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Cancer Patients Should Ask Doctors to Use Simple Terms
Posted 28 Sep 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 28 – Cancer patients are often faced with many difficult-to-understand treatment choices that can have serious side effects and even mean the difference between life and death. That's why it's crucial that patients insist doctors use plain language in explaining the options, advised Angela Fagerlin, an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and a researcher at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center. "People are making life and death decisions that may affect their survival and they need to know what they're getting themselves into. Cancer treatments and tests can be serious. Patients need to know what kind of side effects they might experience as a result of the treatment they undergo," Fagerlin said in a university news release. She and her colleagues outlined a number of tips to help patients get the information they need ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Methotrexate, Provera, Breast Cancer, Lupron, Accutane, Depo-Provera, Prostate Cancer, Tamoxifen, Femara, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Claravis, Medroxyprogesterone, Gleevec
Discovery May Explain Why Brain Cancer Is So Hard to Treat
Posted 28 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 – Researchers have found that brain cancer cells can turn themselves into blood vessel cells to counter drugs designed to cut off a tumor's blood supply and deprive it of oxygen and nutrients. This ensures an adequate oxygen supply, according to the researchers, and it helps explain why glioblastoma, the most common and deadly form of brain cancer, resists nearly all treatment efforts. They also said that the finding, reported online Jan. 25 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates the need to rethink current glioblastoma therapy and perhaps develop drugs that take aim at new targets. "Disrupting the formation of tumor blood vessels is not enough," Inder Verma, a genetics professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, in La Jolla, Calif., and the research team leader, said in a Salk news release. "We also have to prevent the ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Fewer Cancer Patients May Be Depressed Than Thought
Posted 20 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Jan. 20 – The rate of depression among cancer patients may be lower than previously believed, a new study indicates. An international team of researchers analyzed 94 studies involving more than 14,000 patients and found that about one-sixth of cancer patients suffer depression and about one-third have a more widely defined mood disorder. Only modest rates of depression and anxiety occurred in cancer patients in the first five years after diagnosis, which suggests that depression is not inevitable in these patients, the researchers said. Only when it was combined with other mood disorders was depression common, occurring in 30 percent of hospitalized cancer patients. The study is published online Jan. 19 in The Lancet Oncology. Rates of depression and anxiety were not significantly different between patients receiving palliative care (care designed to ease pain and increase ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
1 in 5 Cancer Survivors Suffers Chronic Pain, Study Finds
Posted 20 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 – More than 40 percent of cancer survivors experience pain, and the risk is highest among black and female patients, finds a new study. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System surveyed nearly 200 U.S. cancer survivors and found that 43 percent had experienced pain since their diagnosis, and 20 percent suffered chronic cancer-related pain at least two years later. Among white patients, the most significant source of pain was cancer surgery (53.8 percent), and among black patients the greatest source of pain was cancer treatment (46.2 percent), according to the report. In addition, the study found that compared to men, women had more pain, more pain flare-ups, more disability due to pain and were more depressed because of pain. The authors also noted that black patients were more likely to report greater severity of pain and more pain-related ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Ovarian Cancer, Osteosarcoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Gene Mutation Found in One of Four Cases of Deadly Brain Cancers
Posted 24 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 22 – A gene mutation that is present in one of every four patients with glioblastoma brain cancer has been identified by researchers. The mutation – a gene deletion known as NFKBIA – contributes to tumor development, promotes resistance to treatment and significantly worsens the chances of survival of patients with glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of adult brain cancer, senior author Dr. Griffith Harsh, a professor of neurosurgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said in a Stanford news release. For this study, researchers analyzed several hundred tumor samples collected from glioblastoma patients and found NFKBIA deletions in 25 percent of the samples. The study, which appears online Dec. 22 in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first to link the NFKBIA deletion with glioblastoma. Previous research has found that defects in NFKBIA ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Demand for Radiation Therapy Predicted to Exceed Supply
Posted 21 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 21 – Over the next decade, the growth in demand for radiation therapy in the United States will be 10 times greater than the increase in new radiation oncologists, a difference that could affect cancer patients' access to treatment, according to a new study. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of patients requiring radiation therapy will increase 22 percent but the number of full-time radiation oncologists entering the workforce will increase just 2 percent, said researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and colleagues. They based their predictions on projections that this year 3,943 radiation oncologists will treat an estimated 470,000 patients in the United States. The large increase in demand for radiation therapy will be partly due to growing numbers of older adults and minorities, groups in which certain types of cancers are more ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Ovarian Cancer, Osteosarcoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Cancer Patients' Secondary Symptoms Need Attention: Study
Posted 11 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Oct. 11 – Many cancer patients with pain or depression also experience physical symptoms, such as fatigue, dry mouth and nausea, that can cause disability, a new study shows. Doctors need to recognize and treat these symptoms in order to improve quality of life for cancer patients, said Dr. Kurt Kroenke, of the Richard Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indiana University, and Regenstrief Institute Inc. in Indianapolis, and colleagues. They analyzed data from 405 cancer patients who had either pain or depression and found that all the patients had at least one of 22 physical symptoms examined in the study. More than half of patients reported 15 of the 22 symptoms. The most common symptoms were fatigue (97.5 percent), difficulty sleeping (about 79 percent), pain in limbs or joints (78 percent), back pain (nearly 75 percent) and memory problems (72 percent). The patients also reported ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Vaccine Studied for Deadly Brain Cancer
