Home Health DR MARTIN SCURR: Getting a serious diagnosis when you’re fit and healthy is devastating. Here’s what to do – and why Kate’s words will make a difference…

DR MARTIN SCURR: Getting a serious diagnosis when you’re fit and healthy is devastating. Here’s what to do – and why Kate’s words will make a difference…

by Alexander
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Tests after Kate's abdominal surgery in January found the presence of cancerous tissue and the Princess of Wales is now receiving preventive chemotherapy.

Sometimes the health problems that plague us can simply be due to bad luck.

It is clear that we can (and should) do everything possible to minimize the risk of poor health: eat a balanced diet, exercise; Get enough sleep; and all the other “right things,” doctors tell us. After all, no one wants to get sick.

But that won’t necessarily be rewarded with good health. Of course, I’m thinking of both the Princess of Wales and the King.

Let me stress that none of us should speculate about the nature of your or the King’s cancer. There is a famous principle in psychiatry known as the Goldwater rule, which states that psychiatrists should not “diagnose” public figures. The same goes for doctors, and that includes trying to guess the nature of an undisclosed illness.

But I feel I can say that the recent news, that tests after her surgery revealed the presence of cancerous tissue, is deeply shocking and, most of all, naturally, for the princess and her family.

Tests after Kate's abdominal surgery in January found the presence of cancerous tissue and the Princess of Wales is now receiving preventive chemotherapy.

Tests after Kate’s abdominal surgery in January found the presence of cancerous tissue and the Princess of Wales is now receiving preventive chemotherapy.

This type of diagnosis is an unexpected surprise for anyone, but perhaps even more so for someone who lives a healthy lifestyle and seems to have always done everything possible to stay in good health, and who is so young. .

We’ve all read stories of centenarians who attribute their long life to a regular drink or claim to have smoked since adolescence, but we all know that these are the exceptions, rather than the rule: taking care of yourself is important. However, it is not a guarantee.

It is evident that the Princess of Wales had symptoms that led to her surgery: and the findings, detected postoperatively on the basis of laboratory analysis, have revealed some malignancy. As I have seen on so many occasions, the time a patient spends waiting for results is a time of great anxiety, buoyed by hope: life seems to be on hold.

Why does it take so long to get results? Because laboratory studies can be complex and often involve multiple experts, discussions take place in multidisciplinary teams, all of which is very necessary to ensure accuracy in the presentation of what will be life-changing information. of the patient and his family.

In addition to dealing with the anxiety and fear of the diagnosis itself, there is also the anxiety and fear of accepting that life may not be as planned. Suddenly, the automatic assumption that one has many long, healthy years ahead is eroded.

King Charles was also diagnosed with a form of cancer after it was discovered during treatment he was receiving for an enlarged prostate.

King Charles was also diagnosed with a form of cancer after it was discovered during treatment he was receiving for an enlarged prostate.

King Charles was also diagnosed with a form of cancer after it was discovered during treatment he was receiving for an enlarged prostate.

And a cancer diagnosis is something that more and more of us will have to face. When I was a medical student 50 years ago, I was taught that one person in five will develop cancer in some form at some point.

Now, one in two will contract some form of the disease, according to the NHS, and although we tend to think of cancer as a disease of old age, younger people are increasingly developing it (and although diet, lifestyle of life and environmental factors are related to this, it is really not entirely clear what is happening).

However, set against this concern are the outstanding changes in cancer treatment with highly sophisticated radiotherapy targeting solid tumours, highly effective chemotherapy and, in more recent times, the astonishing advances of immunotherapy, which harnesses our own immune system. to eradicate cancer cells.

So there is a lot of positive news to cheer about.

But if taking care of yourself is no guarantee of preventing cancer, I think it is important to try to encourage anyone diagnosed with the disease to make lifestyle changes that will allow them to improve their own immune response and minimize the side effects of treatment. . .

This means trying to exercise, even something as simple as a gentle walk if that’s all you can do; Research increasingly shows that exercise can reduce the risk of recurrence and side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea. Eating well and trying to get enough rest and sleep will also help.

Another pillar that we must not forget is emotional support: a serious diagnosis can be life-changing and, in my opinion, consulting a counselor can be very useful in accepting what it means for your life now. Or maybe you prefer to talk to family and friends.

Whatever your choice, the important thing to know is that you are not alone – the same words used by the Princess of Wales herself in her broadcast.

In facing his own serious diagnosis, he has shown strength and resilience beyond measure and the example he has set, at a time when he has had to face for weeks the burden and fear of his diagnosis along with the trauma of starting and long-lasting chemotherapy – will be therapeutic for many who are going through similar experiences. What he has achieved is incalculable.

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