The king is eager to resume his royal duties and remains “hugely frustrated” that his recovery from cancer is taking “a little longer” than expected, according to reports citing his nephew Peter Phillips.
It has only been two months since we learned of the monarch’s diagnosis, so hopefully I, as a cancer specialist, will urge a more cautious approach and a prolonged period of convalescence and rehabilitation.
In fact, I’m all for the King resuming his royal duties, but this part is key: only as long as he feels able to do so.
He who occupies the position of king should rest when he needs it, writes Professor Karol Sikora. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to have too much time to sit around and mope.
Because during my nearly 50 years working in cancer care, I have seen countless patients feel as good as rain at the beginning of their treatment, only to find themselves overwhelmed by fatigue at the end of it.
The point is that we live in a world where everything is available or done instantly, and time has become a precious commodity, and this is at odds with recovery from any illness. Especially cancer treatment can take months, if not a year or more, to recover from.
That said, the speed at which someone recovers from cancer diagnosis and treatment will always vary greatly depending on the type of cancer, the treatment program, and the patient’s individual state of health and mental resilience.
Generally you have to recover from an operation, which in itself can be very exhausting, since the body reacts as if it were a trauma and prioritizes energy expenditure on tissue healing.
Chemotherapy or radiotherapy may follow. Treatment designed to eliminate tumors and cancer cells inevitably damages tissues throughout the body. And this can affect the metabolism, causing unusual tiredness that can last six months to a year after finishing treatment.
Fatigue is the most common side effect of most cancer treatments and is often what patients find most disturbing and the biggest limitation to returning to “normal” life. And this happens at a time when a patient has to constantly go to and from the hospital.
If you overcome this exhaustion, what would happen? Add to that the nausea that can affect appetite, and it’s easy to see why some people need a long recovery period, and why getting good sleep and maintaining a healthy diet becomes an incredibly important part of any recovery.
Let’s not forget that the King is 75 years old, an age at which cell renewal is slowing down, meaning his recovery may not be as fast as that of someone who is 30 years old, for example. But the opposite is that today’s 70-year-old men and women are generally much healthier than those who lived 20 or 30 years ago, and are better able to cope with cancer therapy. What’s more, the medications and treatments are much gentler than before and with fewer side effects than before.
Charles was photographed reading cards and letters sent by well-wishers following his diagnosis.
The Princess of Wales published a video last week in which she announced her diagnosis
Aside from the physical considerations involved in recovery, there are also psychological ones: having cancer can be mentally exhausting.
A very difficult impact of any cancer journey to measure is the way it affects the mind and spirit, and this can also be exhausting.
We doctors can sometimes be accused of focusing so much on the technological procedures involved in diagnosis and treatment that we lose sight of the fact that each patient is a human being with his or her own ups and downs.
Probably the biggest psychological barrier most people with cancer face is endless uncertainty: treatment is inevitably a series of steps, each of which leads to uncertainty.
Some people deal with this much better than others.
I think one of the most difficult challenges is being forced to face the fact that no one lives forever. Of course, objectively we all know this, but most of us go through life in a state of comfortable denial.
Then, with each scan and test, the cancer patient is forced to face the possibility that this may not work, a challenge that can be difficult and exhausting.
Therefore, anyone in the position of the King should rest when they need it. But I don’t think it’s a good idea to have too much time sitting around depressed and feeling miserable.
In my opinion, it is much better to return to the structure of your normal life if you feel able. If you enjoy your job, there’s no doubt that doing something you truly love can help you regain your self-confidence once again, as facing the unexpected with cancer can also take a toll on your self-esteem.
The busier you are, the less time you have to worry and think about yourself.
A gradual return to work is probably just what King Charles needs. Even better if those who manage your schedule leave you time for complementary therapies such as massages, acupuncture, relaxation therapy or yoga.
Although the clinical evidence is quite weak to support them, research shows that anything that helps you deal with stress can improve your quality of life, relieve depression, anxiety, and symptoms related to cancer and its treatment.
Everyone handles the psychological impact of cancer differently, and in my experience, those who have a support network of loved ones, friends, and family tend to cope better.
When I consider the situation facing King Charles and his daughter-in-law, Princess Catherine, I predict that they will both get through this stressful time well.
And when you both finish your treatment, I invite you to celebrate: book a vacation or, at the very least, open a bottle of champagne!
Whatever your experience, it is very important to have something to look forward to.