Fighting with Cancer: A Common Man's Dilemma

Abstract

The impact of cancer diagnosis on the patient and the families is immense. The term cancer is quite frightening. It brings along a series of complicated thoughts about the disease, its course, treatment, associated difficulties, financial burden, social status, and existential issues. It traps the sufferers in a vicious loop of thoughts related to life, end of life, and thereafter. Another aspect that is mostly overlooked is the spiritual distress that comes along with the diagnosis of cancer. All these thoughts get amplified and increase psychological morbidity, which further gets compounded due to lack of knowledge and awareness about the disease and the ways to deal with it. This chapter broadly outlines the epidemiology and mechanism of the disease, types of cancer, various terminologies that are used, investigations that are undertaken, treatment options, and coping strategies during and beyond the process of disease and disability. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.