articles about Cancer

  • CAREGIVER SUPPORT

    Q. I recently refilled my mother’s prescription and found that she had previously been given pills that were half the dosage of what had been prescribed—even though the pharmacist’s label indicated the vial’s contents were what had been prescribed. How do I prevent such a potentially tragic mistake in the future?

  • FINANCE

    Q. I applied for Social Security disability almost a year ago, and I was told my hearing is still pending. Are there any shortcuts or ways to deal with such a delay?

  • CARE RECIPIENT HEALTH

    Q. Over the winter, Mom had a small melanoma removed. What can I do to keep her protected but still have her get time in the fresh air?

  • CARE RECIPIENT HEALTH

    Q. My friends keep mentioning "alternative medicine" to me regarding my wife's bout with cancer. Is there anything to this, and what exactly is alternative medicine?

  • CARE RECIPIENT HEALTH

    Q. My father is in a rehab facility where he gets daily physical therapy but still appears weak. How can I tell if he's making real progress?

  • COMMUNICATION

    Q. My 40-year-old wife has resisted sexual relations with me since her radical mastectomy and breast reconstruction about eight months ago. I'm sensitive to her feelings, but have become frustrated. What do you recommend?

  • Savages

    CARING TODAY CAREGIVER CINEMA

    With their recent success both at the box office and as recipients of major awards, Away from Her and The Savages have brought caregiving to the top of hot-topic lists. But these aren't the first films about caregiving, nor will they be the last. Click here for 20 movie favorites that might teach you something about caregiving, sometimes provide you with a smile and certainly entertain you.

  • Caring Today's Caregiver Library

    Check out these books, videos and CDs aimed at helping caregivers. New items are constantly being added, so check back often to find ways to increase your confidence and knowledge of specific diseases and self-care.

  • MAY: This Month's Resource List

    From allergies and asthma to osteporosis, mental health and much more, the issues of note this month are wide ranging and important to many of you. Check out these links for information to help you as a caregiver.

  • OCTOBER: This Month's Resource List

    Check out these links for information to help you as a caregiver. This month puts focus on breast cancer, mental health, respiratory issues, Lupus, bone and joint diseases, and more.

  • Cancer: Can Propecia Affect Test Results?

    Studies indicate the effect the hair-loss medicine can have on tests for prostate cancer

  • JUNE: This Month's Resource List

    Find resources and contacts for health issues of special note this month

  • Know Someone with Chemo Brain?

    Is the person in your care undergoing chemotherapy? Is he or she suffering short-term memory loss? See if the problem is "Chemo Brain"

  • MARCH: This Month's Resource List

    Whether you care for someone with MS or a brain injury—or maybe just need help with your own insomnia—find resources and contacts for health issues of special note this month, including special dates to remember, websites to visit and phone numbers to call.

  • SEPTEMBER: This Month's Resource List

    Check out these links for information to help you as a caregiver. This month puts focus on leukemia, sickle cell disease, suicide prevention, cholesterol education, ovarian cancer, healthy aging, vision issues and much more.

  • SHARE THE CARE

    When creating a caregiving team, you need the Team Leader, the Assistant Coordinator, the Researcher, the Arranger, the Experienced Caregiver, the Chief Cook and Bottlewasher, the Creative Type, the One with a Special Skill, the Shopper, the Handyman, the Driver...the list goes on. And when all work in a coordinated effort, the result is stress-reduced caregiving. So how do you put together such a team? Click here and find out.

  • THE PROMISE

    "Promise you'll never put me in a nursing home." How many of us have been lassoed by that demand? Is it a promise we're obligated to obey? Or is it one that shouldn't be asked? Click here to read how caregivers like you have handled this dilemma.

  • Caregiver Advice: COUNT YOURSELF FIRST

    People are starting to notice the toll caregiving exacts, particularly in cases where a spouse or other family member is involved.

  • MIRACLE ON 43RD STREET

    New York City is known for its tough—and often expensive—reputation. But for many caregivers and their patients across America and around the world, it’s a place with heart.

  • OH, THOSE BREAST FRIENDS

    Cancer-fighting women create a group to support each other--and charities to support so many others.

  • PATIENT KNOWS BEST

    When offering support to a person in need of care, remember this: It's not about you! Two breast cancer survivors offer some other helpful advice for caregivers.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    Been thinking of things you can get a loved one who's been devoted to providing care for someone close to you? Here are ideas to help make the holidays happy and helpful.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    The Oscar-nominated film The Savages, about estranged adult siblings (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) who are reunited in their effort to care for their ailing father (Philip Bosco), recently came out on DVD. Rent it, buy it, but see it if you can. For a list of other great caregiver films, click here.

  • TUESDAY TIPS

    Communing with nature may be all it takes to calm your nerves or get you out of a mild case of the caregiver blues. Click here for easy ways to reap the healing powers of “going green."

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    The time it takes Social Security to act on setting up hearings for SSDI decisions can be hard for caregivers to deal with. It can take months--or years. Click here to find out what the experts advise to obtain the assistance you need.

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Long-distance caregiving puts an extra burden on the caregiver. Click here for resources to help you care from afar

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Knowing how to talk to your loved one's doctor is an important step in care management. Click here for five tips to improve doctor/caregiver communication and to find where to look for further help.

  • HEALTHY MONDAY IDEA

    Feeling stressed? Caregiving making you anxious? Lots on your mind? Write it down. Get it out. Feel better fast. Here's how.

  • TIME FOR YOU THURSDAY

    If financial constraints have you spending a lot of time figuring out how to pay for medical care for yourself or a loved one, click here to find assistance.

  • HEALTHY MONDAY IDEA

    Painful and appearance-affecting skin conditions are common side effectsof cancer treatment. Along with following the skin-care instructions of the healthcare team, you can help your loved one by implementing these simple, practical tips to keep a cancer patient’s problems under control, including...Click here to read more.

  • JUST THE FACTS FRIDAY

    There's lots you should know about preventing the third leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in the U.S.—colon cancer

  • JUST THE FACTS FRIDAY

    Not all breast cancer is the same. There are various stages with various treatments. Click here to learn the differences.

  • TIME FOR YOU THURSDAY

    Find out more about the life-saving test every woman needs to take

  • HelpMeLiveBook

    TUESDAY TIPS

    Sometimes, just when we think we're offering help to a loved one, we're actually doing more harm than good. But there are ways around that, and we found someone to provide some communication guidance.

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Do you know where to find information, screening advice and help regarding colorectal cancer? Click here for invaluable resources.

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Recent reports indicate that the rate of deaths from cancer overall is declining at a significant pace. But that does not mean cancer still isn't a major problem caregivers must deal with. Use these links to get help.

  • Hope Lodge

    WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    For cancer patients and their caregivers in need of a place to stay when seeking out-of-town treatment, there is hope—Hope Lodges, that is. Discover more about this great American Cancer Society resource founded by Margot Freudenberg (left).

  • WHERE TO LOOK WEDNESDAY

    Check out these health-information sites with special importance in September, and helpful guidance any time.

  • 30 TCHOTCHKES

    For a woman going through treatment for cancer, it was little nothings that meant everything to her. Check out this unique way to offer support for a loved one.