After a cancer diagnosis, patients and their doctors work together to develop a plan to find the best treatments to eradicate their disease. But there is often another life-threatening health issue developing throughout the course of treatment. Cancer therapies such as chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapy each cause unique and serious damage to the heart. As… Continue reading Cancer Care and Heart Disease
Category: Cancer Treatment
On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Treating cancer without debilitating side effects has long been the holy grail of oncologists, and researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and Switzerland’s Lausanne University Hospital may have found it. According to a UCI news release, Charles Limoli, professor of radiation oncology at UCI, and Marie-Catherine Vozenin, associate professor of radiation oncology at… Continue reading On the Horizon: Cancer Treatments without Side Effects
Nutrition During Cancer Care
Under most circumstances, sitting down to a nice meal is an enjoyable activity— but for patients undergoing cancer treatment, mealtime can be a minefield. Unpleasant treatment side effects such as extreme fatigue, nausea, digestive upset, and warped taste buds, can make even favorite foods far from appetizing. When diagnosed with cancer however, proper nutrition can… Continue reading Nutrition During Cancer Care
Widely Used Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer Doesn’t Cause Cognitive Decline
University of California, Los Angeles researchers have found that commonly used hormone therapies for women diagnosed with breast cancer do not appear to cause significant cognitive dysfunction following the treatment. Endocrine therapy has become an essential part of treatment for the many women diagnosed with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, in which hormones, such as estrogen,… Continue reading Widely Used Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer Doesn’t Cause Cognitive Decline
Free Guidance from Cancer Experts
A diagnosis of cancer comes not only with fear but uncertainty – what tests should be scheduled, what are the best treatment options and how to talk with friends and family members. That’s why the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) provides a Cancer Patient Navigation Hotline, where a patient can talk to “navigators” to… Continue reading Free Guidance from Cancer Experts
7 Reasons Why More Grandparents than Ever are Using Marijuana
The legalization of medical and recreational marijuana across the country is changing the nation’s perception of what used to be a highly criminalized substance. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just millennials that are taking advantage of increased access to the drug – grandparents are, too. A recent study by Marist and Yahoo found that… Continue reading 7 Reasons Why More Grandparents than Ever are Using Marijuana
Aggressive End-of-Life Care Not Always Best
For patients with advanced cancer, end-of-life aggressive care — chemotherapy, mechanical ventilation, acute hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions — is commonplace. Yet until now, little is known about the relationship between patients’ and families’ satisfaction with this kind of care within the last 30 days of life. A new study, from the Department of… Continue reading Aggressive End-of-Life Care Not Always Best
Products Claming to “Cure” Cancer Are a Cruel Deception
Beware of products claiming to cure cancer on websites or social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram. According to Nicole Kornspan, M.P.H., a consumer safety officer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they’re rampant these days. “Anyone who suffers from cancer, or knows someone who does, understands the fear and desperation that… Continue reading Products Claming to “Cure” Cancer Are a Cruel Deception
“Prehabilitation” for Cancer Patients May Lead to Faster Recovery
Four weeks of getting cancer patients physically ready for surgery may help them recover more quickly , according to a new study from Canadian researchers. That’s according to a recent study of nearly 120 colorectal cancer patients in Montreal who took part in a “prehabilitation” program. “We don’t have a one size-fits-all prescription for how… Continue reading “Prehabilitation” for Cancer Patients May Lead to Faster Recovery
Cancer Treatment Inspired by a Sea Creature
A rare toxin produced by a sea creature called Diazona angulata appears to hold promise for treating many different types of cancer while minimizing the harmful side effects of widely used chemotherapy drugs, according to a University of California, Los Angles study published in November 2016 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The paper describes research… Continue reading Cancer Treatment Inspired by a Sea Creature
White Blood Cells Can Help Prevent Cancer
Belgian researchers have discovered that a type of white blood cell can be “fine-tuned” to help prevent the spread of cancer. The team of scientists at VIB and KU Leuven, led by professor Massimiliano Mazzone, demonstrated that the metabolism of macrophages, a particular type of white blood cell, can be attuned to prevent the spread… Continue reading White Blood Cells Can Help Prevent Cancer
Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools
According to the World Nuclear Association, more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine. Molybdenum-99, the parent isotope of technetium-99m, is the most widely used radioisotope for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, production costs and the limited viability of the isotope can be a challenge for clinicians and healthcare providers. Now, nuclear… Continue reading Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools
How Gut Microbes Help Chemotherapy Drugs
Two bacterial species that inhabit the human gut activate immune cells to boost the effectiveness of a commonly prescribed anticancer drug, French researchers reported in October 2016 in the journal Immunity. The study identifies a new role for Enterococcus hirae and Barnesiella intestinihominis in activating cancer-fighting T cell immune responses, thereby enhancing the effects of… Continue reading How Gut Microbes Help Chemotherapy Drugs
New Discovery about Oxygen and Cancer Cells
Scientists are drawing closer to understanding how cancer cells pursue oxygen, which they need to survive. The discovery represents a step toward understanding one of the ways cancer spreads. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, bioengineers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Pennsylvania report results of… Continue reading New Discovery about Oxygen and Cancer Cells
Music Alleviates Cancer Patients’ Symptoms
A systematic review published by the Cochrane Library in August 2016 found that there is significant evidence that music interventions help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, pain and fatigue in cancer patients, while also boosting their quality of life. Led by Joke Bradt, PhD, associate professor in Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, a… Continue reading Music Alleviates Cancer Patients’ Symptoms
Why Some Breast-Cancer Tumors Resist Medicine
A team of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine cancer researchers has uncovered one way certain tumors resist vital medication. In the study, published in Oncotarget, the researchers studied tumor biopsies collected from breast cancer patients before and after treatment with the go-to breast cancer drug trastuzumab (also known as Herceptin). Some of the… Continue reading Why Some Breast-Cancer Tumors Resist Medicine
Existing Drug Could Help Women with Breast-Cancer Gene
Australian researchers have discovered that an existing medication could have promise in preventing breast cancer in women carrying a faulty BRCA1 gene. People who carry that gene are at high risk of developing aggressive breast cancer. Currently many women with a gene mutation choose surgical removal of their breast tissue and ovaries to reduce their… Continue reading Existing Drug Could Help Women with Breast-Cancer Gene
Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver
If you or someone you love is being treated with paclitaxel (PTX) for breast cancer, listen up. Research done by a team of scientists in China and published June 16th 2016 in the FEBS Journal indicates that although paclitaxel, which is the most commonly used chemotherapy for breast cancer, does suppress tumors when given at… Continue reading Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver