Celebrated every November, National Family Caregivers Month is a time to recognize and honor caregivers across the US. In a study by the National Alliance for Caregiving, about 50% of 111 cancer caregivers reported feeling “highly stressed” due to the intense and demanding nature of caregiving, and there is growing evidence this could potentially affect the mental health of the patients as well.1,2

In particular, the mental health of patients with blood cancer, including those living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and their caregivers, can be impacted due to the physical, emotional and social effects of the disease.3,4

CLL is the most common leukemia in adults.5 It’s a type of cancer that starts in cells that become certain white blood cells (called lymphocytes) in the bone marrow. 5 The cancer (leukemia) cells start in the bone marrow but then go into the blood.5

As with other illnesses, COVID-19 has exacerbated the mental health impact of blood cancer on patients, as well as placing an added strain on caregivers. In a recent survey of 100 patients with blood cancer, 96% of patients reported their blood cancer has impacted their mental health since the start of the pandemic in 2020, and 72% of patients said they rely most on their family members to provide them with emotional support for their blood cancer.

Hematologist and oncologist Dr. Ken Miller of Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, who will discuss the impact of blood cancer, including CLL, on the mental and emotional health of both patients and caregivers, and share resources to help meet this important need.

http://understandbloodcancer.com/

This program is made possible by AstraZeneca.

Dr. Ken Miller is a hematologist and medical oncologist at the Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Miller has served as the Director of Outpatient Oncology and was a member of the Thoracic Oncology Group at the University of Maryland. He also previously served as the Director of the Yale Cancer Center’s survivorship clinic and the Director of the LiveStrong Survivorship Center of Excellence at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He has authored five books, including: Choices in Breast Cancer, Medical and Psychosocial Care of the Cancer Survivor, Excellent Care of Cancer Survivors, Global Cancer Care, and “The Breast Cancer Book”. Dr. Miller’s wife Joan is a two-time cancer survivor and together they have lectured nationally and internationally on the role of empathy in medicine. They have three children and four grandchildren.

#nationalcaregiversmonth #nationalfamilycaregiversmonth #nationalfamilycaregivers #nationalcaregivers #cancer #lendingsupport #patients #emotionaltoll #bloodcancer #health #physical #social #mental #leukemia #understandbloodcancer #kenmiller #drkenmiller #hematologist #oncologist #sinaihospital

The post November is National Family Caregivers Month, LENDING SUPPORT TO CANCER CAREGIVERS DURING NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH AND BEYOND appeared first on Good News!.

http://instagram.com/EveryDayforMBC

What should people be aware of in terms of breast cancer screening and COVID-19?

Can you tell us about your experience treating people diagnosed with MBC? What are the biggest unmet needs and how is the treatment landscape changing?

What are some of the major challenges in MBC today?

Why is it so important for women to not delay routine mammogram screenings?

Where can the MBC community go for more information and support?

BIO-Dr. Bhuvana Ramaswamy is a breast cancer oncologist, physician-scientist at the James. She leads the breast medical oncology section and is also the Chair of the Clinical Scientific Review Committee for the James. Her research interests are in drug-resistance and racial disparities in cancer outcomes. Her lab focuses on finding the molecular link between breastfeeding and risk of breast cancer. She was named as one the “top 27 breast medical oncologists” in the nation by Forbes in 2017 and recently received the Mazzaferri-Ellison Society of Master Clinicians Award.

http://instagram.com/EveryDayforMBC

Interview is Courtesy: Seagen

#breast #cancer #disease #metastatic #covid #mammograms #doctors #ramaswarmy #treating #diagnosed #mbc #treatment #screening #community #support #bhuvana #oncologist #drug #scientist #seagen

The post Women diagnosed with a certain type of breast cancer face a vastly different outlook than others with the disease. appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “September: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month NEW METHODS IN PROSTATE CANCER DETECTION.We speak to Dr. Earle Burgess, an oncologist from Charlo” on Spreaker.

National Prostate Health Month (NPHM), also known as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, is observed every September in the United States (US) by health experts, health advocates, and individuals concerned with men’s prostate health and prostate cancer.

