Follow-up care at home

Finding out that you have cancer can come as a shock for you and your family. It is important to have a space in which you can talk. Patients and their families who wish to have a private meeting with a psychologist can do so at the Eugène Marquis Centre.

Meetings can take place while you are at the Eugène Marquis Centre for a consultation, a hospital stay, chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Our psychologists also run a number of workshops. To register for a workshop, contact the Meetings and Information Centre [Espace de Rencontres et d’Information] or call (+31) 02992 53029:

• “Now What?” workshop, for patients who have finished treatment
• “Hormone Therapy” workshop, for women with breast cancer who are undergoing hormone therapy
• “By The Way” workshop, a conversation group for parents (one of whom is ill) and a space for their children to express themselves

APA

Physical activity greatly improves well-being. You are advised to start or continue a form of physical activity suited to your capabilities, even during treatment. Studies show that adapted physical activity (APA) can help to reduce the side effects of treatment and illness such as fatigue, pain and weakness.

The Eugène Marquis Centre works with Rennes University Teaching Hospital and the Anti-Cancer League [Ligue contre le Cancer] to provide APA to patients through a retraining programme at a level adapted to their physical condition.

A consultation with a nurse will be held to assess your level of autonomy and your quality of life and to prepare your medical report. A medical consultation will also be held to determine the limits of your capabilities and develop a personalised exercise programme. You will then be referred to a sports educator.

Registration is free. All patients must register at the sports doctor’s reception desk at Rennes University Teaching Hospital on (+31) 02992 84133.

Committee 35 (Ille-et-Vilaine department) of the Anti-Cancer League [Ligue Contre le Cancer] also offers various workshops:

• Light gymnastics
• Walking sessions
• Yoga workshops

There are a number of associations that offer APA; the Meetings and Information Centre [Espace de Rencontres et d’Information] can provide you with a list.

Do you want to stop smoking? Do you want to reduce or stop your alcohol consumption?

Professionals at the Eugène Marquis Centre are available to help you achieve those goals, in collaboration with the addiction treatment team at Rennes University Teaching Hospital.

You can visit the Meetings and Information Centre (ERI) [Espace de Rencontres et d’Information],which has information boards to help you find your nearest addiction treatment centre.

Do not hesitate to talk to your oncologist, care team or general practitioner about addiction.

You will receive follow-up care while in hospital or during consultations at the Eugène Marquis Centre.

You may have questions about:

• The provision of care:Will my care be fully paid for (at home and at hospital)? Will I need insurance? Will my transport costs be fully reimbursed?
• Financial resources when you are ill:What financial resources do I have access to when I am ill? What do I need to do to apply for credit? Do I have any specific rights during illness?
• Professional life: I am a civil servant – what do I need to do if I need to take extended sick leave? Do my family members have specific rights to allow them to support me during my illness? What do I need to do to arrange my return to work (managing the role and working hours)? What do I need to do to have my illness recognised as an occupational disease?
• Daily life: What should I do to make daily life manageable (help at home, childcare, etc.)? What should I do if my home is no longer suitable for my condition?

Social workers are here to help you to find the best solutions for your situation. They will help you and your family with any changes that need to be made.

Our social workers can arrange to meet with you.
You may also be referred to the social services team by your care team during a consultation or during your time in hospital.

Meetings are available between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.

During your care, your oncologist will have prescribed you a targeted therapy to be taken orally.

To help you better manage your treatment and any side effects, you will be offered consultations with a specialist nurse, including:

• An initial support consultation
• Weekly telephone consultations during the first few weeks of your treatment
• One or more follow-up consultations before your consultation with your oncologist

During these consultations, you will discuss how your treatment will be carried out and what you can do to limit side effects. Your tolerance to the treatment will also be assessed. These consultations will help you to manage any side effects promptly and effectively.

Depending on your needs and expectations, your nurse will offer you the opportunity to participate in our therapeutic education programme entitled Managing oral targeted therapies and preventing side effects.

Your nurse may also refer you to staff members in the oncology patient support care department, such as the dietician or psychologist.

On matters related to your oral targeted therapy, the specialist nurse is your first point of contact at the Eugène Marquis Centre. They are also responsible for coordinating with your oncologist and with the healthcare professionals who treat you outside the Centre (such as your general practitioner, your pharmacist and independent nurses).

In 2011, the Eugène Marquis Centre was certified by the Regional Health Agency [Agence Régionale de Santé] as a chronic pain treatment centre specialising in cancer.
The Centre’s Pain Control Committee (CLUD) [Comité de Lutte contre la Douleur] develops and coordinates pain management throughout the establishment, working with specialists in each department.

• Pain can be managed in a variety of ways:
• Through drug therapy
• Through proven non-medication based methods

Analgesics are medicines that help relieve pain. Morphine and its derivatives are some of the most powerful and most commonly used painkillers at the Eugène Marquis Centre. Some types of pain require other medications, however.

Other approaches may be used where recommended following your medical assessment: technical approaches such as interventional radiology, radiotherapy and anaesthetic techniques; non-medication-based approaches such as transcutaneous neurostimulation, heat therapy (hot and cold), physical activity, physiotherapy, psychological support, hypnosis and osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Patient participation is always essential in managing pain, at all stages of care.

The Centre offers multidisciplinary care (involving doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, etc.) to help patients maintain a good quality of life, manage their pain, improve their sleep and carry out adapted physical activities with little or no side effects from the analgesic treatment prescribed. SOR (Standards, Options and Recommendations 2002).

The pain unit at the Eugène Marquis Centre offers:

• Medical consultations upon request from your attending doctor
• Nurse consultations for inpatients and outpatients
• Telephone follow-ups with the specialist pain nurse in collaboration with your pain doctor and referring doctors
• Hospital admission for assessment and/or treatment of pain

In collaboration with Rennes Chiropody–Podiatry Institute (IFPEK) [Ecole de Pédicurie-Podologie de Rennes], the Eugène Marquis Centre offers pedicure consultations to check for and treat secondary nail and sole problems caused by certain cancer treatments.During these consultations, you will be given care and advice.Care is provided by students under the supervision of a teacher trained in dealing with cancer-related problems.

Consultations are carried out on Tuesday afternoons. You must have your oncologist’s permission to be eligible for a consultation.

It is important to catch and treat foot problems early in order to limit the side effects of certain cancer treatments.

It is important to keep an eye on your nutrition throughout your care.A dietician is available to help you maintain good nutrition, find solutions to any problems (mucositis, difficulties swallowing, loss of appetite, etc.) and answer your questions (what foods to avoid, etc.).

After carrying out a nutritional assessment, the dietitian will give you advice specific to your situation, your condition and your treatment. They will ask you to weigh yourself regularly (once a week) and report any weight loss or gain to your care team.You may also be referred to a dietician by your care team during a consultation or during your time in hospital.

Our dietician also runs a “Hormone Therapy and Nutrition” workshop for women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer.You can register through the ERI. 

The dietician is available to meet with patients from 9 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. You can contact the office on (+31) 02992 53039.

To improve your comfort and well-being during and after surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy, during your time in hospital and during external consultations at the Eugène Marquis Centre you are entitled to free beauty and relaxation treatments with a socio-aesthetician.

The services on offer include:

• Facials
• Body massage
• Manicures
• Make-up advice and skincare
• Personalised advice depending on your needs (hair loss, dry skin, acne, etc.)

Take care of yourself by having a private session in a booth or participating in a group workshop. These services are open to men and women.

In addition to improving well-being, cosmetic and personal care helps manage the side effects of treatments on the skin, reintroducing soothing sensations to a body battered by disease and treatment and improving your self-image.