MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'cll'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:21:26 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525033&cid=t_133457_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fcancer-survivorship-and-fear%2F2011.02.26 I had breakfast this morning in Las Vegas with my friend, Dave Garcia. Dave is a pit boss on the graveyard shift at the Belagio Hotel where they made the modern-day “Ocean’s 11″ buddy movie from 1960. Dave is also a 52-year-old chronic lymphocytic leukemia survivor. He reached out to me online and we have been friends since soon after his diagnosis in 2002. Dave is a father of two young kids. He dreams of seeing them grow up. But, understandably, he worries. Some days more than others. Today was his day to see his oncologist and get the latest blood test results. Would his white blood count (WBC) be in the normal range? If so, his third round of treatment was still working. If not, he might be headed to a stem cell transplant, short-term disability, and living in another city... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525033 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:00:36 +0100 4525033 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4377569&cid=t_133457_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fa-window-into-cancer-research%2F2011.01.20 Exciting Time with World Renowned Experts from Patient Power® on Vimeo. *This blog post was originally published at Andrew's Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4377569 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:00:10 +0100 4377569 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151788&cid=t_133457_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsharing-your-health-issues-the-responsibility-of-survivorship%2F2010.11.10 This past weekend Oscar-nominated Hollywood and Broadway actress Jill Clayburgh died at age 66. The cause was chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which she had been fighting, privately, for 21 years. As you may recall, I, too, have CLL and I was diagnosed at the same age, 45. For me, I am 16 and a half years into that “battle” although, fortunately, I have been feeling very good in the ten years since I received treatment as part of a breakthrough clinical trial. While I have no symptoms and take no medicine I do not consider myself cured. So when someone like Ms. Clayburgh dies of CLL after 21 years, I can’t help but wonder if the disease will shorten my life too, even if I feel good now. That brings up the question of what do we do with the time we have when we know we have had a s... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151788 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 16:00:19 +0100 4151788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3746739&cid=t_133457_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffor-patients-does-the-fda-play-fair%2F2010.07.12 They have a tough job, those government doctors, scientists, and bureaucrats who are charged with assessing the safety and effectiveness of proposed new medical products. As you know, they rely largely on studies presented by the applicants. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the power to not approve a new drug or product or even pull it off the market. Right now it is considering limiting or pulling GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) diabetes drug, Avandia, because of newly discovered data that it may have caused heart attack in some patients –- data mysteriously not shown in GSK’s own studies. If the drug is pulled it will cost GSK billions of dollars in lost revenue but, from the FDA’s point-of-view, it will be protecting the public. And, after all, there are safer diabetes drugs ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3746739 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:00:41 +0100 3746739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3420567&cid=t_133457_111_f&fid=39123&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Fnursingcomments%2Ftdtc%2F%7E3%2Fs9HhSbVBGp0%2F           Leukemia is a rather complex form of cancer.  The term refers to cancers of the white blood cells, which are also called leukocytes or WBCs.  The disorder actually starts in the tissue that forms the blood.  To understand the cancer disease more thoroughly, it helps to know that normal blood cells develop from cells in the bone marrow called stem cells.  Bone marrow is the soft material located in the center of most bones.  Stem cells mature into different kinds of blood cells, and each one has a specific purpose.  White blood cells help fight infection in our bodies.  Red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues throughout the body.  Platelets help form blood clots that control bleeding.           Leukemia develops when the marrow produces far too many white... Nursing Comments blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3420567 Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:30:57 +0100 3420567 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2453080&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36168&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmargaret.healthblogs.org%2F2009%2F06%2F01%2Fencouraging-egcg-data-emerges-from-mayo-clinic-leukemia-trials%2F By now I have a rather daunting backlog of Science Daily updates in my e-box…so, whenever I have a snippet of time, I try to go through a few. As I did yesterday, which is when I came upon a very promising article (http://tinyurl.com/qxcf96) on EGCG, extracted, as we know, from green tea.   