Treatment After Cancer Surgery
Once there has been surgery for cancer it will be easy to think that the end is in sight and while it is good news that this stage has been reached there is still a long way to go. There will be the need for further treatment and you may not have to stop attending the hospital for a number of years as that is how long it could take to be given the all clear.
Treatment after Cancer Surgery - Breast
In order to leave hospital you may have to learn how to deal with the drain that has been left in. This could be in for up to a week once you are a home and you will need to monitor the change in the colour of the fluid that comes out. The cut will also need to be looked after and this needs to be kept clean and the dressing changed on a regular basis. There will also be the need to wear a surgical bra for some time and it will be up to your doctor to decide when this can be stopped. Exercising will be important but this will need to be gentle at first and include things such as arm stretching and arm swings.
Treatment after Cancer Surgery – Colon
Treatment after cancer surgery of the colon will be based around keeping the wound clean and trying to eat the right things so as it does not come back. There is the need to eat a high fibre diet but this will not guarantee that it will not return. Treatment after cancer surgery will not always be able to prevent a reoccurrence.
Treatment after Cancer Surgery – Bowel
Once you have undergone treatment for bowel cancer there will still be the need to attend the hospital. You will have to undergo adjuvant chemotherapy which is intended to not only stop the bowel cancer returning but to stop the cancer spreading anywhere else in the body. This will normally be carried out if the surgeon feels you are at risk so in some cases it may not be necessary. The chemotherapy drugs that will normally be used after bowel cancer surgery are Folfox which has to be put into a vein or Capecitabine (Xeloda) which is taken as a tablet. The tablet can obviously be taken at home so if you can go through this process you will not need the same level of contact with the hospital. This treatment may need to last for up to 6 months and the downside is that there may be side effects of the treatment that need to be dealt with.
For many people they will feel that the best way to recover from surgery is to be back home with their family and get back to their normal way of life as soon as possible. Unfortunately this may not always be the best thing to do as rest is important and being back home with children may prevent this. Some insurance policies allow for a week away at a clinic and this may be a good thing to take up if you have a policy and it is allowed.