Advice for Supporting Somebody Who Has Cancer

 Estimates published by The American Cancer Society state that approximately 1.9 million people received a cancer diagnosis in 2021. It’s possible that somebody you know was one of them. It’s also possible that a person you love may receive a diagnosis at some point. As a friend or loved one, you’ll want to support this person as much as you can. Here are some tips to help you support those with cancer.

First, prepare for mood changes.

The treatments for cancer, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can be physically and mentally taxing. Couple that with other medications that may have side effects. It is also likely that your loved one will experience mood changes. Depression, fatigue, anger, and anxiety are all common emotions for somebody who has cancer. By understanding these mood changes may come, you can gird up yourself with the patience to deal with them rather than losing your temper because your loved one isn’t acting like they usually do.

Second, offer practical support wherever you can.

In addition to being mentally and physically draining, many cancer treatments place significant demands on a person’s time. Furthermore, the physical effects may leave somebody unable to complete their daily tasks. By offering to help with practical tasks, you relieve some of your loved one’s burdens. Examples of tasks include cleaning, gardening, babysitting, cooking meals, and picking children up from school.

Consider setting some boundaries to ensure you only do what you’re able to. For example, ask directly if your loved one needs somebody to pick up their children from school rather than asking them if there’s anything you can do. This approach ensures you can still focus on yourself while helping your loved one.

Third, learn to listen.

Cancer is such an overwhelming condition that it’s unlikely your loved one will be able to think about anything else. Often, they’ll need somebody to act as a sounding board for their concerns and frustrations. This is especially the case if they’re trying to make a treatment decision. Providing your loved one with the space to verbalize their thought process means you learn more about what they’re going through. You may also be able to contribute suggestions or questions for the person to ask their doctor.

Advice is not always necessary, particularly if you have limited experience with cancer. Sometimes, just offering a sympathetic ear is all that your loved one needs from you.

Fourth, understand how important your visits are to the person you’re supporting.

Always call before you visit your loved one. This call gives them the choice of whether they want to see you. Be understanding if they don’t. Your friend may want some alone time to think about what they’re going through.

Assuming your loved one wants you to visit them, consider scheduling. Short and frequent visits are often preferred to long and infrequent ones. Shorter visits still provide you with the time needed to offer support without being so long that the visit feels draining for your loved one. Begin and end each visit with physical contact, such as a hug or a handshake. Allow your loved one to determine what you do during the visit. Also, make references to your next visit, so the other person has something to look forward to.

Finally, recognize that supporting somebody who has cancer takes a mental toll on you as well. You’re seeing somebody you love go through a tremendously difficult experience. Make time to support yourself, so you’re better able to help the person you love.

HOPA’s BCOP Preparatory & Recertification

As an operational consultant at Alegria Specialty Pharmacy, Ellen Scharaga assists in developing progressive specialty medication to manage chronic illnesses, including hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, and arthritis. With a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences, Ellen Scharaga is a member of the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA).

HOPA is a professional organization dedicated to advocating and supporting pharmacy practitioners and advancing hematology/oncology pharmacy to improve the quality of care provided to individuals with cancer. HOPA provides relevant education and advancement opportunities to professionals involved in hematology/oncology and the medical profession.

One of the services the organization offers to support the education of its members is the BCOP preparatory and recertification course. HOPA BCOP courses prepare its members for the board-certified oncology pharmacist certification (BCOP) exam and the necessary BPS credit to complete the Oncology Pharmacy Preparatory Review Course.

HOPA’s BCOP course provides an opportunity for enrollees to earn up to 66 hours of BCOP recertification credit, including 28 hours of the preparatory and recertification courses, eight annual conferences, 10 updated modules and 20 hours of self-study modules. The BCOP courses are divided into six parts, delivered through webinars, updates, self-study modules, podcasts, and annual conferences.

How the Development of mRNA Vaccines Could Impact HIV

 Though the first American cases of HIV occurred in 1981, little progress has been made toward developing a vaccine for the condition. There are several reasons for this. HIV’s variable nature allows the virus to impair immune cells early into the infection. This variability also means that it can establish latent infection while integrating itself into the host’s genome. Unfortunately, this makes it almost impossible for any individual to develop a 100 percent effective immune response, making vaccine production complex.

Fortunately, the introduction of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines to combat COVID-19 may hold the key to HIV vaccine development.

To understand how it’s important to note the differences between mRNA vaccines and traditional vaccines.

Traditional vaccines usually trigger an immune response by placing a weakened or inactive germ into the host’s body. This approach enables the body to develop a blueprint for combating the germ, allowing it to prevent the spread of the virus associated with the germ if the host comes into contact with it.

Sadly, this approach does not work for variable viruses, such as COVID-19 and HIV.
mRNA vaccines differ from traditional vaccines because they don’t require the use of a germ. Instead, scientists create proteins in laboratories that are injected into the host. The protein causes an immune response, which allows the body to learn how to break the protein down and get rid of it. Crucially, the proteins introduced are vital to the function of the virus the vaccine protects against. In COVID-19’s case, the protein in mRNA vaccines is the same one that all human COVID viruses use to enter and attach themselves to host cells. By breaking that protein down, your body prevents the virus from entering your cells.