Posted 5 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Oct. 5 – Adding a new vaccine to standard therapy extended survival for people with the most deadly type of brain cancer in a small study. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center report that the case-control study included 35 patients newly diagnosed with the brain cancer, known as glioblastoma (GBM). The patients were divided into two groups: Both received surgery, radiation and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide, but one group of 18 patients also began receiving injections of the new vaccine one month after completing radiation and continued to receive the vaccine as long as it appeared to be effective. Median survival time for those in the vaccine group was 26 months, compared with 15 months for the control group. Progression-free survival was 14.2 months in the vaccine group, compared to 6.3 months in the ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Many Docs Deliver Cancer Diagnosis Badly: Study
Posted 7 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 7 – One patient found out he had cancer by reading his radiology report. Another got the news when her neurologist called to say he had arranged for her to see a neurosurgeon. When she asked why, the doctor told her she had a brain tumor and hung up. A third learned she had breast cancer listening to her answering machine with her grandson sitting on her lap. A new study about how people learn of cancer diagnoses finds that many doctors have poor communication skills and often leave patients stranded with devastating information about a deadly illness, sometimes in a public setting. One-third of the cancer patients in the U.S. National Cancer Institute study recalled being told on the phone, in an emergency room, radiology department or other public hospital setting that they had cancer, most often leukemia, lymphoma or brain tumors. "It's really dismaying to think that ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Cost-Conscious Cancer Survivors Skip Care
Posted 14 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 14 – Millions of Americans with a history of cancer, particularly people under age 65, are delaying or skimping on medical care because of worries about the cost of treatment, a new study suggests. The finding raises troubling questions about the long-term survival and quality of life of the 12 million adults in the United States whose lives have been forever changed by a diagnosis of cancer. "I think it's concerning because we recognize that cancer survivors have many medical needs that persist for years after their diagnosis and treatment," said study lead author Kathryn E. Weaver, an assistant professor in the Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. The report was published online June 14 in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society. Cost concerns have posed a threat to cancer ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Skin Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Osteosarcoma, Ovarian Cancer, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Pain Relief Often Delayed for Cancer Patients
Posted 16 Mar 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 16 – Palliative care services, which help people who are seriously ill relieve symptoms such as pain, are now found at most U.S. cancer centers, but many programs don't interact with patients until it's too late, study findings show. Dr. David Hui, of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and his colleagues surveyed 71 U.S. National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers and randomly surveyed 71 other cancer centers. They received responses from 71 percent of 142 executives and 82 percent of 120 program leaders. The researchers also found that the NCI cancer centers were more likely to have palliative care programs and physicians. A report on the survey was published in the March 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "Palliative care outpatient clinics, inpatient consultation teams, palliative care units and hospices ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Colorectal Cancer, Brain Tumor, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Skin Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Renal Cell Carcinoma, Ovarian Cancer, Osteosarcoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Breast Cancer -- Adjuvant
Study Reports Progress Against Fatal Brain Cancer
Posted 24 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 – A new method to prevent recurrence of deadly glioblastoma brain cancer shows promise, say U.S. scientists. Radiation can temporarily shrink a glioblastoma tumor, but the cancer nearly always recurs within weeks or months. Few people with this type of brain cancer survive more than two years after diagnosis. In a study on mice, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers found that blocking access to oxygen and nutrients prevents tumor recurrence. The first step, they said, was discovering that tumors blasted with radiation use a secondary pathway to generate blood vessels needed for regrowth. "Under normal circumstances, this pathway is not important for growth of most tumors," senior author Martin Brown, a professor of radiology, said in a Stanford news release. "What we hadn't realized until recently is that radiation meant to kill the cancer cells also ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Scientists Decode Brain Cancer Cell Line
Posted 29 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Jan. 29 – The first complete genomic sequencing of a brain cancer cell line has been performed by U.S. scientists. The achievement may help identify new molecular targets for the development of more effective and less toxic drugs and lead to personalized treatments based on the unique biological signatures of a patient's cancer, according to the team at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. The finding also may result in new and better ways to monitor for brain cancer recurrence, as well as a test to determine when brain cancer has been destroyed, which would prevent overtreatment with harmful anti-cancer drugs that can cause long-term health problems. The sequencing was done on a glioblastoma cell line called U87, which is studied in more than 1,000 laboratories worldwide. The UCLA team used this thoroughly examined brain cancer ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Combo Therapy Shows Promise Against Brain Cancer
Posted 22 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Jan. 22 – A synthetic form of a naturally occurring hormone combined with chemotherapy inhibited tumor growth and achieved a 25 percent cure rate in mice with a deadly brain cancer called glioblastoma, a new study reports. Currently, people diagnosed with glioblastoma have a poor prognosis and relatively short life expectancy. The mice in the study were treated with thymosin alpha 1 (Talpha1/thymalfasin), a synthetic form of the hormone thymosin, produced by the thymus gland. "Our hypothesis was that the immune system basically needs a boost to kill the cancer cells," Dr. Suzanne de la Monte of Rhode Island Hospital, who led the research, said in a news release from the hospital. "We know that thymosin is currently being used in Europe to treat cancer, so we set out to see what effect this could have on glioblastomas." When Talpha1 was used alone, the tumor continued to grow. ... Read more
Related support groups: Glioblastoma Multiforme
Marijuana Compounds Could Beat Back Brain Cancer
Posted 11 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Jan. 11 – Preliminary research suggests that a combination of compounds in marijuana could help fight off a particularly deadly form of brain cancer. But the findings shouldn't send patients rushing to buy pot: the levels used in the research appear to be too high to obtain through smoking. And there's no sign yet that the approach works in laboratory animals, let alone people. Still, the finding does suggest that more than one compound in marijuana might boost cancer treatment, said study author Sean McAllister, an associate scientist at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco. "Combination therapies might be more appropriate," McAllister said. Researchers have long studied the compounds in marijuana known as cannabinoids, which are thought to hold possible health benefits. One, known as THC, is well known for its role in making people high when ... Read more
Related support groups: Cannabis, Glioblastoma Multiforme
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