Tag Archive for: Dr. Tycel Phillips

How Can I Manage Anxiety After Follicular Lymphoma Diagnosis?

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How Can I Manage Anxiety After Follicular Lymphoma Diagnosis? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can follicular lymphoma patients manage anxiety after diagnosis? Cancer patient Lisa Hatfield and expert Dr. Tycel Phillips from City of Hope discuss the experience of watch and wait and advice for coping with anxiety and being proactive in your care. 

See More from START HERE Follicular Lymphoma

Related Resources:

What Are the Signs It Is Time to Treat Follicular Lymphoma

 What To Do When Newly Diagnosed With Follicular Lymphoma

 Navigating Anxiety and Stress Following Follicular Lymphoma Treatment

Transcript:

Dr. Tycel Philllips:

It’s really about some patients are very uncomfortable being watched with an active cancer. And so, in that situation, that’s probably the biggest discrepancy we have nowadays. Because of the anxiety of the watch and wait approach. Some patients would like treatment right away, irrespective of whether they need it or not. So, you’ll sometimes get discrepancies with our patients about that.

Lisa Hatfield:

The clip you just heard was Dr. Tycel Phillips from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, who explained  how if follicular lymphoma patients are feeling anxious about being in the watch and wait period (aka not starting treatment), they may go seek a second opinion, which is perfectly fine and even encouraged by physicians.

However, even during the watch and wait period,  there are still things you can do to improve your health and well-being. Taking control of what you can control may help you feel less anxious. Here are some tips: 

  • Learn as much as you can about your diagnosis. Know the signs or symptoms that may mean it’s time to start treatment and stay up to date about the latest treatment advancements.
  • Establish a relationship with a hematologist-oncologist specializing in your diagnosis. Proactively becoming a patient under their care ensures that, if treatment becomes necessary, you’ll already have a healthcare professional familiar with your case andis  updated on the newest available treatments. This specialist does not need to be the same doctor overseeing you in watch and watch.
  • Attend all doctor appointments, even if you are feeling well. Some patients may stay stable for years before symptoms or disease progression makes treatment necessary. If you notice changes at any time, don’t wait to reach out to your healthcare team.
  • Maintain health insurance coverage, if at all possible. If you do need to begin treatment, you will need health insurance to help cover the cost. Even during watch and wait, regular appointments and testing can add up without health insurance coverage.
  • Improve your overall well-being with nutrition, exercise, and other good health practices, such as not smoking and moderating your alcohol intake. This approach positions you to tolerate treatment more effectively when the time comes, minimizing the risk of serious treatment complications.
  • Prioritize your mental health. Consider joining a support group or talk with a fellow watch and wait patient to help you work through your feelings and answer questions. If feelings of anxiety or depression begin to interfere with your daily activities, ask your healthcare team for a referral to a mental health professional.

These tips can be useful to you during the watch and wait period as they allow you to keep moving forward and be proactive!

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How Does Watch and Wait Work During Remission?

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How Does Watch and Wait Work During Remission? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What happens with watch and wait during remission? Cancer patient Lisa Hatfield and expert Dr. Tycel Phillips from City of Hope explain remission and what patients can expect for monitoring and appointments during periods of remission.

See More from START HERE Follicular Lymphoma

Related Resources:

Why Communication Is So Important in Managing Follicular Lymphoma Side Effects

 Relapsed and Refractory Follicular Lymphoma _ What Is It

 What Are Potential Comorbidities in Follicular Lymphoma

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Once you complete initial treatment and your doctor tells you you are in remission or no further treatment is needed at this time, you may feel both happy and/or concerned about how frequently you will be seen during this remission period. Perhaps it was a relief to go to your doctors’ appointments and hear everything is looking good – or on the flip slide, you may be glad to get back to “normal” life and not have your schedule revolve around appointments. Either way, you will be seeing your doctor at regular intervals. Listen as Dr. Tycel Phillips from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center explains what he does with his patients: 

Dr. Tycel Phillips:

The recommendation is really just clinical observation, meaning what I call well-being visits. Meaning I will see you in clinic at least every three months for the first year after completion of therapy. We do a system assessment, we’ll do a physical exam, we’ll do labs. Unless there is really something that at the completion of therapy that I’m concerned about, we won’t typically do any imaging.

We reserve imaging until there is a concern at some point, whether you have symptoms, there’s a lab issue, or there’s some other finding that comes up that means that we have to repeat pictures. So those visits I’ll do typically every three months for the first year, spaced out that every four months for the second year, post-treatment. And then every six months up until about year four. And then it’ll become a yearly visit thereafter, as long as you continue to remain well without symptoms and nothing on an exam that’s concerning.

Lisa Hatfield:

As Dr. Phillips says, you can expect to see your doctor every 3 months for the first year of remission  but always discuss this with your healthcare team as your hospital/treatment center may have a different cadence. The amount of follow-up depends on factors such as the treatment you have had,  how long it’s been since you completed treatment, and if you were treated as part of a clinical trial. 

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Why Communication Is So Important in Managing Follicular Lymphoma Side Effects

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Why Communication Is So Important in Managing Follicular Lymphoma Side Effects from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can communication help in managing follicular lymphoma side effects? Cancer patient Lisa Hatfield and expert Dr. Tycel Phillips from City of Hope share advice and benefits of open communication about side effects.

See More from START HERE Follicular Lymphoma

Related Resources:

How Does Watch and Wait Work During Remission

 Relapsed and Refractory Follicular Lymphoma _ What Is It

 What Are Potential Comorbidities in Follicular Lymphoma

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Though doctors can observe some patient information in blood tests and other lab work, they  also must hear from their patients. Patients are the ones who know how you’re feeling, and this is why it’s vital for you to communicate with your doctor about any symptoms and side effects that you experience. Treatment can often be adjusted to minimize symptoms and side effects to provide patients with optimal quality of life while fighting your cancer. Listen as Dr. Tycel Phillips discusses further.

Dr. Tycel Phillips:

For the most part, there are logical next steps that we can implement to either eliminate the side effects or hopefully prevent them from future treatment regimens. And also, other concerns that you may have. I mean, you only get one life. And this is your body. 

I try to explain to my patients, “I don’t want you to wait until the next visit if you have issues.” I mean, we need to sort of manage these in real time. Even things we don’t take care of right then and there, again, it gives us a heads up and a head start to try to take care of these problems the next time you come to the clinic.

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