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The Role of Supportive Care in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Treatment

The Role of Supportive Care in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Treatment

The Role of Supportive Care in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma Treatment

By Katrina Fu

Supportive care works in conjunction with oncology treatment by helping patients manage the physical, emotional, and social side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.Please find below a list of PTCL treatment centers.

To learn more, we spoke with Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwa,PhD, MPH, FNP-BC,AOCNP, CPHON, TCTCN about peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) treatment side effects, mental health support, and her advice for PTCL patients.

Supportive care works in conjunction with oncology treatment by helping patients manage the physical, emotional, and social side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.Please find below a list of PTCL treatment centers.

To learn more, we spoke with Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwa,PhD, MPH, FNP-BC,AOCNP, CPHON, TCTCN about peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) treatment side effects, mental health support, and her advice for PTCL patients.

Supportive care works in conjunction with oncology treatment by helping patients manage the physical, emotional, and social side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.Please find below a list of PTCL treatment centers.

To learn more, we spoke with Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwa,PhD, MPH, FNP-BC,AOCNP, CPHON, TCTCN about peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) treatment side effects, mental health support, and her advice for PTCL patients.

Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwu

Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwu, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, AOCNP,
CPHON, TCTCN, is a Nurse Scientist at the Phyllis F. Cantor
Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is also an
Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwu, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, AOCNP, CPHON, TCTCN, is a Nurse Scientist at the Phyllis F. Cantor Center at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is also an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

What are the most common side effects of PTCL treatments? How can these side effects be addressed medically, and what self-care strategies can help patients manage them day to day?

PTCL treatments, like other cancer treatments, have a range of side effects. Some of the physical side effects, include things like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and mild sores. One of the biggest concerns, not just for patients with PTCL but for anyone who is immunocompromised, is the risk of infection.

Regarding medically addressing side effects, for specific symptoms such as nausea or pain, there are medications that can be used to help patients deal with these side effects. From a self-care standpoint, there are some data to support relaxation exercises that might be helpful for patients to navigate symptoms and improve their overall wellbeing.

Please visit the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society to learn more about relaxation exercises.
Please visit the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society to learn more about relaxation exercises.
Please visit the National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society to learn more about relaxation exercises.

How does PTCL diagnosis impact mental health? What resources are available to help support patients mentally and emotionally?

It’s hard to be specific only to PTCL because cancer is a life-threatening illness. Patients who are affected have a range of psychological symptoms that really affect their overall health. Patients commonly experience anxiety, depression, and fear of their cancer coming back after a PTCL or cancer diagnosis.

Day to day, patients worry and ask themselves,“How am I going to wake up? How am I going to live? How long am I going to survive? Will my family be around? Will I be around? What will happen to my children? Is my treatment going to work?” This can take a toll on their mental health.

There are some cancer-specific mental health resources available on websites such as Blood Cancer United. However, I find that having day-to-day conversations with patients, peer-to-peer support, family support, and caregiver support is really what makes the difference. The important thing to remember is that patients shouldn’t rely on just one resource. There are different resources that patients can utilize at different times during their cancer journeys that best suit them and help them with their mental health impairments.

What advice would you give a patient who wants to take a proactive role in their wellbeing during PTCL treatment?

There are often institutional resources that allow patients to record their symptoms which helps them be more proactive. For example, some institutions have patients answer questions that bring forth potential concerns before they meet with their care team.

Additionally, I encourage patients to bring in a caregiver, like a family member, to hospital visits. Patients are inundated with a lot of things when they visit their physician, nurse, or care team. It can be difficult to remember to ask questions. However, if a partner, sibling, or friend is there, they can ask certain questions that the patient may forget. I also recommend patients to pay attention to their stress and determine triggers that increase their stress as well as finding stress reduction strategies.

Truthfully, I think that this question shouldn’t only be directed at patients. I think we as clinicians–like nurses, physicians, the whole care team–have an important role in helping with a patient’s proactiveness. When we, as clinicians, show an interest in wanting to help patients beyond just treating their lymphoma (paying attention to their side effects, stress, and mental health), patients will feel that they can take a more active role in their care. Essentially, clinician engagement helps patient engagement since patients will feel more empowered to ask questions and not be afraid to say how they’re feeling.

What advice would you give a patient who wants to take a proactive role in their wellbeing during PTCL treatment?

There are often institutional resources that allow patients to record their symptoms which helps them be more proactive. For example, some institutions have patients answer questions that bring forth potential concerns before they meet with their care team.

Additionally, I encourage patients to bring in a caregiver, like a family member, to hospital visits. Patients are inundated with a lot of things when they visit their physician, nurse, or care team. It can be difficult to remember to ask questions. However, if a partner, sibling, or friend is there, they can ask certain questions that the patient may forget. I also recommend patients to pay attention to their stress and determine triggers that increase their stress as well as finding stress reduction strategies.

Truthfully, I think that this question shouldn’t only be directed at patients. I think we as clinicians–like nurses, physicians, the whole care team–have an important role in helping with a patient’s proactiveness. When we, as clinicians, show an interest in wanting to help patients beyond just treating their lymphoma (paying attention to their side effects, stress, and mental health), patients will feel that they can take a more active role in their care. Essentially, clinician engagement helps patient engagement since patients will feel more empowered to ask questions and not be afraid to say how they’re feeling.