Tag Archive for: underrepresented patients

More Than Medicine | Breaking Barriers in Bladder Cancer Care

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Dr. Randy Vince shares how the loss of his grandmother to kidney cancer shaped his perspective and approach to patient care. Drawing from his lived experience, he discusses the critical importance of addressing systemic barriers and ensuring patients, especially those who delay care, feel supported, informed, and empowered. Dr. Randy Vince. 

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Exciting Developments in Bladder Cancer Treatment Advances | Muscle-Invasive and Non-Muscle-Invasive Care

 What Are Common Bladder Cancer Myths and Resolutions for Underrepresented Patients

What Are Common Bladder Cancer Myths and Resolutions for Underrepresented Patients?

 Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Barriers to Timely Response

Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Barriers to Timely Response

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Vince, your grandmother’s experience with kidney cancer profoundly influenced your career path. And I’m sorry about that loss. I’m sorry to hear that.

Dr. Randy Vince:

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Lisa Hatfield:

How does that personal loss inform your approach to working with bladder cancer patients who may have delayed seeking care due to similar systemic barriers?

Dr. Randy Vince:

Yeah. So I’ll start by saying the experience of losing my grandmother, and if it’s okay, I just want to give a little bit of background to why she was so important to me is, you know, at a time when I was a teenager, you know, growing up, there were a lot of influences that at any given time, if I would have made a wrong decision, I would…I would have lost my life or spent the majority of my life in prison.

And this was, you know, both of my grandmothers, but specifically the one grandmother I lost to kidney cancer. Losing her again, kind of it started to shape my perspective in terms of how I would want to deliver health care as a physician. And it was because she was so influential, so influential in my life. And oftentimes, when I didn’t always do the right thing, she would be that person that would kind of bring me back and love on me and care for me. And so, it was very tragic losing her. And so, that experience shaped me in so many different ways that extend far beyond my career. However, when it comes to my approach as a physician, as a surgeon who treats cancer patients, I started to view my role in different lenses.

And so, I almost think of it as I have to have, I have different jobs when it comes down to helping patients navigate that cancer journey, right. So, we’re starting off, and I told you, I look at it as a spectrum in terms of, you know, screening, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes, or, you know, survivorship.  And so, the first job is just really as an educator, because I want my patients. I know the receipt of a cancer diagnosis is devastating, but I want my patients to understand everything about their diagnosis when they leave my office. I want them to be able to explain things to their family members and their loved ones and feel confident and knowledgeable when they explain these things about their diagnosis to their family members and loved ones.

So, first as an educator, second, as a consoler, you know, during these appointments, which may run longer than, you know, the typical doctor’s time frame that we’re supposed to take with appointments. And that’s fine. I don’t care about the time, I care about the patients. I take time to empathize with my patients. I want them to know that they’re not in this fight alone and that I’m here with them and that I will do everything in my power to help them along this journey, and that, again, I’m in this fight with them.

And the other thing is, oftentimes when we think of cancer, the psychological impact it has is it takes us right to, oh, my gosh, how much longer do I have to live? And for the vast majority of cases, a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. So, I want them to know that I’m empathizing with them, But I also want them to know that just because you have a cancer diagnosis does not mean that you only have six months left to live, which is what we traditionally think of, because a lot of people who we knew have cancers of different types had stage IV cancer, and that was the reason why their livelihood was cut short.

And then thirdly, that I’m a healer. I walk through all of the steps of the treatment journey with my patients and just try to make sure that they understand every step of that process. I always coordinate that care with my colleagues. So everything is done with a team approach. And all of the members of the team are dedicated to their well-being. And if it’s a patient that’s primarily my patient, I always let them know, you got a team of people who are here ready to care for you, and I’m going to be the quarterback for you.

So, I’m going to be the one who makes sure that everyone runs the play correctly and that there are no obstacles that stand in your way in terms of defeating this cancer and that nothing falls through the cracks. So, I think by wearing these different hats, you start to build a strong relationship with patients, which is most important to me, and then guiding them with support, knowledge, and compassion. So, that’s how that experience of my lived experiences, especially the experience of living with my grandmother, has influenced me when it comes to caring for patients.

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Vince, thank you so much for sharing that story. It’s important for the entire cancer community and for patients like myself to hear that. It clearly gives you a unique perspective and connection to your patients. Hearing that story and hearing the words consoler and healer as part of your, as one of your roles or two of your roles as a physician taking care of that patient. We all need a Dr. Vince on our cancer care team. So patients, when you hear that, just know that your physician is part of your cancer care team and they want to be your quarterback. And if you sense that that’s not the case, find a Dr. Vince.

Dr. Randy Vince:

Yeah. Thank you.

What Are Common Bladder Cancer Myths and Resolutions for Underrepresented Patients?

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Dr. Randy Vince from University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center addresses and dispels four of the most common misconceptions: that bladder cancer only affects older adults, only smokers, or only men and that a diagnosis is always fatal. He also emphasizes the importance of education and early detection, and shares insights into risk factors and hereditary concerns. Learn more about Dr. Randy Vince. 

See More from [ACT]IVATED Bladder Cancer

Download Resource Guide | Descargar Guía

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Exciting Developments in Bladder Cancer Treatment Advances | Muscle-Invasive and Non-Muscle-Invasive Care

 More Than Medicine_ Breaking Barriers in Bladder Cancer Care

More Than Medicine | Breaking Barriers in Bladder Cancer Care

 Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Barriers to Timely Response

Bladder Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Barriers to Timely Response

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

Vince, what are some common myths about bladder cancer that people in underrepresented communities might believe, and how can we clear up these misunderstandings to help improve outcomes?

