Silently Proliferating: Cancer

Abstract

Cancer is a health problem that has existed for years and frequently affects tissues and organs. Although some standards have been set for its treatment, different treatments and approaches are used for each type of cancer. The treatment process and having to live with cancer drag the individual to a difficult process that affects the individual negatively. Problems such as the severe course of the disease, taking longer than expected treatment, and having many side effects reduce the individual's physical performance and activities of daily living. Therefore, this situation reduces the quality of life and causes the general well-being of the individual to be negatively affected at the psycho-social level. In order to cope with the problems that cancer patients experience, it is important to support them physically, mentally, emotionally, socio-culturally, and spiritually. The decrease in the quality of life of the caregiver also affects the quality of care and therefore the quality of life of the patient. For this reason, it is necessary to determine how patients and caregivers perceive the disease, reduce their psychological anxiety and pain, as well as the factors affecting this perception, and ensure their compliance with treatment.