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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When Cancer Spreads to Bone, A Single Dose of Radiation Therapy May Control PainNew 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 IndependenceA 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 SurvivorsIn 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 CollaborationNCI 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 ProblemsFindings 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 TreatmentsCertain 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 CancerJust 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 ChemotherapyA 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 PaiceDr. 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 ChildrenThe 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.
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Do Frequent Follow-Up Tests Benefit Colorectal Cancer Survivors?Two studies examined the impact of more frequent follow-up testing for cancer recurrence in colorectal cancer survivors. Learn whether the studies showed that frequent testing improved survival.
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Higher Risk of Heart Failure Seen in Some CancersSome people who have been treated for breast cancer or lymphoma have a higher risk of developing congestive heart failure than people who haven’t had cancer, results from a new study show.
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Testing an Interactive Approach to Promote Exercise in Young Cancer SurvivorsAn interactive website designed to promote physical activity among children and adolescents who have completed treatment for cancer may indeed help encourage them to get regular exercise, according to preliminary results from a pilot study.
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Study Identifies Potential Cause of Hearing Loss from CisplatinA new study has found the commonly used chemotherapy drug cisplatin is retained in the inner ear of mice and humans for long periods. The finding may explain why many patients treated with the drug develop hearing loss and could point toward potential ways to prevent it.
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Acupuncture May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint Pain for Breast Cancer PatientsJoint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with breast cancer can cause some women to stop taking the drugs. Reducing their symptoms may translate into better adherence to therapy.
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Prior Cancers Common in Patients Newly Diagnosed with CancerA new study shows that many patients diagnosed with a new cancer have had one or more cancers in the past, which has potential implications for long-term surveillance and clinical trial enrollment.
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Expanding Smoking Cessation Services at NCI-Designated Cancer Centers: An Interview with Dr. Glen MorganNCI’s Dr. Glen Morgan discusses NCI’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, including how and why this smoking cessation initiative was developed and its long-term goals.
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Long-Term Nerve Damage Possible after Chemotherapy for Breast CancerMany women who receive taxane-based chemotherapy to treat breast cancer experience long-term nerve damage, or peripheral neuropathy, data from a large clinical trial show.
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Ibrutinib Becomes First FDA-Approved Drug for Chronic Graft-Versus-Host DiseaseA drug used to treat several blood cancers, ibrutinib, has been approved by FDA to treat chronic graft-versus-host disease, making it the first approved therapy for this potentially fatal side effect of cancer-related stem cell transplants.