tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:09:02 +0000On Dealing with Cancer in the Philippines... a Web Experiment...http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)Blogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-3191390436500619954Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:53:00 +00002012-01-04T00:47:07.529-08:00 "The snake oil salesman is still alive." The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has put up a web site to protect consumers against scams.  One of the articles suggests "Red Flags", aka treatment claims that should tickle your antennae.  Among them, (& I quote): "Treats all forms of cancer" "Skin cancers disappear" "Shrinks malignant tumors" "Non-toxic" "Doesn't make you sick" "Avoid painfulhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/bZHti-il_fE/my-tumor-shrunk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/bZHti-il_fE" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-tumor-shrunk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-2597477680125058751Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:53:00 +00002011-12-19T18:26:58.321-08:00This blog was started in 2006 at a Philippines-based site.  From the outset, it had received its share of clicks, but only a small fraction of those came from local readers. I'm a great fan of Google products.  Let's see what Blogger's interface can do.  So far, its been interesting... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/ydKGPtt6Ky8/transferring-my-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/ydKGPtt6Ky8" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/transferring-my-blog.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-4537255793922729926Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:12:00 +00002011-12-16T03:14:25.630-08:00Part 1--> here. Which type/s of oncologist/s do you need?  Now, you may be a Mensa member but this area is a matter of information, not IQ.  Further, if you’re a take-charge CEO with a bundle of money, take care not to drown in it. A trained surgical oncologist?  Exceedingly rare.  Its not the same as “cancer surgeon”, you know. A gynecologic oncologist?  Yes, they do exist as a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/wtQNVbxo6Aw/choosing-oncologist-in-philippines-part.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/wtQNVbxo6Aw" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/choosing-oncologist-in-philippines-part.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8765684806416256484Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:07:00 +00002012-01-04T00:52:22.651-08:00Okay, so a cancer has been diagnosed.  Just when you need your wits about you 100%, you're in a daze.  You're told to see a "cancer expert”. Not feeling ready?  Doubting the diagnosis?  Do it anyway, but make sure that the "expert" is a bona fide oncologist. When to see the specialist/s?  ASAP.  Before anything else, know what it is that must be done.  Many times, you’ve got just one chance tohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/53QlzmM-QfA/choosing-oncologist-in-philippines-part_05.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/53QlzmM-QfA" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/choosing-oncologist-in-philippines-part_05.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-119491923698423076Thu, 01 Sep 2011 19:51:00 +00002012-01-06T05:11:47.575-08:00Had a discussion with The Kid on the appropriateness of business courses in a medical school curriculum. Does it make sense?  In a word, “YES!”  You’ve gotta learn to talk the talk, especially by mid-career.  Part of The Job is dealing with administration and, even if you aren’t any smarter 15 years into your practice, you will be called upon to give your “sage advice”.  On a more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/zxPARVAWd4A/its-business-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/zxPARVAWd4A" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/its-business-too.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-6725451591299357779Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:09:00 +00002012-01-04T01:24:52.905-08:00 There basic rationale behind "high-tech" cancer treatments should never be too esoteric for the end-user. Sadly, a time comes when there’s little more than symptomatic management in your arsenal to fight stage IV cancer. These days, a surprising number of such heavily pretreated patients opt to try touted “high-tech” treatments. If there’s no ongoing mainstream protocol to conflict with, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/EThhUcRlYvc/beware-jabberwock.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/EThhUcRlYvc" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/beware-jabberwock.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8499007174749320197Mon, 15 Nov 2010 03:36:00 +00002012-01-04T00:55:01.829-08:00 Who knows just when certain masses & ulcers were first noted to be markers of an untimely end? Whenever that may have been, the universal horror of these dreaded signs surely led to the lobby that hatched The Expert Cure. Ancient Burr Hole Its a safe bet that empirical wisdom and glib promise are ancient competitors in The Business of Hope…and, with both restrained & gung-ho operators http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/DqxVlCF8nAA/business-of-hope.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/DqxVlCF8nAA" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/business-of-hope.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-6951274802594956513Sun, 24 Oct 2010 17:12:00 +00002012-01-04T00:58:25.263-08:00 If you ever wondered what an experienced physician is thinking while examining your breasts, these pictures provide some hints. EIZO, a Japan-based designer-manufacturer of professional display equipment, came out with a truly memorable calendar for 2010 through its European arm. I don’t know that their models were aware that this was to be their most revealing assignment, but there http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/4yq93Ai5Jj0/lovely-bones.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/4yq93Ai5Jj0" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/lovely-bones.