UF TCYCD Taking Control of Your Cancer Diagnosis

Summary

This video lesson details the many types of systemic therapy: hormonal therapy affects hormones that cause cancer to grow, immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, chemotherapy kills cancer cells, and targeted drug therapy prevents survival of cancer by focusing on factors specific to it. Curative therapy focuses on getting rid of cancer and palliative therapy focuses on relieving pain and suffering. Both types of therapy can be used together depending on what is possible and the patients’ goals.

This lesson also introduces the concept of patient navigators who helps make sure a person sees the right physicians, gets the right tests done, helps with scheduling, and connects patients with additional resources. Other resources in a hospital include nurses, social workers, financial counselors, palliative care, and genetic counselors. You will learn about the importance of cancer clinical trials and how these trials can help patients in a way that is safe, effective, and often better than standard care.

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

Understanding the different types of treatments people may need.
Learn about cancer risk and difficulties in cancer treatment.
Be aware of resources in the hospital that helps people with cancer navigate the healthcare system.
Discover the different stages of a clinical trial, and how these stages ensure the safety of participants.
Be empowered to approach their care team about the possibility of joining a trial.

Lesson Video

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Additional Resources

UF Health: Exploring Clinical Trials (external link)
NaviGator: Cancer Clinical Trials in UF Health (external link)
Clinicaltrials.gov: Database of clinical trials around the world. (external link)
UF Health Cancer Center: COMPARE Clinical Trial: Protons vs Photons to Treat Prostate Cancer. (external link)