Take 5-Development of a Pilot Mentor-to-Mentor Program for Breast Brachytherapy Patients
May 19th 2011A pilot mentor-to-mentor oncology nurse–led training program was developed in which volunteer former patients who have undergone brachytherapy for early stage breast cancer at UCSD were taught by the oncology nurse how to provide information and support to new patients about to undergo the procedure.
Do Social Media and Blogs Have a Positive Impact on Patient Quality of Life?
May 12th 2011Last week, well-known Canadian blogger Derek Miller's final blog entry was posted on his site, penmachine.com. Miller, who died on May 3 at the age of 41, was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer in 2007.
Cancer Drug Co-Development Roundtable at Ohio State University May 4th 2011
May 6th 2011On Wednesday May 4th, the Cancer Drug Development Roundtable took place at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. The roundtable consisted of high-level stakeholders and the topic was the co-development of two or more experimental drugs for cancer treatment.
New Hutchinson Center Study Helps Lift the Fog on Chemobrain
May 6th 2011Because there has been little empirical evidence to back up patients’ stories, chemobrain has been met with skepticism by the medical community and has been a painful puzzle for many patients who couldn’t quite put a name to what they were feeling. This cognitive impairment-characterized by loss of memory and stumbling on words, among other symptoms-has come to be known as “chemobrain” or “chemofog.”
Medicare Thought Leader Provides Opinion on Medicare Savings Program
May 4th 2011Gail R. Wilensky, PhD, has written an editorial on the Medicare reform that was published on April 27. 2011 in the online version of the NEJM. Professor Wilensky is an ecomomist, senior fellow at Project HOPE, and serves on Congressional committees to advise Congress on payment and other Medicare-related issues.
Insights into Cell Migration during Brain Development May Provide Clues into Cancer Cell Migration
April 25th 2011A basic science lab studying cell mobility pathways in mammalian development at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has elucidated a mechanism by which cells migrate within the developing mammalian brain that adds to the current knowledge on the way other cell types travel within the body: The research may be relevant to understanding how cancer cells metastasize.
Are you treating breast cancer patients with Avastin? If so, how?
April 20th 2011Many doctors are currently struggling with how to use Avastin to treat their breast cancer patients after the recent FDA ruling. If you are currently using Avastin to treat breast cancer patients, please share your thoughts on treatment options and combinations here.
The Real CER: Lost in Translation
April 15th 2011“Comparative effectiveness research, ” or CER, has become a loaded term in our ongoing wrangling over healthcare policy. Often, however, what even knowledgeable people understand by CER is significantly at odds with what actual policy makers have in mind.
Coverage from the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2011
April 13th 2011CancerNetwork and the journal ONCOLOGY present exclusive hematology coverage from the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Follow the stories below and check back for more write-ups of the most important information to come out of this year's event.
More Stringent Monitoring of Prostate Cancer and New Treatments in Updated NCCN Guidelines
April 12th 2011The question of whether men with low-risk prostate cancer should have their cancers vigilantly monitored is an ongoing issue for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Panel on prostate cancer.