32 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • MARСH 19, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Thriving with a brain tumor
A brain tumor can result in a wide
range of physical and emotional changes,
but proactively managing your coping
strategy can have a signifi cant impact
on your treatment program and quality
of life.
Manage the physical side eff ects.
Oft entimes, the side eff ects associated
with a brain tumor and its treatment are
as troublesome as the tumor itself. Be prepared
to experience changes throughout
your body, such as your skin and nails,
hair, weight, digestive system and nerves.
Your medical team can provide recommendations
for therapies and at-home
remedies that ease your discomfort and
reduce the severity of the side eff ects.
Explore treatment options. For decades,
clinicians have sought better treatment
options for patients with brain tumors.
Th e current standard of care for patients
with brain tumors is surgical removal of
the tumor in combination with radiation
therapy and at times chemotherapy.
However, patients in most cases must wait
2-3 weeks for the surgical incision from
tumor removal to heal before beginning
radiation treatment.
An FDA-cleared option for patients
with newly diagnosed malignant brain
tumors and recurrent brain tumors,
GammaTile Th erapy, involves placing
small tiles embedded with radiation into
the tumor cavity immediately aft er surgically
removing the brain tumor. Th is
allows radiation to be delivered directly
to the remaining tumor cells with no
treatment delay. Th e unique design of the
treatment tiles keeps the radiation source
from directly touching healthy brain tissue
while delivering a controlled treatment
dose to the tumor cells, limiting the
side eff ects typically associated with radiation.
Once the radiation dose is delivered,
the collagen tile is absorbed naturally
by the body over time. Because the
therapy is implanted at the end of surgery,
patients require no additional trips to the
hospital or clinic for radiation therapy.
Arm yourself with information.
Treating a brain tumor is a personal journey
and there are many variables that
can aff ect the path you choose. Dedicate
yourself to researching everything you
can about your particular diagnosis,
treatment options, what to expect and
the pros and cons of each decision. Th at
knowledge can restore a sense of power
in a situation where so many things may
feel beyond your control.
Nurture your emotional health. A brain
tumor diagnosis is loaded with plenty
of strong emotional responses, and you
may fi nd yourself quickly overwhelmed.
Finding healthy ways to acknowledge and
process those feelings can help you feel
better prepared to cope with your diagnosis.
Dedicate time
each day to relaxation,
meditation
or another activity
like reading or
yoga that
can help you free your mind.
Practice effective communication.
Voicing your concerns to loved ones and
talking openly with your medical team
can have a profound impact on your ability
to navigate your diagnosis and treatment.
Freely asking questions and ensuring
you have a strong understanding
about what to expect can ease your mind,
and openly discussing your thoughts and
needs with those around you ensures they
are in a better position to off er the support
you need.
Learn more about your treatment
options for brain tumors at GammaTile.
com.
— Courtesy of Family Features
/WWW.QNS.COM
