Cancer
Cancer is the name for the group of diseases characterised by uncontrolled cell division leading to the growth of abnormal tissue, which forms a lump or 'tumour' and can lead to, for example, breast cancer, colon cancer or leukaemia. It is believed that cancers arise from both genetic and environmental factors. Cancer is a major cause of deaths in the UK with more than 270,000 new cases (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) registered in 2000. An astonishing more than one in three people will be diagnosed with a cancer during their lifetime and one in four will die from cancer.
Patients receiving a diagnosis of cancer are likely to feel a range of emotional responses such as anger, blame, guilt, resentment and disbelief, and although there is extensive medical care available for cancer patients from the hospital, these do little to provide adequate emotional support. For a carer to try to help alleviate these feelings can be an extremely daunting task, which is why an increasing number of organisations are being set up to help cancer patients and their carers cope with the trying times that inevitably follow diagnosis.
Most of these organisations are run by people with first-hand experience of cancer, either as sufferers themselves or from caring for family members with the disease. An increasing number of hospices are being established, which offer a wealth of expert emotional support and practical advice to help those caring for cancer patients and their carers more bearable.
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These links will take you to the most informative cancer-related sites on the internet: