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Cancer can present without symptoms when it is discovered incidentally or as a result of screening. A feature of a symptom of cancer is persistence. Symptoms can be systemic, such as weight loss or fatigue, or organ specific, such as pain or cough. When treatment commences, the symptoms of cancer must be distinguished from the side effects of therapy. These can be characterized by their temporal relation to the treatment as immediate, delayed by days, weeks, or months, or late effects which occur years later. These symptoms and side effects in turn must be distinguished from the symptoms of concomitant illnesses or side effects of other medications. A multidisciplinary approach is commonly used to manage cancer, and parallel care between palliative care clinicians and oncologists is an ideal model for symptom control. Maximizing quality of life is the overall aim of treating patients with cancer, and this includes recognizing all of the parameters, such as spiritual wellbeing, which impact on overall quality of life, and takes into account the balance between the efficacy and toxicity of treatments. Finally, survivorship embraces late physical effects of the cancer and its treatment as well as psychosocial issues and the adjustment to life after a diagnosis of cancer. |
