Jai Pausch Addresses the Fear and Anxiety Caregivers Experience in the Aftermath of Cancer Treatment for Their Loved Ones with Cancer

Jai Pausch addresses how caregivers can help themselves and their loved ones with cancer deal with the anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness that often accompany a loved one's cancer diagnosis and treatment in her column on NCCN.com.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA — Caregivers and patients with cancer are not alone in grappling with feelings of fear and anxiety in the aftermath of cancer treatment, assures Jai Pausch in her new “Ask Jai” column on NCCN.com. Ms. Pausch, caregiver and widow of the late Randy Pausch, acclaimed Carnegie Mellon University professor and author of the internationally best-selling book The Last Lecture, responds to a reader’s question about how caregivers can help themselves and their loved ones with cancer deal with the anxiety, depression, and sleeplessness that often accompany a loved one’s diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Because living with cancer may also mean living with a high degree of uncertainty, Ms. Pausch encourages caregivers to become aware of their anxiety levels and to have strategies for regaining control when fear seems to have taken over, something she has personally dealt with as the primary caregiver of her husband. She also recommends seeking a counselor or the advice of a general practitioner who may recommend medications where appropriate to help cope with depression and sleeplessness. According to Ms. Pausch, caregivers and their loved ones can “enjoy life beyond cancer” by accepting help, raising self-awareness, and developing good coping skills. Visit NCCN.com to read the column in its entirety.

“Ask Jai” is a column on NCCN.com, the patient website of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®). NCCN.com features the NCCN Guidelines for Patients™ as well as enhanced content for patients and caregivers.

Jai Pausch, who is a Board Member of the NCCN Foundation, welcomes questions from patients, caregivers, and the general public. To submit a question to the “Ask Jai” column, e-mail questions to askjai@nccn.org.

About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®), a not-for-profit alliance of 23 of the world's leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives. For more information, visit NCCN.org.

The NCCN Member Institutions are:

City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center
Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center
Duke Cancer Institute
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center / Seattle Cancer Care Alliance
The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Stanford Cancer Institute
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Colorado Cancer Center
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center