What does it mean to have stage IV cancer? Staging is a process by which we determine the extent of spread of a cancer. There are 4 stages: stage I is an early stage in which the disease is limited to the organ of origin: in stage IV the cancer spreads or metastasize away from…
THE BEST WAY TO BREAK THE NEWS TO A PATIENT WHEN HE/SHE IS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. The best way is to give the news face-to-face in a quite comfortable environment without any distraction, including no phone calls and pagers Make the patient comfortable and show compassion, start by asking what is the patient’s understanding of…
What are the lesser known signs of pancreatic cancer that should not be ignored? Can you explain for our readers what might be happening that’s causing their signs to manifest? What should people do if they notice these signs of symptoms? Early symptoms and signs from pancreatic cancer are vague and non-specific and therefore, they…
Palliative care is a healthcare team which supports patients through their journey of serious illness. Working with the patient palliative care team help to set up realistic goals of care based on what is important to the patient. Palliative care is provided by a compassionate multi-disciplinary team which can include doctor, clinical nurse, social worker,…
Commentary from Dr. Adil Akhtar: Dr. Adil Akhtar is an Oncologist and Palliative Care Expert. He is Associate Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine. Director, Inpatient Clinical Operations, Karmanos-McLaren Oakland Cancer Center in Michigan. Chief, Division of Palliative & End of Life Care, Michigan Health Professionals. Dr. Akhtar’s…
Although hospice service touches millions of lives each year—whether as a patient, a family member, or a caregiver— it’s a topic that many of many of us are uncomfortable talking about… And when we do talk about it, misconceptions abound. Compounded by a lack of easily-accessible resources for patients and their families, these problems can…
Quotes from Dr. Adil Akhtar National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) defines distress as multifactorial unpleasant experience of psychological, social, spiritual and physical nature that may interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms and its treatment. The biggest barriers to getting distress support and treatment is under recognition and the stigma…
Giving the news about a life threatening illness to a patient for the first time can be difficult but a detailed, well thought out discussion by a compassionate doctor can help make it easier on the patient. Oncologist/ Palliative Care Expert Dr. Adil Akhtar provides some key points and that he uses to ease in…
Alex Trebek, host of the long running television series, “Jeopardy,” was diagnosed this week with stage IV pancreatic cancer. This type of cancer has most likely spread to another organ such as the liver, lungs or stomach. His diagnosis is grim. Dr. Adil Akhtar, oncologist and palliative care expert, is available for press interviews to…
Do you have a family member that is very sick? Have you had the conversation about what they would want in advance if they are too ill to make their own decisions? Thinking ahead about how we would like to be cared for if we can no longer make our own medical decisions is…
A team of scientists in Australia have developed a simple blood test which can detect cancer DNA in 10 minutes based on a unique DNA epigenetic signature. Epigenetics refer to the external modifications of DNA causing the genes to turn off and on. One example of epigenetic change is “DNA Methylation” where attachment of a…