Founder

Fatigue continues to be one of the biggest challenges for survivors of cancer, particularly because its severity can have a lasting effect on lifestyle.

Unlike tiredness from a hard day at work or a vigorous workout, cancer fatigue can be unrelated to a person’s activities yet all encompassing. The phenomenon can be difficult for those who have never had cancer to understand.

“(Friends) really do not get it when I need to go home and climb into bed immediately or am unable to take one more step or have to cancel an engagement,” Jane Biehl, a CURE® Voices contributor, wrote in a 

. “Before cancer, willpower carried me through fatigue, but no more. That weight all over my body frankly kicks my butt.”

In this issue of CURE®, we take an in-depth look at cancer fatigue, its causes and a variety of treatment options. Perhaps counterintuitively, experts point out that the most effective therapy for this condition is exercise, a remedy that could seem daunting. Research consistently supports this idea, and our article describes the kinds of programs that work best.

In another feature, we tackle the topic of radiopharmaceuticals, radioactive drugs with an expanding role in both treatment and diagnosis. The expectation is that more of these drugs will be discovered over the next decade, and additional uses will be found for those already on the market. Our article discusses the fascinating area called theranostics or using the same radiopharmaceutical to both diagnose and treat a specific cancer.

Elsewhere in the treatment arena, we bring highlights from June’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, including findings in colorectal, bladder, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancers. This issue also covers investigational treatments for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and kidney cancer.

At the other end of the spectrum, we look at the time before cancer develops and how people can protect themselves. With the help of a Northwestern University expert in epidemiology and cancer prevention, we examine recommended strategies for avoiding the disease. A separate piece explores whether those who had genetic testing years ago should repeat the process using today’s more sophisticated tests to get a more comprehensive picture of whether they have any inherited cancer-causing genes.

Finally, we come full circle with another article on easing a side effect, in this case hair loss during chemotherapy. In an interview, an oncology expert answers our questions about the safety, effectiveness and availability of cold caps.

We hope that these articles, which span the cancer journey from prevention to survivorship, leave you better informed about strategies that can help you lead a healthier and more comfortable life. As always, thank you for reading.

Articles

Exercise can help prevent excess fatigue for survivors of cancer and other issues are explored in this summer issue of CURE.

Exercise Can Help Ease Excessive Fatigue in Survivors of Cancer

perfectly understood, cancer- related cognitive impairment — commonly referred to by patients undergoing cancer treatment as “chemo brain” &mdash; is a very real, sometimes long-lasting mental fog that affects as many as 75% of patients during cancer treatment (and can last months or even years after treatment).

For years, many doubted its existence, chalking up the symptoms to old age or another malady. But now, as more survivors are living longer, researchers are better able to study it.

In this issue’s cover story, “Chemo Brain Is Real,” we hear from researchers who are investigating cancer-related cognitive impairment, as well as cancer survivors who are living with it. The article also offers strategies that optimize thinking and memory — and can help lift that fog.

Through treatment, which included chemotherapy, radiation and two stem cell transplants. For him, however, the biggest challenge was being a young-adult cancer survivor: “I survived this thing, and now all of a sudden, I’ve got to live the rest of my life. Who’s going to want to date me? Can I have kids?” Because many of his friends

Also in this issue, readers hear from Ethan Zohn, former professional soccer player and winner of the TV reality show, “Survivor: Africa.” At age 35, he received a diagnosis of CD20-positive Hodgkin lymphoma. Zohn talks about how his winner’s mentality helped him.

We hope you not only find the information helpful, but also draw inspiration from the stories of other courageous survivors. As always, thank couldn’t relate, Zohn found companionship — and comfort &mdash; through organizations for young adults impacted by cancer.

In addition, a cancer survivor struggling with physical exhaustion ponders whether she’d rather be strong of body ... or strong of soul.

Also inside: how yoga and cognitive behavioral therapy can help cancer survivors with insomnia and advice on rebuilding self-esteem after a cancer diagnosis.

In the summer 2020 edition of HEAL we speak with experts on the very real challenges patients face when confronted with "chemo brain". 

