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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 22, 2014 4:33 PM IST
Cancer, as we all know has no cure and the treatment options that are currently available pinch a hole on the pockets of common man. Along with the stress that accompanies after diagnosis of the cancer and the discomfort associated with its treatment, most of the patients also have to deal with the 'financial toxicity' that comes along. This includes the anxiety, expenses and loss of confidence in confronting for those who actually face big unpredictable costs. Researchers have developed a new tool to assess the risk of the cancer patient and their ability to tolerate the financial pain associated with cancer treatment. (Read: Now your smartphone's going to tell you whether you have cancer!)
Named COST (Comprehensive Score for financial Toxicity), the tool comprises 11 questions, assembled and refined from conversations with more than 150 patients with advanced cancer. 'A few physicians discuss this increasingly significant side effect with their patients,' said Jonas de Souza, head-and-neck cancer specialist at University of Chicago Department of Medicine in the US. (Read: True cancer survivor story From getting diagnosed with cancer to spreading cancer awareness)
'We believe that a thoughtful, concise tool that could help predict a patient's risk for financial toxicity might open the lines of communication. This gives us a way to launch that discussion,' de Souza added. Explaining the utility of the tool, he noted, 'If patients know what to expect, they may want their physicians to consider less costly medications.' The findings appeared in the journal Cancer. (Read: Basic cancer treatments: Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and bone marrow tranpslants)
Cancer your most common queries answered by an expertWhen a loved one falls ill, especially with cancer, it can be an extremely trying and confusing time. While the treatment options are many, often what the doctor says makes no sense and we are left in the dark about what will happen next. In order to decode the medical jargon, Dr Sumeet Shah, renowned oncologist, answers some of the most common questions about cancer in layman's terms.
What leads to cancer?
There are innumerable things which can cause cancer. Some of the commoner causes are as follows:
With inputs from IANS
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