Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. ASCO and Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) recently developed a decision aid tool to help people with NSCLC who have had surgery talk with their doctor about whether to have chemotherapy after surgery. Adjuvant therapy is additional treatment given after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence (return of cancer after treatment). To learn more about this tool, Cancer.Net talked with two people who helped develop it: Christopher Azzoli, MD, and John Strawn, MD. Dr. Azzoli is a medical oncologist on the ASCO Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Expert Panel, and Dr. Strawn is a patient representative on the panel.

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.

The oncology community is focusing more attention on the differences in the occurrence, frequency, and survival of cancer of different populations in the United States. These populations may include members of minority populations, older adults of any race or background, and those who are poor or geographically isolated. Here, Cancer.Net talks with Derek Raghavan, MD, PhD, to learn more about health disparities in cancer.

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.

Cancer.Net talks with Archie Bleyer, MD, to learn more about the need for an initiative like this.

Physical therapists are valuable members of the cancer care team. To explain their role, Cancer.Net welcomes Jean O'Toole, PT, MPH, CLT-LANA who has 40 years of experience in physical therapy and has worked at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston since 1992. She has a particular interest and experience in physical therapy for people with cancer.

Cancer clinical trials have led to scientific advances in the prevention, care, and treatment of people with cancer. This knowledge could not have been attained without the participation of patients and their doctors. To understand how patient advocates help advance cancer research, Cancer.Net welcomes George W. Sledge Jr., MD, the 2010-2011 President of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and Mary Lou Smith, a longtime patient advocate. Dr. Sledge and Ms. Smith have worked together for many years, primarily through the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, a clinical cancer research organization.

Physician assistants (PAs) are valuable members of the cancer care team. To explain their role, Cancer.Net welcomes Todd Pickard, MMSc, PA-C, medical liaison for the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and David Coniglio, MPA, PA-C, president of the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology (APAO).

Most cervical cancers are caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Although many women infected with the virus eventually clear the infection, some women develop a persistent (lasting) infection, which is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Approval of two HPV vaccines has prompted questions about the use and effectiveness of these vaccines. To help answer common questions, Cancer.Net discussed the HPV vaccine with Maurie Markman, MD. If you have specific questions, talk with your doctor about whether one of these vaccines is appropriate for you.