Articles
The use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), an injectable, clot-preventing drug for patients with advanced cancer, increased steadily between 2000 and 2007, according to a new study published in The Oncologist. However, use of LMWH is low compared with another anticoagulant, warfarin, despite previous research demonstrating LMWH as the preferred treatment for patients with cancer suffering blood clots.
Read More ›Dr Hansen provided a comprehensive review of the challenges patients face when diagnosed with cancer. She illustrated that while improved survival is a welcome benefit to many of today’s cancer patients, psychological, social, and emotional struggles exist. Several considerations come to mind, such as where does one obtain information regarding care? Does the patient- provider relationship affect treatment, and what is the role of the oncology nurse (ON) in the care of cancer patients? Read More ›
The article by Dr Hansen provides a great overview of the challenges facing patients from initial diagnosis of cancer through survivorship. Patients typically are diagnosed with cancer suddenly in the midst of living their lives. The various stressors in life that exist prior to diagnosis can be further exacerbated after diagnosis. As oncology providers, in addition to having knowledge of the options to treat a patient’s cancer, we need to make sure we understand the patient as a whole— both the patient and the person.
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The diagnosis of cancer is arguably one of the most emotionally exhausting and potentially psychologically debilitating medical conditions we may experience during our lifetime. However, the impact of this diagnosis is not limited to the patient and frequently resonates among family members, friends, and caregivers as well. When the impact of cancer on the human condition is combined with the knowledge that healthcare practitioners are frequently unable to detect psychological distress in this patient population, the effects can be profound.1
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Cancer is an illness associated with substantial physical, emotional, social, and financial ramifications for affected individuals and their families. In a significant number of cases, the diagnosis of cancer is either preceded by a period of gradual, nonspecific symptoms or discovered by routine screening, and individuals are then thrust into a whirlwind of diagnostic testing, invasive procedures, and complicated treatments with very little warning or opportunity to assimilate their circumstances. Read More ›
Although oxaliplatin has extended the survival time of patients with colorectal cancer, the drug can also mean debilitating neurological side effects for those receiving treatments. These side effects often begin with a “pins and needles” sensation in the fingers and toes. Over time, a patient’s ability to walk or even dress independently is eventually compromised.
Read More ›When battling non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), combination drug therapy may be required, according to the study, “STAT3 is Activated by JAK2 Independent of Key Oncogenic Driver Mutation in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma.” The research, by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and Van Andel Research Institute (VARI), was published online February 2, 2012, by the Public Library of Science ONE.
Read More ›Breast cancer cell proliferation did not decline with the use of soy isoflavone supplements in a randomized clinical trial, according to a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
These study results are compatible with the findings of previous studies designed to test dietary supplements and their cancer prevention benefits, said lead researcher Seema A. Khan, MD, professor of surgery at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
Read More ›Five different studies have successfully established the effectiveness of a blood test used for discovering and evaluating circulating tumor cells (CTCs), according to scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Health, and other collaborating cancer physicians. The findings, published February 3, 2012, in the journal Physical Biology, show the highly sensitive blood analysis provides information that may soon be compared to the information gleaned from some types of surgical biopsies.
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