113 Posts
January 23, 2019
Emerging drugs offer promise for advanced melanoma patients“If you had stage IV melanoma before 2011, the median survival was about a year or less. Modern-day immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors is offering positive responses for many patients.” – Alan Tan, MD, Clinical Research Medical Director at our hospital near Phoenix. Read more.
January 16, 2019
Thirdhand smoke: What is it and what are its risks?Inhaling nicotine and other toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, either firsthand as a smoker or secondhand as a non-smoker, may cause illnesses like heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. What isn’t as clearly understood is the effect of so-called “thirdhand smoke.”
January 9, 2019
What is CRISPR? Gene editing tool holds promise for cancer treatment, but may be years offWhat if doctors could not only find cancer-related DNA mutations, but repair them at a genetic level? That’s the theory behind CRISPR, a breakthrough technology in genetics that has generated scores of news headlines and sparked a buzz among scientists and doctors.
December 26, 2018
What's the difference? Biosimilar and generic drugsBiosimilar drugs are often confused with generic drugs. Both are marketed as cheaper versions of costly name-brand drugs and are designed to have the same clinical effect as their pricier counterparts. But biosimilar drugs and generic drugs are very different.
November 21, 2018
Far less aggressive approaches are gaining ground for some cancersToday, the one-size-fits-all cancer treatment approach has largely fallen out of favor. Instead, cancer treatment is often a matter of weighing options and determining what makes sense for each patient. In many cases, in fact, less is now more when it comes to cancer treatment.
September 26, 2018
Busting myths: Cancer is not just one diseaseSome people can’t fathom why researchers haven’t figured out how to cure cancer yet. But what research has shown is that cancer is not just one disease but many, each with its own characteristics, risk factors, causes and treatments.
June 20, 2018
Dangerous drug interactions: Common medicines to avoid while undergoing oral chemotherapyCancer patients on certain oral chemotherapy drugs should be cautious about what other medications they’re taking. Learn which common medications to avoid during treatment.
June 12, 2018
Using viruses to attack cancer may help stimulate the immune systemNew studies are finding a surprising potential ally in the fight against cancer: certain deadly viruses.
May 22, 2018
Cancer cluster causes seem obvious, so why are they so hard to prove?It may seem like a simple case of cause and effect when people who live in the same area, work at the same job site, or play on the same sports team develop cancer, especially if it’s the same type of cancer. But very few of the more than 1,000 suspected cancer clusters reported to state and federal health officials each year are confirmed to be true cancer clusters.
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The information contained in this blog is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in the blog is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment of any illness, condition or disease.