Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Cancer patients need support not only from their families but also from fellow patients who have managed to beat the disease, an expert and a survivor have said.
The pair said collegial support is able to help cancer sufferers psychologically endure the pain that comes with the disease.
A group established in 2003 by cancer patients at the National Cancer Center of the Dharmais Cancer Hospital has helped hundreds of cancer patients survive the ordeal and live better lives.
""Cancer patients will be more trustful toward other patients, particularly those who have survived for years, rather than from people that don't know how it feels to suffer from the disease,"" psychologist Yohana Trihandoyo, a volunteer at the Cancer Information and Support Center (CISC) group, said during a workshop on treating cancer at the hospital Tuesday.
""Being around survivors that have been through the same condition ... will raise their hopes and help them feel that getting the disease doesn't really mean the end of their life,"" said Yohana, who herself is a breast cancer survivor.
Yuniko Deviana, 45, a cancer survivor at CISC, said many cancer patients who have joined the group show signs of physical improvement in addition to the psychological encouragement they receive.
""The patients showed a higher concentration of T-cells in their blood in periodic check-ups compared to those outside the group. This means that the patients' immunity has improved,"" she said.
Cancer, which is characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells that invade and destroy adjacent tissues, remains one of the world's most feared diseases.
""By joining the group, the patients will be able to share their feelings with other patients, and the success stories of the survivors will increase their optimism and encourage them to continue undergoing their treatment,"" Yohana said.
""In addition, the patients will also get useful and practical information that they don't receive from their doctors.""
Cancer remains one of the world's most lethal diseases and is highly prevalent in both advanced and developing countries due to a variety of factors including genetics and lifestyle habits.
A 2007 World Health Organization report estimated that around 7.6 million people died of various kinds of cancer worldwide in 2005 and about 8.4 million more will die within the next 10 years if effective measures are not taken to fight the disease.
In Indonesia, the most common forms of the disease are cervical cancer, breast cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.
According to research by the Asia Link Female Cancer Program in August 2006, among every 100,000 Indonesians, 100 are cervical cancer patients.
