By Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW Education is an integral part of oncology care—it gives patients the capacity to handle chemotherapy side effects, boosts their self-confidence, reduces anxiety, and improves how well they stick to their treatment plans (1). Yet too often, our well-intentioned efforts to educate, like lengthy webinars, dense PDF handouts, in-person workshops, or support…
By Ephram Smith Imagine waiting and worrying because you know something isn’t right, but you still don’t have answers. In my 10 years as a prostate cancer patient advocate, I’ve seen how frustrating and scary this can be. You might have symptoms or abnormal test results, yet the diagnosis is delayed or even mistaken. This…
When you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer, you receive a pathology report full of medical terms. As a patient advocate with over ten years of experience, I’ve helped many men make sense of these reports. In this post, I’ll explain prostate cancer pathology reports and biomarkers in plain English. The goal is to help you understand…
By Ephram Smith Introduction: If you or a loved one is going through testing for prostate cancer, it can feel overwhelming. There are many different tests, and each one has a purpose. As a healthcare advocate with years of experience supporting patients, I want to explain these common tests in a simple, friendly way. In…
By Sherman MumfordClinical trials can bring new ways to tackle diseases. They can offer treatments that are still in testing. People often worry about being placed in a group that receives no active treatment. That group is sometimes called the placebo arm. A placebo is usually a pill, injection, or other product that looks like…
By George LipmannSmoking tobacco is linked with many forms of cancer. When you inhale smoke, you take in chemicals that can damage your cells. These chemicals can lead to changes in your body that raise your chance of getting tumors. Doctors have studied this for many years. They have found that cigarette use is often…
By Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities face a range of obstacles when trying to get health care. These barriers are often rooted in systemic issues, geographic challenges, financial constraints, cultural factors, and other structural problems kff.org. Below is an overview of these key barriers, explained in clear terms: Systemic Issues…
by Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW Cancer affects every community, but it does not affect all groups equally. American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people often face higher risks and worse outcomes from cancer than other groups ascopost.com. Research shows that AIAN communities are among the most underserved in the United States and are disproportionately affected by…
by Neil Horowitz How Do Vaccines Work? Vaccines help protect us by training the immune system to fight specific germs before we ever encounter them. When you get a vaccine, it introduces a harmless piece or weakened form of a germ into your body. This does not cause the disease, but it triggers your body’s defenses to react and learn: In…
