RCS 6080 Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Rehabilitation Counseling Cancer
Cancers There are more than 100 forms of neoplastic disease, with different biological and clinical manifestations A neoplasm is defined as the growth of new cells proliferating without control and serving no useful function Metastasis is the spread of neoplasm to other body parts
Cancers Cancers are further specified in terms of the type of tissue of origin Carcinoma Sarcoma Lymphoma Leukemia
Incidence rates (Per 100,000 Floridians; 1999) Lung and Bronchus (15,660) Prostate (13,922) Breast (13,223) Colorectal (12,184) Bladder (4,892) Non-Hodgkin ’ s Lymphoma (3,452) Melanoma (2,982) Oral (2,446) Pancreas (2,256) Uterus (2,249) Kidney (2,247) Leukemia (2,220) Ovary (1,736) Stomach (1,462) Brain & Nervous (1,171) Esophagus (1,119) Larynx (1,078) Thyroid (978) Multiple Myeloma (969) Cervix (952) Liver (748) All other sites (7,574)
Mortality rates (Per 100,000 Floridians; 1999) Lung (11,271) Colorectal (3,883) Breast (2,557) Pancreas (2,256) Prostate (2,196) Pancreas (1,973) Non-Hodgkin ’ s Lymphoma (1,514) Leukemia (1,439) Ovary (897) Brain (863) Bladder (853) Stomach (840) Esophagus (812) Brain & Nervous (770) Kidney (707) Multiple Myeloma (691) Liver (681) Oral (662) Melanoma (542) Larynx (306) Cervix (268) Uterus (176) Thyroid (83) All other sites (4,181)
The Impact of Cancer PHYSICAL Pain Fatigue Illness Deformity PSYCHOLOGICAL Anxiety and depression Fear Loss of independence and control Self-concept and esteem Financial well-being
Cancers Treatment: Surgery Radiation therapy Chemotherapy
Cancers Some specific therapeutic issues Cancer may assault body image in a multitude of ways Many fears are encountered when people face surgical procedures Counselors must clarify the misunderstanding, confusion, and fear of the unknown that people often feel when facing radiation therapy When people are undergoing chemotherapy, they often have to balance toxicity against benefits
Vocational Implications of Cancer Limitations are based on symptoms and side effects of treatment Can include: Fatigue/weakness Medical allowances Respiratory difficulties Skin irritations Stress Temperature sensitivity
Additional Resources and Information from the Web JAN ’ s Webpage ( Florida Cancer Data System ( American Cancer Society ( CancerEducation.com ( National Cancer Institute ’ s Cancer Information (
Additional Resources and Information from the Web CancerGuide ( OncologyChannel.com ( Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention ( Locks of Love (