We speak to Dr. Earle Burgess, an oncologist from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for prostate cancer in the US for 2021 are1:
• About 248,530 new cases of prostate cancer
• About 34,130 deaths from prostate cancer
Once someone is diagnosed with prostate cancer, the patient and their doctor continue to check the prostate- specific antigen, or PSA, which can be measured through a routine blood test. A rise in PSA can indicate whether the cancer is progressing, but it cannot show where the cancer has spread.2
If the cancer is found to have spread to other parts of the body, also known as metastatic prostate cancer, it might be important to learn about a biomarker called prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA, that can tell patients and their physicians so much more. A biomarker is a characteristic of a patient’s cancer that can be measured and provides a doctor more information about the cancer.
PSMA is found in more than 80% of men with prostate cancer.3 Although PSA and PSMA are both important biomarkers, they indicate different things.4
PSMA is identified with a positron emission tomography scan (an imaging scan) and can show a patient where the cancer has spread.5 PSMA can help give the doctor additional information to assess the progression of the prostate cancer and help inform the decision that both the patient and doctor will make regarding a treatment plan.
Now there is a new campaign launching to help people learn more and better understand what PSMA is and what it can tell a patient and doctor about the patient’s metastatic prostate cancer.
On Monday September 13, we will have an expert available to explain the importance of PSMA, an important yet underrecognized biomarker in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. The expert will also outline the details of the new PSMA campaign.
On Monday, September 1 3 , we willill hav explain the importance of PSMA, an important yet underrecognized biomarker in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. will also outline the details of the new PSMA campaign.
When you book a window, we’ll provide you with the guest’s biography & suggested questions.
Interview courtesy of Advanced Accelerator Applications, A Novartis Company.

The post September: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month NEW METHODS IN PROSTATE CANCER DETECTION.We speak to Dr. Earle Burgess, an oncologist from Charlotte, North Carolina appeared first on Good News!.

Sun safety habits are important all times of year, and that includes in the winter. Winter activities, such as snow skiing, can result in significant exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun – the leading cause of skin cancers – as UV rays reflect off surfaces, even on cloudy and hazy days. This winter, sun exposure may be a special concern as people spend more time outside, due to COVID-19.

Of particular concern is melanoma, a form of skin cancer. When diagnosed in its early stages, melanoma can be treatable, but it may come back in 20-30% of patients. And in its advanced stages, melanoma can be deadly.

Dr. Sigrun Hallmeyer, a Chicago-based oncologist discusses:
• Why sun safety is important all year round
• Warning signs of skin cancer, including melanoma
• The importance of treatment if someone is diagnosed with melanoma
• Treatment options to help prevent a skin cancer called melanoma from coming back after it has been removed by surgery

Interview is courtesy: Bristol Myers Squibb

#winter #sigrun #hallmeyer #oncologist #surgery #chicago #sun #safety #safe #hidden #dangers #danger #exposure #habits #snow #skiing #result #ultraviolet #uv #radiation #skin #cancer #rays #surface #covid #melanoma #treatment

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STORIES OF INSPIRATION
During Holiday Season
https://www.hemlibra.com/

In recent years, people with hemophilia A have found hope thanks to important developments in the treatment of this bleeding disorder. For some living with this chronic condition, this may mean experiencing the coming holiday season with a new outlook on living with hemophilia A.

Guy is in his mid-30’s and was diagnosed with hemophilia A at birth. As a child, he experienced spontaneous brain bleeds at 18-months-old and again at three-years-old, which led to him becoming legally blind and experiencing seizures. Guy remembers going to the hospital multiple times a week for treatment and having over 20 surgeries. As a young adult, he avoided certain activities that might lead to a bleed.

Hemophilia A is a rare genetic bleeding disorder, typically diagnosed at a very young age, in which a person’s blood does not clot properly, leading to uncontrolled bleeding that can occur spontaneously. There are approximately 20,000 people who have hemophilia in the United States, with hemophilia A being the most common form.1,2 For people diagnosed with this rare condition, it can be a life-altering diagnosis. Even with treatment, hemophilia A can result in bleeds in muscles and joints that may lead to joint damage and chronic pain.2

People like Guy can face significant challenges managing their condition.3 After decades of accepting this as his normal, he began a different medicine that he takes once a month and has experienced fewer bleeds requiring treatment. Guy recently earned a master’s degree to pursue a career in strategic marketing. He has so much to celebrate this holiday season–it will be particularly special as his first as a newlywed after getting married in a small ceremony this past June.

Dr. Amy Shapiro, a hematologist-oncologist and Co-Founder of the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center along with Guy Law, to discuss the impact this latest treatment continues to have for people living with hemophilia A.

Interview is courtesy: Genentech

1 Hemophilia Federation of America. Hemophilia A. https://www.hemophiliafed.org/understanding-bleeding-disorders/what-ishemophilia/hemophilia-a. Accessed October 12, 2020.
2 Mayo Clinic. Symptoms and Causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemophilia/symptoms-causes/syc20373327. Accessed October 12, 2020.
3 Bauer, K. A. (2015). Current Challenges in the Management of Hemophilia. American Journal of Managed Care, 21(6).

#hemophilia #hemlibra #amy #shapiro #indiana #thrombosis #guy #law #hope #inspiration #holiday #season #bleeding #blood #disorder #chronic #condition #diagnosed #seizures #hospital #muscles #pain #oncologist #treatment #marketing #genentech #america

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