Norris Cotton Cancer Center

In this episode, Laura Urquhart, APRN-BC, talks to host Jack Heath about helping patients with cancer and their families contend with the anxiety, depression, financial burden, and even spiritual elements of a cancer diagnosis. She discusses developing a patient-centered survivorship care plan, commenting: "Cancer affects not only the patient but the whole family and the community as well."

In this episode, Jack Heath talks with Idalina Williams, transplant nurse coordinator, and Kevin, a bone marrow donor, about the experience of donating bone marrow. Kevin, an avid New York Yankees fan, donated his bone marrow to Gerry, a Boston Red Sox fan. Kevin and Gerry were recently able to meet one another—at a Red Sox/Yankees game in Boston. Kevin shares his story.

In this episode Jack Heath talks with Diane Houle and Andrea Gilbert about the Green Mountain Motorcycle Ride (GMMR).

In this episode Jack Heath talks with Jeannine Mills, MS, RD, CSO, LD, Oncology Dietitian, and Peter Phelps, cancer survivor, about the benefits and importance of nutrition, maintaining your weight, and managing side effects during chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Peter's cancer was in his left tonsil and he finished his last radiation treatment on May 18, 2010.

The Prouty Bike Ride & Challenge Walk is in its 29th year of raising funds for Norris Cotton Cancer Center. Held annually on the second Saturday of July in Hanover, NH, the event raises more than $2 million a year for cancer research and patient care. It is named for Audrey Prouty, a person with cancer who was honored for her courage and strength by four of her Cancer Center nurses. They rode their bicycles 100 miles through New Hampshire’s White Mountains in 1982 to raise funds in Audrey’s memory.

Brain cancer is different from other types of cancer in many ways, says Dr. Fadul, Director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at the Cancer Center. Our brains are ourselves, defining who we are, what we think, and what we do.

Colorectal cancer (cancer of the large intestine) is the second most common cause of death from cancer in the United States, after lung cancer. However, colorectal cancer is one of the few kinds of cancer that doctors can prevent. Moreover, early-stage colorectal cancer is almost completely curable.

In 2002, Dick Birnie was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Soon after, it was discovered that he also had indolent, or slow-growing, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His doctors began monitoring his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and over the next two years successfully treated him for prostate cancer. Six years later, Dick's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma became aggressive, requiring active treatment. Now, in 2010, Dick is healthy and enjoying his retirement from Dartmouth College, where he was a geology professor.

Since the Pap test was introduced in 1947, the number of women with cervical cancer in the United States has gone down drastically – by 75%. This easy, inexpensive, accurate, and painless test detects early changes in the cells of the cervix. These changes, a pre-cancerous condition known as dysplasia, are completely treatable if found early. If left untreated, dysplasia can develop into cervical cancer. That is why routine screening with a Pap test is so important.

The recently released recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) regarding the use of screening mammography for breast cancer raised questions and concerns for many women and their families and friends. On November 24, Norris Cotton Cancer Center released a statement on the USPSTF recommendations. And now, in this special episode of Life After Cancer, host Jack Heath and Cancer Center physician Steven P. Poplack, MD, discuss the USPSTF recommendations.

Because it shows so few symptoms, most lung cancers are not diagnosed until they have reached stage 4 and spread to other parts of the body. Dina Dubey was fortunate: her lung cancer was detected early. In this episode, we talk with Dina, a lung cancer survivor from Northern Vermont, and advance practice nurse Wendye DiSalvo, who works with patients in Norris Cotton Cancer Center's Interdisciplinary Lung Cancer Program.

More than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. That's why screening and early detection are so important. In this episode, we talk with Norris Cotton Cancer Center oncology nurse Laura Urquhart and Shirley, a breast cancer survivor from Orford, New Hampshire. Shirley shares her experience after a routine mammogram revealed a tumor in her breast that was the size of a grain of sand.

Norris Cotton Cancer Center transplant nurse coordinator, Idalina Williams, describes the steps necessary to become a bone marrow donor. She also reminisces with her former patient Gerald, a bone marrow donor recipient and leukemia survivor, and Kevin, Gerald's bone marrow donor.