We have recently posted a new video on the GRACE YouTube channel, in which a panel of GRACE faculty oncologists discuss the steps involved in staging a suspicious lung nodule, from initial CT scan to biopsy and PET and brain MRI scans.

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/-5b7SUu22_M

If you have any questions about the information in this video, please reply and we'll be happy to help you.

Jim C GRACE Community Outreach Team

GRACE is helping the University of Washington SPEAC Lab to invite people who have/had oral, head, and neck cancer (with or without total laryngectomy) to answer survey questions.  More information is available at https://sites.uw.edu/speaclab/, including a link to participate in the study. 

The purpose of this survey study is to hear about communication between:

• People who have experienced speech or voice changes following head and neck cancer; and
• Their family members, friends, and/or coworkers

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Hi Everyone, Welcome to GRACE.  We're glad you're here and sorry that you need to be here.

We've got our 2023 Blood Cancer OncTalk forum from February up for on-demand streaming. This full version will be broken down into specific topics soon.

If you still have questions (which we all always do) don't hesitate to ask them here or create a new thread. 

Take care, Janine

I'm happy to post this article because it can get buried in our newer content yet is one of a kind and such a good resource. Raquel's youtube channel is filled with yoga routines. I found a method I still use to loosen my neck by massaging my ears and hands. There's something for everyone patient and caregiver alike.

Raquel Jex Forsgren, Yoga Therapist C-IAYT, GRACE Faculty Living Yoga Therapy Chicago IL Specialties Certified Yoga Therapist, C-IAYT, and Resiliency Coach, Cancer and Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs, Chair Yoga for Seniors, Yoga for Veterans with PTSD, and is a member of the International Yoga Therapist Association, Oncology Nursing Society, and Society for Integrative Oncology. Bachelor of Science in Biology and Microbiology, Graduate Work in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and over 25 years of experience in drug development and marketing in oncology, hematology, pain, and serious liver diseases. Raquel’s journey into yoga began in 2005 while living in New York. As a leader of teams in Oncology Pharmaceuticals, Raquel wanted to be better at interacting, supporting, and developing people and knew that one way to make serious change in her life would be to embrace yoga and all its philosophies.  After over a decade of personal yoga practice, teaching, and building resiliency, she evolved her career and began an intensive two-year yoga therapy training to interweave her Western Medicine expertise with Therapeutic Yoga to work in Integrative Medicine, as a Yoga Therapist. 

Hi Grace Readers,  I want to share a newly published post written by one of our board members, Nancy Sladicka.  It covers most of the most important basic tips and tricks needed to become your own advocate in cancer care. 

Maybe the most important reason to have this info is because medical oncologists, even those who specialize, can not keep up with fast moving changes in every facet of the care and treatment of their patients. 

You Have Been Diagnosed - What Next? can help you become the advocate todays healthcare user should become. 

As always, don't hesitate to ask questions and share experiences here with us.  Your experiences and questions hold much more insight to readers than you may know. 

Take care all!

Janine

There is not a ton of info available for Cholangiocarcinoma, so seeing information come up with new developments is always exciting.  In this video, Rachna Shroff MD, chief of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson, AZ, highlights novel therapies for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma and opportunities for utilization of precision oncology and the development of targeted therapies for genetic alterations in patients dealing with a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma. 

Watch the video HERE. 

Let us know what you think. 

How easy or difficult do you find communicating with your care team?

I came across this discussion by Dr. West, Better Communication Leads to Better Outcomes for Cancer Patients. 

I would say if you find yourself in a situation where your "communication" isn't taken as a serious piece of your cancer management remind your onc of this study...have the study especially the conclusion bookmarked or printed out to share.

More about the specifics of the trial presentation at ASCO would probably be an even better example to share and show how important the oncology community takes this info. 

Such an important piece of self-advocacy! 

Take care,

Janine

Sex is almost always a neglected subject in cancer care.  I'm so glad and proud of our staff that we have this excellent article in both Spanish and  English. 

Wishing all well,

Janine

If you're like me finding specific info isn't always straightforward online. Denise has written a post on the subject here.  I hope this is helpful :)

The webinar has ended but you can watch this recording on-demand Here.