Like a mythical sea creature, cancer has many tentacles that can wrap themselves around so many aspects of our lives.
The disease itself is exceptionally complex, driven by any number of cell mutations and affecting each patient differently. But cancer’s reach goes far beyond our physical health. It may also affect our mental, professional, social and financial health. And the impacts may last long after the last treatment ends.
The diverse nature of cancer and its impact is reflected in the popular blogs you read on CancerCenter.com. The most-clicked CancerCenter360 blogs cover a variety of topics from screening, risk factors, lifestyle changes and cancer treatments.
In this article, we’ll look at the topics that make up the most-clicked CancerCenter360 blogs of 2024. Headlines include:
- Evaluating whether cancer shows up in blood work
- Choosing between colonoscopy and Cologuard
- Adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy
- Strength training and cancer
- Do semaglutide and other weight-loss drugs raise cancer risk?
- Is there a link between high-protein diets and cancer?
- The future of cancer treatment
- Can cancer patients and survivors donate blood?
- Cancer treatments and your teeth
- Does immunotherapy work for everyone?
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and want to get a second opinion of your diagnosis and treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
Evaluating whether cancer shows up in blood work
Blood tests are a normal component of annual physical exams and frequently one of the first things ordered when you go to your doctor with symptoms of an unknown illness, including potential cancer.
In some cases, a blood test may show signs of cancer, or the results may suggest that further tests are needed.
New research, tied to the rapidly advancing knowledge about the human genome, may help identify previously unrecognized markers in the blood that may show the presence of cancer.
Read more about whether cancer shows up in blood work
Choosing between colonoscopy and Cologuard
Colonoscopies are the gold standard for detecting colorectal cancer. These procedures are largely responsible for the steady decline in the overall incidence of colorectal cancer over the past several decades.
Still, not everyone is thrilled about going through the procedure because of concerns about anesthesia or the unpleasant preparation required.
With less invasive, at-home tests, such as Cologuard®, patients are asking their doctors if it’s right for them. But the answer isn’t always simple.
Read more about choosing between colonoscopy and Cologuard
Adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy
Cancer is a complex disease and the options to treat it are vast. But the goal of any doctor treating a patient with cancer is to use any and all therapies available to produce the best outcome.
That often includes treatments called neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies.
Adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies—in most cases chemotherapy and radiation therapy—are delivered before or after the primary treatment—usually surgery—to help decrease the risk of cancer recurrence.
Learn more about adjuvant versus neoadjuvant therapy
Strength training and cancer
Your muscles may play a role in overcoming cancer or dealing with the side effects of treatment. Having solid muscle mass may help you withstand some the rigors of cancer treatments help improve your overall prognosis.
Some cancers and treatments may eat away at the body’s musculature—a condition called cachexia (pronounced kuh-KEK-see-uh)—and prevent your body from building new muscle.
Researchers are studying how cancer cachexia develops to identify the best strategies and treatments to counteract muscle wasting.
Learn more about strength training and cancer
Do semaglutide and other weight-loss drugs raise cancer risk?
Weight-loss drugs, such as semaglutide (Ozempic®) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro®), are all the rage, and are now among the top-selling drugs in the United States. Designed to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels, they are also prescribed for weight loss.
Research has produced mixed findings on links between these drugs and cancer. Some research suggests they may increase thyroid cancer risk. More recent research, however, concludes that they may also reduce the risk of some obesity-associated cancers.
Learn more about whether semaglutide and other weight-loss drugs raise cancer risk
Is there a link between high-protein diets and cancer?
Americans love their protein and have embraced many of the high-protein diets, such as the Atkins, keto, paleo and South Beach diets.
Some experts are concerned, however, about whether eating protein-rich foods that may be high in fat may lead to high cholesterol and a greater risk for heart disease. There may also be a link between animal sources of protein, especially red meat, and cancer development.
While the science around how much protein is too much is still a bit murky, there’s one fact everyone seems to agree on: The source of the protein matters.
Learn more about a high-protein diet and cancer risk
The future of cancer treatment
Some of the most significant and still-relevant discoveries in cancer care occurred in decades long past. But over years, research and new discoveries in cancer diagnoses and treatments have accelerated.
Still, much has yet to be done to better understand and develop new treatments for cancer, the second leading cause of death in the United States
This article looks at five bold predictions that may shape the future of cancer care.
Learn more about the future of cancer treatment
Can cancer patients and survivors donate blood?
Giving blood is among the most effective ways to help save a life, especially for those diagnosed with cancer. About 25 percent of all blood donated in the United States is used by cancer patients.
Yet only 3 percent of eligible Americans give blood.
Many cancer patients and survivors are willing to donate blood because they understand how important donations are to help others. But if you are currently being treated for cancer, or are a survivor, are you eligible to be a blood or platelet donor?
Learn more about whether cancer patients and survivors can donate blood
Cancer treatments and your teeth
Visiting the dentist may be the last thing on your mind if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer. But many cancer treatments may have the potential to significantly impact your dental health and vice versa. That’s why it’s important to involve your dentist in your cancer care as early as possible.
Poor oral health may lead to complications or even interrupt your treatment schedule. And regular visits to your dentist may help spot potential oral cancers early.
Learn more about cancer treatments and our teeth
Does immunotherapy work for everyone?
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are among the most promising forms of cancer treatment. These drugs ramp up a patient’s own immune system to fight the disease.
Thanks to these evolving treatments, the five-year survival rate for advanced melanoma has gone from about 10 percent in 2011 to more than 50 percent today. But fewer than half the patients treated for melanoma with checkpoint inhibitors have had any response at all to the therapy.
Doctors and scientists are working to better understand all the mechanisms of cancer and how patients may react to these immunotherapy drugs.
Learn more about whether immunotherapy works for everyone
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and want to get a second opinion of your diagnosis and treatment options, call us or chat online with a member of our team.
