One of the many potential side effects of cancer and its treatments is a suppressed immune system, or immunosuppression. Immunosuppression is a reduction in the body’s ability to fight infection and disease. The immune system’s job is to defend the body,...

Updated: February 18, 2020 Maybe you know someone who had a bad experience with chemotherapy, or maybe you’ve seen it depicted in a negative way in a movie or on TV. Regardless of where you’ve crossed paths with this treatment in the past, you’ve probabl...

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, you most likely want to start treatment as soon as possible, but it’s worth the effort to seek a second medical opinion first. Most pancreatic cancers tend to be found at a later stage when...

Updated: February 13, 2020 After a cancer diagnosis, lots of decisions need to be made. One that many patients face is whether or not to have a catheter or a port—or both—inserted. These can be used for blood draws and intravenous (IV) chemotherapy treat...

Updated: February 26, 2020 Oral chemotherapy is a type of cancer treating drug that is taken in the form of a daily pill or liquid, allowing for less frequent medical appointments. Over the past 20 years, more than 50 new oral anticancer medications (...

Updated: January 28, 2021 Chemo brain is the mental cloudiness or "brain fog" that many cancer patients experience after chemotherapy. This mental fog may mean you forget things you used to automatically remember. You may have trouble focusing, partic...