Content tagged with 'Cancer'
Comparative Effectiveness Research: Marty Tenenbaum, Founder & Chairman of Cancer Commons
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 13, 2013 | Marty Tenenbaum
There is a large disparity of information across the medical world. If you consult 6 doctors, you’ll likely get 6 opinions about how to treat your cancer. And 5-year survivals may vary as much as 50%. This is inexcusable.
Comparative Effectiveness Research: Ann Fonfa, President and Founder of the Annie Appleseed Project
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 6, 2013 | Ann Fonfa
To me it’s obvious that Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) is a good way to get to meaningful patient outcomes. It compares real things that will make a difference. Right now we have efficacy without effect. In my field we are worried about drug-herb interactions; what about drug-drug interactions? I’m looking forward to CER really drilling down to what works for patients in a meaningful way.
Hospitals: Are We All Talking?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 22, 2013 | Elaine Waples
Complications from my cancer sent me to the hospital again recently. The news that I was in trouble came unexpectedly from my oncologist’s office on Thanksgiving eve, following a routine blood test. “Your liver numbers are out of whack.” My response was “Really?” as if I’d been notified that my driver’s license had expired.
Comparative Effectiveness Research: Ellen Stovall, Former President and CEO, Currently Senior Health Policy Advisor of the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 7, 2013 | Ellen L. Stovall
CER is particularly important in the age of personalized approaches to making decisions about cancer treatments and things like genomic testing. Doctors and patients alike are realizing that there are inadequate studies to assess the clinical utility of new interventions.
True Informed Consent Is Elusive
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 26, 2012 | Harriet Hall
Most of us would agree that doctors should not treat patients without their consent, except in special cases like emergency care for an unconscious patient. It’s not enough for doctors to ask “Is it OK with you if I do this?”
Cancer: Exercise Reduces Tiredness
HBNS STORY | November 15, 2012
Aerobic exercise can help relieve the fatigue often associated with cancer and cancer treatment, according to Cochrane researchers.
Dealing With Cancer
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 23, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
I was interviewed, along with several other cancer survivors, for the October issue of Washingtonian Magazine. "Dealing With Cancer" by Karina Giglio, offers advice on how to choose your doctors, what websites you can trust, how to help a friend with cancer and other resources to help you or a loved one get through treatment.
Even With Insurance, Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment Persist
HBNS STORY | July 26, 2012
A new study in Ethnicity & Disease finds that racial disparities in breast cancer treatment persist even when Black and White patients have the same Medicaid health insurance and similar economic status.
Why I Write: A Doctor's Tribute to Her Mother
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 23, 2012 | Leana Wen
My mother, Sandy Ying Zhang, is my role model and my inspiration for what I do every day. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her forties, and fought it courageously for seven years until she passed away in 2010.
Guest Blog: Is Genomic Medicine Clinically Useful Yet?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 17, 2012 | Brian Klepper
The news of my wife Elaine's primary peritoneal cancer 27 months ago began a fevered effort to learn all we could about her disease and our options. 'Gold standard' treatments notwithstanding, the prognosis isn't good. So with molecular profiling, we stand at the leading edge of a hugely promising, alternative paradigm.
Coordinating Cancer Care Remains a Challenge
HBNS STORY | July 11, 2012
People with cancer often receive fragmented and uncoordinated care, as their treatments often require help from multiple clinicians. However, a new review by The Cochrane Library finds no evidence that three main strategies designed to improve coordination of cancer care are effective.
Guest Blog: Still the Best Policy: Being Honest With Your Children About Cancer
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 3, 2012 | Lisa Bonchek Adams
While there may be exceptions, in general I firmly believe it's important to be open and honest with children about serious illness (in my case it was cancer). Not only is it important to explain it to them to de-mystify illness, it can also be crucial that children be aware of the condition in case of emergency.
Guest Blog: Shying Away From Talking About Risks
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 26, 2012 | Elaine Schattner
Recently, I wrote a piece in The Atlantic about how doctors and patients talk about the risks of chemotherapy (or not), including the risks of causing another form of cancer. If you get chemotherapy, you have the right to know about these risks, and to ask your doctor about them.
