I have been on call this week supervising the inpatient Solid Tumor service. We admit patients to our team who have complications from cancer or who need to receive high doses of chemotherapy over several days. Last night we admitted a 25 year old young man to start chemotherapy treatment.
This young man had a prior history of a genetic disease called Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) that leads to countless polyps in the colon and an increased risk of colon cancer. When he was found to have masses on his liver and a large abdominal mass, it was assumed that he had developed a colon cancer. However, to add insult to injury, his biopsy showed that he had a completely unrelated cancer - a sarcoma that is a soft tissue type of cancer.
When I saw him this morning, I instinctively asked him, "How are you today?" He replied, "I have been better..." His response made me really appreciate you inappropriate and insensitive my seemingly mundane question had been. Of course, he was not doing well; he was going to die of his cancer as a young man, and he knew it.
I quickly shifted focus and asked him more specific questions about symptoms related to the chemo we were giving and examined him. I told him we were here if he needed anything and that he should not be shy about asking for nausea meds. He nodded in agreement, and we made our way out of the room.
I was struck by several things during this encounter. 1. Cancer sucks. 2. One should chose one's words carefully and really think before one speaks. 3. There is nothing more unfair than a young person afflicted by a terrible disease like cancer. 4. Finally, enjoy every moment of good health because health is until further notice.
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