Long-Term Central Venous Access
June 1st 2016The use of multidrug chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation in cancer treatment has made the utilization of reliable, long-term venous access (LTVA) an essential component of cancer therapy. The placement of LTVA devices not only permits the delivery of these complex therapeutic regimens but also drastically improves patients’ quality of life.
Response Evaluation Criteria and Performance Scales
June 1st 2016In clinical studies, formal response criteria have been developed and have gained wide acceptance. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has proposed and implemented newer standard response criteria called Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). In contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a different standard for assessing response. Major differences between these guidelines are outlined below.
Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of hematologic malignancies of the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. These disorders are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, including abnormalities in proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
This management guide for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) covers the symptoms, screening, diagnosis, staging, and treatment of adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large-cell carcinoma of the lung.
ASCO Releases Resource-Stratified Invasive Cervical Cancer Guidelines
May 25th 2016ASCO has released a clinical practice guideline on invasive cervical cancer. For the first time, ASCO created the guideline based on resource availability, tailoring recommendations to support basic- or limited-resource settings.
Can IBM’s Watson Help Cancer Patients?
May 25th 2016In this Medical News Minute, developed exclusively for Cancer Network, Dr. Bobby Lazzara discusses a joint effort from the American Cancer Society and IBM that aims to use the cognitive power of Watson to help cancer patients deal with their disease.
Confronting America’s Smoking Pandemic, Part 3: 1986–1999
May 4th 2016Dr. Alan Blum and Cancer Network have partnered to assemble a four-part slideshow series addressing the history of America’s smoking pandemic. Part 3 highlights a period of regulation and legislation against the tobacco industry, and litigation in the form of class action and state lawsuits.
11 Ways to Better Communicate With Your Colleagues
May 3rd 2016No matter where you practice medicine, if your duties include patient care then you are going to interact with other oncologists. In some cases you may question the quality of their care. Help your peers to become better physicians by respecting them first, then relaying your concerns to them. Here are some examples of how not to do it, paired with kinder, gentler alternatives.