sniffing out cancer

Dogs have long been assumed to be sensitive to some human diseases. And as shown in this video, lung cancer seems particularly amenable to detection through the scent of subjects' breath. A recent article by Ehmann and associates in the European Respiratory Journal reported that family dogs, trained rather easily for such detection, achieved sensitivity and specificity rates in excess of 70 and 90 percent, respectively, in differentiating cancer versus non-cancer breath specimens. While the ability of dogs to do this may be remarkable, researchers stress that the major implication of these findings is that lung cancer patients carry distinctive markers in their breath (also see Gever.)    

anticolonoscopy pop culture and "science"

The ultimate anticolonoscopy statement is the 2007 feature film, Sublime.  The protagonist's procedure goes awry and leaves him in a prolonged, excruciatingly terror-filled coma mercifully ended by death. 

Advisory: do not recommend to anyone in need of a colonoscopy. Practitioners should view in order to deal with possible patient fears generated by it. 

Although considered the "gold standard" for colon cancer screening, opposition comes in part from pseudoscience elements who claim it not only ineffective, but unsafe. In his Death by Colonoscopy video series, Konstantin Monastyrsky, self-proclaimed expert in the field of "forensic nutrition," selects bits and pieces from various studies and commonly misinterprets findings to support his anticolonoscopy bias (see, e.g, the segment in the bottom video from 1:25 to 2:15). Recommended to use as object of critique for beginning students. 

The New York Times cancer-related multimedia

The New York Times clearly stands out among news media in its multimedia coverage of cancer. In the above video, cancer effects are demonstrated to extend beyond the patient to other family members in many ways. The clip is from the series, Life Interrupted: A Video Portrait of Cancer in Young Adulthood, created by Suleika Jaouad, a 23 year-old writer now chronicling her experiences with leukemia.

Relevant multimedia may be located and accessed through search by media type (see "cancer videos" playlists). Searching by cancer type provides lists of articles, videos, and graphics (click here for colon cancer media).

The online paper allows for 10 free visits per month.

online news video

It is good that instructors and practitioners keep abreast of news stories on cancer-related matters. In this recent ABC report, breaking news is provided about MD Anderson research findings on the therapeutic effects of Metformin (glucophage) in treating various cancers. Such stories can be forwarded to inform relevant target populations of developments. But they are also at times quite incomplete in important details or seriously flawed, and therefore can be used as objects for critique.



One of the best sources of news stories in the sense of giving more than a sound-bite approach is the PBS NewsHour (see playlist search of stories involving cancer). In the above clip, Ray Suarez recently talked to Dr. Andrew Chan about research findings suggesting that a daily dose of aspirin can be an effective prophylactic against various cancers.

big decisions re cancer

Cancer is a life-changing, as well as an oft life-ending, condition. Videos can be used effectively from both clinical and popular media angles to enhance the introduction of health-care students with such matters. In the bottom clip, David S. Ettinger, MD addresses the importance of making end-of-life decisions upfront, while in the top clip, Breaking Bad protagonist, methamphetamine manufacturer, and lung-cancer patient, Walter White, seizes the moment to voice his preferences about how he wants to go out (view series creator Vince Gilligan's comments here about the emotions evoked on the set while shooting this scene).     

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).

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.

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.

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).

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).

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.

pain management problems around the world

Freedom from Pain, a documentary produced by students and instructors at the University of British Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, addresses the problem of inadequate pain management for cancer patients.  Although morphine is inexpensive, the War on Drugs has lead to overly restrictive laws in some nations against prescribing narcotics or disincentives for their production and distribution.  The documentary centers on several patients in India and Ukraine who are attempting to cope without sufficient palliative treatment.  Similarly, Fifty Milligrams is Not Enough, further explores the Ukrainian problem through a case study of a cancer patient (see accompanying blog article).  This documentary and other videos relative to medical injustice are available at the Open Society Foundations' Stop Torture in Health Care site.

on colon cancer: Sal Khan interviews Andy Connolly

Andy Connolly of Stanford Medical School walks the viewer through the process of colon cancer development with the assistance of Sal Khan, creator of the Khan Academy.  Video 1 overviews normal colon tissue, video 2 relates to dysplasia, video 3 focuses on hyperplasia, and video 4, shown above, addresses cancerous colon tissue.  Along the way, Khan's questions to Connolly serve to clarify terminology and muddy points for students and the lay public.

DNA animations

In this TED Talks segment, Drew Berry shows his fantastic animation of DNA replication (see full clip here). Berry works at Australia's Walter & Ezra Hall Institute, and some of his other animations, including breast cancer origins and colony stimulating factor, can be seen at http://www.wehi.edu.au/education/wehitv. (Also go to Harvard's BioVisions site to view Inner Life of Cell series.)