May 2, 2018

Fat Cells May Hinder Chemotherapy’s Impact

It’s hardly newsworthy that obesity leads to a litany of health problems, from heart disease and high blood pressure to diabetes, sleep apnea and cancer. But for cancer patients, a new study suggests obesity may cause even more medical complications by interfering with efforts to treat the disease. Citing the results of research published in Molecular Cancer Research, a National […]

April 3, 2018

Excess Weight May Contribute Up to 40 Percent of US Cancer Diagnoses

Your weight plays an important role in your overall health, including your risk of many chronic diseases — cancer included. In fact, being overweight or obese — defined as a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 25 or 30, respectively — is believed to cause up to 40 percent of all cancer diagnoses in […]

April 3, 2018

Matchmaking for Transplants

Each year, thousands of people diagnosed with life-threatening diseases, including blood cancers, myelodysplastic syndrome, sickle cell disease and many others, require bone marrow or stem cell transplants to give them the best chance at beating their diseases. These patients require finding a matching donor, and while some find a match from a family member, nearly […]

March 13, 2018

Why Sleep Should Be a Priority for Cancer Patients

Most people experience poor sleep from time to time. Maybe you went to bed too late, were too excited or stressed to fall asleep, took medication that kept you alert or had an alcoholic beverage before bed that interfered with your ability to fall asleep. There are many reasons that you might have a bad […]

March 13, 2018

What are Environmental Risk Factors, and How Can I Avoid Them?

Tobacco smoke at a concert. Pollution from the factory around the corner. Radiation from a routine X-ray. When it comes to environmental factors that raise the risk of cancer, it may seem like avoiding exposure is as impossible as avoiding the air you breathe. In reality, though, you have more control than you think. Experts […]

January 10, 2018

What to Know Before Visiting the Salon

A visit to the salon can brighten anyone’s day, but for cancer patients, salon services can do far more. From boosting self-esteem to empowering patients with a more positive outlook, a trip to the salon offers benefits that are more than skin deep. In fact, in a survey of U.S. women, 97 percent of those […]

December 10, 2017

What Every Cancer Patient Should Know About Flu Season

In the U.S., flu season peaks from December through February, but runs through the entire fall and winter. While most cases are mild, with recovery in less than two weeks without medical care necessary, people with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients, are at an increased risk of developing flu-related complications that may result in […]

December 10, 2017

Why Experts are Worried about Alcohol and Cancer

Conflicting findings on the effects of alcohol may have you scratching your head. On the one hand, research suggests that low to moderate drinking may lower the risk of heart disease in some people. On the other hand, there is evidence that drinking even small amounts of alcohol is associated with an increased risk of liver disease, memory loss, […]

October 9, 2017

Know Your Options for Breast Reconstruction

If you’ve had, or are scheduled to have, surgery as part of your breast cancer treatment, breast reconstruction is an option to help restore the shape of your breast, improving quality of life and self-esteem for some women. It’s estimated that only 23 percent of women understand the many options for reconstruction, which vary depending […]

October 9, 2017

5 Tips to Improve Self-Image

Cancer treatments can do a number on more than the disease. Many times, they also take a toll on patients physically and emotionally, causing pain, hair loss, lethargy, anxiety and other side effects that impact patients’ quality of life. Chemotherapy, for example, targets cells that grow quickly, including healthy cells in the skin, hair and nails. […]