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Whether you’re just starting your chemotherapy treatments or you’ve been doing it for a while, we know that sometimes small things can make a big difference as you work through your cancer treatments. Most cancer treatment centers, like Compass Oncology, are designed with cancer patients in mind. However, creating your very own chemo care kit with personalized comforts can give you some hope and peace of mind. This simple collection of comfort items can go a long way toward giving you peace of mind and offering additional support throughout the treatment process.

For many men with prostate cancer, prostate removal is never needed because the cancer is often slow-growing and managed with non-surgical treatments. But, if the cancer has grown beyond the prostate, the oncologist may recommend prostate removal surgery, also called a prostatectomy. If you are going to have prostate removal surgery, this information can help you in your discussion with the doctors.

You may know that colon polyps can lead to colon cancer, but you may not know what causes colon polyps. The answers may surprise you.

Colon polyps are small clumps of cells that can form on the lining of the lower intestine, or colon. Polyps can occur in several locations throughout your gastrointestinal tract, but they most commonly occur in your colon. Polyps can also develop in the last part of the colon, known as the rectum. Doctors often refer to conditions occurring in the colon and rectum together, using the term “colorectal.”

HPV, otherwise known as the human papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted infection that should not be confused with HIV or HSV (herpes). There are currently nearly 80 million people in the United States alone who are living with HPV, many of whom are in their teens and early twenties.

While there are about 30 different types that affect the genitals, including the vagina, penis, vulva, cervix, and scrotum, there are another 70 additional forms of HPV that can affect other areas of the body. Of the approximate 100 different types of HPV, infectious disease doctors consider 14 of them to be “high risk” which can lead to cervical or gynecologic cancers.

Night sweats are common side effects that both cancer survivors and patients, alike, often face. Radiation therapies, certain prescription medications, and some cancer-related surgeries can even worsen the frequency and intensity of a patient's night sweats. Waking up in the middle of the night with wet bedsheets and pajamas is never ideal, but there are ways to manage night sweats.

Many women experience a phone call from their breast imaging center. The call often concerns the patient coming back for additional imaging of tiny white spots called calcifications. Calcifications are frequently seen on mammograms — they occur most often in women over 50. They may appear in any woman's breasts and, occasionally, occur in a man's breast tissue.

Most breast calcifications are benign (non-cancerous). However, a few patterns of calcification are suggestive of some precancerous conditions or, even, breast cancer.

Cancer patients and survivors may be wondering if they should get a flu shot. The answer is YES. Experts aren’t sure if cancer survivors, or even patients currently undergoing treatment, are more prone to getting the flu. However, experts know one fact for sure — cancer patients and many survivors experience more serious complications from the flu.

Breast cancer is a major concern among women of all ages. Prior studies focusing on the association between hair dye and breast cancer have come up with mixed results until recently, so the news can be confusing. That's why one group of researchers decided to address the topic using sisters by recording the results over an eight-year period.