a critique of cancer and positive thinking

Barbara Ehrenreich does not agree with the conventional wisdom holding that cancer patients must think positively about their condition. For a fuller treatment of her critique, watch this video. Barbara's detailed ideas originally appeared in a 2001 article she wrote for Harper's, Welcome to Cancerland.

cancer donation ads in the UK

Cancer Research UK has created an extensive television advertising campaign to solicit funds from the public to support research (see YouTube playlist here). Describing this effort on its website, "Our new TV ad is part of a wider campaign in which we demonstrate how we use generous donations from the public to fund cutting edge cancer research that benefits thousands of cancer patients each year. Thanks to research into cancer, survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years and we have been at the heart of that progress. However, we have a lot more work to do in order to realise our vision of a world without cancer, and this is the final message of our campaign" (see bottom clip).

what is cancer?

This tutorial, provided through Cancer Research UK, introduces the topic "What is cancer?" in clear, concise terms. It includes various user-driven slideshows and graphics, and serves as a solid introduction for students beginning to study cancer, as well as patients.

cancer can be funny: Dov Siporin

Despite the fact that Dov Siporin has terminal colon cancer, his irrepressible humor has helped him and his loved ones cope with it and all that he has gone through. In the top segment, Dov talks about his attempt to break through the formality of interacting with treatment providers with the assistance of a sausage. In the bottom video, Dov performs a practical joke on the Grim Reaper during IV therapy. See a serial of Dov's amazing clips at YouTube's huntsmancancervideos and at his own collection. Also, hear Dov's discussion about using humor with cancer at this interview conducted by his father via StoryCorps.       

Inside Cancer: Multimedia Guide to Cancer Biology

Inside Cancer, a component of the DNA Learning Center, is an excellent introductory resource on the biology of cancer. Interactive tutorials, comprised of animated graphics with text or voice-over, cover cancer hallmarks, causes and prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and pathways. Some include videos and interactive quizzes, as well. The site also provides a password-protected Teacher Center which provides additional resources and software to build multimedia lessons. 

cancer-center multimedia collections

In addition to MD Anderson, many other research and training hospitals produce cancer-related multimedia for purposes of physician, student, and patient education. In the top video, a Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center physician addresses the efficacy of  laparoscopic colon resectioning in comparison to traditional surgery (see its cancer playlist here). Also, The Mayo Clinic offers a significant body of cancer-related videos on its YouTube channel. In the lower clip, a Clinic researcher discusses the findings of a large longitudinal study of stage III colon cancer survival among patients being treated with 5-FU-based chemotherapy.

patient voice via vlogging

In my opinion, patient voice is the most significant recent development in cancer multimedia. YouTube and other video-sharing sites allow users to freely upload and distribute personal content to the Web. Video blogs or vlogs have been filmed by thousands of cancer patients, enabling them to communicate on a serial basis about their condition and treatment. As such, these vlogs serve as a rich source of personal insights about coping with cancer for patients, practitioners, and students.

The above video is the first installment of Charlie Awad's vlog on his colon cancer experience and his subsequent challenges as the cancer spread to his lungs. Charlie is dedicated to getting the word out to the public about the critical importance of early detection through screening (for information on Charlie's mission, see his website CancerSucks.TV. 

CDC's Screen For Life campaign

Since 1999, The Centers for Disease Control has waged a nationwide campaign to encourage target populations to undergo colorectal cancer testing. The program also provides guidance and funding to raise screening rates in local settings (see earlier post re Utah PSAs). The latest version of Screen for Life: National Colorectal Cancer Action Campaign employs a series of video, audio, and poster PSAs to get the message out via such celebrities as Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton, and Jimmy Smits. In my opinion, the Terrence Howard video shown here is one of the more effective as he talks about how the cancer death of his mother could have been easily prevented. Despite such efforts, the CDC indicates that participation is still too low as 1 in 3 Americans between 50-75 years old are not currently screened (see Campaign Overview, 2012).

MD Anderson multimedia collection

MD Anderson provides a significant body of audio podcasts and videos about cancer and cancer-related issues for patients, their family members, and the public in general. A comprehensive collection of resources are available at the MD Anderson Cancer Center YouTube site. Content can be easily found through topical playlists. Users may also search for MD Anderson-related multimedia at the Cancer Newsline indexed site and at Cancer Newsline YouTube.

colorectal surgeon song

Affairs of the colon invite dark humor. In the top video, members of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons were entertained by Bowser and Blue's song in praise of those who practice the craft. University of British Columbia students also recently sang their rendition at the annual medical school gala (video below).

patient education through MD Anderson

Multimedia provides a great way for health-care practitioners to educate patients about what they can expect to encounter as they go through testing and subsequent treatment, if necessary. For example, MD Anderson has produced materials on what patients can expect with a colonoscopy (top video) and what comes after discovery of a polyp (bottom video).

celebrity colonoscopy

Since Katie Couric underwent her televised colonoscopy in 2000 (see top video), several other celebrities have likewise had theirs performed for the public good, including Charles Barkley, Homer Simpson, and Harry Smith. Smith, a CBS news anchor, occupies a special place as his reportedly was the first-ever celebrity procedure televised live that gave an inside tour of the colon (see bottom video).

"the cancer talk"

Just as your mom or dad likely gave you "the sex talk" when you were a teen, it's time to give the elders you love "the cancer talk," according to Fuck Cancer. Start here for guidance on how to motivate your parents to get themselves examined.

colonoscopy song

CBS Cares has long been promoting heath-care issues, including colon cancer prevention. Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, sings his colonoscopy song in 2010 (see full version here).

colonoscopy sweepstakes

CBS Cares and New York Presbyterian Hospital are working together to promote this year's Colonoscopy Sweepstakes. Sharon Osbourne, who along with husband Ozzy are spokespersons for the campaign this year, shares her experience as a colon cancer patient and the need for testing on The Talk. CBS Cares has now been promoting colonoscopy screening through such efforts for the past several years (e.g., see 2009 promo).

cartoon animations via xtranormal

Animated cartoons can be generated fairly easily through cloud software applications. In the top video, the creator employs xtranormal to discuss the importance of colonoscopy for cancer screening. In the bottom video, I provide an animated version of the dialog I had with my surgeon before my colon cancer resection.  Cartoons can promote cancer education in general, as well as serving to facilitate patient voice.

cancer among the Amish

Amish residents of Holmes County, Ohio, who follow the traditional customs of this subculture, have much lower rates of cancer than does the state population in general, according to an investigation lead by Judith Westman of Ohio State University. Researchers had hypothesized that the Amish would have higher rates largely due to their failure to access mainstream medicine and their limited genetic diversity. However, medical histories, along with examination of local death records, found they had an overall cancer incidence of about 40 percent less than that for the general population. The researchers suggest that their aversion to drinking, smoking, and sexual permissiveness plays a significant role in their comparatively positive health status.

Note: PBS has just released a full-length documentary on this subculture, The Amish, through its American Experience series.