Episodes - The Bloodline with Blood Cancer United Podcast

Join us on this episode as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Pallawi Torka, Assistant Professor of Oncology and Co-Program Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Torka speaks about her experience diagnosing and treating Hodgkin lymphoma and why shared decision making is necessary for patients to better understand their disease and treatment options. Dr. Torka explains the standard of care, emerging therapies and when a stem cell transplant may be considered. She also shares her excitement and optimism in the field of lymphoma as new data continues to develop, hopefully leading to increased survival and improved quality of life.

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Support for this program provided by Seattle Genetics.

The post A Bright Future for Hodgkin Lymphoma first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with survivor Katy Ursta, a mother of two adorable young boys. Katy speaks about her diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma at age 30, and how she and her husband worked to keep their young family going, while maintaining normalcy around both their four year old and four months old sons. She speaks about the importance of support, having a good relationship with her oncologist, speaking up herself, and being inspired by late sportscaster and long-time anchor on ESPN, Stuart Scott. As her sons watched on as neighbors brought food and offered tremendous support to her and her family, cancer taught them kindness and emphasized Katy’s deep belief that we are all here to help each other. Katy believes in leaving a legacy of love and hope and with that belief, created Every Sweat Matters, which encourages people to work out as a way to ‘one up’ cancer and sweat for those who cannot do so.

To everyone listening, we’d like to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!

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The post Motherhood & Survivorship first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Caring for a patient means caring for the entire patient. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Daniel Epner, professor in the Department of Palliative Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, about his experience being an oncologist for nearly 20 years before moving into his current field of palliative medicine. While treating many patients with cancer, Dr. Epner began to really appreciate the power of the relationships that he forged with his patients.  His attention to caring for the entire patient naturally evolved into practicing palliative medicine.  Dr. Epner speaks about a curriculum he created for young doctors and discusses ways in which culture, gender and personality must be taken into account in order to provide the best care to a patient.

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The post Encouraging Empathy Within Cancer Care first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

In its early stages, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma (CTCL) may be mistaken for a skin condition like eczema. Many people have a hard time grasping how something that arises in the skin is actually considered a blood cancer. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Jasmine Zain, hematologist/oncologist at City of Hope in Duarte, CA, about how CTCL is not just one disease, how CTCL is diagnosed and treated, why dermatologists may be part of a person’s treatment team, the prevalence of CTCL within certain geographies and ethnicities, stem cell transplants, the role of clinical trials and the importance of a team approach when determining the best treatment options. Dr. Jasmine Zain also explains how people can live their normal lives despite their CTCL diagnosis.

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Support for this episode provided by Seattle Genetics.

The post CTCL: Skin Lymphoma, Not Skin Cancer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Rachelle is a commercial actor, model, mother, wife and lymphoma survivor, who shares with Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) how her world changed after an annual visit to her OBGYN doctor.  A lump which she attributed to one of the effects of pregnancy, ended up being something she never would have imagined. Having lost her father to kidney cancer, her approach to her follicular lymphoma diagnosis is one that intends to reframe the outlook of a cancer diagnosis. She shares her shock when receiving the news, the importance of taking all details regarding diagnosis and prognosis with a grain of salt, and why remaining hopeful is necessary. After hearing from her doctor that ‘stress can play a role in reoccurrence’, she has promised herself that she will face each day focusing on the things she loves, instead of living in fear of when or if cancer will return.

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The post I Am a Person, Not a Percentage: Rachelle’s Story first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Good nutrition is important for cancer patients. Eating the right kinds of foods can help patients feel better and stay stronger. On this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with nutrition educator, Margaret N. Martin, RD MS LDN CDE, about dietary information to keep in mind before, during and after active treatment. Cancer and cancer treatments can affect taste, smell, appetite and the ability to eat or absorb the nutrients from food. Margaret shares nutritional information to keep in mind during a person’s cancer journey.

You will also learn how The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s free one-on-one nutrition consultation can assist in providing patients with ways to maintain a healthy diet.

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The post Remembering Nutrition Throughout Your Cancer Journey first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

After crossing the finish line at the Madrid Marathon, Ethan Hawes felt a shooting pain in his hip. Assuming it was a result of the race, being diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 22 years old was the furthest thing from his mind. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma (LLS) speak with Ethan about his journey and how being called ‘a trailblazer’ having been diagnosed with a disease that usually presents in people over 50 years old, would change his outlook on life and shift his career goals.

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Support for this episode provided by Amgen.

The post Ethan: Myeloma Survivor & Trailblazer first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Twenty-three years old and living in New York City, Glamour magazine Editor Erin Zammett Ruddy finds herself writing her biggest story yet when she is diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Upon diagnosis, this writer, author, blogger and survivor, along with her husband Nick, make the brave decision to stop treatment three times in hopes of expanding their family. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Erin and Dr. Michael Mauro, hematologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Mauro has treated Erin since her diagnosis, going on 16+ years, and is a strong advocate for women and fertility within the cancer realm. You’ll hear about Erin’s journey, fertility preservation, questions patients can ask their healthcare team when considering fertility, and how patients are not only ‘patients’ but people seeking to live the life they’ve always envisioned for themselves.

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Become a First Connection volunteer! Learn more by calling an LLS Information Specialist at (800) 955-4572, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET or visiting www.LLS.org/InformationSpecialists.

The post Stopped Treatment, Started a Family first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

La fatiga es el síntoma más frecuentemente reportado por individuos con cáncer. Sin embargo, la fatiga relacionada con el cáncer (CRF, por sus siglas en inglés)  es muy diferente de la fatiga diaria. Escuche a Alicia y Lizette de La Sociedad de Lucha Contra la Leucemia y el Linfoma (LLS, por sus siglas en inglés) hablar con la trabajadora social médica jubilada y líder de trabajo social de oncología, Patrice Al-Shatti, MSW, LMSW. Patrice desarrolló los primeros materiales educativos para el paciente, evaluaciones y programación sobre el tema del Síndrome de Fatiga relacionada con el cáncer para Mayo Clinic. Ella comparte cómo llamar a la fatiga relacionada con el cáncer un síntoma lo perjudica, ya que en realidad se considera un síndrome. Explica la diferencia entre la fatiga y la fatiga relacionada con el cáncer, los diversos factores fisiológicos y biológicos y las estrategias útiles conocidas para mejorar la calidad de vida. Patrice también analiza la conservación de la energía y la gestión de actividades y cómo impulsar, planificar, priorizar y tratar activamente las “fugas de energía”.

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The post Fatiga Relacionada Con El Cáncer: Síndrome, No Síntoma first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.

Fatigue is the symptom most frequently reported by individuals with cancer. However, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is very different from daily fatigue. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Patrice Al-Shatti, LMSW, who shares how calling cancer-related fatigue a symptom does it as a disservice as it is actually considered a syndrome. She explains the difference between fatigue and cancer-related fatigue, the varying physiological and biological factors, and helpful strategies known to improve quality of life. Patrice also discusses energy conservation and activity management and how to actively pace, plan, prioritize and deal with ‘energy leaks’.

The post Cancer-Related Fatigue: Syndrome Not Symptom first appeared on The Bloodline with LLS.