STRESS AND APC

It’s important to understand how to manage stress during advanced prostate cancer (APC) treatment. There are a variety of things you can do to help when you’re feeling stressed out.

Complementary therapies, like meditation and massage, can be used together with conventional medical treatments that your doctor recommends. These therapies may include participating in a support group, relaxation, and visualization training—and each one can help people with cancer feel better and improve their feelings about life, day by day.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction is another complementary therapy being used to help ease stress in cancer patients. It brings together both mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga.

Exercise is a great way to deal with anxiety-related fatigue. In fact, exercise training may lead to improvement in your ability to be physically active, which can, in turn, lead to reduced effort and decreased fatigue. There are studies showing that people who exercise have much lower levels of tiredness than people who do not exercise. The types of exercise you may choose can vary, but in many positive reports, exercises that helped ranged from home-based walking programs to supervised laboratory treadmill or exercise bicycle formats.

Recent changes in the healthcare system mean that more cancer care moves from the hospital to home, and there is increased opportunity for family involvement in the day-to-day care of their loved one.

Men with advanced prostate cancer (APC) sometimes find it helpful to get support for monitoring treatment schedules and managing symptoms and medication. But most of all, receiving the emotional support from someone you love and trust can make all the difference.