August 2019 Vol 5 No 4

Rebecca Blomgren felt betrayed and angry when the “bump” she had told her dentists about for years was dismissed as nothing but was finally diagnosed as advanced oral cancer. This experience has taught her to accept her fears and anxieties without apology.

Complementary therapies such as yoga, meditation, acupuncture, and massage can improve quality of life. Introducing adolescent and young adult patients with cancer to these and other creative healing methods helps to lessen the isolation and stress associated with a cancer diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer may become the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States by 2020. Because there are no clear warning signs for this cancer, it is often diagnosed late, when cure is no longer possible. Dr. Frank discusses the challenges of pancreatic cancer and describes new treatments that have shown promise.

After an operation to remove a rare bone cancer on his spine, Dana Vaughns never thought he would be cycling across America to raise funds for cancer research. Dana says, “Crossing the finish line with the Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer team will be symbolic of my victory over cancer for the past 10 years.”

As a psychologist dedicated to helping people cope with disasters, Jamie D. Aten knew the damage “survivor’s guilt” can do. As a stage IV colon cancer survivor, he says, “I wasn’t prepared for it to hit me personally.”

Reading Cinde Dolphin’s description of how she and other patients with cancer are inventing simple, but very useful, solutions to improve their cancer treatment needs may inspire you to become an inventor, to help yourself or other people with cancer.

For Erika Brooks, it took some time to adjust to what it means to have an incurable cancer. She says, “at first, I kept thinking it was a death sentence.” Eventually, she came to see her cancer in a different light.

In June 2019, the FDA approved a new type of immunotherapy called Polivy, for use in combination with other drugs, in patients with previously treated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), offering new options for patients whose cancer has returned.