You Are Not Alone When Facing 'Chemo Brain'

 at a promising moment for immunotherapy.

Since the 2011 approval of the first drug in the novel class known as checkpoint inhibitors, these immunotherapies have multiplied both in number and in use.

They now treat a host of cancer types, either on their own or with other drugs. And despite the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, this period of time has been no different: Over the past several months, the Food and Drug Administration approved new uses for several immunotherapies that were already on the market.

Green lights include one for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to treat a certain type of early-stage bladder cancer, potentially making surgery unnecessary in one-fifth of affected patients (curetoday.com/ link/273). Sparing patients, the life-changing and potentially dangerous removal of their bladders will likely go a long way toward preserving their quality of life.

So, despite the obstacles created by the pandemic, we are living in a time of hope and action when it comes to cancer immunotherapy. In this issue, we bring you a roundup of news about approvals of immunotherapies for diseases including liver cancer and small cell lung cancer. Meanwhile, an article focused on renal cell carcinoma offers a deeper dive into the intricacies of treatment with immunotherapy.

Elsewhere in these pages, we discuss experimental immunotherapies that show promise as cancer treatments. Our cover story delves into a novel therapy that harnesses a patient’s immune cells, known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. These powerful cells are removed from a patient’s tumor, multiplied in a lab and reinfused.

In the diagnostic arena, we share news of a tool that uses RNA, or gene expression, to match patients with targeted drugs and immunotherapies. Typically, doctors use DNA to determine who should get novel drugs, basing decisions on which mutated genes are driving a cancer.

The tool designed by computational biologist Dr. Eytan Ruppin and his colleagues at the National Cancer Institute also addresses how genes are expressed and interact in a tumor’s environment, making it possible to identify broader groups of patients who can benefit from specific precision drugs.

Finally, the Cancer Research Institute shares information that can help patients, survivors and caregivers navigate the experience of immunotherapy. The advocacy group describes its educational webinars and patient summits, which are available online for free.

We hope that the array of articles in this special issue will give you an updated understanding of the immunotherapies available today, either as standard treatments or through clinical trials, empowering you to ask informed questions and participate with your care teams in making sound treatment decisions.

In the 2020 special issue of CURE on Immunotherapy, we take a look at how the field of immunotherapy continues to grow despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

FDA Approvals of Immunotherapy Keep Coming, Even at This Challenging Moment

Humor can instantly a smile to someone’s face, but finding laughter in times of shock, sadness, grief and anger can be challenging. Some individuals may even find it insensitive.

Yet one woman found her sense of humor offered the best way to cope with a cancer diagnosis. After learning that she had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Diana Bosse began to share her humorous takes on cancer, such as treatment-related hair loss, taste changes, constipation and pill organization, with friends on Facebook. Bosse quickly discovered that her friends looked forward to her messages as much as she found comfort in writing them.

Positive feedback led Bosse to fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a published author. She

would never have accomplished that, she believes, had it not been for her diagnosis. Her book, “The Perks of Having Cancer: An Inspirational, Positive and Humorous View of a Not-So-Inspirational, Positive or Humorous Situation,” depicts her life and thoughts through cartoon. Within these pages of 

®, you’ll learn more about how Bosse laughed through lymphoma as she transitioned from patient to survivor.

In this issue, we also explore the risk of diabetes after cancer and its treatment. Research links the two diseases, with some findings suggesting that the incidence of diabetes is six times greater among people with cancer compared with those who don’t have cancer. Two survivors share how they confronted diabetes, and we also offer tips for preventing this life-changing condition.

In addition, world champion figure skater Scott Hamilton pens a personal note to the readers of 

®. After facing a mysterious illness that caused him to stop growing as a child and battling testicular cancer followed by three brain tumors as an adult, Hamilton understands overcoming health adversities. Read on as he discusses the blessings behind survivorship.

Also inside: targeted intervention for sexual health, advice on mentoring others after cancer, and easy-to-make sides and snacks. We hope you find both practical information and everyday inspiration, and, as always, thank you for reading.

