To provide quality healthcare, communication is vital. Using an EHR, physicians can more easily communicate regarding current and past medical conditions with other providers in their practice, with referring or co-managing physicians, and with patients themselves.
The population of the United States and other industrialized nations is aging rapidly. The increased life span allows for longer exposure to carcinogens and the accumulation of genetic alterations. Thus, the incidence of cancer is increasing along with the aging of the population.
The VA Cancer of the Prostate Outcomes Study (VA CaPOS) is collecting quality-of-life (QOL) information from prostate cancer patients, spouses, and physicians at six VA medical centers. Currently, 601 men with prostate
This review describes the development and technical capabilities of GIS, potential applications of Geographical Informational Systems in cancer research, and the limitations of such work.
As genetic testing for susceptibility to cancer becomes more widely available, cancer-care providers will become more involved in counseling patients about cancer risks and the meaning of genetic test results. As a result, oncologists and oncology nurses need to be aware of the unique psychological issues and challenges posed by genetic testing for cancer susceptibility. This paper first describes a psychological profile of individuals who are likely to opt for such testing, based on extrapolation from studies of people at high risk of cancer.
Malignant pleural effusion complicates the care of approximately 150,000 people in the United States each year. The pleural effusion is usually caused by a disturbance of the normal Starling forces regulating reabsorption of fluid in the pleural space, secondary to obstruction of mediastinal lymph nodes draining the parietal pleura.
The elderly population in the United States increased by a factor of 11 in the past century, while the under age 65 population tripled in that same period.[1] Given that the majority of cancers occur in patients over 65 years old, there is an increasing need for surgical interventions in the elderly.
As practicing doctors and a practicing nutritionist in a large pediatric oncology program, we applaud Nicole Fox and Alison Freifeld for questioning the utility of the neutropenic diet.
Management of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) commonly involves excision, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy. Radiotherapy is employed for local control in breast conservation. Evidence is evolving for several radiotherapy techniques exist beyond standard whole-breast irradiation.
Rural cancer patients often face substantial barriers to receiving optimal treatment, including availability of cancer care providers, distance to services, lack of public transportation, financial barriers, and limited access to clinical trials. However, a number of promising approaches may address some of these challenges.
Prostate cancer experts agree on one issue: No single treatment can be considered universal for men diagnosed with prostate cancer. There are myriad choices and considerations to be reviewed with every diagnosis. In addition, there are conflicting data about when, or if, men require screening for prostate cancer as well as when to start therapy for confirmed disease.
In July 2003, an asymptomatic 40-year-old man presented to his primary care physician for routine care and was found to have a palpable right axillary lymph node.
Until more data are available, we reserve bisphosphonates for women with evidence of decreased bone mineral density who are at increased risk of fracture and for those on clinical trials.
Ovarian cancer is the most deadly gynecologic malignancy. In the US alone, an estimated 21,500 new cases will be diagnosed in 2009, and an estimated 14,600 women will die from this disease.
Although there is general agreement that screening women over age 50 years with mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer, there has been controversy over the effectiveness of mammography in women 40 to 49 years old. Until 1993, the most widely accepted recommendation for screening mammography included baseline mammography between ages 35 and 40, mammography every 1 to 2 years between ages 40 and 50, and annual mammograms after age 50.
Until we fully engage in understanding the biologic mechanisms that separate NMZL from other indolent NHLs, however, we will continue to deliver “impersonalized medicine” that does not exploit the unique properties of the former.
In our commentary, we will address ways to consider this research across the cancer continuum, with a focus on the cancer survivor, highlighting some of the challenges in interpreting the research evidence for translation into clinical practice and noting some research gaps.
Much of the existing research into the phenomenon commonly referred to as “chemobrain” has been descriptive, and we know enough now to identify some patients at risk for cognitive changes after a diagnosis of cancer.
The article by Revesz and Khan is an excellent summary of the state of our knowledge of margin width in relation to breast cancer recurrence.
Cutaneous lymphomas comprise a spectrum of diseases characterized by infiltration of the skin by malignant lymphocytes. The clinical manifestations of cutaneous lymphomas vary, and they can mimic benign dermatoses,
Catherine S. Diefenbach, MD, spoke about refining understanding of CAR T-cell therapies after the approval of lisocabtagene maraleucel for patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma.
This video reviews updates on the treatment and biology of splenic and nodal marginal zone lymphoma.
There are still questions to be answered about the use of osteoclast inhibitors in the care of patients with breast cancer. The optimal duration and dosing schedule and how to improve treatment compliance are important issues to address.
In his article, "Genetic Testing for Cancer Susceptibility: Challenges for Creators of Practice Guide-lines" [11(11A):171-176, 1997], Henry Greely, JD, provides a comprehensive review of the complex issues that patients consider when deciding
After a review of the published literature, the panel voted on three variants to establish best practices for the utilization of imaging, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy after primary surgery for early-stage endometrial cancer.
Drs. Dawood and Cristofanilli provide a concise review of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and succinctly cover its most salient features, including its clinicopathologic characteristics, its key molecular features, and an overview of treatment outcomes.
The population of the United States and other industrialized nations is aging rapidly. The increased life span allows for longer exposure to carcinogens and the accumulation of genetic alterations. Thus, the incidence of cancer is increasing along with the aging of the population.
A group of several ovarian cancer patients have either called or visited me in my office recently to ask for information and validation to begin a vaccine clinical trial on a tropical island in the Atlantic.
Arvind N. Dasari, MD, lead investigator of the FRESCO-2 trial, spoke about the recent approval of fruquintinib for patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer.
As part of our coverage of the 2015 ONS Annual Congress, we discuss genetic testing for cancer patients and the role of oncology nurses.