Oncology and hematology

2,498 articles · Since 2004

Articles, page 7

How functional precision oncology is revolutionizing cancer treatment [PODCAST]

June 6, 2025Jun 6, 2025

Physician and clinical researcher Chris Apfel discusses his article, "Functional precision oncology: a game changer in cancer therapy." Chris explains that functional precision oncology takes a highly personalized approach by testing a patient's live tumor cells outside the body (ex-vivo)…

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Physician and clinical researcher Chris Apfel discusses his article, “Functional precision oncology: a game changer in cancer therapy.” Chris explains that functional precision oncology takes a highly personalized approach by testing a patient’s live tumor cells outside the body (ex-vivo) against a panel of cancer drugs to directly observe which …

Conditions and diseases

Financing cancer or fighting it: the real cost of tobacco

Dr. Bhavin P. Vadodariya

June 5, 2025Jun 5, 2025

Introduction: Financing cancer or fighting it? Tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, responsible for nearly 8 million deaths annually, including 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke. Despite decades of public health efforts, global tobacco use…

Introduction: Financing cancer or fighting it?

Tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, responsible for nearly 8 million deaths annually, including 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke. Despite decades of public health efforts, global tobacco use continues to pose a significant threat to cancer prevention. The question remains: Are we truly winning the war against the world’s leading carcinogen, or are we merely negotiating with death?

Tobacco is …

Physician voices

How a TV drama exposed the hidden grief of doctors

Lauren Weintraub, MD

June 4, 2025Jun 4, 2025

Like many of us in health care, I recently became engrossed in The Pitt. If you're still watching—or plan to—consider this your spoiler alert. HBO's new medical drama immerses viewers in a grueling 14-hour shift in the ER of a…

Like many of us in health care, I recently became engrossed in The Pitt. If you’re still watching—or plan to—consider this your spoiler alert. HBO’s new medical drama immerses viewers in a grueling 14-hour shift in the ER of a trauma center. I initially tuned in for Noah Wyle, my teenage crush, but I stayed for the catharsis. Never have I related on such a visceral level to the portrayal …

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Conditions and diseases

5 cancer myths that could delay your diagnosis or treatment

Joseph Alvarnas, MD

June 3, 2025Jun 3, 2025

Having worked with patients for more than 25 years, I've witnessed the courage, determination, and unbreakable spirit of those facing a cancer diagnosis. But I've also seen the questions, uncertainties, and misinformation they and their families face throughout the cancer…

Having worked with patients for more than 25 years, I’ve witnessed the courage, determination, and unbreakable spirit of those facing a cancer diagnosis. But I’ve also seen the questions, uncertainties, and misinformation they and their families face throughout the cancer journey.

Cancer is one of the most challenging health issues of our time, affecting the lives of millions of people worldwide. More than 20 million new cases of cancer are diagnosed …

Conditions and diseases

When bleeding disorders meet IVF: Navigating von Willebrand disease in fertility treatment

Oluyemisi Famuyiwa, MD

June 3, 2025Jun 3, 2025

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting approximately 1 percent of the population, though clinically significant symptoms occur in about 1 in 10,000 individuals. It is caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of von Willebrand factor (VWF), a protein critical for blood clotting. For women, VWD poses unique challenges during reproductive years, particularly in the context of fertility and assisted reproductive technologies like in vitro …

Physician voices

The child within: a grown woman’s quiet grief

Dr. Damane Zehra

June 3, 2025Jun 3, 2025

As a child, I was an introvert. Due to various circumstances, I didn't have the opportunity to play any sports. On many days, I see young children playing football or cricket in the large cricket park in front of my…

As a child, I was an introvert. Due to various circumstances, I didn’t have the opportunity to play any sports.

On many days, I see young children playing football or cricket in the large cricket park in front of my home. Various trainers from different sports clubs bring their teams of girls and boys to play football. They do stretches and warm-up runs, and I watch them from a distance.

