How are you most afraid to die? - "I am most afraid of dying of cancer", this is the answer of many people.
In our country, on average, 8 people develop cancer every minute, and 5 people die from cancer. Tomorrow and accidents, you never know which one comes first.
When cancer comes, what kind of pain and helplessness will patients feel?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" >, I understood the pain of cancer after becoming a patient</h1>
Hua Yiwei is the director of the former Foreign Department of the General Hospital of the Beijing Military Region, engaged in cancer prevention and control work, and has undergone countless surgeries. He knew that cancer was painful, but he confessed that he couldn't empathize with it.
Until he himself was diagnosed with stomach cancer.
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Since it was already advanced in stomach cancer at the time of discovery, Hua Yiwei could only follow the routine treatment and underwent total gastric resection surgery. After the operation, Hua Yiwei's reflux was very serious, the esophagus was burned and painful, and the throat and eustachian tubes were also strongly stimulated, and he could only lie in bed for a long time.
In order to control the spread of cancer cells, Hua Yiwei underwent intraperitoneal heat chemotherapy. When he did intra-abdominal thermotherapy, he had to lie motionless for an hour and a half, and the temperature of the abdominal cavity would rise to 41 ° C, and the whole person would sweat profusely. Every time he finished his hyperthermia, he had abdominal pain and could only take painkillers.
Such a painful experience, he had to go through it 8 times a month.
At the end of chemotherapy, Hua Yiwei's condition did not improve, the symptoms of nausea and vomiting became more serious, and he could not even eat, and finally even the nasal feed nutrient solution could not enter, and the whole body was edema.
In desperation, Hua Yiwei had to undergo a second operation. However, after the operation, he developed a serious abdominal infection, and the hope of survival gradually disappeared.
A year after fighting cancer, in the last days of his life, the 73-year-old Hua Yiwei was full of tubes, lying on the hospital bed unable to move, sighing: "I have done so many surgeries on patients before, I never thought they would be so painful, until I myself lay on the bed..."
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="54" > Second, deep reflection, does advanced cancer really need surgery? </h1>
During the treatment, Hua Yiwei recalled the surgery he had done and said to the student: "Total gastrectomy is too painful, if not no way, even if it is to leave a little stomach is better than full resection." As doctors, we should not only think about eliminating diseases, but also think about patients and consider the quality of life. ”
The cancer has advanced to an advanced stage, the survival rate has been greatly reduced, and some doctors will recommend surgery to inhibit the spread of cancer cells. So, is there still a need for surgery in advanced cancer? This is a difficult question to answer.
First of all, it is necessary to consider whether the operation can solve the actual problem, whether it can alleviate the symptoms and improve the quality of life. If the answer is no, there is no need to add to the pain.
Secondly, it also depends on whether the risk of surgery is high. Any surgery is risky, for patients with advanced cancer, can the body withstand the trauma and complications of surgery? If not, then it is recommended to abandon the operation.
Finally, the patient's personal wishes should be respected. Are patients willing to undergo surgery themselves? Compared with the family's thoughts, the patient's sense of survival is more important.
It should be emphasized that the inability to operate on advanced cancer does not mean that there is no salvation. Taking gastric cancer as an example, if patients cannot operate, they can also choose radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiofrequency ablation and other means to control cancer cell metastasis, shrink the tumor, and then perform surgery. At present, chemotherapy is still the most important treatment for advanced gastric cancer.
All in all, if you want surgery in advanced cancer, you must repeatedly consider the risks and benefits. If the benefits outweigh the risks, even if the patient's willingness is not strong, doctors and family members should persuade the patient to undergo surgery and live bravely.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="55" > third, don't wait until the advanced stage to find stomach cancer</h1>
According to statistics, in 2020, there were 478,000 new cases of stomach cancer in China and 373,000 deaths, ranking third among all tumors.
The early diagnosis rate of gastric cancer is low, and it is often mistaken for gastritis, gastric ulcers and other gastric diseases, resulting in a progressionary period when the diagnosis is made, and even if surgery is performed, the 5-year survival rate is less than 30%. However, if stomach cancer can be detected early, its 5-year survival rate can reach more than 90%, and even achieve cure.
Therefore, we need to understand the symptoms of stomach cancer and avoid confusion with ordinary stomach diseases.
So, what are the early symptoms of stomach cancer? Common ones are:
1. Hematemesis or blood in the stool, caused by hemorrhage of lesions;
2. Nausea and vomiting are more common in young patients;
3. Fatigue and emaciation are mostly caused by reduced digestive function and reduced eating;
4. Difficulty swallowing, when the mass is close to the cardia, it can hinder the entry of food;
5. Discomfort or lump in the upper abdomen.
In addition to identifying symptoms of stomach cancer, regular physical examinations are also an important means of prevention.
According to the Expert Consensus Opinion on the Screening Process for Early Gastric Cancer in China, the target population for gastric cancer screening in China is defined as being aged 40 or over and meets at least one of the following options:
(1) Long-term living in areas with high incidence of stomach cancer (Zhuanghe County, Liaoning Province, Linqu County, Shandong Province, Changle County, Fujian Province, etc.);
(2) Infection with Helicobacter pylori;
(3) Have a history of chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastric polyps, and precancerous lesions of the stomach such as pernicious anemia;
(4) Have a family history of stomach cancer;
(5) Other risk factors, such as high-salt diet, smoking, alcoholism, etc.;
For patients with gastropathy, regular gastroscopy is recommended:
General chronic atrophic gastritis, gastroscopy is done every 3 years;
Incomplete colonic intestinal epithelial metaplasia with mild atypical hyperplasia, gastroscopy done once a year;
With moderate atypical hyperplasia, gastroscopy every 3 months;
With severe atypical hyperplasia and intraepithelial neoplasia, surgical resection of the lesion may be considered.
Even doctors who have treated cancer for many years can only experience the pain of patients when they have cancer. What reason is there not to prevent us in this fashion and health?
#Health Star Program ##谣零零计划 #
Resources:
[1] "The tumor stories you don't know are all here, the doctor himself: Cancer is so painful! | Tumor Phase". Health Times. 2018-09-12
[2] "Advanced cancer, is there still a need for surgery?" You need to know these...." Cancer Rehabilitation and Palliative Care in China. 2020-04-29
[3] "Stomach cancer is difficult to detect, how can it be prevented early?" 》. Human Health. 2018-01-03
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