Survivorship & Supportive Care - Cancer Currents Blog
News on research that affect cancer patients and survivors. Topics include managing treatment side effects, fertility preservation, and cancer’s long-term effects.
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Olanzapine Reduces Nausea and Vomiting Caused by Advanced Cancer
Many advanced cancer patients suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting and there aren’t many good treatments available. But a small study suggests that the drug olanzapine (Zyprexa) may fill that gap.
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For Women with Breast Cancer, Regular Exercise May Improve Survival
Women with high-risk breast cancer who engaged in regular exercise before their cancer diagnosis and after treatment were less likely to have their cancer return or to die compared with women who were inactive, a recent study found.
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Helping Cancer Survivors Cope with Cancer-Related Anxiety and Distress
Researchers are exploring ways to support the psychological and emotional needs of cancer survivors and how to tailor existing approaches to meet the needs of specific individuals or groups.
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Women Experience More Side Effects from Pelvic Radiation than Realized
Women with cervical or uterine cancer who received radiation to the pelvic region reported side effects much more often using an online reporting system called PRO-CTCAE than they did during conversations with their clinicians, a new study shows.
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Experimental Drug Prevents Doxorubicin from Harming the Heart
An experimental drug may help prevent the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin from harming the heart and does so without interfering with doxorubicin’s ability to kill cancer cells, according to a study in mice.
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Mouse Study Points to Strategy for Preserving Bone During Chemotherapy
Bone loss associated with chemotherapy appears to be induced by cells that stop dividing but do not die, a recent study in mice suggests. The researchers tested drugs that could block signals from these senescent cells and reverse bone loss in mice.
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Oncofertility: Creating a Bridge Between Cancer Care and Reproductive Health
Dr. Teresa Woodruff discusses the field that connects oncology with reproductive health, and the Oncofertility Consortium’s efforts to support clinicians, cancer patients, and families in understanding how cancer and its treatment affect fertility.
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Prescribing Exercise as Cancer Treatment: A Conversation with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz
Updated guidelines on exercise for those living with cancer and cancer survivors were recently released. In this conversation, Dr. Kathryn Schmitz discusses what these new guidelines mean for doctors, patients, and survivors.
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For Some Women with Breast Cancer, Cost Influences Decisions about Surgery
In a survey of nearly 600 breast cancer survivors, researchers found that the cost of care factored into the decisions the women made about what type of surgery to get. Many women also reported never discussing costs with their physicians.
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When Cancer Spreads to Bone, A Single Dose of Radiation Therapy May Control Pain
New findings from a clinical trial suggest that a single dose of radiation therapy may control painful bone metastases as effectively as multiple lower doses of radiation therapy.
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Telephone-Based Rehab Program Helps People with Advanced Cancer Maintain Independence
A physical rehabilitation program delivered by telephone improved function and reduced pain for people with advanced cancer, a clinical trial shows. The program also reduced the time patients spent in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
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Study Advances Fertility Preservation Approach for Male Cancer Survivors
In a study in young monkeys, researchers showed that a technique using stored testicular tissue led to successful conception. Researchers are hopeful the approach could eventually be a fertility preservation option for young boys being treated for cancer.
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NCI’s Rare Cancer Clinics: Engaging Patients and Fostering Collaboration
NCI has created special clinics that bring together clinicians, patients, and advocates to promote more rapid progress against rare cancers. The effort includes both rare pediatric cancers and central nervous system tumors in adults.
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Managing Cancer Pain: Are Better Approaches on the Horizon?
Pain is a common and much-feared symptom among people with cancer and long-term survivors. As more people survive cancer for longer periods, there is a renewed interest in developing new, nonaddictive approaches for managing their chronic pain.
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Gene Tied to Alzheimer’s May Be Associated with Cancer-Related Cognitive Problems
Findings from a clinical study and a mouse study may shed light on genetic risk factors for developing cancer-related cognitive problems in older breast cancer survivors. The results suggest a gene associated with Alzheimer’s disease may play a role.
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Heart Problems: Investigating the Cardiac Side Effects of Cancer Treatments
Certain cancer treatments can damage the heart and the cardiovascular system, a problem known as cardiotoxicity. Cardiologists and oncologists met recently to discuss strategies and future research directions for addressing these side effects.
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Tailored Psychotherapy Eases Depression in People with Advanced Cancer
Just three to six sessions of a tailored psychotherapy approach called CALM helped to lessen symptoms of depression in people recently diagnosed with advanced cancer, results from a clinical trial show. The approach also may help prevent depression, researchers found.
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Mouse Study Links Immune Cells to Diarrhea Caused by Chemotherapy
A study in mice sheds light onto how some chemotherapies cause diarrhea. The findings could be the basis for developing new treatments for patients with cancer who develop gastrointestinal side effects from chemotherapy.
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The Opioid Epidemic and Cancer Pain Management: A Conversation with Dr. Judith Paice
Dr. Judith Paice, of the Cancer Pain Program at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses the impacts of the opioid epidemic on cancer patients and how providers can address concerns about opioid misuse when managing cancer pain.
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Sodium Thiosulfate Prevents Cisplatin-Induced Hearing Loss in Some Children
The drug sodium thiosulfate can protect the hearing of children with cancer undergoing treatment with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, results from a new clinical trial show. The trial involved children with a form of liver cancer called hepatoblastoma.