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-2955547323641453307Thu, 31 May 2007 22:40:00 +00002011-12-16T20:11:11.953-08:00I haven’t been back to this site in months & am happy to see that the site administrator has taken out the ads. In February, there was some type of Google robot that picked out blog keywords in order to display “matching” links of possible interest. For a while at least, there was this weird situation wherein the blogger was promoting caution in the choice of cancer management tracks in a panelhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/lJzG1aD3u2c/alternative-medicine-for-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/lJzG1aD3u2c" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/alternative-medicine-for-cancer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-6844491385416193960Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:28:00 +00002011-12-16T20:18:36.494-08:00 Best Friends, Victor-Gabriel Gilbert. Recently, an old pal was diagnosed to have cancer in the course of routine screening.  It soon developed that, in his panic, my every word was allowed to supersede his usually uber- methodical decision process.  This may have had more to do with friendship and trust rather than my profession as he has loudly ribbed me about being a "relentless drughttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/IviNA7tWBVE/diagnosis-cancer-how-does-it-feel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/IviNA7tWBVE" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/diagnosis-cancer-how-does-it-feel.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-7208663557242843976Sun, 04 Feb 2007 19:49:00 +00002012-01-04T00:52:41.869-08:00A new comment on the post #44 "HER-2 Positive Early Stage Breast Cancer" is waiting for your approval. …Welcome to the ____ Family! We invite you to visit us at www.____.com and find our great medicine prices. We provide serious and first class service to all our customers 24/7. If we don’t carry a medicine you need just let us know and we will be more than glad to assist you! To show you our http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/s1-XBiPOkRw/local-costs-of-anti-cancer-drugs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/s1-XBiPOkRw" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/local-costs-of-anti-cancer-drugs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-3230136801240375865Sat, 27 Jan 2007 09:46:00 +00002011-12-16T20:28:05.312-08:00 I was looking through the usage statistics of the cancer blog just now.  Its interesting to note that 3/4 of all visitors access the site from the US, Canada, and Germany.  The balance hail from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.  So what would increase local traffic?Frankly, the blog was started out of a frustration with certain aspects of care as noted in my own http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/SjrJqFM1Ank/filipino-cancer-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/SjrJqFM1Ank" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/filipino-cancer-blog.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-3018665094663940647Fri, 26 Jan 2007 07:44:00 +00002012-01-04T21:00:29.378-08:00I have a sister who prefers to be described as Rubenesque.  Indeed, Peter Paul Rubens would have surely loved her, and we won't have her in any other way!  But... R.Ventura, Instrument, 2004 Women (who serve as an inspiration to us all as our mothers, sisters, partners, daughters, friends, & associates) are still hounded by a deadly disease.  The big 2006 Breast Cancer meeting has just http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/mTyFI8dbAao/dietary-fat-and-breast-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/mTyFI8dbAao" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/dietary-fat-and-breast-cancer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-6776728213476659376Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:43:00 +00002012-01-04T00:53:15.877-08:00 Joan Miró. Portrait of Mrs Mills in 1750 Modern technology has greatly improved the diagnosis & treatment of the malignant diseases.  Here's one of many instances for Breast Cancer. When a patient has a biopsy or definitive surgery for non-metastatic breast cancer, the tumor specimen itself is screened for receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and the growth factor effector called “Her2″http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/OQaFBTEGtwg/triple-negative-early-breast-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/OQaFBTEGtwg" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/triple-negative-early-breast-cancer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8714351786777128690Mon, 20 Nov 2006 00:12:00 +00002012-01-04T00:53:54.435-08:00 Juan Luna, Una Bulaquena, 1895 It used to be that when certain non-metastatic breast cancers were found to be markedly her-2 positive, they went into my "hope for the best, but expect the worst" category.Overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (her-2) occurs in a third of breast cancers, and is a marker of an aggressive tumor. A gene mutation causes an excess http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/y6FO-f2urjM/juan-luna-una-bulaquena-1895-oil-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/y6FO-f2urjM" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/juan-luna-una-bulaquena-1895-oil-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8615707803188978322Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:15:00 +00002012-01-04T00:52:59.036-08:00 Young women who present with breast cancer are usually asked, "Are you on the Pill?"  Suspicions about causality have lain heavy in the gut of clinicians for decades.  As with hormone replacement therapy in menopause, we lacked evidence of direct malignant transformation to support our meddling in the bad old days.  By mid-2005, however, the credible folks at IARC released a monograph http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/4r3jAAnrSzc/birth-control-pills-and-breast-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/4r3jAAnrSzc" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/birth-control-pills-and-breast-cancer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-5533841989078927572Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:07:00 +00002012-01-04T01:36:02.251-08:00 When buying a car, do you compare model specifications within a budget range?  If faced with breast cancer, would you similarly scrutinize the options?  Hope so.  Doctors are too fallible to bear the entire burden.  This job is tough enough as it is. Biopsy of a suspicious breast mass may be accomplished by needle sampling or by open excisional biopsy.  