To learn more about this form of soft tissue sarcoma, we spoke with Patrick Lin, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon who treats leiomyosarcoma patients in MD Anderson’s Sarcoma and Orthopaedic Center, the nation’s largest program for bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Who treats leiomyosarcoma? You may need to work with a […]
If your family doctor suspects you have soft tissue sarcoma, you’ll likely be referred to a cancer doctor (oncologist) who specializes in sarcomas. Soft tissue sarcoma is fairly rare and is best treated by someone who has experience with it, often at an academic or specialized cancer center. Who is […]
You’re more likely to get cancer as you get older. In fact, age is the biggest risk factor for the disease. More than nine out of 10 cancers are diagnosed in people 45 and older. Seniors older than 74 make up almost 28% of all new cancer cases. How common […]
There are several alternative cancer treatments to chemotherapy, including immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and laser therapy. Some people may prefer these alternatives due to the potentially severe side effects of chemotherapy. Can I survive cancer without chemo? It found that low-risk patients did well without chemotherapy. That study showed the test […]
“Chemotherapy can reduce tumors by 95 percent, but if you have just one cell left, it can come back. So you can use [chemotherapy] to buy time, to really shrink the tumor if it’s far advanced, and then use the immune drugs,” Lanier said. What shrinks tumors fast? Written by […]
An oncologist may recommend chemotherapy before and/or after another treatment. For example, in a patient with breast cancer, chemotherapy may be used before surgery, to try to shrink the tumor. The same patient may benefit from chemotherapy after surgery to try to destroy remaining cancer cells. Why have chemo if […]
Since radiation therapy is focused on one area of your body, you may experience fewer side effects than with chemotherapy. However, it may still affect healthy cells in your body. At what stage of cancer is radiotherapy used? Radiotherapy may be used in the early stages of cancer or after […]
It generally takes about 48 to 72 hours for your body to break down and/or get rid of most chemo drugs. But it’s important to know that each chemo drug is excreted or passed through the body a bit differently. Does your body ever fully recover from chemotherapy? If you […]
No cancer is 100% preventable. However, managing certain controllable risk factors – such as your diet, physical activity and other lifestyle choices – can lower your chances of developing cancer. How cancers can be prevented? You can reduce your risk of getting cancer by making healthy choices like keeping a […]
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover. How many times can […]
Why it happens: Chemotherapy may cause painful side effects like burning, numbness and tingling or shooting pains in your hands and feet, as well as mouth sores, headaches, muscle and stomach pain. Pain can be caused by the cancer itself or by the chemo. How much painful is chemotherapy? Does […]
The most common type of cancer on the list is breast cancer, with 290,560 new cases expected in the United States in 2022. The next most common cancers are prostate cancer and lung cancer. Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as “colorectal cancers,” these two cancer types […]
On the other hand, tumors with low glycolytic activity such as adenomas, bronchioloalveolar carcinomas, carcinoid tumors, low grade lymphomas and small sized tumors have revealed false negative findings on PET scan. Can cancer be missed on a PET scan? PET scans must be interpreted carefully because noncancerous conditions can look […]
Some cancers that are generally slower growing are: breast cancers, such as estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) colon and rectal cancers. What types of cancer are slow growing? Carcinoid tumor is a rare type of tumor that usually grows slowly. […]
Out-of-State Medicaid: MD Anderson does not accept out-of-state traditional Medicaid or Managed Medicaid plans. Do you need insurance to go to MD Anderson? If your insurance plan is not accepted at MD Anderson, or if you do not have insurance and are paying for your own care, you will be […]