Breast Cancer Treatment Need Long-Term Commitment

Handling of breast cancer requires long-term commitment from both patients and doctors alike. Unfortunately, not all patients adhere to treatment with a variety of reasons, from cost, want to try alternative treatments and do not tolerate side effects such as hair loss, decreased endurance, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting."In addition, the cancer treatment process that takes time not for a moment, fear of death and the lack of family support often also make the patient frustrated and eventually stop treatment (drop-outs)," said Dr. Samuel J. Haryono, SpBK (Onk), Specialist Surgical Oncology of the National Cancer Center Hospital Dharmais in cancer patients meeting last weekend.Initial treatment such as chemotherapy and radiation patients routinely require a commitment to return to the hospital or physician within a few months. Treatment still needs to be done until 5-10 years later to lower the risk of cancer coming back."Therefore, good communication with nurses and family support in this regard is essential to patients undergoing treatment will be obedient," said Dr. Samuel further.Patient adherence to treatment include cancer therapies obedience to follow a predefined schedule in accordance with the selected treatment protocol in the form of a cycle that must be followed. This cycle should be through to completion without interruption because cancer cells are cells that is experiencing rapid growth far exceeds the body's cells are normal. If incomplete, such cells can evolve again into more.Based on data from the RS Dharmais Jakarta, in the last 5 years recorded incidence rate of breast cancer ranks first, by 32 percent, and cervical cancer by 17 percent. Of that number 40 percent of them are those who suffer from early-stage, 30 percent of patients with locally advanced, and advanced stage (metastases) by 30 percent

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