Tag Archive for: abdominal pain

What Is the Role of Biomarker Testing in Stomach Cancer?

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What Is the Role of Biomarker Testing in Stomach Cancer? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What’s the current status of biomarker testing in gastric cancer? Expert Dr. Joo Ha Hwang from Stanford Medicine shares an update about biomarker testing in gastric cancer research, H. pylori infection testing, and proactive patient advice about H. pylori and potential symptoms.

[ACT]IVATION Tip

“…go to your doctor, especially if you come from an area, or your parents come from an area that has high prevalence of H. pylori, which is pretty much anywhere in the world besides the United States, then you should talk to your doctor about getting H. pylori testing, especially if you have any abdominal pain symptoms or changes in appetite.”

 

See More from [ACT]IVATED Gastric Cancer

Related Resources:

What Are the GAPS Study Key Findings About Gastric Precancer?

 What Key Ways Is Early Detection of Stomach Cancer Delayed?

 How Can Public Policy Measures Reduce Gastric Cancer in High-Risk Populations?

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Hwang, can you speak to the role biomarker testing plays in gastric cancer? And what key information should patients know about early detection as it relates to biomarker testing?

Dr. Joo Ha Hwang:

So, currently there are no good biomarkers to detect gastric cancer at an early stage. So there’s a lot of investigation going on. Unfortunately, up to this point, gastric cancer research has been woefully underfunded on a national level. Most gastric cancer research has been funded by foundations and smaller interests. The NIH up until now has not put a lot of money into gastric cancer. Fortunately, we see this environment changing, and there’s an increasing interest at the NIH to fund gastric cancer research.

But that’s where identification of biomarkers comes from. There are companies out there that are looking at like circulating tumor DNA and other biomarkers. Again, I would say that there are very preliminary. And so I wouldn’t at this point recommend having these tests done because they’re so preliminary.

The one thing that I wouldn’t call a traditional biomarker, but is something that really increases your risk would be the presence of H. pylori infection. And so you can be tested for H. pylori infection by, there’s serum testing, there’s breath testing, you can get it on endoscopy, or the most common way is a stool antigen to test to see if you had H. pylori. The reason that that’s important is H. pylori is considered the number one cause of chronic gastric inflammation that then leads to gastric cancer.

And so the WHO has classified this as a class one carcinogen. And if you do have H. pylori, you should definitely get that treated. And depending on your age and how long you’ve had H. pylori infection, you should probably have endoscopy if you’re over the age of 40 to determine whether or not there’s any changes in the lining of your stomach that would increase your risk for developing gastric cancer. 

So, my activation tip for this would be go to your doctor, especially if you come from an area, or your parents come from an area that has high prevalence of H. pylori, which is pretty much anywhere in the world besides the United States, then you should talk to your doctor about getting H. pylori testing, especially if you have any abdominal pain symptoms or changes in appetite.

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What Key Ways Is Early Detection of Stomach Cancer Delayed?

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What Key Ways Is Early Detection of Stomach Cancer Delayed? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How is early detection of gastric cancer commonly delayed? Expert Dr. Joo Ha Hwang from Stanford Medicine discusses symptoms that patients may experience, whether some patients may be asymptomatic, risk factors, and proactive patient advice for early detection.

[ACT]IVATION Tip

“…each person should know what their risk for gastric cancer is, and we know the main risk factors are your ethnicity, especially your immigrant status. So if you’re a recent immigrant from a high incidence area, then you’re at risk. And then number two, have you had H. pylori infection? Again, if you’re a recent immigrant from an area that’s endemic with H. pylori, you should get tested for H. pylori. And number three, talk with your physician about your risk factors and determine whether or not you weren’t having endoscopic screening or surveillance, especially if you have any symptoms whatsoever.”

 

See More from [ACT]IVATED Gastric Cancer

Related Resources:

What Is the Role of Biomarker Testing in Stomach Cancer?

 What Are the GAPS Study Key Findings About Gastric Precancer?

 How Can Public Policy Measures Reduce Gastric Cancer in High-Risk Populations?

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Hwang, what are the key challenges in the early detection of gastric cancer, and how is your research addressing these challenges?

Dr. Joo Ha Hwang:

Well, the key challenge in detecting early gastric cancer is that there are no symptoms, or the symptoms are very generalized. You can have some vague abdominal pain, your appetite might change a little bit, but we don’t see symptoms until the later stages of gastric cancer when it’s no longer curable. So the real key challenge is to diagnose it at an early stage when it’s still curable and what we’re doing in terms of our research, and then the research community in general, is one, trying to identify patients who are at particularly high risk for developing gastric cancer.

