There is a growing number of cancer survivors and more research is being done every year to help identify issues or concerns that face this population.  Here are some news briefs that may be interest to you:

Ginseng May Help Ease Fatigue

June 2, 2007 (ASCO meeting in Chicago, IL) – A pilot study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found that the herb ginseng may decrease fatigue (extreme tiredness) in people with cancer.

Debra Barton, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology at the Mayo Clinic, was the study's lead author. This study evaluated 282 people with various types of cancer for eight weeks who were either undergoing active treatment (chemotherapy or radiation therapy) or had recently completed treatment, had a life expectancy of at least six months, and had experienced fatigue for at least the past month. 

Participants were assigned to one of four groups and asked about their level of fatigue at points throughout the study. Several of the participants reported improved results.  You can read a complete summary at this link from the People Living With Cancer website.

Researchers believe that this study suggests that ginseng can improve fatigue, however, more studies are needed to determine the actual cause of fatique (cancer itself or therapy) and how much ginseng is needed to be effective. 

Metabolic Differences May Explain Heart Disease in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Anthracyclines are a class of anticancer drugs often used to treat many types of childhood cancer and include daunorubicin (Daunomycin, Cerubidine), doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Rubex), epirubicin (Ellence), idarubicin (Idamycin), and mitoxantrone (Novantrone). Although these drugs have greatly improved survival rates for children with cancer, they may cause damage to the heart that may not appear until 10 or 15 years after treatment.  In this study, researchers identified 47 patients with congestive heart failure and selected 195 patients without heart problems as a comparison or control group from 5,739 patients enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (Roswell Park Cancer Institute is a member of the CCSS). The researchers collected DNA samples and found several genetic variations that appeared to be risk factors for heart disease. Click here to read the whole summary.

Cancer Survivors Cope with Unique Non-Medical Needs

A new survey from the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) of 1,020 cancer survivors (ages 18 to 75) shows that nearly half feel their nonmedical needs, such as emotional distress, financial issues, and sexual side effects, are not being met. More than half feel that their emotional needs are more difficult to cope with than their physical needs.

This survey was conducted online from October 1 – 6, 2004, and 73% of the people who participated were diagnosed more than two years before the survey. Click here to read the whole summary.

Roswell Park offers psychosocial support to its cancer patients and survivor population. You can request a referral on any visit to the Institute.