Find out how humor is a vital part of healing and what else is inside this issue of the HEAL Spring 2020 issue!

Humor's Ability to Heal

This issue comes to you during times that are uncertain for everyone, but perhaps especially for those in the cancer community.

As cases of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, continue to multiply and hospitals divert their resources to handle the crisis — as well as do their best to protect vulnerable individuals from infection &mdash; the face of cancer care is changing, and this can cause anxiety. Patients whose treatments are postponed may worry about cancer’s progression, while individuals who must continue going to hospitals for lifesaving treatment are likely concerned about catching the infectious disease.

Meanwhile, with many facilities banning visitors to help control the virus’ spread, patients who are hospitalized are soldiering on without the emotional boost a familiar face can bring.

, we share advice from experts around the country about how patients with cancer should handle medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also offer insights into the changed face of cancer care from Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy director of the American Cancer Society, as well as a look at how clinical trials may be altered during this time.

We can only hope that the social distancing, handwashing and other measures encouraged by health care leaders will soon begin to ease these challenges for people with cancer and their families.

Elsewhere in the issue, we explore the growing use of virtual reality in cancer care. Doctors or nurses might use this technology to help patients visualize their own disease, its location in the body and the way it will be treated. Virtual reality also can present patients with scenes or games to distract them from the discomforts of treatment. In our article, we look at how this technology is being used in cancer care today and might be applied in the future.

In another feature, we consider the dangers associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and strategies for preventing this condition, an increasing cause of liver cancer.

In other news related to specific cancer types, we bring you a variety of findings from doctors and patient advocates at the recent Miami Breast Cancer Conference® and look at why lifesaving screening for lung cancer is being vastly underused.

Finally, we report on lifestyle issues, including chemo brain, dietary supplements and how to thrive while in the infusion chair.

We hope these discussions will better acquaint you with the latest trends in patient care, including practices that have changed due to the spread of COVID-19 and how those adjustments might affect you. With knowledge comes the ability to make sound medical decisions, and that can make an enormous difference.

You can read more about the Spring issue 

In the 2020 Spring issue of CURE® Magazine hear from the experts on how to best keep up with the evolving situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

During COVID-19 Pandemic, Heed the Advice of Health Experts When Seeking Cancer Care

cancer risk wasn’t always a major topic in health care.

Barriers to the discussion included lack of family history details, cost of genetic testing and a full understanding of genetics’ role in cancer development. However, evolving research has shown that history and risk can go hand in hand.

Health care providers are starting conversations with patients, and patients are speaking up among their relatives. Advocacy organizations such as Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, more commonly known as FORCE, have helped bridge the gap and serve as a starting point for women who face hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.

More women are also taking steps to discuss genetics with their children. For instance, the book “Proactive Genes,” written by Shannon Pulaski and published by MJH Life Sciences 

, uses age-appropriate language to help children understand their risk, establish healthy lifestyle behaviors and grow into pro- active patients.

Decades ago, some families relied solely on experts in the genetics field to tell them if they carried certain mutations, such as in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, that put them at higher risk of cancer. Described as “the father of hereditary cancer detection and prevention,” Dr. Henry Lynch founded and directed the Hereditary Cancer Center at Creighton University, which opened in 1984, and studied thousands of families to track the links between genetics and cancer.

Decades later, at least two women whose families were part of his research found flaws, each received a misdiagnosis for the BRCA gene. One was told she was BRCA1 positive but was really negative; the other was told she was BRCA2 negative when in fact she was positive. Within these pages, both women describe how they learned about the mistake and the steps they are taking to regain control of their health.

also delves into the basics of uterine sarcoma, a rare cancer that occurs in about 1,200 women each year in the United States. We also share the innovative research in biological advancements that are helping patients with cervical cancer and explain how palliative care can reduce the severity of the disease’s physical and psychological symptoms.

Also inside: the power of PARP inhibitors, immunotherapy for cervical cancer and women’s willingness to take on treatment side effects.

Make sure to prioritize your family health history to understand your risk of cancer.
 

