Young women with lung cancer made national headlines recently after researchers with the American Cancer Society showed that lung cancer incidence among younger and middle-aged people is now higher among women than men. Not only does this finding reverse historical trends, but it also baffles scientists because cigarette smoking—the major risk factor for lung cancer—is not more common among younger women.
Diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer at age 33, Sydney Barned, MD, is on a mission to get this disease the attention it deserves. A physically fit nonsmoker, she shares her story in our spring cover profile.
Regardless of their gender or age, people with cancer often deal with chronic pain. For relief, more folks are turning to nonpharmacological integrative care, such as acupuncture, music therapy, meditation, yoga and cryotherapy. A growing body of evidence supports these therapies as part of oncology treatment. Go here for our feature on mind-body paths to managing cancer pain.
A meditation expert living with metastatic breast cancer, Kristin Smith Westbrook recounts her experiences in the memoir The Luckiest Unlucky Person I Know and in our Can Heal Q & A. For our Solutions column, she shares ways to cultivate gratitude and good feelings—and why doing so is beneficial.
Oncology physical therapy is another tool to complement treatment. What is it, and how does it help? Physical and rehabilitation therapist Jeff Eagan spells it out in Your Team.
Support groups can also offer healing. Just ask Terry Evans, who has led several for the CLL Society, a nonprofit for people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Discover more about his CLL journey in this issue’s Diary.
Finally, learn about new treatments for breast and blood cancers, including CLL, in our Care & Treatment section. And read about 2024 cancer statistics in our News roundup. Data show that cancer deaths continue to decline. With that, we can end on a note of gratitude.
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