I stop …

Physician voices

A female doctor’s day: exhaustion, sacrifice, and a single moment of joy

Dr. Damane Zehra

May 19, 2025May 19, 2025

When I was unemployed, I applied for countless positions. For months, I have been waiting for a call letter regarding a test or an interview. Now that I have accepted a job at a hospital located far away, I receive call letters in the mail almost every day. This makes me uncomfortable because I know that, being new in my position, I cannot take time off for any test or …

Conditions and diseases

What prostate cancer taught this physician about being a patient

Francisco M. Torres, MD

May 16, 2025May 16, 2025

I recently wrote about my experience of becoming a patient and how that change in role transformed my perspective as a doctor. But, in that article, I did not share that the reason I had become a patient was that…

In preparation for the procedure, the doctor reassured me that the outlook was good and that he did not expect to …

The Podcast by KevinMD

Precision and personalization: Charting the future of cancer care [PODCAST]

The Podcast by KevinMD

May 14, 2025May 14, 2025

Hematology-oncology physician Yousuf Zafar discusses his article, "The personalization of cancer care in 2025." He traces the evolution of cancer treatment over the past two decades, moving through waves of cytotoxic chemotherapy, biologic therapies, immunotherapies including groundbreaking CAR-T therapy, and…

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Hematology-oncology physician Yousuf Zafar discusses his article, “The personalization of cancer care in 2025.” He traces the evolution of cancer treatment over the past two decades, moving through waves of cytotoxic chemotherapy, biologic therapies, immunotherapies including groundbreaking CAR-T therapy, and now precision oncology, which targets treatments to the specific molecular …

Physician voices

How one simple breakfast question can transform patient care

Dr. Damane Zehra

May 10, 2025May 10, 2025

"What did you have for breakfast today?" This phrase is a crucial part of my morning rounds. While interacting with the patient, the greeting is very important. I believe doctors who approach the bedside without introducing themselves and who immediately…

“What did you have for breakfast today?”

This phrase is a crucial part of my morning rounds.

While interacting with the patient, the greeting is very important. I believe doctors who approach the bedside without introducing themselves and who immediately ask about the patient’s active complaint tend to come across as less compassionate (whatever their actual intentions might be). This can hinder the development of the bond necessary for obtaining a complete …

Conditions and diseases

A doctor’s emotional struggle with a young leukemia patient

Dr. Damane Zehra

May 3, 2025May 3, 2025

I am currently working as a senior registrar in the oncology unit of a trust hospital. We admit both oncology and hematology patients in the same ward, meaning we care for patients with solid tumors as well as those with blood cancers. Our hospital has only one oncology ward, which has ten beds. Since it is a trust hospital, most treatments are provided completely free of charge. I love working …

Physician voices

When a friend’s mother became my patient and changed my life

Dr. Damane Zehra

April 25, 2025Apr 25, 2025

One of my friends from school studied with me in 9th grade. She was exceptionally pretty, the kind of beauty that stood out. She was the only daughter and had a younger brother. She got married at a relatively young age and had one son. After her marriage, she moved to another city. She lived in a joint family and had many responsibilities, managing a lot of issues on her …

Drugs and prescribing

Functional precision oncology: a game changer in cancer therapy

Chris Apfel, MD, PhD, MBA

April 22, 2025Apr 22, 2025

Functional precision oncology is taking precision medicine to the next level. It is changing the way we fight cancer by testing a patient's live tumor outside the body to determine the treatments most likely to work. This approach promises to…

Functional precision oncology is taking precision medicine to the next level. It is changing the way we fight cancer by testing a patient’s live tumor outside the body to determine the treatments most likely to work. This approach promises to double cancer response rates, improve survival, and reduce costs. It’s personal, data-driven, and long overdue, yet most cancer centers still don’t offer it.

