Cancer Interviews features Hodgkin’s International, Erin Cummings.

Here is a great interview hosted by Adrian Pogacian, speaking with Betty Roggenkamp, in “Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis.” Betty is well known for her work in promoting quality cancer care as well as a leading expert in the area of AYA cancer survivors. Adrian is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis, which is now a subspecialty known as “Pscyho-Oncology.” The interview highlights some of the psychological challenges that survivors face – and not just AYA’s!

Here is a powerful, well-told story about the importance of getting a second opinion. Katie Doble’s harrowing tale of her fight to survive a Stage IV diagnosis is more than inspiring – it’s a life lesson in doing your homework, and, above all, never giving up.

How ironic is it that the place we go to be cared for, to be healed, is so often feeding us with food that could lead to serious health problems? The following article is a call to action for hospital administrators, but you don’t have to wear that hat to voice your concerns. You can be a “foodie” advocate in your own medical community! Write your hospital administrators and share the patient’s perspective. Find someone there who could make a difference and use your voice to change things.

Here are the results of ACS’s yearly study looking at cancer statistics in the US. There are some fascinating findings in the report – some positive trends and others that are alarming.

Here are the results of a fascinating study on the risk of bone density loss in adult survivors of childhood cancer. This research looked at more than 3900 survivors from the St. Jude Lifetime cohort. Not surprisingly, the study showed that a significant portion of these survivors had significant bone loss decades after their treatment ended. Increased doses of radiation led to increased risks, though the researchers found that other comorbid conditions like sedentary behavior and smoking were factors that led to loss of bone density.

Officials in other countries are warning about the health hazards of alcohol in any amount. Americans are still told that moderate drinking is safe. What gives?

This is a thought-provoking short video about the challenges that cancer survivors face when they are diagnosed with cancer in another country. Hear from Carmen, an AYA survivor of Hodgkin’s who is from Costa Rica, and April, who is from the Philippines, as they negotiate cancer care in a world that is not their own.

Insurance companies have been in the hot seat lately, for good reason. Both private insurers and Medicare are experiencing piercing scrutiny for their routine and often mind-boggling refusals to reimburse. Read this article if you have any doubt that the system is broken.

Erin Cummings, Founder and Executive Director of Hodgkin’s International, was featured in a recent post for OncoDaily.com. The piece was written for Linkedin and picked up by OncoDaily. Erin takes the opportunity to recognize and appreciate ALL the fellow Hodgkin’s survivors she has had the privilege to meet over the years.