Out of Nowhere: Kidney Cancer

Out of Nowhere: Kidney Cancer By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH Of the estimated 1.9 million cancers diagnosed each year in the US, around 4 percent are kidney cancers, the most common are renal cell carcinomas (RCC). Around 76,000 new cases will occur in the US in 2021, 48,0000 in men and 27,000 in women. Kidney cancer can occur at any age, but is most likely to be diagnosed between the ages of 55 - 75.1,2,3 Out of the Blue Patients and caregivers describe sudden and unexpected diagnoses of kidney cancer: My husband was just newly diagnosed [...]

Genetic and Cellular Studies Carve New Pathways to Treating Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Genetic and Cellular Studies Carve New Pathways to Treating Ovarian Cancer By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH Ovarian, fallopian tube cancer and primary peritoneal cancer are often grouped under the name epithelial ovarian cancer. When classified as subcategories of ovarian cancer, primary peritoneal cancers and fallopian tube cancers are considered rare. The incidence rate of primary peritoneal cancer is estimated to be 6.78 per million.1 Fallopian tube cancers have been thought to be “very rare,” accounting for 1-2% of all gynecologic cancers.2 Because these cancers are usually advanced by the time they are diagnosed, it has been difficult [...]

Cancer, COVID, and Vaccinations: The Patient Perspective at ASCO 2021

Cancer, COVID, and Vaccinations: The Patient Perspective at ASCO 2021 By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH Inspire is presenting the results of two separate surveys during the American Society of Clinical Oncology® (ASCO) virtual conference being held June 4-8. Chosen from the more than 5,400 abstracts submitted for the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting, the studies focus on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and reactions to the vaccine among patients with cancer. Inspire’s cancer community Inspire has almost one million members who are patients with cancer and their caregivers. In the last 15 years, over three million posts (3,555,105) have been [...]

In Search of Answers: Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)

In Search of Answers: Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD, MSPH The basic dry facts about Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer (HNSCC) are that it is a cancer of the mucosal lining of the oral cavity and larynx; typical treatments include surgical intervention, chemotherapy, radiation, and, more recently, immunotherapy, followed by various kinds of rehabilitation and reconstruction. However, let’s make it real. A member of Inspire’s Head and Neck Cancer Alliance community describing their Survivor Story said: I am [an] oral cancer (Tongue cancer) survivor (my age is ___ years). In [...]

Do You Really Know How Patients Talk About Their Condition?

Do You Really Know How Patients Talk About Their Condition? By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH There are classic examples of advertising messages that ended up offending the target customer, but the Utah Department of Transportation provided the most recent. The Utah DOT’s lighthearted attempt to adopt a specific culture’s way of speaking was predictably ridiculed when “Hey Teens, Buckling Up is Totes Yeet Yo” (meaning “the use of seatbelts is excellent”) appeared on the state’s electronic highway signs.1 honestly pic.twitter.com/axXJwjbJrH — Nico Di Angelo Fan Blog (@Laney_Brynn) October 23, 2019 The story is funny, but illustrates [...]

The Kidney Cancer Support Community on Inspire

The Kidney Cancer Support Community on Inspire By Kathleen Hoffman, PhD MSPH Of the over 1 million cancers diagnosed each year in the US, around 3 percent are kidney cancers.1 This relatively rare cancer is twice as likely to develop in men as women. Around 73,000 new cases will occur in the US in 2019, about 44,000 men and 29,000 women.2 Kidney Cancer Association Kidney Cancer Support Community on Inspire Started in 2014, the Kidney Cancer Association Kidney Cancer Support Community on Inspire has grown to approximately 2600 members; 64 percent are female, 36 percent male. [...]

Video Vignettes: Through Your Own Lens – Dealing With Side Effects

Video Vignettes: Through Your Own Lens - Dealing With Side Effects You wouldn’t think that someone could speak with delight about an experience with diarrhea. Yet when Amy,* a lung cancer patient, speaks about her search for help with “horrific diarrhea” in the video below, she sounds happy. Her relief at finding answers that actually worked to stop this side effect is palpable. As she describes her experience, imagine yourself in her situation while undergoing treatment: experiencing unending GI urgency, or having such a severe scalp itch that it interrupts your ability to sleep and begins to [...]