Hi, so I started working in a derm practice as an MA and to my surprise we carry chemotherapy for treatment of genital warts. We had this 21 year old boy come in and his warts were injected with bleomycin and my mind was blown. I didn’t want to question the doctor obviously not my place. So I was wondering… how safe is it to inject something so toxic into a place where sperm cells are stored. I assume the patient doesn’t want to have kids ever? I know unused sperm is reabsorbed back into the body. But I don’t know it’s just blowing my mind. I wouldn’t think twice if it was an older man but he’s just a baby!!! Can someone explain please. Majority of patients that come in with warts are treated with liquid nitrogen in the office this is the first time I saw this as a treatment option.

I am an IMG in a community program currently in IM residency. I am a PGY-1 and have zero research or publications. The program has an in-house oncology fellowship and I have very limited elective time to get connections in this area and introduce myself to the oncology team. Any tips on how I can get involved in publications? I dont even know where to start or how to write pubs?

Is there an android version of ONCOAir for Android? My wife is trying to switch from Apple to Android and can't find an Android version of the app.

Imagine this: a patient with a cancer comes to you. imagine you have a software that analyzes their biomedical data, cross-references it with the latest scientific publications and clinical databases, and suggests personalized treatment options based on specific biomarkers or relevant clinical trials. In short, it’s an intelligent assistant that helps you quickly explore potential options while keeping the final decisions entirely in your hands. What are your thoughts on using a tool like this in your daily practice?

I was researching about cancer, and learned that there exist transmissible cancers. Like Tasmanian Devil cancer.

It killed like 90% of tasmanian devils, but they are now becoming resistant to that cancer.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/tasmanian-devils-cancer-extinction#:~:text=The%20Tasmanian%20devil%2C%20the%20scrappy,95%20percent%20in%20certain%20locations.

There is also research, showing that you can use genetically modified cancer cells to kill other cancer cells.

https://hsci.harvard.edu/news/turning-cancer-against-itself

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/01/in-mouse-model-scientists-develop-cancer-vaccine-that-kills-brain-tumors/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366875796_Bifunctional_cancer_cell-based_vaccine_concomitantly_drives_direct_tumor_killing_and_antitumor_immunity

So why not just use cancer cells to kill cancer cells? And cultivate good cancer cells, via artificial selection?

I summarized my idea using Claude below:

"Create an anti-cancer cancer system that evolves through controlled reproduction:

1. The Core Mechanism:

• Take cancer cells
• Let them fight other cancers in patients
• Extract some cells before eliminating them
• Only preserve/transplant from successful cases
• Success means:
  • Effectively fighting other cancers
  • Being easy to eliminate afterward
• Repeat across generations

1. Why It Works:

• Cancer is best at fighting cancer (knows all the tricks)
• Evolution across multiple "generations" makes it stronger than regular cancer
• Selection pressure creates cancer that:
  • Fights other cancers effectively
  • Dies easily on command
• Built-in safety: problematic strains get eliminated from the evolutionary line

1. Natural Precedents:

• Tasmanian devil tumors evolved to let hosts live longer
• Human aging shows cells only need to survive until reproduction
• Our bodies already have evolved cancer-control mechanisms

1. Key Innovation: Using evolution's own methods to solve cancer - but this time with human-guided selection pressure that aligns cancer's success with human wellbeing. The better it helps humans and the easier it is to control, the more it gets to "reproduce" through preservation and transplantation."

What do you guys think about this idea?

I visit a relative and went inside the bathroom. The toilet has no cover to close when flushing. I read that chemo patients must remmeber to close the toilet lid before flushing because the flushing can cause the urine water to splash and chemo drugs are still in urine during the first 48 hours. I've walked on the floors which probably have some chemo urine in them due to the flushing

I'm wondering if I should wash my shoes? My laces touched the floor too.

Does anybody know why utilization and acuity levels have been elevated this year? In some areas, prevalence has been reportedly grown +50% compared to last year... just trying to gauge what's the culprit and if anybody has any thoughts.

Hello,  

We are researchers from Edge Hill University conducting a PhD study on how individuals living with or beyond curatively treated cancer might find personal growth or positive changes after their cancer journey. We aim to understand the positive aspects that people discover after their cancer journey, helping to shape future questionnaires and support. The questionnaires take about 15-20 minutes to complete and the study takes place entirely online.

Who is eligible?

- You have been/are currently being curatively treated for cancer

- You are aged 18 or older

- You have access to the internet and an email account

- You are proficient in English 

Why participate?

- Contribute to meaningful research and the development of questionnaires.

Ways to Participate:

- You can receive compensation for your participation by signing up for the study through the Prolific link here. The link will direct you to a Prolific sign up page and you are all signed up, you will have access to the study!

- If you would rather not sign up to Prolific, you can complete the study directly through this link. However, you will not receive any compensation for your participation.

For more information or to sign up to the study, contact the primary researcher: Kian Hughes hugheski@edgehill.ac.uk

Thank you for your time and consideration!

I’m a long time vascular ultrasound technician with a data analytics degree hoping to shift to healthcare analytics. So many people have suggested Cancer Registry work, but I’ve only found one path to that job: more school.

Is there an on-the-job training pathway to this work? Any insight? Thank you!

Hello everyone!! I need help with my ROL for HemOnc fellowship. My main criteria is prestige and research. Main areas of interest are GI>Thoracic>Breast. Here is my prelim list in order:

1. University of Alabama/O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
2. University of Nebraska/Buffet Cancer Center
3. University of Buffalo/ Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
4. University of Iowa
5. University of Kansas
6. Virginia Commonwealth University
7. Wayne State University/Karmanos Cancer Institute
8. Henry Ford
9. University of Illinois at Chicago
10. Allegheny General Hospital

Would really appreciate your inputs!!!