A recently-published Mayo [...] (Source: Margaret's Corner) Margaret's Corner blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2453080 Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:34:11 +0100 2453080 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2195232&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fsaying-goodbye-to-donna-gregory%2F Written by fellow HealthTalk blogger, Sue Falkner Wood Life is often a struggle. Many of us who live with daily health problems know this all too well. All of us who share our stories and our lives here at HealthTalk.com do so in order to enrich our own lives and the lives of others. The vast majority of us write about our own problems with a few exceptions. One of those exceptions was a courageous outgoing and sunny-faced young woman named Donna Gregory. She wrote about her husband’s illness and its effect on both of them, as a young couple and as parents to their 4-year-old twins, Bobby and Amanda. Donna shared her life and her husband Bob’s, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, with all of us. She shared on a very personal level what it was like to have her marriage invaded by the ... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2195232 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:45:10 +0100 2195232 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1327525&cid=t_133457_97_f&fid=35050&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmaGazette%2F%7E3%2F257942669%2Ftreanda_gets_fda_approval_for.html The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Treanda (bebdanustine hydrocloride) for patients with the slow growing blood and bone marrow cancer chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).The drug, marketed by Cephalon, is a chemotherapy drug that has shown to slow the progression of the disease will be available as an alternative treatment option as of April.A randomized study of 301 patients found that 59% of those taking Treanda had their cancer significantly reduced compared to 26% of those taking Leukeran (chlorombucil), a drug commonly used to treat CLL.Researchers believe that Treanda works by disrupting cell division and damaging DNA in tumor cells leading to cell death.Cephalon has also applied to the FDA for approval of Treanda for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in pati... PharmaGazette blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1327525 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:00:53 +0100 1327525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=954499&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fandrewschorr%2Fthe-inspirational-young-with-cancer%2F David Broder, the noted Washington Post columnist, wrote in the paper today about the need for healthcare reform which is at the forefront of people’s minds as the upcoming Presidential election draws near. But I am choosing to write about something much more grassroots, the story of 16-year-old Katie Hunter, who lives in Duvall, Washington. Katie is the president of her junior class and is running cross country as any healthy teen might do. But three years ago her world fell apart when what looked like a bug bite on her forearm turned out to be malignant melanoma, a serious cancer. She soon had multiple surgeries and immunotherapy with Interferon. During treatment she had to give up things that she loved like her soccer team. She had to try to explain to her teenage friends about cancer... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=954499 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:33:35 +0100 954499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=935426&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fandrewschorr%2Fa-chronic-health-condition-in-an-instant%2F Many of our discussions focus on living with a chronic health concern and fighting cancer. I know many of you are dealing with those illnesses; you seek out information on your disease and carry on quite courageously. But there are other people who are not diagnosed with a disease. To the contrary, they might be quite healthy, but in an instant their health status can change. That’s what happened to my friend Jamie. Jamie had just had his 50th birthday earlier this summer and life was good. He was a director of information technology for a large company and spent many lunch breaks on fast bike rides with his friends and co-workers. These serious cyclists had been doing that for years. One bright sunny day, tragedy struck on one of those rides. A stick became lodged in the spokes of Jamie... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=935426 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 23:18:22 +0100 935426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=922134&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fandrewschorr%2Fblame-the-media-for-resistance-to-clinical-trials%2F I have a big pet peeve with the media. It’s tough sounding off on this because for me it’s like yelling at your own family in public. Let me explain further.  I have two journalism degrees and years of experience in the media. I am loathe to call others on the carpet. However, I am also a patient who has benefited from a clinical trial. So here’s what I hate about the media: Time and again they paint clinical research with the broad brush of questionable experiments with you and me as “guinea pigs.” Time magazine did it in a memorable cover story years ago with a naked woman pictured crouching in the shadows under an oversized lab bell jar. And the Seattle Times did it in a headline and a one sided article last June. Today I devoted one hour of radio and online airtime to try t... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=922134 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:24:50 +0100 922134 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512850&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Fandrewschorr%2Fare-some-patient-advocacy-groups-going-corporate%2F Okay, I am sounding off again on this subject. I am an entrepreneurial kind of guy. I spent some time in “Hollywood” and thought it was cool that some big movie deals were actually worked out by producers and studios over lunch at a deli and with the terms scratched out on a napkin. It really does happen. So when it comes to partnering on programs for patients, like interviews and webcasts, I believe a producer/host like me should be able to just pick up the phone or send an e-mail to the right person at the national society for this or that and invite them to help publicize a worthy upcoming program. It has worked that way in the past. When the associations are small and run by a visionary who also happens to be a former patient or caregiver, they often say yes. But increasingly these... