An automated computer-based telephone remote monitoring system with a built-in follow-up component involving nurse practitioners (NPs) appears to be feasible and effective for managing cancer patients’ unrelieved symptoms following chemotherapy. A study presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology showed that use of this system during chemotherapy cut the number of days with severe symptoms by two-thirds and the number of moderate symptom days by half, at the same time increasing the number of asymptomatic days and mild symptom days.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the subject of some of the most contentious public debate in recent years, but many Americans are still misinformed about all or part of what the legislation entails. Though no law is perfect, the ACA has the potential to expand coverage opportunities and make access to healthcare more effective, particularly for people with cancer.
Educational materials for transplant patients are often too complex for patients to fully comprehend. That’s why oncology nurses at Cedars- Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, decided to produce 2 patient-friendly books that have gotten rave reviews from cancer patients and the whole oncology team.
Consuming red meats prepared at high temperatures, especially pan-fried red meats, may increase the risk of advanced prostate cancer in men by as much as 40%, according to a study by the University of Southern California (USC) and Cancer Prevention Institute of California (CPIC).
The study, which is available online in the journal Carcinogenesis, suggests potent chemical carcinogens formed when meats are cooked at high temperatures impact prostate cancer risk.
Lymphedema causes chronic discomfort for millions of American cancer survivors. Based on a recent review of published literature on lymphedema treatments, a University of Missouri researcher asserts that emphasizing patients’ quality of life rather than focusing only on reducing swelling is key to effectively managing the condition.
Because breast cancer gene status plays a large role in treatment and risk management, breast cancer patients with certain risk factors may benefit from pretest genetic counseling and genetic testing at or near the time of initial diagnosis, suggest Moffitt Cancer Center researchers.
Radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery may help prevent a future mastectomy for the majority of older, early-stage breast cancer patients, according to a study conducted by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and published in the journal Cancer.
The findings are contrary to current national treatment guidelines, which forgo radiation therapy postsurgery and instead recommend that older women with early-stage, estrogen-positive breast cancer be treated with lumpectomy followed by estrogen blocker therapy alone.
A large study published in the British Journal of Cancer showed that for women who smoked about 20 cigarettes a day the risks of Hodgkin lymphoma and some bone marrow cancers were doubled. The risks of other types of blood cancer also increased among smokers, but to a lesser degree.
The study included 1.3 million middle-aged women from the Million Women study. Leukemia developed in 9000 women during a 10-year study period. For every 1000 women who never smoked, 6 developed 1 of these cancers. Yet, almost 8 in every 1000 women smokers developed leukemia.
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