A cancer diagnosis arrives with a flood of paperwork. Pathology reports, imaging discs, lab results, treatment plans, insurance forms, and notes from a growing list of specialists. Keeping all of it organized is one of the most important things a patient or caregiver can do to advocate for the best possible care.

In this episode of Facing the Cancer Revolution, we dig into the often overlooked side of cancer treatment: managing your medical records. We talk through why patients who actively organize their own records tend to have smoother handoffs between specialists, fewer duplicated tests, faster second opinions, and a clearer picture of their treatment over time.

We cover practical strategies for gathering records from multiple providers, what to ask for and in what format, how to keep imaging and pathology accessible, and how to bring the right information into every appointment so nothing falls through the cracks.

We also highlight KeepMD, a system several oncologists have specifically recommended to their patients for organizing and centralizing medical records. KeepMD gives patients a structured way to keep everything in one place, making it easier to share information with new doctors, track treatment history, and stay in control during a time when so much else feels out of reach.

Get KeepMD:

• KeepMD website
• KeepMD on the Apple App Store (iOS)
• KeepMD on Google Play (Android)

Topics covered in this episode:

• Why medical record management matters more than most patients realize
• What records to request from each provider and how to get them
• Organizing pathology, imaging, labs, and treatment summaries
• Preparing for second opinions and specialist referrals
• How KeepMD helps patients centralize their records
• Tips for caregivers managing records on a loved one's behalf

Additional resources for patients and caregivers:

• National Cancer Institute: Managing Cancer Care
• American Cancer Society: Keeping Copies of Important Medical Records
• HealthIT.gov: Your Right to Access Your Medical Records
• CancerCare Publications and Patient Resources
• HHS: Your Medical Records Under HIPAA

Whether you are newly diagnosed, deep into treatment, supporting a loved one, or navigating survivorship, this episode will help you build a records system that works for you instead of against you.

In this episode of Facing the Cancer Revolution Podcast we discuss Multiple myeloma cancer and new CAR-T Treatments for bone marrow cancers.

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cells that produce antibodies to help fight infections. Treatment options for multiple myeloma have improved significantly in recent years with the introduction of new drugs and therapies.

Resources Discussed in Podcast

https://www.dana-farber.org/cellular-therapies-program/car-t-cell-therapy/car-t-cell-therapy-for-multiple-myeloma/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-myeloma/symptoms-causes/syc-20353378

https://stemcellthailand.org/oncology/multiple-myeloma-treatment/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9439649/

https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/car-t-cell-therapy-puts-smoldering-and-multiple-myeloma-survivor-in-remission.h00-159543690.html

Links to Previous Shows

In this episode of Facing the Cancer Revolution Podcast we discuss pancreatic cancer to stop prostate cancers and exocrine cancers. We discuss breakthough research, improvements in available treatments.

Pancreatic cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, which makes it difficult to treat. It remains relatively rare (about 3% of cancers), but one of the most feared. When possible, pancreatic cancer is treated with surgical measures combined with stem cells and chemotherapy treatment. Non-operable cancers are treated with chemotherapy, possibly supplemented by immunotherapy.

Because they remain symptomless for a long time, pancreatic cancers are diagnosed at a late stage in 80 to 90% of cases. Their treatment is therefore often difficult. They remain rare, representing approximately 3% of cancers. In France, between 8 and 10,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed each year, causing about as many deaths. Pancreatic cancer is slightly more common in men. The average age at diagnosis is 75 years in men and 80 years in women.

In 90% of cases, pancreatic cancer develops from cells that line the ducts leading pancreatic juice to the intestine (see box): this is ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Most often (70 to 80% of cases), this cancer is born in the part of the pancreas which is close to the small intestine (the "head" of the pancreas).

Resources Discussed in Podcast

Links to Previous Shows

In this episode of Facing the Cancer Revolution Podcast we discuss prostate cancer to stop prostate cancers reputation of being a killer. We discuss groundbreaking research, drive improvements in treatments, and fight injustice in pallative care.

Traditional treatments for prostate cancer has many side effects. The most common ones are diarrhea, leaking stool, blood in urine, and burning when you pee. It can also cause problems with erection. But, most of these symptoms will go away after the treatment is finished. This treatment can help treat prostate cancer. Read on to learn more about prostate cancer side effects. It can help you decide if the treatment is right for you. It can also save your life.

A doctor will grade prostate cancer according to the Gleason score. The Gleason score is based on the appearance of cells, and a lower score indicates a less aggressive cancer. The Gleason score is the first step in deciding if you have prostate cancer. The Gleason grade is given to each patient based on the grade of cancer cells present in the cancer. The lowest grade is grade one, while the highest grade is grade five. A Gleason score of six represents a low-grade cancer, while a Gleason score of seven or eight indicates a moderate or high-grade cancer.

The Gleason score can be very helpful in determining whether or not you have prostate cancer. If you have a high-grade tumor on a needle biopsy, it will be included in your Gleason score. 

