Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Cancer makes the mind focused on this disease, and not in others. Initial shock to say the cancer is not something that can easily be overlooked by the patient. As the years passed, the patient can still remember how they felt when the doctor first confirmed that they had cancer. For example, there is a rare cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor (Gist).

In the past, all of which arise from stomach cancer as a "soft tissue sarcoma". Courses of chemotherapy are toxic and helpless. Although handled as good as possible, the average life span of patients with a tumor is between six months to one year. Sometimes, the choices you have to choose between your heart and your mind is very painful. For example, there are many advances in cancer treatment means better outcomes for cancer patients. Some dramatic improvements.

A new oral drug, called Gleevec, is recognized as a treatment for the Digest. By taking four pills in one day, cancer melt like ice on a hot plate liquid turn into cancer. As long as patients continued taking the drug, the cancer will not spread. But, after treatment was stopped, the cancer grows back.

Patients can survive more than five years as long as they could afford such treatment. However, this treatment is to spend $ 4200 a month and many people can not afford it. For people like that, it's an uphill battle what to beg, borrow or steal to make your loved ones still alive? What you have to sell the house to give to your child, to buy back a few years later?

All this is not an easy question. More difficult, even with the best care and treatment, there are times when patients have to face death. A cancer patient told me that cancer is a type of liver disease either because of cancer gives the preparation time to say goodbye. He has great courage. Came the day of death for patients who may be too weak to tolerate the treatment or for those with cancer cells that are resistant to all types of treatment provided to control the disease.

One patient died after a battle against lung cancer for four years. The sad thing for patients is the spread of cancer to the brain and despite radiation treatment has been given to the entire brain, but cancer can not be controlled and she was comatose and a half. Although a severe mental condition. minor response (and the objective, the response is a response to a minor) will provide great joy and satisfaction.

Patients who are not ready to say: "Wait for what is waiting for death?" Not yet know how to answer that question. There is no way the "best" to deliver the worst news. How do patients respond depends on how ready he is to face death. Some people finally "relieved" to hear what they already know all this.