Johns Hopkins Medicine

Mar 03 2025 10 ep. 1 mins 7.8k

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Explore health topics, medical research, education programs and patient stories from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.

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Does blood in your urine mean you have cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Blood in your urine, so-called hematuria, is fairly common, with a new genetic test being studied to rule out bladder cancer as a cause. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says such a test would allow people to forgo an invasive test called cystoscopy for hematuria. Nelson: It's common enough that we can't do cystoscopy on everybody. Some aspects

Can a genetic test spot bladder cancer in people who have blood in their urine? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Blood in your urine is definitely a reason to seek medical attention, and for many people cancer is a top concern. Now a new genetic test that can spot changes in the DNA known as mutations can help rule out bladder cancer as a cause and point the way to appropriate further testing. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson explains. Nelson: There's probably thousa

Are there advantages to receiving chemotherapy for cancer before surgery? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy translates to chemotherapy for cancer before surgery, with a recent study demonstrating its benefit for people with esophagus cancer. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins says this strategy is time tested. Nelson: Neoadjuvant therapy is actually quite an old concept, has been going on for longer than you might think. It had a number

What is the best way to treat esophageal cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Cancer of the esophagus is a tough cancer to treat, and more people worldwide are developing it. A recent study compares one regimen giving chemotherapy and radiation before surgery versus another strategy using four chemotherapy drugs plus surgery. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says a clear winner emerged. Nelson: Comparing chemotherapy reg

Is it possible to catch nerve pain early in cancer treatment and minimize it? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Pain in nerves, called neuropathy, is more common when a couple types of cancer drugs are used or when someone has lung cancer versus other types of cancer, a new study concludes. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson says keeping an eye out for development of neuropathy is something cancer doctors do. Nelson: This is one of the things that the provider will as

Can painful nerve pain following cancer therapy be avoided? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Neuropathy, or painful nerves, are seen in more than 40% of people who’ve been treated for cancer, a recent study reports. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins says the magnitude of the problem is huge, although there is some understanding of why it occurs. Nelson: I think it's a significant problem. There are approaches to reduce its impact. Principally

How often does someone who’s been treated for cancer experience nerve pain? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Nerve pain, or neuropathy, can be a big problem for some people who’ve been treated for cancer, with a new study showing just how big a problem it is. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, describes the study. Nelson: They looked at what fraction of folks had chronic painful neuropathy as a result of their chemotherapy within a little bit greater

How does reporting symptoms impact cancer care for patients? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

A greater sense of control, feeling in partnership with their care team, and not finding reporting symptoms burdensome are just a few of the outcomes reported by people with advanced cancer in a study of an electronic intervention where they self-reported symptoms so their care team could intervene. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson says it’s a win-win. N

Is it helpful for people with advanced cancer to report their symptoms regularly? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Imagine you have advanced cancer and your doctor asks you to report your symptoms electronically, so that intervention is possible before things like pain or breathing difficulties become especially troublesome. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins describes a study where they did just that. Nelson: They did a cluster randomized trial. They took practices w

Patients with advanced cancer can help in their own care, Elizabeth Tracey reports

Mar 03 2025 1 mins

Helping people with advanced cancer is facilitated by having them fill out symptom questionnaires for their medical team, who can then intervene promptly, a new study demonstrates. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, applauds the approach. Nelson: Patients when provided the right template can inventory their symptoms more accurately than anybody e