If transgender youth and adults are undergoing (or planning) gender-affirming surgery, taking masculinizing or feminizing hormones, and they have cancer, these treatments can have implications for their care. Cancer treatments in turn can have implications for their gender-affirming care. Oncologists should take gender identity into account in making decisions about cancer treatment. This starts with … Read more
Cancer does not affect everyone in the same way. A combination of factors, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status can make some patients face a greater cancer burden and poorer outcomes in cancer care and treatment. These inequities are called cancer disparities. The causes “are complex and reflect social and economic disparities and … Read more
In early 2019, Jess Skyleson found herself in a situation she never imagined she’d ever be in: telling a group of people what hope means to her. Less than a year ago, as she waded through her own cancer diagnosis, the idea of hope was the last thing Skyleson wanted to discuss. In 2018, she … Read more
It was anything but a routine hospital visit, but Bradley Graham handled his 100th chemotherapy infusion like he has all the rest — with a friendly smile and a steely determination. That’s his makeup. As a principal engineer specializing in submarines and nuclear emergency planning, and a Navy veteran who served more than 20 years … Read more
If you’ve ever thought about starting a diet, you’re not alone. Studies suggest that more than 45 million Americans will attempt to diet every year. While it’s easy to find a regimen that claims you’ll lose weight and feel better, how do you know it’s safe or even good for you? The amount of misinformation … Read more
By Amanda DeGiorgi Menopause, arthritis, wigs, medical bills, less sex, no sex… sounds more like a retiree’s worst nightmare than my reality as a 29-year-old about to be married. But life rarely goes as planned, and it can take you on a wild ride when you’re least expecting it. Now that surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and … Read more
Three-year-old Lia Scagnoli skipped across the “Bridge of Hope” connecting Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute each time she had a chemotherapy infusion or other treatment for pediatric kidney cancer at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic. Caregivers offering equal parts love, hope, and fun diversions gave her and her family a feeling of confidence that … Read more
Childhood cancer is rare, but when it happens, it usually brings up an endless stream of questions for parents. How did this happen? What will life be like for my child? In this episode of Cancer Mythbusters from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we talk about some of the most common questions and myths about childhood cancer … Read more
We hear it all the time: “Cancer is a battle”—insinuating that patients have to fight in order to increase their chances of a good outcome. It’s a common message used in the media, the premise being that a person’s cancer can be eradicated if they are tough enough. But does this put the burden of … Read more
What does remission mean? Cancer is said to be in remission when the signs and symptoms of the disease have decreased or resolved. If the cancer is a solid mass — such as a tumor in the lung or breast — remission means the mass has shrunk. If it is a hematologic (blood-related) cancer, … Read more
Adopting a healthy lifestyle, in terms of diet and exercise, is especially important for cancer patients in reducing stress, minimizing side effects, and boosting energy levels to power through treatment and recovery.
Ever since she was diagnosed with a form of aggressive breast cancer six years ago, Tara Shuman has channeled her abundant energy and optimism into getting through and beyond her cancer, and also on doing everything possible to help others facing it.
