgery, medical etc.) which reviews all aspects from diagnosis to treatment.
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I have heard that chemotherapy has severe side effects and the treatment is more painful than the cancer itself, can I avoid it?
- Chemotherapy is a part of the treatment and your doctor will decide whether chemotherapy will benefit you and advice on the same.
- All medicines, including those used in chemotherapy have side effects of varying severity.
- The side effects of chemotherapy are not same in all patients and factors like stage of disease, other complications, nutritional and general health status, psychological state of the patient influence the outcome and side effects of treatment.
- Not all patients experience side effects and they may vary from mild to moderate in most of the patients who experience side effects.
- Chemotherapy is prescribed for a patient only if the doctor deems that the benefits of chemotherapy are more than the risks and harmful effects.
- Studies have reported that chemotherapy can improve the outcome other treatment options like surgery and radiotherapy. It is best to discuss your fears and anxieties, and follow the doctor's advice.
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What is targeted therapy?
- Targeted therapy is a type of treatment for cancer which uses medicines that specifically block the growth and development of cancer cells.
- The normal healthy cells are not affected by targeted therapy and so the harmful effects are fewer than chemotherapy.
- Targeted therapy does not produce side effects like nausea, vomiting and hair loss but can result in other side effects like skin rashes, bleeding and clotting.
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What are the benefits of radiotherapy?
- Radiotherapy if given at a very early stage of cancer can kill the cancerous cells and the patient may not need any surgery if the treatment is successful.
- The radiations can penetrate deep into the tissues and can help to stop the growth of the deep seated tumors that are not accessible for surgery.
- Radiotherapy can also be given during surgery to shrink the tumors or combined with chemotherapy to make the treatment more effective.
- Pain associated with the cancer can be treated with radiotherapy.
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What are the recommendations regarding food during my treatment?
- You may feel nauseated during and after chemotherapy and radiotherapy and not feel like eating anything.
- Small frequent meals, soft warm food and plenty of fluids will help you to get energy for daily activities and prevent weight loss.
- Treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy lower the body's ability to fight against infections and diseases.
- If you are on chemotherapy, radiotherapy or both you should take preventive measures and avoid eating food that may be a possible source of infection.
- Food and water are common sources of infection and you should eat fresh, properly cooked and hygienic food.
- Raw fruits, vegetables and juices, uncooked meat and poultry, milk and milk products, stale food are common sources of infections. However raw fruits and vegetables with intact peel and well washed in clean water can be consumed.
- You should pay attention to hygiene, washing hands before eating and cooking food, cleaning meat and poultry, washing vegetables and fruits, using clean utensils and plates, eating at clean and hygienic food outlets should be a daily practice.
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What is hospice treatment?
- Hospice care is like palliative care that focuses on the comfort of terminally ill patients.
- Helping the patient to cope with symptoms of disease, providing emotional support, providing pain relief, improving the quality of life and helping the patients to cope with the fear of death are the areas that are looked into.
- The hospice programme differs from patient to patient and is individualised as per the need of each patient. Such a programme has various teams involved and care can be provided at home or at specialised centers.
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What are clinical trials? Should I participate in a trial?
- Any new medicine, form of a medicine or medical procedure has to be studied for its effectiveness and safety in human beings before it is used at large.
- Studies that are conducted to answer specific health related questions are called clinical trials. Clinical trials are conducted in four phases namely, phase I, phase II, phase III and phase IV.
- The decision of participating in a trial is entirely based upon your wish and no one can force you into a trial.
- Before you decide to participate in a clinical trial you should know the details of the type of trial, phase of the trial, purpose of the trial and procedure of the trial.
- You will be given a protocol of the trial which informs you of all the details and after you understand all the aspects of the trial and willing to participate you have to give a written consent.
- You can discuss the advantages and risks of participating in a clinical trial with your doctor.
- Participation in well conducted clinical trials helps to future scientific knowledge and improve the outcome of treatment in future patients.
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