New blood tests for detecting cancer

There are many new developments in cancer research.  One of the exciting diagnostic tool in development is new blood tests designed to detect cancer.

New blood test can detect 50 types of cancer

"In a paper published in the leading cancer journal Annals of Oncologytoday (Friday), researchers report that the test accurately detected cancer, often before any symptoms arose, while having a very low false positive rate. The test also predicted where in the body the cancer is located with a high degree of accuracy, which could help doctors choose effective diagnostic tests.

GRAIL, Inc. (California, USA), the company developing and funding the research, has now made the multi-cancer early detection test available in the USA by prescription only, and to complement other, existing screening methods such as those for breast, cervical, prostate, lung and bowel cancers."

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210625/New-blood-test-can-accurately-detect-50-types-of-cancer-before-symptoms-emerge.aspx

Experimental Blood Test Detects Cancer up to Four Years

"Kun Zhang, a bioengineer at the University of California, San Diego, and his colleagues focused on developing a test for five of the most common types of cancer: stomach, esophageal, colorectal, lung and liver malignancies. The test they developed, called PanSeer, detects methylation patterns in which a chemical group is added to DNA to alter genetic activity. Past studies have shown that abnormal methylation can signal various types of cancer, including pancreatic and colon cancer."

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experimental-blood-test-detects-cancer-up-to-four-years-before-symptoms-appear/

Currently Available Blood Tests

Currently available blood tests are listed in this Mayo article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-diagnosis/art-20046459

More about grieving - Dealing With the Loss of a Parent

I have written an article about the importance of taking time to grieve at:  

Dealing with the Loss of a Parent 

Grief and Loss

Yesterday was Father's Day. For some of us, it could be a difficult day. It doesn't matter how long since our loved one passed away, the pain, for some, is still quite intense. 

But there is hope at the end of the tunnel. After we properly processed our grief, we would be able to better manage our pain and still keep the wonderful memories that we had. If we choose to, we can channel that energy to build something positive. But first, we may have to reach out for help and support, just like everything else related to care giving.

I have decided to add grief and loss resources to the blog. I hope it will be useful for those of us who are grieving and working on closure. 

Cancer caregiving study

 The Journal of Clinical Oncology recently published an article "Comparing adult child and spousal caregiver burden and potential causes." 1    This study analyzed adult child and spousal/partner caregivers’ surveys from the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance consortium, a multi-regional population-based study of approximately 10,000 persons with newly diagnosed colorectal and lung cancer. The study looked into adult child and spousal caregivers’ caregiving responsibilities, social/emotional burden, and financial burden. 

The graphic of this study provides findings that may help lighten the burden on caregivers.  

Summary:  

- Adult-children spend less time caregiving than spouses, but experience greater social, emotional and financial burdens

- Employment, childcare and patient and caregiver gender contribute to adult-children's higher burdens

- Patient-caregiver gender concordance, common for adult-child caregivers, is associated with worse social/emotional burden

- Communication quality is associated with reduced social/emotional burden 

Implications:

- Efforts to reduce caregiving burden must adapt to adult-children's challenges of childcare responsibilities, work and gender dynamics

- Programs improving communication may benefit adult-child and spousal caregiver populations

- Caregiver-patient gender concordance's association with burden extends prior research that females face great caregiving burden than males

Although this is an academic study on the caregiving burdens of adult child compared to spouses, it shed important light on how caregivers are affected socially, emotionally and financially.  It is important for caregivers to seek support and help (I've listed some of them in the resource page) in order to lighten the burden.  The other takeaway is the importance of communications.  Whether it is between the patient and caregiver, or between patient/caregiver and the medical staff,  communication is key even though this is a very emotional time for all that's involved. 

 

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Gal 6:2 NIV

 

How to help or ask for help using resources available?

Many people feel very helpless when they learned about a friend's cancer diagnosis.  They often want to reach out to the family, but don't know what to say or how to help. 

On the other hand, patients sometimes wonder why their family and friends haven't shown much support after their cancer diagnosis.   

A cancer diagnosis can be very emotional for the patients.  Often times, it is a very overwhelming period of time, and patients and caregivers will likely have to keep track of a list of doctor's appointments, lab visits, treatment at the hospital and other related appointments.   Even though this is a very busy time, as a caregiver, it is worth the time to sit down and assess the situation and look for things that can be delegated to family members or friends who are willing to help.   

There are now many online resources that can be used for this purpose.  I've listed a few in the "Resources" section and will update the list with new resources whenever they become available. 

For general updates, Caring Bridge is a great tool to help caregivers provide latest information on the patients to friends and family who are not local.  Care Calendar and My Life Line can help caregivers coordinate tasks and errands amongst friends who are available to help out.  As for meals, Sign Up Genius and Meal Train can both organize meal trains.   

Having specific tasks listed clearly can help friends transform their care and concern into actions.   They won't have to guess and wonder how they can help.   Families can get the help they need while attending to the more personal needs of the patients.   

Feel free to update the lists as different stages of patient care might require different types of help.  It is perfectly fine to ask for friends to be with the patient so the caregiver can take a brief break.  

Parents often say it takes a village to raise a child.   For me, being a caregiver was no different.  I had to rely on my friends for help and support, in both physical and spiritual matters.  Even if a friend wasn't able to help, their prayers have often lifted my spirit.  

So dear caregivers, find your village... sometimes help doesn't come from familiar places, especially if you're away from your family.  There are many volunteers who are willing to help, remember you are not alone in your journey.   Look for local support group as well if you need help.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Phil 2:4 ESV.

Importance of Self Care

 

Before I started this blog, I know the one thing I would say again and again to a caregiver is this:  self care.  

People who have been through this journey will mostly agree with me.  People who haven't might be a bit confused, or even a little judgmental: who doesn't have that one FB friend who is appalled by how 'selfish' you sound?      

But those who have walked this path know that it is a very rocky and uncertain road.  We don't know how long it might take, and we don't know how many curves lie ahead of us.   The only consistent thing about the caregiving journey is that we have to persevere.  In order to take care of a patient, we need to make sure our own physical and mental (and for me, spiritual) needs are taken care of as well.  If we are burned out, then how can we effectively take care of the ones we love?  

There is no better analogy than the oxygen mask safety talk that flight attendants give on flights: “Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead area. Please place the mask over your own mouth and nose before assisting others.”   

This is not to say that we should just abandon our caregiving duties.  That is not what I meant at all.  Taking a short break can be refreshing.  We can have a friend visit for an hour or so to be with our loved one, while we go get a coffee or just be out of the house.  To be honest, even the frequent pharmacy trips served as my short break - anything that got me out of the house for a little bit.  The medications still reminded me of the one I cared for, but the short walk getting there (20 minutes round trip) helped clear my head.  There are a lot of emotions involved with taking care of a loved one, and watching him/her fight an uphill battle.  There will be days that feel a bit more like a lost battle but we still need to recharge to be ready for the next one because we are in a war.   Sometimes a quick charge is all we can manage, I'd say just take that opportunity even for a 15 minute break. 

For me, a short prayer helped refresh my weary soul.  I am not kidding when I say weary.  Some days I felt so worn down that even I was at a loss for words (very unusual I must say) in prayers.  
 

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NIV

What is Three Months?

That's the time between my mom's late stage lung cancer diagnosis and when she passed away.  

It was a very intense three months, but I have learned many things mentally, physically (a 5 ft 2 petite woman lifting a wheelchair into the trunk of a car is no joke) and spiritually. 

I hope my story can help you in some ways.  And I also hope that by sharing how my faith has sustained me, it may also help you out.  

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Romans 12:15 ESV