A clinical trial at Dana-Farber has kept Sharon DeCosta’s stage IV metastatic breast cancer stabilized for three years, allowing her a full life of traveling and doting on her three young grandchildren, with a fourth due in December.
Targeted therapies and immunotherapy are in a phase of discovery that is more promising than any preceding brain cancer research, according to the leaders of Dana-Farber’s Center for Neuro-Oncology.
Although lymphedema symptoms can be prevented and managed in a variety of ways, surgeons are pioneering procedures to restore a healthy lymph system in affected patients.
尤文肉瘤（Ewing sarcoma）是一种在骨骼（bones）和软组织（soft tissues）里生长的癌症，常见于大腿（thigh）或骨盆（pelvis）。尤文肉瘤最常见于儿童及5岁-20岁的青少年，男性患者多于女性患者。尽管绝大多数的尤文肉瘤患者为青少年，它亦可对20多岁或30多岁的人群有影响。尤文肉瘤的比例约占所有儿童期癌症（childhood cancers）的2%。
抗癌远不止于在医院看病。在帮助癌症患者减轻压力、最大程度地缓解副作用以及为度过疗程和康复期增强精力方面，健康的生活方式是必不可少的，其中包括合理膳食和坚持运动。
无论年龄的长幼还是诊断的不同，失眠（insomnia）是癌症患者群体中最常见的副作用之一，但这并不意味着我们应该对它掉以轻心。若您有失眠的现象，请务必与您的护理团队咨询，因为失眠会导致其它健康问题。幸运的是，比起服用安眠药物，市面上有很多可供失眠患者选择的新方法。 我们采访了丹娜—法伯癌症研究所患者教育部的临床项目经理Clare Sullivan女士（Clare Sullivan, MPH, BSN, OCN），她就失眠的相关问题作出了解答。Sullivan女士跟我们讨论了患者可以规避睡眠问题的方法，以及患者在家里可以尝试的补救方法，无需用药。 以下是采访的亮点摘要。 问：有哪些因素会引发失眠？ 答：在癌症治疗的过程中及之后，患者出现失眠情况是很常见的。如果失眠没有得到及时的治疗，它会成为增加到已有的症状群中，如：疼痛、疲劳和焦虑。以下因素会引起失眠： 压力、焦虑或抑郁（Stress, anxiety, or depression） 身体不适，如：头痛、恶心、呕吐、潮热或疼痛 由药物、化疗（chemotherapy）或放疗（radiation）引发的副作用（Side effects） 诸如胃酸反流（acid reflux）、甲状腺问题或膀胱问题 对环境的不熟悉或日常规范有所改变，如：在医院过夜 问：一些特定的癌症治疗或药物会对睡眠有更大影响吗？ 答：在化疗中接受类固醇（steroids）治疗的患者更容易有睡眠问题。在条件允许的情况下，请尝试在早上使用类固醇。 其它非癌症类药物也会影响睡眠，其中包括： 用于治疗注意力缺陷多动症（ADHD）的混合安非他命（mixed amphetamines，如：阿德拉尔-Adderall） 用于治疗高血压的β-受体阻滞剂（Beta-blockers for high blood pressure） 用于治疗哮喘的沙丁胺醇（Albuterol for asthma） 用于治疗过敏的伪麻黄碱（Pseudoephedrine for allergies，如：苯海拉明-Benadryl和速达菲- Sudafed） 抗抑郁剂（Anti-depressants，如：百忧解-Prozac） 了解更多： 夜间盗汗和癌症的关系是什么？ 10个妙招助您控制癌症相关的压力和焦虑 给癌症患者的10个运动小贴士 问：从我自身角度出发，在寻求睡眠治疗之前，有哪些可用的方法能帮我缓解失眠？ 答：首先，请务必确保您的肿瘤内科医师或护理团队知晓您的睡眠问题。他们有义务知道您在治疗中出现的任何医学或精神上的副作用，这是非常重要的一点。 您可以主动采用以下方法来缓解失眠： 改善睡眠行为（Sleep Behaviors）： 避免在就寝前食用不易于消化的、辛辣或甜的食物 不要在卧室里看电视或工作 把电子设备放在寝室外 确保您的床不受光线和噪声干扰。您也可以考虑戴耳塞（earplugs）或眼罩（sleep mask） 避免吸烟并限制咖啡因的摄入（caffeine intake） 避免饮酒，特别是睡前的4-8个小时内不要喝酒 … Read more
如今，被诊断患有非转移性前列腺癌（non-metastatic prostate cancer）的男性有了新的线上指南——TrueNTH USA，该网站希冀协助这些患者与癌症专科医生的第一次咨询。 该线上指南的全名为个人患者档案—前列腺（Personal Patient Profile-Prostate，下称P3P），它是由丹娜—法伯（Dana-Farber）的研究人员开发的，且已上线TrueNTH USA网站，对所有非转移性前列腺癌男性开放。TrueNTH USA是一个旨在改善该疾病患者、家属和护理人员的生活质量的项目。这是该工具首次对全世界的患者开放——无论他们在何处接受治疗——丹娜—法伯癌症研究所菲利斯∙F∙坎特护理和患者呵护服务研究中心（Phyllis F. Cantor Center for Research in Nursing and Patient Care Services）的主任Donna Berry博士（Donna Berry, PhD, RN）说道，Berry博士是执业护士并带领了P3P的规划和测试。“症状追踪”（Symptom Tracker）是TrueNTH网站的第二组成部分，它帮助患者与其他接受过类似治疗的患者比对术后症状。 Berry博士解释说： “P3P是首个也是唯一一个以互联网为基础且免费的男性非转移性前列腺癌指南，它能够指导男性患者将个人因素纳入治疗的考量。它设有互动的文字和视频模块，帮助男性读者梳理不同疗法的益处和风险，从而他们可以作出与自己价值观相符的抉择” 。 丹娜—法伯是全美境内八个将P3P整合到男性咨询前列腺癌的标准步骤里的机构之一。当在任意一所机构就诊的患者登陆P3P网站并且回答网站的弹出消息时，他的回复将被自动整理成一份报告，供丹娜—法伯的医生参考。 Berry博士表示： “大致上，专家就可以在患者就诊前了解到他的个人因素和偏好” 。在其它七个机构就诊的患者可以将报告打印出来，并在首次就诊时交给他们在丹娜—法伯的医生。 TrueNTH（音为 “true north” ）USA项目由Movember基金会（Movember Foundation）赞助支持，该基金会是一个聚焦男性健康的国际慈善组织，且于2015年为综合以网络为导向的P3P项目背书。2017年3月，该指南在TrueNTH网站上上线。 Berry博士指导了P3P项目有关决策辅助的部分，而公共卫生专家Ann Partridge博士（Ann Partridge, MD, MPH）则领导了未来幸存护理的部分，以及TrueNTH在丹娜—法伯的整体落地项目，丹娜—法伯是波士顿唯一一个将TrueNTH投入到临床使用的医疗中心。Partridge博士是丹娜—法伯成年幸存项目（Adult Survivorship Program）的主任。 Berry博士还正与兰科泌尿生殖肿瘤中心（Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology）的Bradley McGregor博士一道，将该指南与患者护理结合在一起。他们希望能够扩大TrueNTH网站的影响，从而让它让患者在治疗和幸存的整体过程上都能受益，Partridge博士说： “我们希望为该疾病的患者在每一步上都提供辅助服务” 。 点击此处了解更多丹娜—法伯治疗前列腺癌的信息。 转载须知 阁下若有媒体联络需求，敬请致电617-632-4090，请阁下指明与媒体团队洽谈；或请发邮件至media@dfci.harvard.edu。阁下如欲转载本文，请发邮件至kun_ma@dfci.harvard.edu，未经授权禁止转载，感谢合作。