When needle sampling is done, a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/UGsv9rf3Zxo/notes-on-surgery-for-breast-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/UGsv9rf3Zxo" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/notes-on-surgery-for-breast-cancer.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-2067460076142190095Sat, 04 Nov 2006 16:28:00 +00002011-12-15T06:21:10.836-08:00Most liver cancers are metastatic, i.e., they involve the liver secondarily after initial development & growth in a distant site. Of those few malignancies that are native or primary to the liver, the most common is hepatocellular carcinoma ("hepatoma").  Risk factors for hepatoma include cirrhosis, diabetes, BRCA 1 & 2 gene mutations, aflatoxin exposure, alcohol abuse, & smoking but worldwide,http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/unX0zyG7fW0/primary-liver-cancer-prevention.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/unX0zyG7fW0" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/primary-liver-cancer-prevention.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-6148767446772633856Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:21:00 +00002012-01-04T21:04:31.906-08:00Maybe doctors and patients can help each other out.  We do have some locally available cancer trials in phases II-IV in the Philippines.  Is someone that you know considering participation?  From my own knowledge of what's available hereabouts, current studies are mostly large, pharmaceutical company-sponsored, & international in scope (with a local arm).  Any doctor can refer you to these http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/Fvebpq52W3c/few-basics-on-cancer-trials.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/Fvebpq52W3c" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/11/few-basics-on-cancer-trials.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-5691047382381233626Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:01:00 +00002012-01-04T20:59:06.084-08:00When it comes to cancer treatment, one of the most frequently asked questions is "What kind of Oncologist should I see?"  There are so many kinds of doctors who describe themselves as oncologists: pediatric, medical, radiation, surgical, gynecologic, neuro- &  psycho-... Which types are formally trained to do cancer surgery? drug treatment? radiotherapy? Are they interchangeable?  In a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/E-toXN5MXhE/types-of-oncologists.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/E-toXN5MXhE" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/types-of-oncologists.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8001859886993860799Sat, 07 Oct 2006 22:16:00 +00002011-12-15T06:21:11.251-08:00 An oncologist is a physician  specializing in the treatment of cancer.  By this definition, you can have a basic science PhD who develops drugs for cancer treatment but is not an oncologist (except for his lab rats).  When the drugs or procedures are finally tried in humans, the clinicians are called in.  Why?  Well, I doubt that even Mme. Curie would’ve felt qualified to plan modern http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/nGf87Ly6LPM/deciphering-oncologists-credentials.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/nGf87Ly6LPM" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/deciphering-oncologists-credentials.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-3998810323500445682Fri, 06 Oct 2006 19:30:00 +00002011-12-15T06:21:10.949-08:00Another monoclonal antibody, i.e. "MAb", has been approved by the US Food & Drug guys for the treatment of chemo-resistant metastatic colorectal cancer. This time, its Amgen's panitumumab (Vectibix), a purely human MAb that's priced to give ImClone's cetuximab (Erbitux) a run for the money.  Priced to cost 20% less, its "just" a Filipino-sized US$ 7000 per month for those who may have already http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/-LesXQFomB8/colorectal-cancer-mabs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/-LesXQFomB8" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/colorectal-cancer-mabs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-8234289818172710263Fri, 15 Sep 2006 19:33:00 +00002011-12-15T06:21:11.347-08:00Prostate cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy but, come to think of it, most medical oncologists I know have but a handful of cases. In my own clinic, prostate cancers are outnumbered by even the sarcomas & gliomas. Since the role of the medical oncologist is most active in stage IV of this disease, does this mean that majority of patients are diagnosed early & subsequently cured? Are even http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/n2V_o4e6V4g/prostate-cancer-variables.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/n2V_o4e6V4g" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/prostate-cancer-variables.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-464887558771491739Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:00:00 +00002012-01-04T01:54:04.462-08:00Concomitant irradiation & chemotherapy can help preserve the normal anatomic outline in locally advanced head and neck cancer without sacrificing treatment efficacy.  It seems that the latest outcomes of combined chemoradiation are comparable to those of radical surgery with further postoperative treatment. True, chemoradiation requires focused expertise and is technology-dependent.  As such, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/HDZVNusQ_t4/head-and-neck-cancer-organ-preservation.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/HDZVNusQ_t4" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/head-and-neck-cancer-organ-preservation.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5324226217951824193.post-19266174896917161Fri, 01 Sep 2006 15:57:00 +00002012-01-04T00:59:55.881-08:00This year, the star of the Atlanta show was kidney cancer, specifically, advanced renal cell carcinoma. For the longest time, I looked more to heaven than science to guide me in the treatment of this disease, being limited to drugs which, in many cases, made patients feel worse than the cancer. When those didn't work or ceased to work, one was exposed as clueless. Nobody likes a recipe book http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~3/uca0oE48lj0/new-drugs-for-kidney-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Onco Doc)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/CgunQ/~4/uca0oE48lj0" height="1" width="1"/>http://oncologyblog.blogspot.com/2006/09/new-drugs-for-kidney-cancer.html