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512850 Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:27:52 +0100 2512850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512834&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Flichen-planus-and-immune-suppressants%2F We finally had our appointment with the oral pathologist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. It went better than I expected. The doctor believes that my husband, Bob, is no more at risk for oral cancer than he would be from any other type of cancer. He also told us that the lichen planus on Bob’s tongue might be related to the immune suppressants Bob has been taking. He has been taking those suppressants ever since he had a stem cell transplant three years ago. Basically the doctor said there is no treatment for lichen planus; they just give you a topical gel to try to relieve the occasional discomfort. The doctor told us that in his opinion, the immune suppressant medications can cause the immune system to “miss” a cancer cell that a normal immune system would recogniz... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512834 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:28:23 +0100 2512834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512835&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fwhen-is-it-appropriate-to-disclose-an-illness-to-new-friends%2F Lately I have been making new friends through local mothers’ groups. Yesterday, my children and I went on a play date at one of the other mother’s house. The conversation at one point centered on trips to the emergency room with children. One mother had to have a fish hook removed from her daughter’s back after her daughter poorly attempted to cast a fishing pole. The other mother told a story about her toddler son who hit his head on the kitchen counter – under his father’s care of course. He needed stitches on his forehead and was seen by a plastic surgeon. As I listened to these stories I could feel the difference between us. I have dealt with life and death type situations several times over the past few years. When little Bobby bit through his lip after f... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512835 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:15:03 +0100 2512835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512836&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fif-you-could-choose-whether-you-or-your-spouse-had-cancer%2F Who would you choose? Cancer is hard. But if I had to choose who got sick, me or my husband, I would definitely say my husband - not for the physical selfish reasons but because I don’t think he has the patience to deal with or rather is able to handle all of the day to day things that I do. If I were the one sick, the children would for certain be in day care because my husband has told me in the past that he couldn’t stay home with the twins all day. Our son is very active and needs a lot of attention and my husband doesn’t have the patience to deal with it. If I were sick with cancer, I don’t believe that my husband could take care of my needs the way I take care of his. He can barely remember to take his own medications, let alone remember someone else’s. ... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512836 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:07:57 +0100 2512836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=851096&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Flife-with-cll%2Fone-diagnosis-can-lead-to-a-lot-of-doctors%2F I know I have been lax in writing, and I want to apologize for that. It was a quiet summer for us, and we have been spending a lot of time with the twins. They are now 3-years-old, it is hard to believe it; where does the time go? Bob had his six month checkup for his CLL two weeks ago. This most recent checkup has thrown me back into the hectic and frustrating chore of scheduling more doctor appointments. The doctors don’t warn you about that chore or “side effect” before surgery. We are now dealing with another unusual health issue. Bob’s tongue has always had a white coating on it. Originally we were told it was because of the chronic graft vs. host disease from Bob’s surgery. Then the doctor told us that it was a condition called lichen planus and that we should have an E... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=851096 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:06:01 +0100 851096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=851095&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36027&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fandrewschorr%2Fadvocating-for-patients-who-dont-know-how-to-connect%2F Recently, I went on a weekend visit to California to see friends and relatives. When we got to Grandma’s, I took my 10-year-old son to the pool at her condos. When we got there an older man in his seventies was already there waiting for me. “Hi, Andrew,” he said as he pulled up a chair alongside me poolside. “I’m Bill and, like you, I have CLL,” he continued as he launched into his story of diagnosis and on-going discussions with his local oncologist about when he might need treatment, etc. Bill had heard I had been treated for CLL (my in-laws had told him) and he wanted to know more. I think he also wanted to feel connected to someone else with the disease. He hadn’t been on the Internet nor contacted any patient support society. His only connection to CLL was through his HM... Andrew at Large blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=851095 