Cancer Talk - Roswell Park Cancer Institute

It is important for people with cancer to take care of themselves. Taking care of yourself includes eating well and staying as active as you can. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, transplant and other cancer treatments are harsh on the body and many cancer survivors face a higher risk for medical and psychosocial effects. Listen as Mary Reid, MSPH, PhD, Director of Cancer Screening and Survivorship at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the brand new Survivorship and Supportive Care Center, and shares how they can help to create a plan that will be your road map to your healthiest lifestyle possible to nurture mind, body and spirit throughout your cancer journey.

From Mary Best, Cancer Survivor: Regardless of how or when you choose to share your experience, remember that your voice could make a difference in someone’s life. All I can hope is that my words might reach another survivor and remind them that they are not alone. Listen as Mary shares her story and gives inspirational advice on the mental and emotional side effects of being a young adult cancer survivor. Click Here to see Mary's Blog

What if a simple daily practice of clearing your mind and breathing slowly could help you feel better, sleep better, reduce pain and anxiety and reduce your risk of cancer recurrence? Meditation is easy, convenient, inexpensive, safe and can be done in a variety of ways, based on individual preferences, and has the added benefit of being risk free. Cancer patients have reported benefits including greater tolerance of side effects from chemo or radiation therapy during their meditative practices as well as reports that patients feel like their treatments worked better when they were meditating. Listen in as Maria Kahn, Applied Mindfulness Specialist, shares how meditation can be beneficial for cancer patients.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is now treating patients with a brand-new, state-of-the-art Gamma Knife radiosurgery device, the Leksell Gamma Knife® Icon™ — the most advanced technology of its kind on the market. Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is the first cancer center in the United States to receive a license to operate it and remains the only facility in Western New York with Gamma Knife capabilities. We have used Gamma Knife radiosurgery to treat patients with brain tumors and metastases for 18 years. This latest technology comes with certain advances that mean more patients may qualify as candidates for the treatment, and the ultra-high accuracy minimizes long-term side effects, improving outcomes. In this segment, Dheerendra Prasad, MD, MCh, FACRO, Medical Director, Department of Radiation Medicine at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the brand-new, state-of-the-art Gamma Knife radiosurgery, the most advanced technology of its kind on the market.

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center for Immunotherapy (CFI) conducts Phase I and Phase II cancer immunotherapy clinical trials. Our primary goal is to address the challenge of developing effective immunologic therapies for cancer. In this segment, Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Immunotherapy, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains that at the Center for Immunotherapy, researchers are working to discover future cancer cures. Find out more about the cutting-edge research, vaccines and clinical trials that our team is developing.

A study led by researchers at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center reports that nicotine exposure remains the same, while exposure to specific carcinogens and toxicants is reduced, among smokers who switch from tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes.  Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has more than tripled among students in Poland, according to research led by Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, a researcher in the Department of Health Behavior at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. Listen as Maciej Goniewicz, PhD discusses e-cigarettes and why these may not be the best option when trying to quit smoking.

For patients who are about to receive an ostomy, some may be understandably nervous about the impending change to their lifestyle. As a result, they may have many questions including; What is it like post surgery? Where can I find additional support? Can I still go out, be social, and even engage in sexual relations? What if my family has questions? How do I answer them? Listen as Melissa Hiscock, RN discusses what to expect when living with an Ostomy.

Today Dr. Roswell Park is remembered mostly as the founder of the world’s first cancer research institute, but his contributions to medicine extend much further. He was a pioneer in neurosurgery and became the first American surgeon to successfully treat spina bifida, a serious birth defect. Listen as Sue Banchich, Senior Writer and Editor, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses this great pioneer in the field of medicine.

If you’re a woman under 40, you’re probably not thinking about menopause. But for young women who have had cancer, treatment-induced ovarian failure – often referred to as “chemopause” – is a very realistic concern. Listen in as Lynda Beaupin, MD explains that premature menopause is caused by a number of cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical removal of the ovaries and hormone therapy. The most common cause is chemotherapy since some of the medications can cause irreversible damage to the ovaries.

A CT (computed tomography) scan, also called a CAT (computed axial tomography) scan, is a diagnostic exam used to detect tumors, determine the stage and location of a cancer, check the effectiveness of cancer treatment, or guide a biopsy (the removal of a small amount of tissue for examination). Listen as Peter Loud, MD walks you through a typical day for patients and what you can expect when undergoing a CT scan.