Prioritizing Family Health History

What does an 11-year-old boy have in common with some of the country’s exceptional oncology health care professionals? Each one is someone’s hero.

At CURE Media Group’s annual MPN Heroes® event, audience members saw that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and not all of them are saving lives — some are fighting for their own.

Eight heroes and one Canadian champion were honored for the work that they do for people with a rare group of blood cancers known as myeloproliferative neoplasms, or MPNs: polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and myelofibrosis.

This is one of the memorable events that CURE® hosts throughout the year to put a spotlight on clinicians, researchers, patient advocates and caregivers. Within these pages, you will meet people who turned their passion and, in some cases, pain into purpose. Read how they have helped others through their commitment to either individual patients or the MPN community. 

Also within this special issue, a feature story explores the latest in treatment options for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, more commonly called DLBCL, the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Chemotherapy has been a major player in the treatment of this disease, and combining newer medications, such as Rituxan (ritux- imab), with older drugs has helped patients live longer.

Leading-edge therapies are also working wonders for patients who have relapsed disease or stopped responding to treatment. These include chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies, which enlist a patient’s own T cells to help fight off their disease. Experimental drugs called bispecific T-cell engagers, or BiTEs, are also making waves. Although the research on BiTEs is still in its early stages, the drugs are generating hope for what’s to come — scientists have seen them lead to responses in patients who didn’t respond to CAR-T cell therapy.

And a hematology expert highlights the most recent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Dr. Lindsey Roeker compares the drug Calquence (acalabrutinib) with Imbruvica (ibrutinib) and discusses what these medications mean for patients regarding both extending life and affecting its quality.

In the 2020 Hematology 1 special edition of CURE magazine, we highlight what it means to be an everyday hero by living with MPN or helping patients with the disease cope with it.

Being an Everyday Hero For Patients With MPN

with cancer’s diagnosis and treatment can be, simply put, overwhelming.

Patients and their caregivers often experience deep sorrow, anger and fear, sometimes at a level that interferes enormously with everyday life. This kind of distress can arise at any point on the journey and can feel different to each person experiencing it.

® Voices contributor Kathy LaTour, the intense feelings hit three years after her diagnosis of breast cancer, long after she completed treatment. “The tears that wouldn’t come before, now wouldn’t stop,” she wrote in an essay (curetoday.com/link/262). “It felt terrible, it felt great. I thought about dying all the time — I wanted to live more than anything. I felt totally crazy and out of control. What the hell was going on?”

After joining a therapist-led support group, LaTour found relief — and a name for the phase of the journey when suppressed emotions catch up with patients: “crash and burn.”

Mental health professionals would instead use the terms “emotional distress” or “depression” but would undoubtedly agree that reaching out for professional help is crucial for people who feel their emotions spinning out of control as they face cancer. In this issue of 

®, we offer a feature article on depression, explaining the phenomenon and what can be done to treat it.

Interestingly, the article discusses new evidence that depression can sometimes arise prior to a cancer diagnosis — a symptom of the growing disease rather than a reaction to it. Will this link eventually let patients and their doctors recognize cancer earlier or shed light on disease mechanisms that can lead to improved treatments? The article delves into these questions.

Our cover story introduces another topic that affects people across the spectrum of cancers: privacy in health care. The digital transmission of information — from electronic health records to Google searches to the use of direct-to-consumer genetic testing companies &mdash; leaves patients open to breaches of privacy.

Our article explains what patients should know about how their personal data can be shared, bought and sold and the potential consequences.

Elsewhere in these pages, we examine the growing use of targeted drugs known as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors to treat ovarian cancer and discuss the reasons patients with any kind of cancer should get vaccinated against the flu.

Finally, we bring you a primer on how to choose a clinical trial and an expert column about resolving issues with sexual intimacy after cancer. We hope this array of topics will inform and support you, helping you better navigate the decisions and emotions involved in your cancer journey. As always, thank you for reading.

In the winter issue of CURE ® the cover story deals with how depression affects patients with cancer on their journey, but how it might be a symptom of the disease as well.