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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Survivors of Breast Cancer Differ on Who Should Manage Follow-Up CareMany survivors of early-stage breast cancer prefer that their oncologist handle aspects of routine medical care usually overseen by primary care practitioners, leading to concerns about gaps in care.
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FDA Clears Wider Use of Cooling Cap to Reduce Hair Loss during ChemotherapyThe FDA has cleared a cooling cap—a device designed to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy called the DigniCap Scalp Cooling System—for use by patients with any type of solid tumor.
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Targeted Cancer Drug May Also Help Protect Fertility, Study SuggestsFindings from a new study in mice suggest that a class of targeted cancer drugs may have another use in some younger women being treated for cancer: preserving their fertility.
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Putting the Cancer Patient Front and Center: An Interview with NCI’s Dr. Paul JacobsenNCI’s Dr. Paul Jacobsen discusses NCI’s Healthcare Delivery Research Program and its role in advancing innovative research to improve the delivery of cancer care.
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Less-Frequent Zoledronic Acid Treatment Effective at Preventing Bone Metastasis ComplicationsIn a clinical trial involving patients with metastatic cancer, administration of zoledronic acid every 12 weeks was as effective at preventing skeletal-related events caused by bone metastases as administration every 4 weeks.
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Ibrutinib Relieves Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease SymptomsThe targeted cancer therapy ibrutinib can effectively treat the symptoms of chronic graft-versus-host disease, a common and serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplants, findings from a small clinical trial show.
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For Some Breast Cancer Survivors, Drug May Reduce Treatment-Related Joint PainResearchers have found that duloxetine (Cymbalta®), a drug most commonly used to treat depression, may also reduce joint pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in some women being treated for early-stage breast cancer.
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NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship: Celebrating 20 Years, Planning for Continued ProgressDr. Julia Rowland, director of NCI’s Office of Cancer Survivorship, on the office’s 20th anniversary and efforts to ensure continued progress in survivorship research and improve survivors’ lives.
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Educating Patients about Genetic Test Results: An Interview with Carol Weil about the COMET StudyThe recently launched COMET study will examine whether educating patients with cancer about genetic testing will increase their knowledge and reduce their stress levels after receiving genomic testing results.
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Study Confirms Benefits of Early Palliative Care for Advanced CancerA randomized clinical trial has found that patients who received palliative care along with standard treatment for advanced cancer reported having a better quality of life and mood than patients who did not receive early palliative care.
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Many Cancer Caregivers Report Feeling Unprepared for Caregiving ChallengesMany family members who care for loved ones with cancer do not feel adequately prepared for the caregiving tasks they assume and need help to make informed decisions about end-of-life care, according to a new study.
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Olanzapine Helps Prevent Nausea and Vomiting Caused by ChemotherapyA drug currently used to treat several psychiatric conditions can help prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving chemotherapy, a large clinical trial showed.
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Study Forecasts ‘Silver Tsunami’ of Cancer SurvivorsAccording to an NCI study, the number of older cancer survivors will grow substantially over the next quarter century, increasing the demand for cancer and survivorship care.
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Persistent Peripheral Neuropathy Increases Fall Risk among Cancer SurvivorsMany female cancer survivors have problems with mobility and other physical functioning as a result of persistent peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy treatment, according to a new study.
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Cancer Can Lead to Financial Hardship, Study ConfirmsA substantial number of working-age cancer survivors report material or psychological financial hardship associated with their cancer.
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Cancer Risk in Childhood Cancer Survivors Continues for DecadesSurvivors of childhood cancer have an elevated risk of developing second, distinct cancers into their forties and beyond, according to a new study.
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Too Few Patients with Cancer Communicate Preferences for End-of-Life CareMany patients with cancer and their physicians are not communicating about the patients’ preferences for end-of-life medical care, a new study suggests.
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Treatment Helps Preserve Fertility for Some Women with Breast CancerIn a large clinical trial, giving a hormone-suppressing drug helped some younger women with breast cancer get pregnant after completing cancer treatment.