36 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Meeting of the Minds: Bringing Together Community
and Academic Experts to Advance Cancer Care
If you’re diagnosed with cancer, chances
are that you will turn to a community
oncologist. According to the American
Cancer Society, an estimated 1.7 million
Americans will be diagnosed with cancer
in 2019. For many of these Americans,
seeing a community oncologist is oft en
the fi rst step toward starting a treatment
regimen to help fi ght the disease. Almost
55% of all Americans diagnosed with
cancer will be treated by an oncologist in
their community.
Undergoing treatment by a local or
community oncologist can oft en mean
receiving personalized care close to home
and may lead to lower costs and easier
access to monitored care.2,3 Additionally,
community-based care may limit disruption
to your day-to-day life and can keep
you closer to your family and friends during
treatment.
Since community oncologists see and
treat patients diagnosed with a broad
range of cancers, providing opportunities
to discuss the latest research - known
as scientifi c exchange - is important. Th is
summer, community oncologists will be
meeting with other experts in the fi eld
for the “Best of ASCO” regional meetings.
Th ese meetings, which are hosted by
the world’s leading oncology professional
organization - the American Society of
Clinical Oncology (ASCO) - bring information
shared during the organization’s
annual meeting, where 32,000 oncology
professionals from around the world
discuss more than 2,500 pieces on the
latest in cancer research, directly to the
local community. For this year’s “Best
of ASCO” Program, ASCO has selected
70 of the top “practice-changing” pieces
of research across a variety of cancers
to share in meetings in three cities taking
place across the country.
Findings on acute myeloid leukemia,
advanced prostate cancer and advanced
bladder cancer will be presented at the
meeting. Astellas, a company dedicated to
making every day better for those impacted
by cancer, is one of the companies with
research being featured at these meetings.
Andrew Krivoshik, M.D., Ph.D., Senior
Vice President and Oncology Th erapeutic
Area Head at Astellas, shares: “Due to
their role in the care of patients, community
oncologists are critical to helping us
realize our vision of advancing science
to deliver medicines to the people most
in need. For this reason, we are proud
to share the latest research on certain
Astellas medicines and investigational
therapies directly with these physicians.”
For more information on the “Best of
ASCO” Program, visit: https://meetings.
asco.org/boa/join-us. For more information
on Astellas Oncology, visit: http://
www.astellasoncology.com/.
Courtesy BPT
What you might not know about radiation therapy to treat cancer
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed
with cancer, you probably have a
lot of questions. It’s normal to feel uneasy,
but rest assured your health care team is
there to take care of you and answer your
questions.
As your doctor assesses the best treatment
for your cancer, radiation therapy
might be suggested. It’s important to get
the facts about radiation therapy so you
can feel comfortable with each step of
your treatment plan.
“Radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, is
the use of various forms of radiation to
safely and eff ectively treat cancer and
other diseases,” said Dr. Paul Harari, a
radiation oncologist at the University of
Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public
Health. “Radiation therapy can oft en cure
people of their cancer and save lives.”
Dr. Harari said there can be misconceptions
about radiation therapy. He answers
important questions and provides information
to help you feel more comfortable
with your treatment:
How does radiation
therapy work?
Radiation therapy works by damaging
the genetic material within cancer cells.
Once this happens, the cancer cells are
not able to grow and spread. When these
damaged cancer cells die, the body naturally
removes them.
Is radiation therapy safe?
Yes, radiation has been used for more
than 100 years and your radiation oncology
team will carefully design your plan
to make sure that you receive safe, accurate
treatment. Specialized computers and
highly trained medical physicists monitor
and double-check the treatment machines
to make sure that the proper dose is
always given.
Are there diff erent types
of radiation therapy?
Th ere are three main types of radiation
therapy:
1. External beam radiation therapy uses
invisible radiation beams directed to the
specifi c site of the cancer, much like an
X-ray. Th e team uses specialized computers
to control the size, shape and direction
of each beam.
2. Brachytherapy places small sources in
the body that emit radiation directly in a
tumor or nearby.
3. Systemic radiation therapy uses
radiation-dosed drugs delivered via the
bloodstream.
Are there concerns about
being around others after
radiation treatment?
If you undergo external beam radiation
therapy, the radiation does not stay
in your body aft er the treatment ends. If
you undergo brachytherapy or systemic
radiation therapy, your radiation oncologist
will explain any special precautions
that you need to take for just a short time
following treatment.
Are there side eff ects to
radiation therapy?
Th e most common side eff ects overall
are fatigue, weakness and skin reactions.
Side eff ects are generally limited to
the areas being treated. Short-term side
eff ects are usually temporary, mild and
treatable.
Is radiation therapy the only
treatment needed for cancer?
It depends on your particular type of
cancer and other factors such as the size
and location of the tumor. Sometimes
radiation therapy is the fi rst and only
treatment needed. However, a cancer
treatment plan will oft en include
more than one type of treatment such as
surgery and/or chemotherapy.
For example, if you have breast cancer,
you might fi rst have surgery to remove
the tumor. Th en a radiation oncologist
may use radiation therapy to destroy any
remaining cancer cells in or near your
breast. Finally, a medical oncologist may
give you chemotherapy to kill cancer cells
that have traveled to other parts of the
body.
How long does treatment take?
Th e number of radiation treatments
you will need depends on factors such as
the size, location and type of cancer you
have. Treatments are usually scheduled
fi ve days a week and continue for several
weeks. We know that receiving treatment
for cancer oft en requires considerable
mental and physical eff ort. Whenever
possible, try to take time during your
treatment to get plenty of rest.
To learn more about radiation therapy
visit rtanswers.org.
Courtesy BPT
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