Summary:

Breast cancer patients with DCIS have a lot of confusion about just what this diagnosis means. This short video explains DCIS, how it's different from invasive breast cancer and how it's commonly treated.  This is not intended as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hello everyone.  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and this is Cancer Straight Talk where you get cancer information from a cancer doctor.  Today I’m going to be talking about ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS which is noninvasive breast cancer. 

Now all of those words might be completely new to you so let me explain.  In general, breast cancer can be divided into two types:  invasive and noninvasive.  Noninvasive breast cancer has not spread beyond the breast ducts.  It has not broken through the lining of the breast ducts to get into the tissue of the breast, the lymph nodes, or anywhere else in the body. 

Acupuncture can be incredibly useful in cancer care in a number of ways. There are several side effects of chemotherapy and radiation that can be dealt with effectively by acupuncture and I'm going to give you the top 5. This is just one of the many complementary therapies that I can share with you to help deal with the side effects of cancer treatment.  This is not intended as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hello!  Welcome to Cancer Straight Talk.  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and today I am going to talk to you about how acupuncture can be really useful in cancer care.  During my radiation oncology practice, I was asked time and again about various complementary therapies that my patients wanted to use during their treatment.  Most commonly they wanted to use herbs and supplements so I started my studies of complementary therapies there.  I saw patients taking more control over their...

 Here are the top 5 risk factors for developing cancer, and most importantly since every one of these is fixable, we’re going to address what you can do about them. Between 30% and 50% of all cancers are preventable with simple lifestyle changes. This information is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hi everyone!  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and this is Cancer Straight Talk.  Today we are going to talk about the top 5 risk factors for developing cancer and most importantly since every one of these is fixable, we’re going to address what you can do about them.  It’s no secret that cancer is both prevalent and frightening.  There’s hardly anyone that I know that hasn’t been touched by cancer in a family member or friend or neighbor or even as a cancer survivor themselves.  In fact, there will be over 14 million new cancer cases worldwide just this...

Cancer can be incredibly complicated. Getting a second opinion is a common thing to do no matter what your diagnosis is. There are certain situations, however, when a second opinion regarding your cancer treatment and diagnosis is especially important. This video is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hi and welcome to Cancer Straight Talk.  I am Dr. Lisa Schwartz and today I am going to talk about whether or not you should get a second opinion regarding your cancer diagnosis and treatment.

First of all let’s talk about what a second opinion is.  A second opinion usually involves a consultation with another doctor who has expertise in cancer treatment. This usually means a practicing oncologist. While your family physician, relatives, and neighbors may all have varying levels of experience with cancer, consulting with them does not constitute a second opinion. You may, of course, value their...

 A cancer diagnosis comes out of the blue. Many patients are unsure how to proceed after the news. This video covers the very first steps you need to take and gets you started on your information gathering by giving you basic information on the types of cancer treatments you are likely to face.  This information is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hello everyone!  I am Dr. Lisa Schwartz with Cancer Straight Talk.  Today I’m going to address one of the most immediate needs for cancer patients.  And that is – what happens after you hear that you have a cancer diagnosis.  What do you do after you hear the “C” word?  Who do you talk to?  How do you know what treatment you will need or want?

Well, I am going to take you through the first 3 steps. These may be obvious to some of you and yet not even occur to others.  No two cancer patients are in...

Breast cancer treatment often involves a targeted therapy called Herceptin. In this video I explain which breast cancer patients get Herceptin and what it is. This information is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript: 

Hello!  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and this is Cancer Straight Talk where you get cancer information from a cancer doctor.  Today I’m going to be talking about a drug that is used very commonly in breast cancer called Herceptin.  The generic name is trastuzumab but since Herceptin is so much easier to say, that’s what I’m going to use today.

To understand what Herceptin is and how it treats breast cancer we need to first talk about proteins that appear on the surface of breast cancer cells.  There is a protein found on breast cancer cells that acts as a receptor called Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2).  We test all breast cancers to see...

Cancer treatment involves the teamwork of many medical specialists. This video describes some of the specialized doctors who are and should be involved in cancer care.  This information is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript: 

Hello, I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz with Cancer Straight Talk where you get cancer information from a cancer doctor.  Today I’m going to introduce you to the many types of doctors that may or should be involved in your cancer care.  Often your oncologist will say, “According to the pathologist…” or “According to the radiologist…” and you might not know who these docs are or what they do.  In addition, you want to make sure that the appropriate specialists are handling your care.  This is probably most important when it comes to choosing a surgeon.  So let’s jump right in…

The doctor who may serve as...

Taxol has been one of the most successful chemotherapies ever developed. It is used in many cancers and very commonly in breast cancer treatment. While it is incredibly effective, it also has its side effects. Watch this short video to learn more. This is not intended as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

 Transcript:

Hello everyone.  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and this is Cancer Straight Talk where you get cancer information from a cancer doctor.  Today we are going to talk about a very common and effective chemotherapy called Taxol. 

The original investigation which led to the development of Taxol dates back to the 1960’s.  At that point in our history of medicine antibiotic use had become common leading to a sharp decline in the number of deaths from infections.  Which meant people were living longer and now dying of things like heart disease and cancer. So a push was on to find...

Finding the cure for cancer depends on clinical research. Many patients aren't even aware that they can participate in clinical trials or research studies. Watch this video for an overview of cancer clinical trials and to learn how you might be able to participate in one.  This is not intended as medical advice. Please talk to your doctor before beginning any new health practice.

Transcript:

Hello everyone.  I’m Dr. Lisa Schwartz and this is Cancer Straight Talk where you get cancer information from a cancer doctor.  Today we are going to be discussing how we get closer to a cure for cancer.  How did we as medical professionals come to know that the treatment that is being recommended to you is the best that we have to offer right now? How is it that we discover and evaluate new treatments for cancer?  Well that is what clinical trials are all about.

Before a treatment or procedure becomes the next greatest advance in cancer care, it must prove that...