Even many doctors are unaware that the standard …

Drugs and prescribing

Why prescribing medicine to kids scares even experienced doctors

Dr. Damane Zehra

April 19, 2025Apr 19, 2025

I absolutely hate prescribing medication to children. I am quite worried when someone asks for my opinion on a sick child. I have some experience treating children during my internship and residency, yet I am pretty uncomfortable. However, living in…

I absolutely hate prescribing medication to children.

I am quite worried when someone asks for my opinion on a sick child. I have some experience treating children during my internship and residency, yet I am pretty uncomfortable.

However, living in a lower middle-income country, where the average man already lives a difficult life due to high health care costs and limited income, health expenditure significantly impacts monthly finances. That is why people …

Physician voices

Breast cancer was never supposed to be part of my story

Anonymous

April 18, 2025Apr 18, 2025

She was pale, underweight, fifty years old and scared. Mrs. G was a breast cancer patient on the oncology unit whom I met by chance, as she appeared on my patient census list that morning. As I walked into her room, I noticed the fragrant flowers, the cards scattered about her hospital tray, and the numerous pictures of her friends and family that attempted to bring her peace and …

Physician voices

Trusting the right doctor: a lesson in humility and expertise

Dr. Damane Zehra

April 4, 2025Apr 4, 2025

A few days ago, a teacher of mine who taught me Urdu in school contacted me after years. I remember her well; she was a very kind lady who cared for me a lot. I was one of her favorite…

A few days ago, a teacher of mine who taught me Urdu in school contacted me after years. I remember her well; she was a very kind lady who cared for me a lot. I was one of her favorite students. At that time, she was married and had a daughter who was a toddler.

During a phone call, she told me that she had been experiencing a high-grade

…

Conditions and diseases

The unspoken weight of words: reflections on a Vietnamese patient’s final choices

Thanh Phuong Nguyen

April 3, 2025Apr 3, 2025

When the patient arrived by ambulance, he was frail, elderly, and alone in a hospital that spoke a language he could not understand. He had been transferred from a neighboring hospital across state lines due to concerns of malnutrition and pain. The initial CT scans were alarming—multiple lung masses, highly concerning for metastatic cancer. Yet, despite the grim prognosis, there were still barriers to giving him a definitive diagnosis, and …

Conditions and diseases

Cancer treatment and sexual health: the conversation we need to have

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

April 3, 2025Apr 3, 2025

When we think of cancer treatment, we often focus on the immediate goals: Shrinking tumors, stopping the spread of the disease, and ultimately aiming for a cure. What doesn't get as much attention, but is just as important, is how…

When we think of cancer treatment, we often focus on the immediate goals: Shrinking tumors, stopping the spread of the disease, and ultimately aiming for a cure. What doesn’t get as much attention, but is just as important, is how cancer treatments can affect a patient’s sexual health and reproductive future.

Many cancer patients, particularly younger ones, are often left in the dark about how their treatment could impact their sexual …

Physician voices

How embracing uncertainty changed my life

Dr. Damane Zehra

March 28, 2025Mar 28, 2025

I have felt anxious for most of my life. Born into a poor family, my main goal has always been to become independent enough to support myself without needing to ask anyone for money to meet my basic necessities. I…

I have felt anxious for most of my life.

Born into a poor family, my main goal has always been to become independent enough to support myself without needing to ask anyone for money to meet my basic necessities.

I witnessed my father frequently asking others for help whenever he faced significant challenges that his limited salary could not cover. For instance, he would reach out to people when it came time …

Physician voices

Why cancer care remains inaccessible for India’s poor

Dr. Bhavin P. Vadodariya

March 23, 2025Mar 23, 2025

Cancer is a disease that demands long-term, resource-intensive treatment, posing an especially heavy burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In nations like India, where a significant portion of the population comprises daily wage earners, farmers, and small shop owners living in villages, the challenges are even more pronounced. For these individuals, a cancer diagnosis can feel like a death sentence—not just due to the disease itself but because of …

Oncology and hematology

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