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Quality Of Life

Integrative care options help pain management

Helen H. Miller, LCSW, ACSW May 29, 2012

The variety of options available to help patients manage their pain can improve quality of life during and after cancer treatment.

Physical activity linked to lower breast, colon cancer death rates

Delicia Honen Yard May 24, 2012

Consistent evidence from 27 observational studies demonstrated a link between exercise and reduced all-cause mortality for breast, colon cancers.

Administering tumor necrosis factor medications

Lisa A. Thompson, PharmD, BCOP May 22, 2012

Do all tumor necrosis factor medications for rheumatoid arthritis require 1.2 micron filter tubing?

Minimally invasive esophagectomy reduces morbidity

Delicia Honen Yard May 18, 2012

Minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer may result in fewer lung infections and shorter hospitalizations than seen with open surgery.

"Ex vivo" surgery works for abdominal tumors

Delicia Honen Yard May 17, 2012

A novel surgical technique involving the temporary removal of entire abdominal organs enables surgeons to take out otherwise unresectable tumors.

Cancer pain often undertreated, especially among minorities

Delicia Honen Yard May 16, 2012

One-third of outpatients with breast, prostate, colon/rectum, or lung cancer were receiving insufficient pain treatment, particularly minorities.

Potentially treatable side effects plague breast cancer survivors for years

Delicia Honen Yard May 11, 2012

Six years after breast cancer treatment, more than 60% of women experienced at least one side effect amenable to rehabilitative intervention.

Social media and survivorship: 21st century support

Bette Weinstein Kaplan May 10, 2012

A group at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, uses modern technology to provide survivorship care and counseling to patients.

Fewer cycles of higher-dose chemotherapy best in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma

Delicia Honen Yard May 10, 2012

Six cycles of higher-dose chemotherapy, not the standard eight cycles or a lower-dose variant, should be the treatment of choice for advanced Hodgkin.

Lung cancer drug lowers testosterone

Delicia Honen Yard May 09, 2012

Crizotinib appears to be the culprit in reducing testosterone levels among men taking the drug as a treatment for a form of lung cancer.

Heart risks heightened for partners of cancer patients

Delicia Honen Yard May 08, 2012

Spousal caregivers of cancer patients have increased risks of coronary heart disease and stroke that persist over time, researchers have discovered.

Walking wards off fatigue in pancreatic, periampullary cancers

Delicia Honen Yard May 07, 2012

A home walking program significantly improves fatigue levels and physical functioning in persons with pancreatic and periampullary cancers.

Robotic surgery effective but costly in bladder cancer

Delicia Honen Yard May 01, 2012

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) results in fewer problems and deaths than open cystectomy, but lengths of stay are similar and RARC costs more.

IMRT shows better side-effect profile in breast cancer

Delicia Honen Yard April 30, 2012

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy is associated with fewer toxicities than is the standard approach of whole breast irradiation.

Stress management boosts immune system in breast cancer

Delicia Honen Yard April 23, 2012

A stress-management program for women with breast cancer can alter tumor-promoting processes at the molecular level, according to researchers.

An act of balance: Caregiving tips for the Sandwich Generation

Kerstin L. McSteen, BSN, MSN, ACHPN, CNS-BC April 18, 2012

These tips and resources can help oncology nurses and other clinicians ease the burden of caring for both parents and children.

Using a palliative approach to  maintain nutrition and reduce discomfort in patients with EC

Bette Weinstein Kaplan April 18, 2012

Prognosis for patients with esophageal cancer is poor. Care options focus on minimizing discomfort and maintaining nutritional status.

Including palliative care at diagnosis is beneficial for patients with advanced cancer

Bette Weinstein Kaplan April 17, 2012

ASCO uses the findings of several studies to support its recommendation to offer palliative care at diagnosis to patients with advanced or metastatic disease.

Women confused by DCIS breast diagnosis

Delicia Honen Yard April 16, 2012

Ductal carcinoma in situ has a positive prognosis but requires treatment similar to that for invasive breast cancer, sending a conflicting message.

Distress: Assessing the effects of coping with cancer

Rosemarie A. Tucci, RN, MSN April 11, 2012

A cancer diagnosis can cause high levels of distress. Nurses should assess patients frequently and know how to intervene promptly.

Cancer and treatment may slow some aspects of child development

Delicia Honen Yard April 10, 2012

Children treated for non-CNS cancers before age 4 progressed more slowly in vocabulary and in cognitive and motor skills than did healthy controls.

Esophageal cancer surgery has lasting effects on QoL

April 06, 2012

Major postoperative complications predictive of parameters of poor health-related quality of life.

Meditation techniques for cancer patients

April 04, 2012

The many benefits of meditation include reduce anxiety, ease pain, increase flexibility, and improve overall health. Although medication is not a cure, it may improve quality of life for patients with cancer.

Asian breast cancer patients unaware of "chemobrain"

Delicia Honen Yard April 04, 2012

The cognitive effects of chemotherapy are unfamiliar to Asian breast cancer patients even though these disturbances have affected their daily lives.

Integrative care options

April 02, 2012

Various activities can help patients cope with cancer and its treatments. These techniques should not replace medical care, but they can enhance patients' quality of life.