Guest Blog: Old Puzzles, Busy Guys and New Science
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 11, 2012 | Elaine Waples
I am a two year cancer survivor, in remission, feeling good, and focusing on a quality of life that I perhaps took all too much for granted in the past. But like all cancer survivors, I worry about what may be happening inside my body...
Three Fears May Discourage Colorectal Cancer Screening
HBNS STORY | April 30, 2012
New research about why people forego colorectal cancer (CRC) screening suggests that three fears play a significant role; fear of embarrassment, fear of getting AIDS and fear of pain may make some seniors skip the potentially lifesaving tests.
Why Can I Only Get Health Care from 9 to 5, M thru F?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 28, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
Last week, the waiting room of the out-patient cancer clinic looked like an airport lounge without the rolling suitcases. There were about 20 of us cancer survivor-types talking on our smartphones, fiddling with our iPads, reading The New York Times...What's wrong with this picture?
Guest Blog: What Does it Mean if Primary Care Doctors Get the Answers Wrong About Screening Stats?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 22, 2012 | Elaine Schattner
Recently the Annals of Internal Med'icine pub'lished a new report on how doctors (don't) under'stand cancer screening stats. This unusual paper reveals that some primary care physi'cians ' a majority of those who com'pleted a survey ' don't really get the numbers on cancer inci'dence, 5-''year sur'vival and mortality.
Guest Blog: How Information Can Help Conquer Fear
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 19, 2012 | Andrew Schorr
I spent one day last week at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston...The waiting room is sizeable but quickly becomes jammed with people...Some look the picture of health. Others wear masks and are pushing IV poles'We're all there because we have a serious diagnosis and we want to see doctors who are among the best. The faces show a mixture of fear, courage and confidence.
Guest Blog: Is My Cancer in the Wrong Body Part?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 2, 2012 | Elaine Waples
For the past two years of chemotherapy and difficult treatment, I have struggled to suppress what feels like a petty sentiment about all the pink attention. If I just own up to it, I feel left out and I really want a parade with everyone wearing teal in support of ovarian research and care. My cancer!
The Unanticipated Price of Successful Cancer Treatment: Appropriate Health Care for Survivors
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 22, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
The day I completed treatment for Hodgkin Disease in 1974, my oncologist shook my hand, wished me luck and said good-bye. 'But how will I know if the cancer comes back? I asked.
Lessons from the Year of Living Sick-ishly
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | January 11, 2012 | Jessie Gruman
The new year set me reflecting about what I've learned about being sick over the past 12 months that only the experience itself could teach me. You know that old Supremes song, 'You Can't Hurry Love'? I learned that you can't necessarily hurry healing either, even if you work hard at it.
1st Person: Cancer Diagnosis Can't Squash His Spirit
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 28, 2011 | First Person
Twelve years ago, Syd Ball's local urologist told him that prostate-removal surgery and radiation therapy were his only options to treat his early stage prostate cancer. After a second opinion from a urologic oncologist at Johns Hopkins University, Syd participated in active surveillance to avoid the serious side effects associated with treating prostate cancer.
1st Person: After Years of Treatment, a Time to Wait
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 28, 2011 | First Person
For many freshmen, the first year of college is devoted to classes, work and socializing, with little thought given to health or longevity. But for Nikkie Hartmann, a Chicago-based public relations professional, the start of her college career also marked the start of 14 years of dealing with cancer.
Breast Cancer Patients More Satisfied When Specialists Share Care Management
HBNS STORY | December 15, 2011
Patients with breast cancer report greater satisfaction when their cancer doctor co-manages care with other specialists, finds a new study in Health Services Research.
The Waiting is the Hardest Part
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 14, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
That old Tom Petty song, 'The Waiting is the Hardest Part,' keeps running through my mind. Four of my friends are waiting to hear the results of medical tests taken last week.
Who Will Help Cancer Survivors Stay Healthy When Treatment is Over?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 16, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
It is completely understandable if you associate the term 'cancer survivor' with an image of glamorous, defiant Gloria Gaynor claiming that She. Will. Survive. Or maybe with a courageous Lance Armstrong in his quest to reclaim the Tour de France. Or perhaps it is linked for you with heroic rhetoric and pink-related racing, walking and shopping.