And we have a pretty good idea on who that is. And it’s essentially recent immigrants from high-risk areas such as East Asia, Eastern Europe, Western, South America. There are populations where we know there’s a high incidence of gastric cancer. And in many of these locations, they do endoscopy for early gastric cancer. And so the key really is to identify who is at higher risk for developing gastric cancer and then having them undergo endoscopic screening to further determine what their risk factor is to develop gastric cancer. And then those who are at extremely high risk, they should be on what we call a surveillance program for that.

Lisa Hatfield:

Do you have an activation tip for people for that particular question?

Dr. Joo Ha Hwang:

Yeah. I would say a couple activation tips. I know we’re trying to stick to just a few key ones, but number one would be know your risk for gastric cancer. So each patient, each person should know what their risk for gastric cancer is, and we know the main risk factors are your ethnicity, especially your immigrant status. So if you’re a recent immigrant from a high incidence area, then you’re at risk. And then number two, have you had H. pylori infection?

Again, if you’re a recent immigrant from an area that’s endemic with H. pylori, you should get tested for H. pylori. And number three, talk with your physician about your risk factors and determine whether or not you weren’t having endoscopic screening or surveillance, especially if you have any symptoms whatsoever.

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What Are the Symptoms of Renal Medullary Carcinoma?

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What Are the Symptoms of Renal Medullary Carcinoma? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) symptoms do high-risk patients need to be aware of? Respected expert Dr. Nizar Tannir shares common symptoms that can signal RMC and advice for patients to help ensure they receive urgent care when needed.

Dr. Nizar Tannir is a Professor in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…if an individual who has sickle cell trait sees blood in the urine or they have flank pain, that those are warning signs, they need to seek medical attention, they need to contact their physician or go to a local emergency room or healthcare facility, and be checked. They can start with having an ultrasound or a CAT scan to really evaluate the kidneys, to look at the kidneys.”

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Transcript:

Cora:

For those who may be considered high-risk, what are the symptoms of renal medullary carcinoma?

Dr. Tannir:

RMC, is the most aggressive type of kidney cancer so as any kidney cancer, the symptoms relate to the tumor in the kidney, so there will be blood in the urine, that’s one symptom another symptom is pain, flank pain or abdominal pain, belly pain, those are the symptoms related to the, these are local symptoms related the finding of the tumor in the kidney, but if there is a spread of the cancer and RMC, the reason it is one of the most aggressive cancers any person can get, and the most aggressive kidney cancer type is because of its propensity to spread to organs, and, of course, if there is a spread of the cancer or RMC to organs, there will be symptoms related to the spread of the cancer to these organs, for example, if they cancer spread to the lungs, the patient or the subject, we have cough or shortness of breath, or chest pain, if it spreads to bone they have bone pain, they may have weight loss and fever, and these are called constitutional symptoms.

So fatigue, so these are symptoms related to advanced cancer as it is with any advanced cancer, but specific local symptoms related to RMC would be flank pain and or blood in the urine. These should be warning signs. So my activation tip is if an individual who has sickle cell trait sees blood in the urine or they have flank pain, that those are warning signs, they need to seek medical attention, they need to contact their physician or go to a local emergency room or healthcare facility, and be checked. They can start with having an ultrasound or a CAT scan to really evaluate the kidneys, to look at the kidneys. So this is an important activation tip for individuals who see, who experience or encounter any of those symptoms I just mentioned.

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What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer?

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What Are Common Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What should patients know about ovarian cancer symptoms? Expert Dr. Ebony Hoskins explains common symptoms that patients experience and patient types who are considered high-risk.

Dr. Hoskins is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and assistant professor of Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Hoskins sees women for gynecological malignancies, which include the treatment of endometrial, ovarian, vulva, vaginal and cervical cancers.

[ACT]IVATION TIP

“…if you have any of these symptoms that are vague in nature, and you really can’t put your hand or on what it is, and it’s been going on for a week or two, pop into the doctor. There’s no, please don’t let it get to three months. Literally let it be no more than two weeks and then pop into the doctor.”

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Transcript:

Mikki:

What are some symptoms of ovarian cancer, and who is considered high risk?

Dr. Ebony Hoskins:

So the symptoms for ovarian cancer are vague, which makes it difficult to diagnose. So abdominal bloating, abdominal distinction, a pelvic pain, abdominal pain. Sometimes patients can feel a mass, difficulty in urination, difficulty with bowel movements. So these are some of the symptoms I typically tell someone, “Okay, well I felt bloated last night. I’m not talking about one night. Usually we’re talking over say, one or two weeks. Those are things that to prompt a visit either to the primary care doctor, GYN, or kind of whoever your provider is.