Dr. Randy Vince:

Yeah, so if it’s okay, I’m probably going to answer that question in reverse. And the reason why is because, again, I’m a big believer in education, education, education. So, whether it’s at a physician’s appointment or whether it’s at a local community group or, you know, attending a health talk that is local to you, really educating yourself about health conditions can lead to increased awareness, which can dispel a lot of these myths.

But in my experience, I would say there’s probably about four common myths that I’ve heard. The first one is only old people get bladder cancer, which is just simply not true. While it is more common for bladder cancer to be developed in older individuals, it can happen in the younger population as well. I personally treated people who are in their 30s and 40s for bladder cancer.

So again, it’s not a disease that only impacts elderly patients. The next thing that I’ve heard is that only smokers get bladder cancer. So, while it is a major risk factor, and I mean smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer, there are other environmental exposures that you can have, especially in the workplace, whether it’s chemicals or paints or plastics.

So, these can also increase the risk of developing bladder cancer. And there are other treatments for pelvic conditions. Specifically, I’m thinking of radiation that can have a delayed onset of bladder cancer in patients.

Thirdly, bladder cancer diagnosis is equal to death, and that’s just simply not the case. Like many cancers, we know that early detection is key because when we have early detection, our survival rates go up. We talked about non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer versus muscle-invasive bladder cancer. What we know is that five-year survival rates for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, which is an earlier diagnosis of earlier detection, five-year survival rates exceed 90 percent.

So again, cancer, bladder cancer diagnosis does not equal a death sentence. And then lastly, that only men get bladder cancer. Again, it’s more common in men, but women get bladder cancer as well. But the difference that we’ve seen is that women in minority communities are actually more likely to succumb to that bladder cancer diagnosis. Which again, just points to why that increased awareness is so important in early detection efforts remain critical.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you. And I have one follow-up question to that. You talked about some risk factors for bladder cancer. Is there any type of genetic or hereditary component to bladder cancer?

Dr. Randy Vince:

Yeah. So, the vast majority of bladder cancers do not have an inherent genetic risk. There are some very rare bladder cancers that are associated with a genetic link. But for the vast majority of patients who develop bladder cancer, there is not a hereditary link to that.

AML Diagnosis Disparities | Factors Impacting Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups

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AML Diagnosis Disparities | Factors Impacting Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What factors contribute to AML diagnosis disparities? Expert Dr. Sara Taveras Alam from UTHealth Houston discusses disparity factors in underrepresented patient groups and patient advice for newly diagnosed AML patients.

[ACT]IVATION Tip

“…I would recommend that they take notes of their conversations with their providers, that they include through their caregivers, family members, and conversations about the care, bring them to visits. There is a lot to learn in the process of an AML patient. And it is all right to ask questions again and again. It is encouraged to ask questions until their understanding of what is going on and what the plan is. Patients really are their best advocates or should be their best advocate and should never assume.”

Download Resource Guide | Descargar guía de recursos

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 Black and Latinx AML Patients | The Impact of Cultural Beliefs

Black and Latinx AML Patients | The Impact of Cultural Beliefs

 How Do AML Patients and Outcomes Differ by Population Groups?

How Do AML Patients and Outcomes Differ by Population Groups?

Transcript: 

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Taveras, are there differences in the stage of AML at diagnosis between underrepresented compared to other racial and ethnic groups, and if so, what factors contribute to these disparities?

Dr. Sara Taveras Alam:

So when we think of cancer stages, we usually refer to stage I through stage IV. Stage I being the cancer is localized to where it started, for example, breast, lung cancer, just in that breast, just in that lung, small and as things spread farther and farther from where they started, then you have stage II, stage III, stage IV, so for AML, it is a blood cancer, so technically, it’s all through our body, since our blood goes through the body.

There may be patients that present with no complications from their AML, and we’re assuming that they present it properly from when their diagnosis, from when their disease started. And other patients that may present with some complications from their acute myeloid leukemia already, so there the assumption is that acute myeloid leukemia has been ongoing for some time, but it is really hard to really determine when the acute myeloid leukemia started unless the patient had been undergoing very frequent blood work previously.

We do know that patients who are Black tend to present with AML at a younger age, and we’re not sure what factors contribute to that. We also know that they may be at higher risk of complications during treatment as our Hispanic patients.

We also know that their diseases may be more resistant to treatment and associated to mutations that are more aggressive. So those are the factors that contribute. 

A lot goes into the treatment responses for our patients, and we want to achieve a remission and maintain a remission, and these patients require frequent healthcare visits and they may have barriers to that, depending on their work, childcare, transportation, there may be many barriers for these underrepresented patients that they themselves don’t feel as though the healthcare team needs to know about, but it is very important for us to know about these barriers so that we can do our best to address them and the patient can receive the care that will ultimately give them the best chances of survival and response to treatment.

Lisa Hatfield:

Dr. Taveras, do you have any general tips for patients who receive a diagnosis of AML?

Dr. Sara Taveras Alam:

Yeah, so for any patient with a new diagnosis of cancer and especially acute myeloid leukemia, I would recommend that they take notes of their conversations with their providers, that they include through their caregivers, family members, and conversations about the care, bring them to visits. There is a lot to learn in the process of an AML patient.

And it is all right to ask questions again and again. It is encouraged to ask questions until their understanding of what is going on and what the plan is. Patients really are their best advocates or should be their best advocate and should never assume. They should ask when they don’t know what the plan is or when they want to make sure that things are going in the right track.

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