Guest Blog: On Alcohol and Breast Cancer, Guilt, Correlations, Fun, Moderation, Doctors' Habits, Advice and Herbal Tea
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 11, 2011 | Elaine Schattner
Few breast cancer news items irk some women I know more than those linking alcohol con'sumption to the disease.
Guest Blog: Think Silver'Not Pink'for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 1, 2011 | Amy Berman
Because cancer is primarily a disease of aging, we shouldn't be thinking pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month'we should be thinking silver.
Drop-kicked into a Foreign Country
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 26, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
We patients are always tourists in the world of health care. Whether we are coming to our doctor's office to rule out a strep infection, a clinic for a bi-monthly diabetes check-in, or a hospital for surgery, we don't work here.
Pink Ribbons, Mixed Emotions
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 18, 2011 | Patient Perspectives
October is national Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and recently, breast cancer patients and survivors alike have shared their (sometimes disparate) thoughts and feelings about these four weeks.
Guest Blog: Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer Clamor for a Different Awareness Level
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | October 4, 2011 | Gary Schwitzer
October is breast cancer awareness month. But October 13th is National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) argue that "awareness" should not be the only message ' or even the main message'of the month. Here are 13 facts they think you should know...
Guest Blog: Uncoordinated Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 30, 2011 | Andrew Robinson
I sit looking at the phone. I'm having a medical problem that needs attention, but I don't know who to call. Here's why...
Routine Follow-up Mammography Benefits Breast Cancer Survivors
HBNS STORY | September 28, 2011
After breast cancer surgery, a follow-up regimen that includes regular mammograms offers a survival benefit over a follow-up regimen that does not include mammograms, according to a new systematic review.
Guest Blog: We Interrupt This State Fair for a Little Prostate Cancer Screening
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 7, 2011 | Gary Schwitzer
There are a few things a man should think about seriously before rolling up his sleeve for the supposedly "simple" blood test. 'But here, prostate cancer screening is hawked in the same setting as the modern-day carnies pitching their slice-'em-and-dice-'em devices and inventions you only see at the state fair - "only at this price today!"
Patient Navigators Might Reduce Disparities in Cancer Care
HBNS STORY | August 16, 2011
Past research shows that minorities suffer higher rates of advanced cancer and deaths from all types of cancer compared to whites. The role of “patient navigator” is emerging as a tool to address these disparities.
Guest Blog: Laurel & Hardy and Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | August 10, 2011 | Gary Schwitzer
A drug currently used for benign prostate problems is now being pushed for prostate cancer prevention. But the FDA warns there's evidence it may actually result in more advanced cancers.
1st Person: I Think So Too
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 19, 2011 | First Person
Breast cancer survivor, Lisa Bonchek Adams, blogs about life-changing events including a cancer diagnosis, the sudden death of a family member, and having a child with medical challenges. She combines medical, psychological, and sociological viewpoints to these and other topics. You can read this post and follow her at LisaBAdams.com.
Patient Advocates: Flies In The Ointment Of Evidence-Based Care
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | July 18, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
The women recounted how their lives had been saved as they pleaded for the Food and Drug Administration not to withdraw approval for Avastin as a treatment for advanced breast cancer. They did so even without evidence that it provides benefit and with evidence that it confers risks.
Guest Blog: No Magic Bullets for the 'War on Cancer'
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 30, 2011 | Kenny Lin
Nearly forty years ago, President Richard Nixon famously declared a "War on Cancer" by signing the National Cancer Act of 1971. Like the Manhattan Project, the Apollo program that was then landing men on the Moon, and the ongoing (and eventually successful) World Health Organization-led initiative to eradicate smallpox from the face of the Earth, the "War on Cancer" was envisioned as a massive, all-out research and treatment effort. We would bomb cancer in submission with powerful regimens of chemotherapy, experts promised, or, failing that, we would invest in early detection of cancers so that they could be more easily cured at earlier stages.
African-Americans With Thyroid Cancer Fare Worse Than Whites
HBNS STORY | June 21, 2011
African-Americans have fewer incidences of thyroid cancer but have a more advanced form of the disease once they receive a diagnosis — and are more likely to die from it, according to a new study.
Young Asian/Pacific Islander Women in Calif. Face Higher Breast Cancer Risk
HBNS STORY | June 21, 2011
Young Asian/Pacific Islander women born in California have higher risks of breast cancer than young white women, and some groups, including Filipinas, might have higher risks than African-Americans.
