Ask the CIS : Cancer Information Service : January 2007
"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: I would like to quit smoking. What steps should I take?
A: Quitting smoking works best when you’re prepared. Before you quit, START by taking these five important steps:
- S = Set a quit date.
- T = Tell family, friends, and co-workers that you plan to quit.
- A = Anticipate and plan for the challenges you’ll face while quitting.
- R = Remove cigarettes and other tobacco products from your home, car, and work.
- T = Talk to your doctor about getting help to quit.
The smoking cessation counselors at the Smoking Quitline of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) can help you develop a quitting plan and begin a life without cigarettes. They can help you figure out how to cope with your cravings and deal with the temptation to smoke. They can also send you free self-help materials. You can call the NCI’s Smoking Quitline at 1–877–448–7848. For information online, go to http://www.smokefree.gov on the Internet.
Q: I am meeting with my doctor this week to discuss my abnormal Pap test result. What questions should I ask?
A: A Pap test (sometimes called a Pap smear or cervical smear) is a simple test used to look at cells in the cervix. Pap tests can find cervical cancer or abnormal cells that can lead to cervical cancer. Abnormal Pap test results are very common—more than 3 million women each year receive similar results.
The good news is that almost always, women with abnormal Pap test results do not have cancer of the cervix. However, if you have cervical cell changes, your health care provider may want to do a series of tests or treatments. Tests help your health care provider learn more about the changes in your cervix. Treatments remove or destroy cells with changes so that healthy cells can grow back.
Some questions you might want to ask your doctor about your abnormal Pap test results include
- What do my Pap test results mean?
- Do I need additional tests or treatment?
- Do I need to do anything special to prepare for the test or treatment?
- Do I need to do anything special to care for myself afterward?
- Will my health insurance pay for the test or treatment you suggested?
More information is in the NCI publication Understanding Cervical Changes: A Health Guide for Women. You can get a copy by calling the NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER. You can also view and print it from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/understandingcervicalchanges on the Internet.
Q: I’m taking chemotherapy for breast cancer and don’t feel like eating. What can I do?
A: It is very important to eat well while you are getting chemotherapy. People who eat well can cope with side effects and fight infection better. Also, their bodies can rebuild healthy tissues faster. On some days, though, you may feel you just cannot eat. Try these suggestions when you don’t feel like eating:
- Eat frequent, small meals or snacks whenever you want, perhaps four to six times a day.
- Try to drink liquids during the day such as juice, soup, or other fluids that can give you important calories and nutrients.
- When possible, take a walk before meals; this may make you feel hungrier.
- Eat with friends or family members. When eating alone, listen to the radio or watch TV.
More information about eating well and other issues during chemotherapy is in the NCI publication Chemotherapy and You: A Guide to Self-Help During Cancer Treatment. You can get a copy from the NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER. You can also view and print it from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemotherapy-and-you on the Internet.
Q: My doctor mentioned a cancer prevention clinical trial. What questions should I ask her to help me decide whether to participate?
A: Cancer prevention trials test new approaches, such as medications, vitamins or other supplements, special diets, or exercise programs, that doctors believe may lower the risk of developing a certain type of cancer. Most prevention trials are conducted with healthy people who have not had cancer. Some trials are conducted with people who have had cancer and want to prevent a return of the cancer, or reduce the chance of developing a new type of cancer.
Here are some questions you can ask your doctor before you decide what to do:
- How can the study help me?
- What are the possible risks of being in the study?
- How will my health be checked during the study?
- How long will the study last?
- How will my health information be kept private?
- How will I be told about the study results?
More information about taking part in cancer prevention trials is in the NCI publication If You Want To Find Ways To Prevent Cancer…Learn About Prevention Clinical Trials. You can get a copy from the NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1–800–4–CANCER. You can also view and print it from http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/about-prevention-trials on the Internet.
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.
