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In the following section, we provide you with an overview of physical and psychological symptoms which may emerge in the process of a serious illness. The team at CIO will endeavour to do everything to keep minimized adverse influences on your quality of life caused by illness related symptoms. Physical signs such as nausea, pain or insomnia, as well as mental conditions, e.g. a sense of hopelessness or sorrow can be treated effectively.  For this we use the newest medical procedures and well proven drug and non-pharmacological methods.

Physical and psychological symptoms have been shown to influence each other. For example, the success of a therapy can be negatively influenced when you are affected by fear and anxiety, pain or a sense of helplessness. On the other hand, the progression of your illness can be positively influenced by the feeling that you are informed about it and have some control at least over aspects of your illness such as pain and other associated symptoms.

Symptoms that occurs most frequently:

Pain

Many people believe that a serious illness such as cancer automatically causes pain. Pain is possible but is not always present.  Indeed, pain occurs only in some cases and almost always modern pain management can significantly ease or alleviate  cancer pain.  

Organ-specific and unspecific Symptoms

Depending which organ is affected by cancer, organ specific symptoms can occur. With regard to the lung for example, breathing problems can be experienced  as very stressful and often initiate anxiety and fear. Depending on the underlying cause, however, such problems can be managed well. Frequent causes of breathing problems are fluid retention in the abdomen or part of the lungs, as well as unsuitable body posture. If breathing difficulties are caused by fear or anxiety, often a chat or the presence of a familiar person will help to alleviate fears. You as the patient but also your relatives should feel confident that you can reach a doctor quickly.  Often a conversation with a priest or counsellor will help. Of primary importance is the knowledge that respiratory problems  can be satisfactorily relieved.   Effectively overcoming anxiety and fear (through drugs or the presence of carers) often improves breathing difficulties significantly. Opening doors or windows can also reduce anxiety and fear associated with breathing problems. A posture which is comfortable for you and does not restrict you is also very important; most patients  generally benefit from an upright, sitting position.  In some cases, an effective  pharmacological therapy with morphine may also be considered.  Many patient wrongly believe that a malignant lung disease must be associated with  shortness of breath (s.o.b.). It is true however, that a sensation of s.o.b. can occur. What is important for you is to know that s.o.b. can be treated and managed effectively. Should you experience breathing problems, please inform us. Depending on the cause, this problem can often be relieved by simple physiological measures, such as changing posture or opening windows and doors.

Loss of appetite

Loss of appetite is sometimes of great concerns to our patients, so please talk about this problem  with us if it affects you. Loss of appetite is not always treated because in some cases, the body uses this as a mechanism to avoid burdensome food intake, and the administration of artificial nutrition would not be useful. However, sometimes it is prudent to give a patient medication to stimulate the appetite or to administer artificial or nutrition parenteral , in situation where the patient is hungry but, due to certain symptoms, is unable to eat. 

Side effects associated with treatment

Many patients are afraid of side effects of the medication used.  This applies particularly for strong opioid analgesics such as morphine. Although it is true that this important and potent pain reliever can cause constipation and temporary nausea and/or vomiting or generate a feeling of drowsiness in the beginning of the treatment, these side effects are transient or treatable. The unwarranted fear of becoming ‘addicted’ also prevents some patients from agreeing to such medication. However, it does not make any sense to forgo a good pain management or similar regimen as you would do yourself more harm refusing such a regimen, than you would by taking the drugs themselves. Please always discuss your concerns openly with the treating physician or nurse. Most always, they can make it much easier for you to understand the merits of the therapy and the unnecessary fears or misunderstandings.  

Anxiety, Fear and Depression

Open questions, as well as the uncertainty of whether and how the illness  is progressing, can generate anxiety, fear and depression. Besides medical care, specially trained personnel will give you advice and assistance in processing those temporary  mood swings or depression. 

Rare Symptoms

Coughing,  difficulty in swallowing or fluid retention in the abdominal cavity (ascites) are rare.