Guest Blog: Making Hard Decisions Easier
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 13, 2011 | Amy Berman
Shortly after I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer a scan showed a hot spot on my lower spine. Was it the spread of cancer? My oncologist scheduled a bone biopsy at my hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, in order for us to find out.
Appointment in Samarra*: Our Lives of Watchful Waiting
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 8, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
Watchful waiting has become a way of life for many of us. Last week Sam had his first six-month scan following treatment for esophageal cancer. It showed that that the original cancer had not recurred and that the tumors behind his eyes and the hot spots on his kidneys and liver hadn't grown. Sam and his wife, Sonia, are celebrating for a few days before they return to worrying, checking for symptoms and counting the days until the next scan.
1st Person: Cancer Diagnosis Can't Squash His Spirit
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | June 6, 2011 | First Person
Twelve years ago, Syd Ball's local urologist told him that prostate-removal surgery and radiation therapy were his only options to treat his early stage prostate cancer. After a second opinion from a urologic oncologist at Johns Hopkins University, Syd participated in active surveillance to avoid the serious side effects associated with treating prostate cancer.
Why Do People Stop Taking Their Cancer Meds?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | May 19, 2011 | David Harlow
David Harlow highlights recent research that finds that people stopped taking their cancer medications due to high costs and a burden from taking a number of prescription drugs broadening the picture of poor medication adherence.
Poster Child for Survivorship Planning
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | March 16, 2011 | Jessie Gruman
I am a poster child for why everyone who has had cancer needs to work with their doctor(s) to develop and implement a survivorship plan.
Cancer Survivorship and Fear
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 28, 2011 | Andrew Schorr
I had breakfast this morning with my friend, Dave Garcia. Dave is a pit boss on the graveyard shift at the Belagio Hotel in Las Vegas. He is also a 52-year-old chronic lymphocytic leukemia survivor. Today he was to see his oncologist and get his latest blood test results. Would his white blood count be in the normal range? As you can imagine, Dave was on pins and needles.
Guest Blog: I'm Dying To Know
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 24, 2011 | Amy Berman
In some ways, I consider myself lucky. I know this is a strange comment from someone diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer. I say this, though, because the first steps on my journey with end-stage cancer were undertaken with the help of a team of health care professionals who excelled not only in medicine, but also in communication.|
1st Person: Reference Range- A Video Poem On What "Normal" Means
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 17, 2011 | First Person
A nurse in practice for thirty-five years, Veneta Masson's evocative video poem, Reference Range, speaks from both her personal and professional experiences with health care. Dealing with test results and diagnostic technology, Veneta wonders, "Is it normal, you ask. Normal's a shell game you seldom win."
Combined Interventions Ease Job Re-Entry for Cancer Survivors
HBNS STORY | February 15, 2011
For cancer survivors who wish to return to work after treatment, a new evidence review suggests that therapies focusing on a wide range of health interventions might best enable them to do so.
Radiation Helps Cure Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, but Future Cancer Risk a Concern
HBNS STORY | February 15, 2011
A systematic review comparing treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma found a clear advantage to combined chemotherapy and radiation. However, the review did not address long-term side effects associated with radiation.
Can Good Care Produce Bad Health?
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 15, 2011 | Amy Berman
For those of you who haven't yet heard, I have recently been diagnosed with Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer. This rare form of breast cancer is known for its rapid spread. True to form, it has metastasized to my spine. This means my time is limited. As a nurse, I knew it from the moment I saw a reddened spot on my breast and recognized it for what it was.
The Dilemma of Digital Mammography
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | February 7, 2011 | Trudy Lieberman
The rapid changeover from traditional mammography'pictures taken with film'to the new digital imaging technology poses a thorny dilemma for women, especially those over 65. The scientific evidence suggests that digital mammography does not improve the detection of breast cancer in older women.
Black and Hispanic Women With Breast Cancer Face Treatment Delays
HBNS STORY | February 1, 2011
At a time when access to prompt treatment might affect survival, a large new study finds that African-American and Hispanic women newly diagnosed with breast cancer often face delays in care of more than a month.
