This study examined the effectiveness of vibration therapy on patients receiving chemotherapy for leukemia and lymphoma. Researchers found that vibration therapy improved daily function in these patients.

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Or Patient-Centered Cancer Care:  IOM’s recommendations Last week, we looked at the recent Institute of Medicine’s report and wrote the post about "How the US Got Its Cancer Care Crisis". This week we get more practical. With specific recommendations you can use! The general recommendations include: (1) becoming engaged patients. (2) ensuring an adequately  staffed, trained, and coordinated workforce. (3) providing evidence-based care. (4) learning health care information technology (IT). (5) translation of evidence into clinical practice, quality measurement and performance improvement. (6) addressing accessible and affordable care.   One of the most important sections of the report, from the patients’ perspective,[ Read More ]

"Keep Calm And Carry On:" Really? “The shock of that day you hear the words, ‘you have cancer’ never leaves you and your sense of certainty in life and in your body can be hard to recapture after a diagnosis of cancer.”-Marie Ennis-O'Connor After Surgery, Chemo, Radiation This is the time when feeling sick is supposed to be over. After the surgeries, chemotherapy and radiations are over, your cancer is supposed to be done, right? Unfortunately, you are not done. Instead of being told you are cured, you are told that you are in remission. You have to go to[ Read More ]

Cost Medical care for cancer is costly. In addition, there is the financial burden that patients and families face in getting to and from the best care--which may be located at medical centers far from home. The situation can seem overwhelming. Corporate Angel Network Into this dilemma, little known resources have arisen to meet this challenge. One of these is called The Corporate Angel Network. Started in 1981 by two cancer survivors, Priscilla Blum and Jay Weinberg and by Leonard Greene, who lost his wife to cancer, The Corporate Angel Network (CAN) has flown over 45,000 patients to their care—free[ Read More ]

We are made of elegant, interacting, dynamic structures called cells.  The best estimate is that there are around 32 trillion cells in the human body.   Today 5th graders begin to learn about cells and cell biology.  But for the rest of us, who may be a bit rusty, or who aren’t as caught up with all the advances that have occurred in understanding cells in the last 30 years or so, this is where we have to start to understand oncology in 2016. The Old View of Cells Let’s look at what you may know.  Cells are made of cell[ Read More ]

The Central Dogma of Biology Doesn’t the title above sound imposing? Yet this central idea has moved biological science forward over the last 60 plus years. What we know about cells, genetics and cancer today relies on this "Dogma": DNA carries our hereditary information and transfers that information in a process called transcription. In 1869, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) was first discovered.  Still, it wasn't until 1944 when three researchers--Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty--transformed one type of pneumonia (that didn't cause illness) into another type of pneumonia (that did cause illness) that it was determined that DNA (and not proteins)[ Read More ]

In Oncology Basics 2016 part 1, we examined the elegance of the cells that make up our body.  In Oncology Basics 2016 part 2, we explored what holds the instructions for life--DNA--and the special processes of self-replication and transcription that are used to pass on and translate those instructions.  Now we will try to connect the dots. Recent scientific collaborations have increased our understanding of what makes humans human. One of these was the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project "A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. "  Genes are composed of DNA  and the[ Read More ]

Eating Together For many, being able to commune around a table--talking, laughing and eating--is a sign of health and well-being.  That's why, when someone is sick, and doesn't eat, conflict can result. Caregivers may feel enormous anxiety, guilt and hopelessness as their loved one loses weight. Yet, caregivers need to know what is really happening.  Cancer patient, Ann Silberman, in her blog, "Breast Cancer? But Doctor...I hate pink!"  explains, "This problem of being unable to eat is not a matter of will-power, nor is it in our [the patient's] control." What is going on? Cachexia There is a distinct metabolic[ Read More ]

Dawn Goo is a waitress, former comedian, breast cancer survivor and is now under treatment for Non Hodgkins Lymphoma.  She lives in El Paso, Texas.  This is a post from her Facebook page which is gathering momentum in social media among people who have experienced cancer, especially those who are dealing with Stage 4 disease. DAMN IT DAWN! WE ONLY WANT YOU TO BE FUNNY! By Dawn Lynn Goo “You can’t be sick, you’re fat. You don’t look like your dying. You still have hair. Oh come on, you’ve been dying for years. It can’t be that bad, it’s not[ Read More ]

We are adding to the list of respite opportunities that are available for adults with cancer.  In addition to a couple of programs like the ones featured in Free Vacations for Adults affected by Cancer, there are a few foundations for adults with cancer that are much like the well-known Make-A-Wish Foundation (for children) which provide support for travel or other wishes.   Dream Foundation The Dream Foundation  provides wish fulfillment for adults with cancer who are terminally ill with a life expectancy of a year or less.  Travel or vacation wishes must be fulfilled within the US.  The vacation can[ Read More ]