Subscribe to Cancer.Net Features: Quality of Life using RSS© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
Quality of Life
Find practical information on how to manage common challenges faced by people living with cancer.
April 6, 2011
After a diagnosis of cancer, patients and their families must make a number of decisions about cancer treatment, some of which are more difficult than others. These decisions are complicated by unfamiliar words, statistics, and a sense of urgency. However, it is important to allow time to research your options and ask questions. Decisions about cancer treatment are personal, and it is important that you feel comfortable about your decisions.
April 4, 2011
ASCO member Evan J. Lipson, MD, launched a website that offers people with cancer and their families an opportunity to record and preserve audio interviews as a way to share their personal stories with others. Here, Cancer.Net talks with Dr. Lipson to learn more about why he created this website, SeizetheDays.org.
March 4, 2011
A person with cancer may have more than one option for treating the disease, and it may be difficult to choose among them. In making this choice, patients often ask for the opinions of family members. And, in some cases, family members may disagree with each other and with the patient, creating conflict when they need each other’s support the most. This is particularly complex when the patient is a child or an adult who is medically unable to make decisions. This article provides suggestions on how to keep the lines of communication open and work together to make treatment choices.
February 25, 2011
Many people mark milestones in their cancer treatment plan and survivorship in a variety of ways. For many people, the one-year and five-year cancer-free milestones are very meaningful. Other milestones and anniversary dates can be marked as well, such as the end of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, the date of your cancer diagnosis, the anniversary of surgery to treat your cancer, or after each follow-up visit.
February 8, 2011
Keeping an accurate record of your personal medical history is an important step in managing your health. This record should include test results, treatment reports, and notes written by your doctor, for each doctor, hospital, or clinic you have visited. Although each facility keeps its own record of your medical care, it is a good idea to maintain and update a personal copy as well.
February 3, 2011
If you are a person living with a rare cancer, or a parent of a child with a rare cancer, this article will provide tips and resources to help you obtain information about your specific diagnosis and treatment options.
January 18, 2011
Cancer is the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults age 15 to 39. An estimated 70,000 people in this age group are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in the United States each year. And, while much progress has been made in the fields of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, survival rates in 17 of the 23 types of cancers in older adolescents and young adults have not improved since 1990 and, in most of these, since 1975.
To improve cancer care for people in this often-overlooked age group, LIVESTRONG and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) have partnered to launch Focus Under Forty. It is an education curriculum for doctors, designed to build awareness and provide training to address the challenges in treating older adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.
Here, Cancer.Net talks with Archie Bleyer, MD, to learn more about the need for an initiative like this.
December 10, 2010
Anger is a common and normal response for a person living with cancer. A person with cancer may experience anger about the way the cancer diagnosis has disrupted his or her life, about the treatment and possible side effects, or about the way that family members and friends are reacting.
November 1, 2010
This article is the second in a two-part series designed to help you better understand cancer research. It outlines various types of study designs and provides tips for evaluating study results. Part I describes the publishing process, the format that journals and other scientific publications use to share findings, and how to find studies of interest to you.
October 25, 2010
Publishing research studies is the primary way scientific professionals use to communicate their findings. They may publish original research or write a review article, which evaluates the existing body of published research on a particular topic. Well-designed research studies can help answer important questions about the biology of cancer, investigate new treatments, and identify areas for further study.