Thank you in advance!!

It feels like treatment hasn’t changed in a million years and outcomes have barely budged. AML is more complex, but ALL outcomes have increased dramatically.

What do you think the future for AML will be in 10 years? What is holding back the process?

Hopefully, someone is familiar with the latest literature on this. From what I've read on this topic, most mutagens that have been tested in rodents induce mutations at the level of spermatogonia or later stage of differentiation, although there are substances, including x-rays, that have been shown to induce mutations at the level of spermatogonial stem cells. I'm wondering, has chemotherapy (or even other drugs/substances, if you know) been shown to induce mutations in humans at the level of SSCs?

The relevance, of course, being that mutations at the level of SSCs would be permanent, whereas mutations at later stages of differentiation would go away after a cycle of spermatogenesis.

I've been hearing this all over social media and even cancer organizations. The doctor never told me about this. The class the hospital provides only said to not share silverware. I'm a bit distressed because I have a strong family history of cancer and now I'm potentionally being more exposed to chemo toxins that are cancerous

Out of curiosity, do younger patients ever decide against chemo and/or other treatment options that would likely remove or lead to remission of their disease process? If so, in your experience was it for religious, mental health, or simply personal choice?

Edit: Thank you for your varied experiences

Hello all, I am a clinical educator at an oncology practice. I am trying to come up with some kind of fun/interactive simulation for an infusion reaction. We have had several new to oncology nurses start with our practice recently. I have seen online that some places have made “virtual escape rooms.” But, I’m not sure where to start with that.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks!

Hi, I was wondering whether this Reddit could help me out with my search for a clinical oncology audiobook. Recently started spending +6h week on the road, and want to spend my time productively. I am keen to revisit some of the basics, so an audio version of a textbook would be ideal. Difficult to find though on audible. Any tips?

Hey everyone! We're starting a new paediatric oncology society, aimed at bringing together passionate individuals to make a real impact for children and families affected by cancer. Our mission is to advance understanding, support, and advocacy in paediatric oncology through education, outreach, and research initiatives. We’re looking for medics and like-minded individuals who want to play an active role in our society’s growth! Currently, we have openings for key committee positions, including Secretary, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, Outreach, and more. If you're a medical professional (or in training) and want to be part of something meaningful, we’d love to have you onboard! Together, we can create a supportive network and make a difference in paediatric oncology. Drop a comment or DM for more info on roles and how to join!

🌟 Join Us in Building a Paediatric Oncology Society! 🌟

Hey everyone! We're starting a new paediatric oncology society, aimed at bringing together passionate individuals to make a real impact for children and families affected by cancer. Our mission is to advance understanding, support, and advocacy in paediatric oncology through education, outreach, and research initiatives.

We’re looking for medics and like-minded individuals who want to play an active role in our society’s growth! Currently, we have openings for key committee positions, including Secretary, Treasurer, Events Coordinator, Outreach, and more.

If you're a medical professional (or in training) and want to be part of something meaningful, we’d love to have you onboard! Together, we can create a supportive network and make a difference in paediatric oncology. Drop a comment or DM for more info on roles and how to join!

My SIL was just diagnosed with LD after having lung cancer that spread to her brain and spine. Doctors thought she was doing well, nothing showed up on her MRI, but she was having back pain and after being dismissed, she went for a second opinion and the spinal tap confirmed LD.

We are devastated to say the least. As I was reading about LD, I saw that non-Hodgkins B-cell lymphoma is another cancer that can develop into LD. My husband was treated for NHL almost three years ago and responded well but now I’m panicking about a genetic mutation link with TTR. I know it’s rare but my husband got a rare form of NHL at 34 and now with his sister’s diagnosis, I’m just terrified.

Any information or advice on how to discuss this with his oncologist would be greatly appreciated.

I’m reading up on some clinical trials that my partner is likely to be participating in and often they have disease control rates which are quite high. I understand this is less preferable to complete or partial response but can someone tell me what that actually means in real-life terms?

I.e. does it mean it prolongs your life long enough to get more treatment, is it temporarily stopping growth but won’t have a lasting effect? Is it more for researchers so they know that maybe they’re on the right track but not quite there?

The bigger numbers obviously make me feel hopeful but I’m trying to be realistic.

I'm working on a deep dive analysis on a horror series involving a cancer patient. And I come to this subreddit for consult. This is for fiction and entertainment but I also want to make sure I'm as accurate as possible.

This character is first diagnosed with colon cancer. He lives with this for about 7-8 years. The cancer then spreads to his brain and he is diagnosed with an inoperable frontal lobe tumor. And he lives for about 2 more years.

My question is, is this believable enough for an audience to buy into over this period of time?

I understand this is fiction and not real life but I thought I would at least ask. Thanks and any help would be appreciated.

I’m looking for a story I read about years ago. It was about an immunotherapy clinical trial (I think it was a Bristol Myers Squibb Odivio/Yervoy trial but could be wrong) where they were following a protocol (meant for chemotherapy maybe?) that measured the success of the drug by tumor size. When scans (MRIs?) found that the tumors were actually increasing in size, the drug company wanted to end the trial, but the PI advocated to keep going. They eventually found out through other scans (PETs?) that the immunotherapy actually was working, and they had been increasing in size due to inflammation.

Does this story sound familiar to anyone?