Is Cancer Research and Treatment Moving From Evolution To Revolution?
Discussion at a meeting of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) held in conjunction with the MD Anderson symposium mentioned above echoed a theme that I truly believe in: we have plenty of money "in the system" already to accomplish what we need to accomplish. How we parcel out that money is the issue. We waste so much, and we are charged so much, for things that don't work or aren't needed that to me it borders on the obscene. If we were more effective and efficient at what we do and how we do it, I firmly believe we could pay for what we need to pay for.
As an example, I was asked this week about a recent d...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - April 9, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Breast Cancer Cancer Care Colon Cancer Lung Cancer Media Medications Other cancers Prostate Cancer Research Treatment Source Type: blogs
Maybe It's Time To Rethink Patient Safety When 1/3 Of The Cancer Professionals Would Have Prescribed The Wrong Treatment In Response To A Lecturer's Question
I was sitting in a large lecture hall with about 1000 of my oncology colleagues this past week when I had one of "those moments." It wasn't a spectacular moment, and I doubt that anyone else in the room really paid much attention to the moment, but for me it was a significant moment--and frankly a bit chilling if not frightening.
In short, in answer to an audience response question--which admittedly is not a scientifically valid survey--over 1/3 of the oncology professionals sitting in the audience would have prescribed a treatment for advanced colon cancer that not only has been shown not to work, but also shorten lives. ...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - March 20, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Breast Cancer Cancer Care Colon Cancer Medications Survivors Treatment Source Type: blogs
Two New Reports From eHealth Initiative Provide Valuable Information On eHealth Tools For Cancer Patients
Since we have started the conversation about eHealth tools in my previous blog this week, I thought it might be worthwhile to explore some of the other applications and internet based programs that may be useful to cancer patients.
As I wrote in early February, I have become (and remain) infatuated with apps that have helped me track my activity and my diet. They have made a big difference for me and others I know, and continue to keep me motivated and on target. The larger question, however, is whether we can harness electronic media to help us live healthier lives, get better control of our health, or if we have an illne...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - March 8, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Access to care Cancer Care Media Survivors Treatment Source Type: blogs
For Cancer Patients, It's Not Just About What's Now But Also What's Next--And We Can Help Answer That Question
Here's an insightful comment from me: Social media has gripped our world, the way we live, the way we interact, what we know and influences what we do. (OK, stop laughing: I'm not a Luddite, but needed somewhere to start this conversation.)
At times, I wonder where all those folks (usually young folks) find all that interesting stuff they send to each other on a such a constant basis that it seems their smartphones are a direct extension of their fingertips. So much to say right now! I can't imagine there being that much that is so important that people walk down the street mesmerized by those things.
But maybe that is jus...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - March 6, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Cancer Care Medications Research Survivors Treatment Source Type: blogs
Will My Smartphone Help Me End The Purgatory Of My Groundhog Day Diet?
OK. So Groundhog Day was on Saturday this year, and unlike the furry little beast what I have to say each year around this time is just as good today as him looking for his shadow on Saturday.
What is all this about, you are probably asking yourself?
It is about an annual update that I started a couple of years ago on my blog to remind myself and those who are interested that losing weight and staying healthy is a tough slog and a major commitment which too often is not successful. Like many of you out there I am not immune to all the problems surrounding diet and trying to get weight under control. Try, try, try again and...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - February 4, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Diet Environment Prevention Vitamins Source Type: blogs
New Report On Smoking In Women Confirms That "Women Who Smoke Like Men Die Like Men"
In this study, it is the relative risk that is being discussed. The baseline death rates for certain diseases and men and women may be different, but in both sexes the relative risk increase is what they are measuring-not the actual increase in the number of deaths from a particular disease.
(Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog)
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - January 23, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Lung Cancer Prevention Tobacco Source Type: blogs
New Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines From The American Cancer Society: What You Should Know
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in this country. In 2012, the American Cancer Society estimates that there were about 226,000 people newly diganosed with lung cancer, and 160,000 deaths. If there is good news here-and unfortunately there isn't much good news when it comes to lung cancer-it is that deaths from this dreaded disease have been declining in men and women, since fewer people are smoking. But there is much we have to do to improve this picture.
That's one of the reasons the American Cancer Society is releasing new guidelines on screening for lung cancer. After carefully reviewing the availa...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - January 10, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Cancer Care Early detection Lung Cancer Prevention Screening Tobacco Treatment Source Type: blogs
Annual Report to the Nation on Cancer Trends: Cancer Deaths Continue to Fall, But We Can Do Better
This report comes out every year. It is a summation of what we know about the trends in incidence rates for the most common cancers in the United States among both men and women as well as the trends in death rates from those cancers that lead to the highest mortality in the general population as well as specific ethnic groups. It is in a real sense a report card on our progress, which in large part is good but in a number of cancers, not so good.
The good news is what we have come to expect: since the year 2000, the overall cancer death rates have continued to decline 1.8% per year in men, 1.4% in women and 0.6% per year ...
Source: Dr. Len's Cancer Blog - January 7, 2013 Category: Cancer Authors: Dr. Len Tags: Access to care Breast Cancer Cancer Care Cervical Cancer Colon Cancer Early detection Lung Cancer Other cancers Prevention Prostate Cancer Rectal Cancer Research Screening Tobacco Treatment Vaccines Source Type: blogs
