HER-2 Positive Early Stage Breast Cancer
November 19, 2006
Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (her-2) occurs in a third of breast cancers, and is a marker of an aggressive tumor. A gene mutation causes an excess production of this cancer growth promoter, conferring a clinical "profile" that science has begun to characterize. Myself, I obsess about occult metastases and drug resistance. When presented with her-2+(IHC+3 and/or FISH+) tumors, the oncologist knows that certain chemo drugs are preferable, that hormonal agents aren't likely to suffice, & that the use of biologicals is optimal. (more…)
Birth Control Pills and Breast Cancer
November 15, 2006Young women who present with breast cancer are usually asked, "Are you on the Pill?" Suspicions about causality have lain heavy in the gut of clinicians for decades. As with hormone replacement therapy in menopause, we lacked evidence of direct malignant transformation to support our meddling in the bad old days. By mid-2005, however, the credible folks at IARC released a monograph that classified oral contraceptives as group 1 carcinogens. And now, a meta-analysis published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings further validates what doctors have been warning women about for years. (more…)
Notes on Surgery for Breast Cancer
November 12, 2006When buying a car, do you compare model specifications within a budget range? If faced with breast cancer, would you similarly scrutinize the options? Hope so. Doctors are too fallible to bear the entire burden. This job is tough enough as it is. (more…)
Primary Liver Cancer: Prevention
November 4, 2006Most liver cancers are metastatic, i.e., they involve the liver secondarily after initial development & growth in a distant site. Of those malignancies that are native/primary to the liver, the most common is hepatocellular carcinoma ("hepatoma"). (more…)
Types of Oncologists
October 12, 2006When it comes to cancer treatment, one of the most frequently asked questions is "What kind of Oncologist should I see?" This is understandable. There are so many kinds of doctors who describe themselves as oncologists: pediatric, medical, radiation, surgical, gynecologic, neuro- & psycho-… Which types are formally trained to do cancer surgery? drug treatment? radiotherapy?
Are they interchangeable? In a word, no. This is true on an international scale. For basic info, try these links–
- Define "Oncologist". Check out your doctor's credentials.
- "Cancer surgeon" doesn't imply subspecialization. What is a formally trained Surgical Oncologist?
- Extent of a gynecologic oncologist's duties?
- There are 2 types of non-surgical Neuro-oncologists. See who does what.
- The tough job of Pediatric Oncologists
- What is a Medical Oncologist, & what do they do?
- Radiation Oncologists vs. the UK's Clinical Oncologists
