Cancer Newsline

Healthy aging for the cancer patient

2013-05-21T19:54:05Z

"Being a senior does not necessarily mean that you're old," says Beatrice Edwards, M.D., associate professor in geriatric medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Yet, it's important for elderly cancer patients to have their functional status evaluated in order to achieve successful cancer treatment outcomes." In this podcast, Edwards shares tips on healthy aging for older adults and explains the role that a geriatrician can play in cancer treatment and survivorship.

How to talk to a child about loved one's death

2013-04-15T16:55:23Z

Download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/how-to-talk-to-child-about/id431848216?i=148803030. How do you tell a child their loved one is dying or has a terminal illness? There's no one way, but Morgan Henry, a social work counselor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, works with families to help children cope when their loved one has a poor prognosis. Henry shares insights on how and when to start that conversation, how to answer kids' questions, when to bring in a grief counselor and how to prepare the child for what's next.

Cancer and teeth

2013-04-03T13:48:12Z

Attentive dental care is critical for cancer patients. Before beginning cancer treatment, patients should address pre-existing oral conditions and infections. During treatment, conditions may arise, such as chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (mouth lining breaks down forming ulcers); xerostomia (dry mouth); and poor blood flow which may result in bone rot causing jaw fractures. It's important for cancer survivors to see their dentists regularly, too. Mark Chambers, D.M.D., professor in Head and Neck Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center, gives an overview for cancer patients on what they need to know about their oral health before, during and after cancer treatment.

Hospitalists treat acutely ill hospitalized patients

2013-03-18T15:21:06Z

Hospitalists at MD Anderson Cancer Center are internal medicine physicians who care for very ill hospitalized patients. Working closely with oncologists, they help patients manage other existing diseases and side effects of cancer treatment. Josiah Halm, M.D., and Maria-Claudia Campagna, M.D., both assistant professors in the Department of General Internal Medicine, discuss their roles as hospitalists at a major cancer center.

Male breast cancer: patient and doctor discuss experience and treatment

2013-03-04T16:33:39Z

Male breast cancer accounts for approximately one percent of all breast cancer cases diagnosed in the United States each year. Listen to male breast cancer patient, Oliver Bogler, Ph.D.and his MD Anderson Cancer Center oncologist, Sharon Giordano, M.D., talk about male breast cancer, including the research, treatment, and Bogler's experience as a "man in pink."

Cancer prevention: what is energy balance?

2013-02-18T15:46:38Z

What is energy balance? It may sound like a strange term, but it basically means equalizing the amount of calories you take in with how much you burn through exercise, metabolism and body processes. Since obesity is one of the leading causes of cancer, Carrie Daniel-MacDougall, Ph.D., M.P.H. and Susan Schembre, Ph.D., R.D., both assistant professors in Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at MD Anderson Cancer Center, study behaviors and biological processes associated with linking energy balance to cancer risk and survival. Listen to Daniel-MacDougall and Schembre share advice on how you can get the proper balance between eating and exercise to stay healthy.

Desmoid tumors - dangerous when not treated as cancer

2013-02-04T21:39:45Z

Desmoid tumors, also known as "aggressive fibromatosis," develop from fibroblasts which are found throughout the body. Desmoid tumors may become life threatening when they constrict vital organs such as kidneys, lungs or intestines. Some physicians consider desmoid tumors non-cancerous since they do not metastasize, but there is a danger of undertreating. Raphael Pollock, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Surgical Oncology at MD Anderson, explains this extremely rare cancer and its relationship to familial adenomatous polyposis (Gardner's Syndrome).

Medical hypnosis assists with surgery and medical procedures

2013-01-22T15:01:51Z

Hypnosis is an artificially produced state of consciousness which allows for greater responsiveness to suggestion. Ian Lipski M.D., associate professor in Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center, uses medical hypnosis to help patients manage cancer treatment side effects like anxiety, fear and pain. Medical hypnosis shifts the focus of power away from the medical staff and gives the patient control over his/her cognizance. Learn how Dr. Lipski helps patients at MD Anderson prepare for surgery and medical procedures by using medical hypnosis.

Facts about uterine cancer

2013-01-07T17:11:23Z

Uterine cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and is the most common cancer of women's reproductive organs. Over 40,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with uterine cancer each year. Shannon Westin, M.D., assistant professor in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center discusses symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention and current research for uterine cancer.

African American women less likely to receive improved surgical procedure for breast cancer

2012-12-17T18:30:24Z

African American women with early stage, invasive breast cancer were 13 percent less likely than Caucasian women with the same diagnosis to receive a minimally invasive technique, axillary sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy, years after the procedure had become the standard of surgical care, according to research from MD Anderson Cancer Center. The older technique, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), is associated with a higher rate of lymphedema and worse outcome. Dalliah Black, M.D., assistant professor in Surgical Oncology and Benjamin Smith, M.D., assistant professor in Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson, discuss their findings.

Combined urology-radiation oncology treatment for prostate cancer patients

2012-12-03T20:09:50Z

Deborah Kuban, M.D., professor, and Benjamin Smith, M.D., assistant professor, both in Radiation Oncology at MD Anderson, discuss a study examining the emergence of integrated urology-radiation oncology practices in Texas. They discovered prostate cancer patients generally travel further for treatment at the radiation oncology facility owned by their urologist, as opposed to traveling to the closest non-integrated facility. Kuban and Smith explain these findings.

Advanced Care Planning (ACP) - communicating end of life choices in advance

2012-11-19T20:21:07Z

Advanced care planning is not about giving up, emphasizes Katherine Pisters, M.D., professor in Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, and Donna Zhukovsky, M.D., professor in Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, both at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Rather, it's a way for cancer patients to tell their loved ones what's important to them as they approach the end of life. MD Anderson's new advance care planning program makes the patient's whole health care team aware of his/her goals, spiritual values and wishes. Pisters and Zhukovsky discuss this pilot initiative.

Facts about myelodysplastic syndrome

2012-11-05T17:41:12Z

Around 15,000 people in the United States are diagnosed each year with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). MDS occurs when the bone marrow does not properly produce one or more of the following: red blood cells, white blood cells and/or platelets. In the past it was thought MDS was only deadly when it developed into acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), but current research shows MDS can be fatal without reaching the stage of AML. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D., professor in Leukemia, explains the basics, diagnosis, treatment and new therapies for myelodysplastic syndrome. MDS is part of MD Anderson's Moon Shots Program; is a highly-concentrated effort to rapidly and dramatically decrease suffering and death in several major cancers.

How supportive care teams help dying cancer patients

2012-10-22T16:40:29Z

The time has come to say, "Your cancer is terminal and you need to get your life in order." Who has this difficult job and how can they help ease the pain? David Hui, M.D., medical director of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation Medicine, and Chaplain Steven Thorney, are part of MD Anderson's Supportive Care Center. Here they help patients get their physical and emotional symptoms under control and work with them to establish end-of-life goals. In this podcast, Hui and Thorney reflect on ways they support and comfort patients as they near their passing.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) - a life threatening cancer

2012-10-08T19:53:12Z

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) occurs when too many immature blood cells are produced by the bone marrow. Anemia, infection and bleeding may result and become life threatening. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D., professor in Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, explains the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Acute myeloid leukemia.