This innovative approach to vaccine technology has opened the door for new ideas for combating HIV. In fact, some researchers are already experimenting with mRNA vaccines for the condition.
In 2021, a team of researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) developed an mRNA HIV vaccine for use in animals. The vaccine contained instructions on how to create Env and Gag, which are two critical HIV proteins. Though they lack the genetic code required to cause HIV infection, these proteins provoke an immune response similar to the one HIV produces.

The researchers began by injecting their new vaccine into mice.
After two injections, the mice developed antibodies that they’d produce if they had a full HIV infection.

Buoyed by these results, the researchers turned their focus to seven rhesus macaques. They injected a primer vaccine into the macaques, followed by several booster shots. After 58 weeks, researchers saw that all of the vaccinated macaques developed a measurable amount of HIV antibodies. Interestingly, the vaccine also prompted other immune responses, such as the creation of more helper T cells.

Following the inoculations, researchers exposed the macaques to simian-human HIV (SHIV). After 13 weeks, two of the seven monkeys had not contracted SHIV. The other five experienced an infection delay that took place over eight weeks. For reference, the typical infection time for an unvaccinated animal is three weeks. Ultimately, the mRNA vaccine injected into the macaques led to a 79% lower risk of SHIV infection per exposure.

Of course, these experiments have yet to lead to a vaccine that may help humans. However, the early results presented are promising enough to demonstrate that an mRNA vaccine could help solve the HIV puzzle. Further research and experimentation may help researchers isolate more proteins that create a stronger immune response. The NIAID team also plans to trial the vaccine in healthy adult volunteers after further testing.

There is no guarantee that mRNA vaccines will create 100 percent immunity against HIV. However, the constant advancements in this field mean these types of vaccines may be able to succeed where traditional vaccines have failed.

Different Types of Oncologists

 

A doctor specializing in diagnosing and treating cancer patients is known as an oncologist. If you have cancer, an oncologist will establish a treatment plan based on thorough pathology reports that detail the type of cancer you have, how far it has advanced, how rapidly it is predicted to spread, and which bodily areas it has impacted. You may see multiple different types of oncologists during your treatment since most malignancies require a combination of therapy.

One type of oncologist is the surgical oncologist. A surgical oncologist may be one of the first experts you see if your doctor believes you have cancer. Biopsies, which include extracting a tiny piece of tissue and testing it for cancer cells, are commonly performed by surgical oncologists. Most malignancies can only be diagnosed with certainty by a biopsy. CT scans and X-rays can assist detect problem regions, but they can't tell the difference between malignant and non-cancerous cells.

If cells infected with cancer are found, a surgical oncologist will be required to have the tumor and surrounding tissues removed to prevent it from spreading further to healthy tissue. These kinds of surgeons also assist in preparing for and recuperating from any surgical operations while you are receiving cancer therapy.

Another type of oncologist is the radiation oncologist. Radiation oncologists take a completely different approach from surgical oncologists. They often utilize high-energy photon beams to target and destroy cancer cells. Radiation treatments are given to around half of all cancer patients as part of their cancer therapy.

Little "seeds" of irradiated material implanted in the affected region work best for certain cancers. For others, intense radiation beams so precisely targeted that they're called "radiosurgery" work best.

Hematologist-oncologist is a different kind of oncologist. These oncologists specialize in treating blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. They may also treat blood illnesses that aren't cancer, such as hemophilia.

Further, a different kind of oncologist is the gynecologic oncologist. This type of oncology treats cancers that affect women, such as ovarian, cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers, and treats difficult non-cancerous gynecological disorders such as fibroid tumors.

Like other cancer specialists, gynecological oncologists are trained solely on malignancies that afflict women for several years.

Another category of oncologists is the medical oncologist. Medical oncologists treat cancer with chemotherapy, hormone medicines, biological therapies, and other targeted treatments. They are sometimes referred to as "primary cancer doctors."

Medical oncologists are vital because they help patients cope with the side effects of using chemotherapy while also monitoring and preserving their overall health. After their treatment by different oncologists, patients are always advised to follow up with their medical oncologists.

A kind oncologist worth mentioning is the neuro-oncologist. This category of oncologists specializes in treating the brain, spine, and peripheral nerves malignancies.

In addition, pediatric oncologists are different kinds of oncologists. Children with cancer are diagnosed and treated by pediatric oncologists. Around 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year all over the world. However, about 80 percent of children with cancer who are diagnosed and treated in the United States will survive.

Pediatric oncologists have a further division. They treat different types of cancer in children, while others focus on pediatric cancer research to reduce and treat cancer cases in the adolescent population. Most pediatric oncologists devote a substantial amount of time to educating families whose children are receiving cancer treatment.