Ask the CIS : Cancer Information Service : June 2006
"Ask the CIS" is a short, easy-to-read cancer column providing answers to cancer related questions. The column is based on the latest cancer information from the National Cancer Institute. The Cancer Information Service of the Mid-South produces four columns, in question-and-answer format, monthly.
Q: After my cancer treatment is over, what should I discuss with my doctor during checkups?
A: Checkups help make sure that changes in health are noted and treated if needed. At each visit, tell your doctor or health care team about:
- Symptoms that you think may be a sign of cancer’s return.
- Any physical problems that get in the way of your daily life or that bother you, such as pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping, loss of sex drive, or weight gain or loss.
- Any medicines, vitamins, or herbs you are taking and any other treatments you are using.
- Any emotional problems you may have, such as anxiety or depression.
- Any changes in your family medical history.
Facing Forward Series: Life After Cancer Treatment is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) publication that answers questions about follow-up care and other concerns. It also suggests ways to talk with your doctor to create a plan of action for recovery and future health. Call the NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER and ask for a free copy. You can also find it on the NCI’s website.
Q: Do you have tips for healthy eating after cancer treatment?
A: After cancer treatment ends and you’re feeling better, you’ll want to do the best for yourself by making healthy food choices. There’s no current research that suggests that the foods you eat will prevent your cancer from coming back. But, we do know that eating right will help you regain your strength, rebuild tissue, and help you feel well.
Here are the fundamentals:
- Focus on eating a variety of foods every day. No one food contains all the nutrients you need.
- Emphasize fruits and vegetables. Raw or cooked vegetables, fruits, and fruit juices provide the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need.
- Emphasize breads and cereals, especially the whole grain varieties, such as whole wheat bread, oats, and brown rice. These foods are good sources of complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and fiber.
- Go easy on fat, salt, sugar, alcohol, and smoked or pickled foods. Choose low-fat milk products, and small portions (no more than 6 to 7 oz. a day) of lean meat and poultry without skin. Try lower-fat cooking methods, such as broiling, steaming, and poaching.
Your doctor, a dietitian, or another health care provider can suggest ways to eat well. Also, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet Eating Hints for Cancer Patients has many useful ideas and recipes. Call the NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER and ask for a free copy of this booklet. It’s also available on the NCI’s website.
Q: How might my health improve after I quit smoking?
A: The positive effects of quitting begin very soon after you stop using tobacco and continue long after you’ve quit.
Short-term Benefits
- Your blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature, which were abnormally elevated by nicotine, return to normal. If you take blood pressure medicine, continue doing so until your doctor tells you otherwise.
- Your body starts to heal itself. Carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in your blood return to normal.
- Your chance of having a heart attack goes down.
- Nerve endings start to regrow. Your ability to taste and smell improves.
- Your breathing passages relax, lung capacity goes up, and your breathing becomes easier.
- Your circulation improves and your lungs become stronger. It is easier for you to walk.
- In your lungs, the cilia (hairlike structures on the lining) begin to regrow, making it easier for your lungs to handle mucus, to clean themselves, and to reduce infection. Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease. Your overall energy level increases.
Long-term Benefits
- As a former smoker, your chance of dying from lung cancer is less than it would be if you continued to smoke.
- Your chance of getting cancer of the throat, bladder, kidney, or pancreas also decreases.
For free one-on-one help with quitting, call the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline at 1–877–448–7848.
Q: I’m trying to quit smoking, but it’s so hard to start the day without a cigarette. What can I do?
A: Waking up in the morning and starting your normal routine provide plenty of triggers to tempt you to smoke. The morning can set the tone for the rest of the day. Try these tips to start your day without a cigarette:
- Be sure no cigarettes are available.
- Take your attention off smoking right away.
- Begin each day with deep breathing and one or more glasses of water.
- Make a list of early morning triggers, and avoid them.
- Begin each day with a preplanned activity that will keep you busy for an hour or more. It will keep your mind and body busy so that you don’t think about smoking.
For free one-on-one help with quitting, call the National Cancer Institute’s Smoking Quitline at 1–877–448–7848.
The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (CIS) is one of the country’s most trusted resources. Ask the CIS is distributed by the (region) CIS, which serves (list states). Call the CIS toll-free at 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
