Monthly Archives: March 2018

Teens ‘Look Good’ and ‘Feel Better’

Posted on March 30, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER “It was as if she was trying to disappear inside her clothes,” explains nurse Kristen Thomas, remembering hot summer days when a teenage cancer patient showed up for appointments hidden under a woolen ski cap and layers … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, cancer, community, health care, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Group offers helping hand to cancer patients in need

Posted on March 28, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Central New York cancer patients facing money problems can get some help from a foundation dedicated to a young Rome, N.Y., native who died of a rare and aggressive cancer. Everything from help with travel expenses to … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, community, fundraising, health care

Ethics consult: Will your health care proxy honor your wishes?

Posted on March 26, 2018 by

Thomas Curran, MD, and Robert Olick, JD, PhD, are hospital ethics consultants and members of Upstate’s bioethics and humanities faculty They provide advice to patients and families who find themselves in ethically charged situations surrounding care at Upstate University Hospital. … Continue reading →

Posted in bioethics & humanities, cancer, death/dying, health care, HealthLink on Air | Tagged ,

Peer experts share best practices

Posted on March 23, 2018 by

The Upstate Cancer Center has joined the Association of American Cancer Institutes, an organization dedicated to reducing the burden of cancer by enhancing the impact of North America’s leading academic cancer centers. The association, based in Pittsburgh, is made up … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care

St. Baldrick’s money to boost clinical trials

Posted on March 21, 2018 by

Upstate is one of 39 institutions nationwide selected to share $2.2 million in grant money from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to advance patient access to clinical trials. Having access to clinical trials is vital to the treatment of childhood cancers. … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, fundraising, health care, research, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics, volunteers | Tagged

Many options: Caregiving team considers multiple factors in managing patients with lung cancer  

Posted on March 19, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH People diagnosed with lung cancer a century ago had few options. The earliest surgical techniques, in the 1930s, involved cutting open a patient’s chest and removing an entire lung. While that is sometimes still necessary today, surgeons are … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, lung/pulmonary, medical imaging/radiology, research, surgery | Tagged , , , , , ,

Ongoing battle: Vigilance helps contain a rare, aggressive thyroid cancer

Posted on March 16, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH The man was in his mid-50s in 2011 when he sought care for enlarged lymph nodes in the back of his neck. It was thyroid cancer. Surgeons in Binghamton removed his thyroid gland, and the man received … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, drugs/medications/pharmacy, health care, medical imaging/radiology, surgery | Tagged , , , , , , ,

The cancer-fighting TrueBeam: A precise installation for the newest technology

Posted on March 14, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Workers in California, Switzerland, England and Canada built the precision cancer-fighting technology that occupies Upstate Radiation Oncology at the newly renovated Oneida office. Pieces of the TrueBeam Radiotherapy System are put together only after they are all delivered … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, medical imaging/radiology, technology | Tagged , , , ,

Precision care: Advances in radiation therapy minimize side effects

Posted on March 12, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH The first visit with the radiation oncologist is usually where patients unload their fears. In general, people may be more familiar with the negative image of radiation and somewhat unaware of its powers to help heal. So a … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, medical imaging/radiology | Tagged , , ,

Riding again: He bicycles despite kidney transplant, cancer diagnosis

Posted on March 9, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Chris Atwood of Moravia has quite a few medical issues for a man of 59, but they don’t rattle him. “I think that fixating and worrying about your health is bad for your health,” he says. Atwood … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, kidney/renal/nephrology, organ donation/transplant