Preventing Drug Errors

The June 2010 issue of Consumer Reports on Health has a very useful article called How to Prevent Drug Errors. The article reviews how to protect yourself from dangerous medication mistakes:

• In the doctor's office
• At the pharmacy
• At home
• In the hospital

Some of the highlights:

• Keep a current list of medications, including dosage amounts, who prescribed them, and when you are supposed to take them
• Thoroughly read the drug labels and drug information sheet from the pharmacy.
• Speak up: ask the pharmacist or your doctor if you have any questions about the medications you are taking.

Read the entire article at the UCSF Patient Health Library.

More information on patient safety is available on the UCSF Medical Center website.

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Resources on Nutrition and Cancer

Online

Overview of Nutrition in Cancer Care (from the National Cancer Institute)

Eating Hints: Before, During, and After Cancer Treatment (from the National Cancer Institute)

Diet for Cancer Treatment Side Effects (from UCSF Medical Center's online Health Library)

Additional online resources can be found on MedlinePlus. Type the words [nutrition cancer] into the search box in the upper, right corner.

Nutrition Counseling & Workshops at UCSF
with registered dietician, Greta Macaire

Nutrition counseling services are open to UCSF cancer patients at no charge, although donations are appreciated. A dietitian is available Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm. Appointments can be scheduled through any of the oncology practices.

Healthy Shopping Made Easy:
Thursday, July 15th, 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Nutrition & Prostate Cancer:
Tuesday, July 20th, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Tuesday, August 3rd, 4:00 – 6:00pm

Nutrition & Breast Cancer:
Tuesday, July 13th, 9:30 – 11:00am
Wednesday, August 11th, 12:00 – 1:30pm

To register for these free seminars call the Ida & Joseph Friend Cancer Resource Center at 415.885.3693. More information is available by calling or going online to http://cancer.ucsf.edu/crc/nutrition.php.

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Recent Advances in Cancer Research from the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting

Learn about recent advances from the American Society of Clinical Oncology's (ASCO) 2010 Annual Meeting (June 4-8, Chicago, Illinois), either in person or online:

Bay Area Breast Cancer Forum
Presents "ASCO 2010 (American Society of Clinical Oncology): News from the Annual Int'l Oncology Meeting"

Wednesday, June 16, 6:00-7:30 pm
UCSF Medical Center at Mt. Zion
1600 Divisadero St., H Bldg., 3rd floor conference room
Moderator: Hope Rugo, MD

The Bay Area Breast Cancer Forum is a monthly gathering of health care providers, researchers, patients, and patient advocates/friends/caregivers. Discussion will be accompanied by a light dinner.

This and other Bay Area Breast Cancer Forum events are also available by podcast.
For information, contact Lauren Metzroth, 415.885.7213.

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Recent Advances in Lung Cancer, Melanoma, CML Research

Cancer.Net, the patient information website from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), has information on recent advances shared at the 2010 ASCO Annual Meeting (June 4-8, Chicago, Illinois). The following studies highlight advances in lung cancer, melanoma, and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Linked below are easy-to-read summaries, as well as podcasts and videos that allow you to hear directly from leading oncologists about what these studies mean.

Lung Cancer

• Drug Combination Increases Survival for Older People With Advanced Lung Cancer
• Selenium Doesn't Prevent a Second Tumor for Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
• New Drug Helps Manage Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer for Some Patients
  

To learn more about the findings of these studies, listen to a podcast or watch a video with Mark Kris, MD, professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and chief of the thoracic oncology service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

See also, Cancer.Net's Guide to Lung Cancer.

Melanoma

• Drug Improves Survival for Patients With Advanced Melanoma

To learn more about the findings of this study, listen to a podcast or watch a video with Lynn Schuchter, MD, professor of medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and associate director of the Clinical Research Unit at Abramson Cancer Center.

See also, Cancer.Net's Guide to Melanoma.


CML

• Dasatinib More Effective than Imatinib for People Newly Diagnosed With Chronic CML

To learn more about the findings of this study, listen to a podcast or watch a video with Sonali Smith, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

See also, Cancer.Net's Guide to CML.

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MedlinePlus: Online Health Information

MedlinePlus is a free, easy-to-use health information service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. Resources and tools include:

• Health Topics: Over 800 topics on conditions, diseases and wellness
• Drugs & Supplements: About your prescription and over-the-counter medicines, herbs and supplements
• Videos and Tutorials
• Medical Encyclopedia and Dictionary
• News: Current health news and press announcements
• Directories: Find doctors, dentists and hospitals

Find it at http://medlineplus.gov/

New, enhanced MedlinePlus site coming Summer 2010. Preview the new look and offer feedback.

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