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A cancer diagnosis often changes a person’s sense of self. There’s a feeling of losing control as the life the patient knew changes, as do the lives of the people they love and care for. Head and neck cancer patients are especially susceptible to dramatic changes in perceptions of self. Mental health is a crucial […]

As I reflect back on a week full of interesting, unfolding scenarios, it strikes me that words are powerful. Consequences — for the good or for the bad — are associated with the words we choose. In a short period of time, I experienced words used in remarkable ways. Methods used to deliver the words […]

An innovative network is making access to all-important information about individual breast cancer risk more convenient. Women schedule screening mammograms and receive an electronic invitation to an Athena Breast Health Network questionnaire. Those who choose take a few minutes to answer the questions and find out if they may be at elevated risk for breast […]

Often times, we have friends with the greatest intentions, but when it comes to their style of encouragement and support after a diagnosis of breast cancer, they heighten your anxiety or deflate your confidence in your current cancer treatment plan. That’s why it is important for you to understand your cancer diagnosis report, also called […]

I’m of an age when my family and friends are growing into health issues — many of them potentially life-limiting. I have no fewer than six people I know waging war with cancer; different cancers, but all of them determined to be a victor. And when you are up close and talking one-on-one with them, […]

The holiday season can be stressful for everyone, including families. Cancer can strain and change personal relationships and dynamics, which may be more obvious and nerve-wracking during the holidays. Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind this holiday. 1. Take care of yourself and know your limitations. Remember you have to […]

Pregnant with cancer: What every mom should know.

A new clinical trial at Sanford Health examines whether medications that are FDA-approved for one cancer can effectively treat another. Sanford Health locations in Sioux Falls, Fargo and Bismarck are participating in this national effort. The Targeted Agent and Profiling Utilization Registry Study, or TAPUR, is sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the […]

A clinical trial at Sanford Health is studying if an immunotherapy drug developed by Merck might be able to treat certain patients with advanced esophageal cancer. The Merck Keynote 181 trial is now open at Sanford. The study is exploring the Merck drug pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor that allows the body to recognize the […]

A Sanford Research lab is studying a protein’s role in improving survival in ovarian cancer patients. Findings published in Oncogenesis indicate a higher level of a specific protein correlates with an increased survival rate and decrease in the spreading of cancer cells. Kristi Egland, Ph.D., an associate scientist in the Cancer Biology Research Center at […]