Resources Discussed in Podcast

Links to Previous Shows

Immunotherapy for cancer is the artificial activation of your body's immune system to battle cancer, enhancing the body's natural capacity to fight off the disease. It's a medical application of an emerging field of oncology and the basic research of cancer immunology. Immunotherapy may involve the administration of drugs directly to the site of cell activity or it may work by encouraging your own body's immune cells to attack the cancerous cells. This may be undertaken in conjunction with traditional therapy

Of the two methods, chemotherapy seems to be the more popular choice for patients suffering from solid cancers, particularly those with breast, cervical, or lung cancers. Although chemotherapy is successful in removing all traces of cancer cells, it also leaves many patients with some long-term side effects, such as hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and nausea. These can lead to the temptation to try alternative therapies, such as immunotherapy for cancer. But although this therapy is relatively new, and relatively new technology has brought it to us, it can be very risky and even deadly, for certain patients. So why would anyone want to consider this route?

The major benefit of immunotherapy for cancer involves boosting the immune checkpoints, which are protein complexes that serve as gateways between the body's defense systems and cancer cells. When these checkpoints are compromised, the immune defense systems can no longer protect the body from invading viruses and bacteria. As a result, the cancer cells can easily take over. By boosting their defenses, antibodies can then attack these invading agents, and the invasion of these alien cells can be stopped.

Unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy has very few long-term side effects, although there may be some minor ones associated with the administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors. On the other hand, conventional therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation, come with a huge price tag, and many people simply cannot afford them. Also, chemotherapy is not a cure, it is only a treatment. Once you stop the treatment, the cancer will continue to grow. And in the case of advanced cancers, it can also kill healthy cells, which leads to further infections, and ultimately, a fatal disease.

Links from the show

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy

https://lungcancer.tistory.com/ 

https://pbase.com/dradams/stem_cells_for_cancer/ 

http://mikan.la.coocan.jp/cgi/m-k-n/calendar/schedule.cgi?year=2021&mon=04&day=27

https://www.webmd.com/cancer/immunotherapy-risks-benefits

Our panel this week help us to explore the advances in different fields of cancer treatments including Immunotherapy, Chemo/Radiotherapy and discover the opportunities we have to fight Cance.

This podcast offers our listeners an interactive opportunity for curious minds from across the globe to come together around the big opportunities for new industries, smarter health solutions, and a better world.

Links from the show

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26033233/

https://dev.azure.com/medicalcenters/_git/TreatmentCancer

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/targeted-therapies/targeted-therapies-fact-sheet

Each year, over 500,000 new cases of #livercancer are diagnosed across the world and its estimated that over 390,000 people will die from this disease each year. Since 1981, Liver cancer rates have tripled most likely due to increased rates of #fattyliver, #hepatitisC and #hepatitisB. 

Join us as we explore these questions and many more in the latest episode. We will discuss the underlying risk factors and liver cancer, the need to know your liver test results, and not ignore subtle abnormalities HCC.

Liver cancer is one of the growing public health concerns that we have been speaking about for years is related to the obesity epidemic which resulted in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, a leading cause of liver cancer. if Left untreated, liver cancer is universally fatal.

Being aware of your risk factors, and getting early intervention, can lead to an excellent outcome.

Links from show notes

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/liver-cancer/

https://stemcellthailand.org/oncology/liver-cancer-treatment/

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/10/418656/cancer-immunotherapy-uniquely-suppressed-liver-tumors

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41575-021-00438-0

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6603808/

In this episode we discuss liver cancer, particularly (HCC) hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. The podcast also touches on focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver and haemangiomas of the liver.

Liver cancer is a disease of the liver and can be a difficult one to detect in the early stages. It falls under the category of cancer that originates from the epithelial cells that form the liver. Cancer cells grow and divide rapidly while the rest of the cells are unable to divide and grow. The result is that the cancerous cells grow rapidly and form tumors. It is a common misconception that liver cancer is only the result of a virus. In fact, the most common cause of liver cancer is cirrhosis, which is the result of chronic liver disease.

There are three stages of liver cancer, each of which causes a different type of cancer. Stage I is not a cancer at all, but rather a normal tissue growth called a hemangioma. Stage II and III are both tumors. The differences between these cancers are that the first is a low-grade tumor that can usually be surgically removed, while the second has an aggressive, life-threatening nature. The third stage, however, is what causes liver cancer to be referred to as stage IV, or metastatic. The symptoms of liver cancer are the same as the symptoms of other types of cancer. But in this case, it is liver cell death rather than a clinical condition that affects the liver.  A person experiencing any of the symptoms of liver cancer should consult their doctor right away.

Links to show notes:

Molecular biomarkers are characteristics of a tumor that can, in some cases, be used to help make decisions about therapies. Biomarker testing is now available to lung cancer patients including tests for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation analysis.

Researcher from the San Diego Cancer Center clinical oncology gives us a comprehensive overview of biomarkers in lung cancer today, and of the new and exciting targeted treatments both on the market now and in clinical trials. We discusses the importance of getting a biopsy on a tumor so that you'll have enough tissue for molecular testing now and in the future as new biomarkers are discovered. 

Links from show notes

https://www.biodesix.com/lung-diagnostics/continuum-care/treatment-blr/veristrat

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045(20)30475-7/fulltext

https://stemcellthailand.org/oncology/lung-cancer-treatment/

https://www.futuremedicine.com/doi/10.2217/lmt-2019-0009

The stem cell theory of cancer proposes that among all cancerous cells, a few act as stem cells that reproduce themselves and sustain the cancer, Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are a small subpopulation of cells within tumors with capabilities of self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenicity.

Links for show notes

https://med.stanford.edu/ludwigcenter/overview/theory.html

https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/research/stem-cells

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cancer-stem-cell/research/about-cancer-stem-cells