by Life Credit Company | Nov 11, 2019 | Cancer Treatments & Therapies
Planning is essential for any major life experience: going to college, buying a house, having a baby. The same can be said for a cancer diagnosis. Preparing and staying organized before for cancer treatment is often overlooked yet a highly essential component of a person’s journey through and beyond cancer. From the day a diagnosis is delivered to the moment the news of remission comes, having a cancer care plan can make each step a bit easier. How do I prepare for cancer treatment? Proactively consider the different areas of your life that will be changed by your diagnosis, and then explore the options and opportunities that exist within each to make those changes more manageable. A personalized cancer care plan should include: Treatment: Among the most important aspects of a cancer care plan is treatment. This portion of the strategy should include research about healthcare facilities, physicians and different treatments available. Patients should education themselves about the most common types of cancer treatment, including the costs, side effects and recovery times. Finances: A personal cancer care plan should address the patient’s overall financial picture, including estimated costs for treatments, co-pays, and other medical expenses. If you are looking for financial assistance and loans that cover medical expenses, contact Life Credit for immediate assistance at 1-888-274-1777 Caregiving: Cancer can interrupt daily responsibilities, such as caring for children or elderly parents. A cancer care plan can address how those obligations will be handled during a patient’s treatment and recovery, including rotating schedules of family and friends willing to pitch in and a rundown of the daily responsibilities related to each caregiving relationship.Cancer patients may find that in...
by Life Credit Company | Nov 11, 2019 | Cancer Research & News
As cancer continues to ravage countless lives around the globe, you may find yourself asking, “How can I help cancer research?” Patients with cancer are part of a worldwide community and investing in efforts to make that community smaller year by year can help those fighting their personal battle feel a bit more empowered and inspired. Here are a few ways that cancer patients, along with their loved ones, can support cancer research: Donate tissue: To really understand the root causes of cancer, researchers need to see the disease in action, and one of the best ways to do that is through live tissue. Agencies like the National Cancer Institute run large-scale research studies to which patients can donate tissue. Healthy tissue may also sometimes be needed, so family and friends of those fighting cancer should also explore this option. Organize a penny drive: A penny may not seem like much in the grand scheme of the need for money for cancer patients, but every cent counts. A penny drive in your neighborhood, through a child’s athletic group or at a local business can be a good way for the entire community of supporters surrounding a patient to do their part to give back. Take part in a research study: Clinical trials are going on every day around the country as researchers look for innovative ways to fuse science and technology in the fight against cancer. Anyone considering participating in a research study should consult with their oncologist first, as well as explore frequently asked questions and considerations, such as those provided by the Cancer Research Institute. Life Credit Loans for Cancer...
by Life Credit Company | Nov 5, 2019 | Cancer Research & News
Because of its commonly known association with smoking, lung cancer is likely one of the forms of the disease that most people could point to when they hear the word “cancer.” However, that doesn’t mean the public’s awareness about the condition is complete, or correct. Understanding the full extent of the risk factors, symptoms and treatments can help make all of us better informed and prepared should a diagnosis hit close to home. Beyond the 5 facts about lung cancer listed below, there are countless other nuances to the disease, so, should you find your own life impacted by lung cancer, it’s important to do your research and educate yourself. 5 Facts About Lung Cancer Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer. More than 1.8 million people around the world are diagnosed with lung cancer each year, including 222,500 Americans. It follows only breast cancer in the number of people affected. It has higher fatality rates than many other types of cancer. Nearly 160,000 people die of lung cancer each year—more than the rates for colon, breast and prostate cancers combined. Smoking is the leading — but not only — risk factor. Smoking cigarettes drastically increases your chances for contracting the disease, as does smoking cigars, pipes, and hookahs. However, up to 15% of lung cancer patients are non-smokers, with other risk factors including secondhand smoke, carcinogen exposure, and genetic mutations. There are four primary forms of lung cancer. The vast majority of cases are considered non-small cell lung cancer, while other forms include small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, and carcinoid tumors. A registry exists for...
by Life Credit Company | Nov 4, 2019 | Uncategorized
Some of the most common side effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation or surgery are well-known: hair loss, nausea, fatigue, appetite problems and many more. However, there are a number of conditions patients may face during and after treatment that aren’t often discussed, even though they can have a significant — and in some cases, lasting — effect on the patient’s quality of life. One such issue is complications with the pelvic floor muscles. If you’re wondering, “how does cancer treatment affect the pelvic floor?” the best place to start is first understanding what exactly the pelvic floor does — and how cancer treatment can potentially damage this function. What is the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor is a group of muscles located at the base of the pelvis, extending from your pubic bone to the tailbone. The muscles enable urinary and fecal continence, support sexual function, encase vital organs like the colon and bladder, and work with other muscles to keep the spine stable. How does cancer treatment affect the pelvic floor? The pelvic floor can be damaged to varying degrees during gynecological cancer treatments. Chemotherapy and radiation, for instance, may lead to thickening pelvic tissue, which can lead to incontinence, sexual dysfunction and pain. Patients who undergo surgery for gynecological cancers may experience swelling and scar-tissue growth, which also can inhibit the pelvic floor from functioning as it should. What are the options for patients? The impact of cancer treatments on pelvic floor functionality varies widely, depending on the individual patient. Some may only experience symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction temporarily, as they undergo treatment or...
by Life Credit Company | Oct 17, 2019 | Financial Assistance for Cancer Patients
When a medical crisis hits, one of the first things you may be thinking—but one of the last things you’re prepared for—is how to meet the financial burden of your diagnosis. In the case of cancer, patients have to contend with co-pays, treatment costs, medication regimens, leaves of absence from work and many more factors that can cause the medical bills to pile up, and debt to quickly climb. Thankfully, like other big-ticket expenses in life, there are loans available that can help patients confront some of that debt. If you’re exploring how to get a loan for medical expenses, the first thing to consider is the source, as everyone from banks to healthcare providers to private organizations have begun offering medical loans. The type of loan is also key, as each has a set APR that could end up pushing accrued interest sky-high and a term length that must also be evaluated realistically in light of the patient’s financial situation. It’s important to establish whether you want a fixed or variable loan rate—the first of which guarantees a locked-in interest rate, and the latter that can change over time. Eligibility is also a consideration, as personal loans all have varying requirements for applicants, particularly around credit score. Another avenue for getting a loan to cover medical expenses is through life insurance. In some cases, policyholders can borrow against their policy through a collateral assignment, which involves transferring the policy into the lender’s name so that that entity is the primary beneficiary. Alternately, options like Life Credit’s Living Benefits Loans also allow you to borrow against the value of...
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