Oncologic patient

Table of Contents:

1. What is meant by oncology patient?
2. The rights of the oncology patient
3. Side effects of oncology therapies

What is an oncology patient?

An oncology patient is a patient who has suffered or is suffering from a tumor. Because of his or her particular clinical condition, the oncology patient requires a multidisciplinary approach and has to be followed in a different way than patients suffering from other diseases.

The oncology patient must receive special care in accordance with his or her disease and therapy.

The rights of the oncology patient

The fragile condition of the oncology patient, both physically and psychologically, means that the patient’s care and assistance needs do not only include therapeutic treatments. From both a social and economic point of view, cancer patients are legally and economically protected in order to guarantee them a dignified life in spite of their condition.

• The patient must receive clear and comprehensible information on the state of his illness, on the tests to be performed, on the therapeutic options and their side effects: even the sick family members have the right to social and psychological support.
• The patient has the right to request consultations with doctors outside the hospital and to request, for this reason, his medical records with his detailed clinical situation.
• Drugs, visits and examinations for the treatment of the tumor and any complications arising from it are not to be paid for because the patient is entitled to exemption from payment of the bill.
• Depending on the type of disability recognized, oncology patients are entitled to a disability pension, a disability allowance, compensation for support and an assistance allowance.

These are just a few examples of the rights to which cancer patients are entitled. However, for more information, it is advisable to contact your primary care physician or Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology specialist.

Side effects of oncological therapies

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may have different side effects, which may appear depending on the patient’s physical situation and the stage of tumor progression. Among these, we find:

• Gastrointestinal disorders: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite, among others.
• Problems with the bone marrow, which loses the ability to regenerate blood cells and thus causes diseases such as anemia, thalassemia and leukopenia.
• Generalized fatigue, hair loss and skin disorders.
• Peripheral neuropathy.
• Problems related to fertility and sexuality.