After Ureteral Tumor Surgery: Stents, Catheters and the Return to Normal Activity
After surgery for a ureteral tumor, a temporary ureteral stent (a soft tube keeping the ureter open) and a bladder catheter are common. The…
Read article
Blog Category
Cancer Care
Articles for patients and families facing cancer: how screening and diagnosis work, what staging means, how the main treatment types differ and how to prepare for appointments. General information; treatment decisions belong to your oncology team.
Who Is Assessed for a Stem Cell Transplant in Multiple Myeloma, and When Does It Happen?
In multiple myeloma, a stem cell transplant is usually considered for people whose overall fitness, organ function and other health conditions suggest they can…
Read article
What a CyberKnife Session Feels Like: No Incision, No Frame, Just Lying Still
Most people describe a CyberKnife session as uneventful: you lie still on a padded table, often in a soft mesh mask or body cradle,…
Read article
Preparing for Brachytherapy: Fasting, Bowel Preparation and the Anesthesia Check
To prepare for brachytherapy, most people are asked to stop eating for roughly six hours and clear fluids for about two hours before anesthesia,…
Read article
When Is a Stem Cell Transplant Part of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment?
A stem cell transplant is usually considered for acute lymphocytic leukemia when chemotherapy alone is unlikely to keep the disease away: high-risk genetic features,…
Read article
What Is Normal After TURBT? The Catheter, Burning, Blood in the Urine and Returning to Routine
After a TURBT, it is usually normal to have a urinary catheter for hours to a few days, mild burning or urgency when passing…
Read article
How Do You Prepare for Head and Neck Cancer Surgery? Biopsy Review, Scans and Quitting Smoking
Preparing for head and neck cancer surgery usually means a second look at your biopsy by a specialist pathologist, staging scans such as CT,…
Read article
When Is Radioiodine Treatment Chosen for an Overactive Thyroid Over Tablets or Surgery?
Radioiodine is usually chosen for an overactive thyroid when antithyroid tablets have not kept the condition controlled, when hyperthyroidism returns after a course of…
Read article
Why Surgeons Remove a Margin of Healthy Skin in Wide Local Excision for Melanoma
Surgeons remove a rim of healthy-looking skin around a melanoma, usually between 0.5 and 2 centimeters wide depending on how thick the tumor is,…
Read article
What Happens During a Lutetium-177 PSMA Therapy Session: Infusion, Fluids and Monitoring
A lutetium-177 PSMA treatment session is an outpatient visit of several hours in which a radioactive medicine is given through an intravenous line, usually…
Read article
Exercise, Weight and Bone Strength During Hormone Therapy: A Practical Routine
Exercise during hormone therapy for cancer is generally encouraged because these treatments lower estrogen or testosterone, which speeds bone loss, muscle loss and fat…
Read article
When Is Mohs Surgery Chosen Over Standard Excision for Skin Cancer? How Surgeons Decide
Surgeons usually choose Mohs surgery over standard excision when a basal cell or squamous cell skin cancer sits in a cosmetically or functionally sensitive…
Read article
When Do Scans Show a Response After CyberKnife? Why Follow-Up Imaging Takes Patience
Scans after CyberKnife, a form of stereotactic radiosurgery, usually change slowly. Cancerous tumors often begin to shrink over a few months, while benign tumors…
Read article
Inside a Proton Therapy Session: Positioning, Image Checks and the Minutes the Beam Is On
A proton therapy session is usually an outpatient visit of about 15 to 45 minutes, and most of that time goes to positioning you…
Read article
Follow-Up After Testicular Cancer: Why Marker Checks and Scans Continue for Years
After testicular cancer, follow-up typically continues for five years or longer because most relapses appear within the first two years but a small number…
Read article
Before Bladder Tumor Resection (TURBT): Urine Tests, Cystoscopy and Blood Thinner Review
Preparing for TURBT usually involves three checks: a urine test to rule out infection, a cystoscopy (camera look inside the bladder) to map the…
Read article
Why Does Cancer Treatment Sometimes Include a Neck Dissection? Lymph Node Spread Explained
Cancer treatment sometimes includes a neck dissection because many head and neck cancers spread first to the lymph nodes of the neck, and those…
Read article
Preparing for Therapeutic Apheresis: Hydration, a Light Meal and Your Vascular Access Plan
To prepare for plasmapheresis, drink normally the day before and the morning of the session, eat a light meal a few hours ahead rather…
Read article