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 23:42:39 +0100 851095 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512837&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fone-diagnosis-can-lead-to-a-lot-of-doctors%2F I know I have been lax in writing, and I want to apologize for that. It was a quiet summer for us, and we have been spending a lot of time with the twins. They are now 3-years-old, it is hard to believe it; where does the time go? Bob had his six-month checkup for his CLL two weeks ago. This most recent checkup has thrown me back into the hectic and frustrating chore of scheduling more doctor appointments. The doctors don’t warn you about that chore or “side effect” before surgery. We are now dealing with another unusual health issue. Bob’s tongue has always had a white coating on it. Originally, we were told it was because of the chronic graft vs. host disease from Bob’s surgery. Then the doctor told us that it was a condition called lichen planus and that we... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512837 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 21:46:48 +0100 2512837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512838&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Ffamily-planning-fertility-and-cll%2F As I read comments to my blog, I see many people are being diagnosed with CLL younger and younger, and doctors are starting treatment sooner and sooner. Family planning is a major issue, and I wanted to share my experience with you. Luckily, no one questioned why we went ahead and had children. We never really talked about having kids and when we did it was postponed for the usual reasons: We need a bigger house, we just bought the house, you just started a new job, we need more money in the bank, etc. Then Bob was diagnosed so we felt like this was it - now or never. We tried for a year unsuccessfully, and I was very depressed. We were talking about IUI, but before we could make a decision Bob’s oncologist said he needed treatment and wanted to start FCR. I asked about banking sperm... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512838 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 18:22:54 +0100 2512838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512839&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fsummertime-news%2F We are been very busy here with normal summer activities. My mom is visiting from Florida and will be staying until this Friday. This past weekend, Grandma and I took the children to visit my brother in upstate New York. I think Bob really enjoyed having two days to himself. He never was one to relax, but getting a break from the kids really seemed to help his attitude. He had much more patience with Bobby after the short break. And on Father’s Day, they spent the entire afternoon together, working in the garage. This weekend, we are off to Vermont for a high school graduation and to visit with friends. We will be staying at a B&B that is owned by a longtime family friend. The B&B is also a working farm, and I am looking forward to spending time in the country with the animal... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512839 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:21:07 +0100 2512839 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512840&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fwhat-would-you-like-to-know-about%2F Things here have been very quiet, and I’m running out of topics to blog about, so I want to ask you, the readers, what you would like to read about. Do you have anything on your mind you want to talk about? I have gotten some great questions in my comments, and I would be willing to write a more in-depth response if you would like. I will be checking back. Let me know what you would like to know about! -Donna (Source: Life with CLL) Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512840 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:57:33 +0100 2512840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512841&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Fon-the-road-to-normalcy%2F Back before Bob was diagnosed with CLL, he was a very active person. He always had a project going. One of his favorite things to do was rebuild cars. Right now, we own a restored VW Thing and a WW II Army Jeep. Both of these vehicles were in total states of disrepair when they were brought home. The VW was pulled from the woods next to the owner’s house, and the Jeep was brought home on a trailer with a lot of pieces in boxes. These project cars were a labor of love. The Jeep was actually finished during Bob’s transplant recovery. He was able to order parts online and work alone in his barn. It was a great distraction and kept him busy when his contact with the public was limited. Then the graft vs. host disease struck and all projects stopped. We finally have a sense of norma... Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512841 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:48:04 +0100 2512841 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2512842&cid=t_133457_136_f&fid=36030&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-cll%2Ffeeling-the-heat%2F We had a wonderful day Friday with the twins. We took them to a local game farm and petting zoo. Bob was feeling good, though it has been getting hot here lately, and it seems since the transplant he is intolerant to both the heat and the cold. After three hours, he was done, so we packed up and went to a restaurant for dinner. We went to a Japanese place where they fix the food right at your table. The children were great, but, unfortunately, they did not like the food. They did enjoy watching it prepared, so it wasn’t a total loss. I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day. -Donna (Source: Life with CLL) Life with CLL blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2512842 Tue, 29 May 2007 17:35:13 +0100 2512842