The persons who are at risk for are typically people who have a family history. So family history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer. Older women we tend to see it in women who are greater than 60. So you see that in an older age woman. But probably the biggest risk factor is genetics. Yeah.

So my activation tip, for patients would be, if you have any of these symptoms that are vague in nature, and you really can’t put your hand or on what it is, and it’s been going on for a week or two, pop into the doctor. There’s no, please don’t let it get to three months. Literally let it be no more than two weeks and then pop into the doctor. 

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If You Have Lungs, You Can Get Lung Cancer: Teri’s Story

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If You Have Lungs, You Can Get Lung Cancer: Teri’s Story from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Lung cancer patient Teri shares her experience with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Watch as she discusses the symptoms she experienced, her extended journey to diagnosis, and key learnings that kept her on the path to empowerment.

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Transcript:

​​My name is Teri, and I was diagnosed with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in June of 2018. My lung cancer diagnosis was delayed as I was helping my mom deal with her own lung cancer journey.

My journey to diagnosis started with severe abdominal pain that was diagnosed as diverticulitis. During my hospital stay for abdominal pain, my scan showed a spot on one lung. In retrospect, I should not have brushed this off, but I wasn’t concerned since I’d never been a smoker. Almost a year later, I had a CT scan that showed my nodules had grown, and I was referred to an oncologist.

My surgery was scheduled to remove the middle and lower portions of my right lung, as each had a large mass. The weekend before surgery, I wanted to find my “baseline” for activity level. So I hiked, rode my bicycle, gardened, and kayaked with no indication that ANYTHING was wrong. My oxygen level was always 100 percent, and my energy level felt normal.

My surgery was successful, and I came away with clear margins and nothing found in my surrounding lymph nodes. I had several rounds of chemo following my surgery and had scans done every 6 months. However at the one-year mark, there were signs of recurrence. 

I felt ready to continue with my life but needed to get the remaining upper lobe removed. My surgeon told me the surgery would be “a morbidly serious procedure.” He said this three times during a single appointment.

The surgery was successful, but I had many “morbidly serious” incidents. I made it through with my husband’s amazing support.

Today, I lead a very full and active life with one lung. I am currently cancer-free. My desire is to be a support person for newly diagnosed lung cancer patients. I want to be a ray of hope for other patients so that they know they are not alone.

Some things that I learned during my lung cancer journey include:

  •   Pay attention when unusual lab results or scans come back even if you’re a non-smoker.
  •   Energy levels will not always be an accurate gauge of cancer in your body.
  •   My husband was an incredible source of support during my lung cancer journey.
  •   I am happy to share my story if it helps even one person feel they are not alone.

These actions are key to staying on your path to empowerment.

Targeted CLL Therapy: What Are the Side Effects?

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Targeted CLL Therapy: What Are the Side Effects? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What are common side effects of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) targeted therapies? Dr. Jennifer Woyach discusses side effects of specific targeted therapies and the importance of reporting any issues to your doctor for optimal quality of life.

Dr. Jennifer Woyach is a hematologist-oncologist specializing in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute. Find out more about this expert here. 

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Transcript:

Katherine:                  

If there are side effects, what would some of the side effects be for these targeted therapies?

Dr. Woyach:               

So, it depends on the drug. So, BTK inhibitors, specifically, ibrutinib can cause some joint and muscle pain, some rashes, diarrhea, heartburn. Those are things that tend to, if they’re going to happen, usually happen earlier on in treatment and tend to get better over time. It can also cause high blood pressure. It can cause an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.

So, those are things we watch out for with ibrutinib. Acalabrutinib really has all of the same side effects but for many of them, they don’t occur as often. And then, the tradeoff there is ibrutinib is given once a day and acalabrutinib is given twice a day. With venetoclax plus obinutuzumab with that regimen, you get a lot more hematologic toxicity. So, you see more lowering of the good white blood cell count, which is, obviously, a risk for infections. That regimen comes with a risk of something called tumor lysis syndrome, which is where the cells can break down too quickly and cause damage to the kidneys, damage to the heart.

It can also cause some GI disturbance like some diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, things like that. I see there are a lot of side effects. And, of course, when I’m talking to a patient about treatment, we go over them in more detail than that. But I think the important thing is with all of these therapies, we do have ways to manage these side effects.

One thing I think is important for patients to remember is your doctor doesn’t know you’re having side effects unless you tell them. So, we know that people have these side effects. But if you don’t tell us that you’re having diarrhea or heartburn or things like that, we can’t help with it. And we have a lot of medicines that can help these things.