Why Medical Testing Is Never a Simple Decision
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 20, 2010 | Marya Zilberberg
A women goes from healthy to heart transplant patient in just a few weeks. Could this have been avoided? True positives, false positives, false negatives, true negatives'how can we understand and use our test results to make good treatment decisions?
Stem Cell Treatment Is Effective for Certain Cases of Acute Leukemia
HBNS STORY | December 9, 2010
Some adults and children with acute leukemia could benefit from certain transplants of blood stem cells, but the benefits are not equal across all cases of leukemia, according to a new review of 15 studies.
Powerful Patients Revisited
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | December 7, 2010 | Andrew Schorr
There's some confusion out there in the media that Patient Power is only about patients holding hands and providing emotional support to one another. It's the warm and fuzzy side of medicine, like sitting at someone's bedside. That support is terrific. But these days the leadership role of a well-intentioned and well-informed patient doesn't stop there.
Conversation Continues: Health News We're Watching
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 12, 2010 | CFAH Staff
Slate picks up on news about the recent Lung Cancer CT Scan study, which was also covered by Gary Schwitzer and others, in this Explainer column: Full-Body Scam: Should you ask your doctor to CT scan you from head to toe?
Health News Stories We're Watching:
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 10, 2010 | CFAH Staff
Two new posts by Gary Schwitzer on the Health News Review Blog this week. One on the promotion of CT screening after the release of the recent Lung Cancer CT scan study and the other on new investigative reporting by ProPublica. Both evolving health stories that touch on key hot health care reform debates: Comparative effectiveness research, entitlement programs, marketing to the public, and more.
Friends, Fatigue and the Slow Slog Back
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | November 5, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
I have much experience with serious illness. And so I am a connoisseur of fatigue: the sleepless edginess of post-radiation fatigue; the heavy constancy of cardiac fatigue; the blur and blues of chemotherapy-related fatigue.
Programs Help More Blacks Get Needed Colorectal Cancer Screening
HBNS STORY | October 29, 2010
African-Americans are less likely than whites to be screened for colorectal cancer, and the disparity almost certainly contributes to higher mortality. A new review of studies identifies effective strategies for improving the situation, but suggests that work remains to be done.
Review Favors Newer Type of Radiation for Prostate Cancer
HBNS STORY | October 27, 2010
Guest Blog: George Karl's Cancer Comeback
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 28, 2010 | Andrew Schorr
To my mind, George Karl, veteran NBA basketball coach is a winner. He's tenacious. I saw that in him when, in the early '70's, he played basketball in college at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when I was a student there too. Those were the glory years of bigger than life coach Dean Smith and George was one of his recruits. George didn't disappoint then as the team played in the Final Four and won the NIT Tournament. George was scrappy.
When Someone Close Has Cancer...
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 28, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
Update on Jessie's status and some words of wisdom from her article, 6 Ways to Help When Someone Has Cancer, originally published in an October 2008 issue of Parade magazine.
Another Devastating Diagnosis to Face
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | September 27, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
I have stomach cancer and will undergo surgery to remove part or all of my stomach today.
Non-hormone Treatments Can Relieve Hot Flashes in Women With Breast Cancer
HBNS STORY | September 7, 2010
Helping Kids Cope With Chemo
HBNS STORY | September 7, 2010
Unequal Health Care Increases Colorectal Cancer Mortality in Blacks
HBNS STORY | August 19, 2010
Exercise Preserves Freedom of Movement After Breast Cancer Surgery
HBNS STORY | June 15, 2010
Aggressive Approach to Childhood Cancer Worth Risks, Review Finds
HBNS STORY | May 11, 2010
Risky Treatment Decisions: The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
PREPARED PATIENT BLOG | April 22, 2010 | Jessie Gruman
Tuesday's New York Times ran a story about the unreliability of the tests and the variation among laboratory standards that determine the potential effectiveness of new targeted cancer treatments. Linda Griffin, a physician with breast cancer, described the series of treatment decisions she made with her doctors about whether or not to take the very expensive, fairly disruptive and potentially very effective drug, Herceptin, based on a genetic test that was inconclusive and further, which produced different findings when the same material was retested.
Breast Cancer Rates Decline Most for Affluent White Women
HBNS STORY | February 10, 2010
Blacks Less Likely to Survive Cancer Than Whites in Large N.J. Study
HBNS STORY | February 2, 2010
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