Articles

BOSTON—Treating patients with cancer who are morbidly obese presents unexpected challenges according to Vita Norton, RN, BSN, OCN, and Michelle Howard, RN, BSN, of Mass - achusetts General Hospital in Boston. Data indicate that obesity significantly increases the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers and is associated with worse outcomes.

Case Presentation

Chief complaint: Generalized arthralgia for 5 months.

BOSTON—Recognizing steroid-induced hyperglycemia early and addressing it promptly can prevent significant ad - verse effects associated with this complication. Educating patients on the importance of and methods for maintaining good blood glucose control helps mitigate damage to the vascular system and kidneys from hyperglycemia. It also lessens susceptibility to infection, a complication of hyperglycemia that is of serious concern in immunocompromised patients. Read More ›

Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody that affects the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2).  Trastuzumab is frequently used in young women diagnosed with HER2 breast cancer. A new study by Dr César Serrano et al published in Annals of Oncology found that trastuzumab increases the risk of heart problems, particularly in elderly women with a history of heart disease, diabetes, or both.

Urothelial (transitional) bladder carcinoma, the most common type of bladder cancer, has mutations in genes that function in chromatin remodeling, affecting the way DNA is packaged, duplicated, and processed during cell division. Gui et al from China examined this issue in a study just published online in Nature Genetics. Common chromatin remodeling genes include UTX, MLL-MLL3, CREBBP-EP300, NCOR1, ARID1A, and CHD6. Read More ›

Functional, psychological, and emotional well-being is of utmost importance to cancer patients. Macmillan Cancer Support has published Move More, a report highlighting the benefits of exercise for enhancing quality of life (QOL) in cancer survivors. How exercise affects functional capacity, muscular strength, body composition, nausea, fatigue, personality functioning, mood states, self-esteem, and QOL are summarized in the report. Read More ›

Music therapy can reduce anxiety in cancer patients, and it may also have positive effects on mood, pain, and quality of life according to a new Cochrane systematic review led by Dr Joke Bradt, an associate professor at the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University.

Flaxseed may guard healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study demonstrated that a diet of flaxseed given to mice protected lung tissues before exposure to radiation and caused a noticeable reduction in damage after exposure occurred.