Cancer Education Blog

By: Michael A. Danso, MD

The advent of immunotherapy and genomic analyses of cancer cells has led to rapid evolution in treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). 

Recent and ongoing clinical trials have identified multiple therapies that may help cure more early-stage patients with this often-aggressive cancer, a form prevalent in both younger women and African Americans. 

By: Sonia E. Hepburn, MD

Until recently, breast cancer has remained largely in the background as immunotherapy has gained ground in treating many other types of cancer.

However, evidence now supports a combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive form of breast cancer.

By: Jennifer Cashwell, MSN, FNP-BC

We receive a lot of very good questions about COVID vaccinations for cancer patients and patients with other hematologic conditions. Here you'll find a collection of commonly asked questions and the answers from our cancer specialists.

By: Kasey Fuqua

Breast Cancer Treatment Has Become More Tailored and Targeted

Treatment for breast cancer has come a long way from mastectomies and broad-spectrum chemotherapy. Thanks to new research and clinical trials, treatment has become more personalized—and conservative—than ever, improving not only survival rates but quality of life throughout survival. For the nearly 235,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year, these advances can’t come soon enough.

By J. Christopher Paschold, MD, FACP

Virginia Oncology Associates (VOA) was recently selected as one of only ten sites in the country to be part of a collaborative that includes McKesson and life science companies participating in a clinical research study called MYLUNG. MYLUNG stands for Molecularly Informed Lung Cancer Treatment in a Community Cancer Network: A Pragmatic Consortium. The work of this consortium, which will eventually involve more than 12,000 patients, is to better understand metastatic non-small cell lung cancer at the molecular level and develop more targeted treatment plans.

Prostate cancer is typically a slow-growing type of cancer that has a rate of high survival when found early. That’s why it's important to learn more about it, including some of the more surprising facts about this type of cancer. The more you know, the more likely you’ll be to notice when something is different and get checked out by your doctor. 

Here, we've put together a list of some of the lesser-known facts about prostate cancer.

If there was a test that could give you more insight into your breast cancer risk, would you take it? Or would having that information add too much worry to your life? Genetic testing for breast cancer can offer very important information about your genetic makeup and its impact on your risk for developing breast cancer – as well as your family’s risk for developing breast and other cancers. However, genetic testing is not for everyone. To find out if it is for you, let's take a look at what genetic testing means, who should get tested, the pros and cons, and how to get started. 

Prostate cancer is the most common [non-skin] cancer in men. Therefore, it’s important to when to some facts about prostate cancer screenings, and make sure you, or the males in your life, are getting screened for prostate cancer in a timely manner.

Early Detection of Prostate Cancer Changes Outcomes for Patients!

Many perfectly healthy men are screened for prostate cancer as part of their regular health care routine. Doctors sometimes recommend testing simply because of age or family history. Other times, patients have some symptoms, and their doctor may suggest a prostate cancer screening as the first step to understanding the problem.

Although the terms “genetic” and “genomic” are often used interchangeably, they are actually very different. Learning more about the differences between them can help clear up some of the confusion we often see related to hereditary genes linked to developing cancer.

Genetic Testing  

Genetics usually refers to the study of specific, individual genes and whether they are passed from one generation to the next. Cancer researchers have studied hereditary gene mutations (changes) that can play a role in the development of cancer.  

Dr. Alexander is a medical oncologist/hematologist.

Two physicians shaped the course of Dr. Burton Alexander’s medical career, one starting at age 12 and the other when he was a first-year medical student. Their advice, boiled down to its most basic form: always be there for your patients. Always.

So, as a medical oncologist/hematologist, Dr. Alexander cares for patients with a wide variety of cancers and blood disorders at Virginia Oncology Associates (VOA) – including some of the most complex and rare conditions in the region – he answers calls and emails 24/7 on his cell phone.