Oncology Patient Support

During the Genetic Risk Consultation we will assess your background and advise you on your personal cancer risk.

To do this we will put together a family tree and even carry out a genetic cancer test to establish your family's hypothetical risk.

Coping with the impact of the disease

The cancer diagnosis, the treatment, the subsequent monitoring and the potential for a recurrence of the disease can all have a strong psychological impact.

How might the disease affect me?

How can I recognise that my psychological state is being affected more than would be expected?

Can my emotional state influence the development of the disease?

How could psychological treatment help me?

In the Oncology Patient Support Unit, we offer:

• Assessment psychological care.
• Psychological care of patients during the various stages of the cancer process (diagnosis, treatment and disease-free interval). Outpatient, ward and day hospital support to facilitate adherence to psychological therapy.
• Emotional support and advice to family members of cancer patients.
• Psychological support to patients whose genetic results are positive. We teach them how to manage feelings of vulnerability, guide them in communication with their immediate family and accompany them emotionally while they make prophylactic decisions.
• Smoking cessation support for oncology patients.

We offer personalised diets for oncology patients, developed by our nutrition service:

• Nutrition assessment and guidelines before, during and after cancer treatment.
• Weight monitoring and control.
• Alleviating side effects through nutrition.
• Physical activity to tone muscles and avoid muscular atrophy.

We offer you the possibility to improve your well-being and complement treatments with acupuncture, a medical treatment that involves inserting needles into certain parts of the body and manipulating them.

This is a technique of Chinese origin that helps to alleviate insomnia and anxiety and helps to support cancer procedures:

• Its immunomodulatory effects help and support the immune system.
• It eases anxiety and improves well-being, helping with procedures that generate a lot of uncertainty.
• It helps to treat pain, particularly musculoskeletal or tissue pain after radiotherapy.
• It can provide protection against iatrogenic peripheral neuropathy.
• Helps to treat nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, as well as fatigue after chemotherapy.

We provide a specific consultation service for potential post-surgical treatments. In the infirmary we assess wound progress and schedule social support visits for the patient. During these visits we can help with any queries regarding treatments and their side effects and give advice on how to manage the disease.

Oncology physiotherapy helps the patient to prevent the possible development of sequelae, in addition to aiding with recovery. We particularly recommend this service if you suffer from any of the following:

Breast or gynaecologic cancer

• Lymphedema.
• Tightness.
• Pain.
• Axillary web syndrome.
• Fibrosis.
• Lack of mobility.
• Side effects of surgery.
• Side effects of radiotherapy.
• Side effects of chemotherapy (muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever, general malaise, tiredness).
• Side effects of hormone treatment (sexual dysfunction, stress incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse).

Colon cancer

• Incontinence.
• Pain.
• Fibrosis.
• Scars.
• Numbness.
• Lymphedema.
• Side effects of surgery.
• Side effects of radiotherapy.
• Side effects of chemotherapy (muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever, general malaise, tiredness).

Prostate cancer

• Stress urinary incontinence.
• Urge urinary incontinence.
• Anal, fecal or gas incontinence.
• Digestive disorders, such as constipation.
• Lymphedema in the lower limbs, penis, or scrotum.
• Scarring.
• Fibrosis.
• Pain.
• Side effects of surgery.
• Side effects of radiotherapy.
• Side effects of chemotherapy (muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever, general malaise, tiredness).

Lung cancer

• Side effects of surgery.
• Side effects of radiotherapy.
• Side effects of chemotherapy (muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever, general malaise, tiredness).
• Difficulty breathing.
• Fatigue and tiredness.
• Pain.
• Fibrosis.
• Lymphedema.

Areolar micropigmentation is a technique that consists of injecting pigment under the skin. We offer this service to all our oncology patients with a nurse specialised in oncology and plastic surgery to:

• Improve the aesthetic appearance of the nipple and areola after breast surgery.
• Hide surgical wound scars.
• Improve the appearance of the eyebrows when receiving chemotherapy treatment.

The professionals who provide this service coordinate with the Support Unit and are responsible for managing medical reports.

This service provides ongoing, direct or telephone contact with you and serves as the link between the Support Unit and the Oncology Department.

We also offer a variety of medical visits focused on a number of different issues, such as preservation of fertility, beauty and cosmetics, menopause or sleep disorders.

We organize group therapies, workshops and informative sessions:

• Multidisciplinary group therapy for women with breast cancer or gynaecologic cancer.
• Workshop for people with positive genetic results.
• Nutrition workshop for oncology patients.
• Informative sessions on genetics and cancer.
• Workshop on sexuality and cancer.