By Sophia Smith, PhD, Chair of Hodgkin’s International

During my sabbatical at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI), I have been working closely with investigators affiliated with the BETER program, one of the world’s most comprehensive survivorship initiatives for people treated for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). BETER (short for Better care after HL) was established to systematically identify, prevent, and manage the long-term and late adverse effects of HL treatment using a risk-based, personalized follow-up approach. Embedded within BETER is the INSIGHT study,

It can be so validating to hear another survivor’s story. In Coping Magazine, Nicole shares her experience with two cancer diagnoses, fertility struggles, treatment, and what she has learned from cancer.

New research out of Weill Cornell Medicine reveals an updated understanding of how Hodgkin lymphoma cells originate and evade immune detection. These findings could result in new diagnostic markers that will help differentiate between Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers with similar symptoms.

Radiation therapy, like surgery and chemotherapy, is a mainstay of cancer treatment. The reason radiation is used to treat cancer is that it is usually toxic to the fast growing cancer cells while supposedly having little adverse effects on the slow growing and relatively radiation resistant normal body cells. Unfortunately, normal cells are often affected by radiation in a variety of ways, especially over time.

This risk assessment tool predicts risk of heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and stroke by age 50 among survivors of childhood cancer. It uses information from the CCSS papers, “Individual prediction of heart failure among childhood cancer survivors” and “Prediction of ischemic heart disease and stroke among childhood cancer survivors”, which created clinically useful models with readily available demographic and cancer treatment information.

The Long-Term Follow-Up (LTFU) Study has resulted in more than 300 publications in scientific journals since it was launched in 1994. Some of these articles are summarized here.

Cancer Today featured a strong review of the growing evidence that exercise can help ease fatigue, improve strength and physical function, and support mental health and quality of life during cancer treatment. For survivors who feel overwhelmed by fatigue or deconditioning, it is encouraging to see that even small amounts of movement can help.

You might not think of your spleen that much, but it’s been looking out for you. If you don’t have one, there are some things to know to keep yourself safe from infections.