Article
Early recognition of spinal cord compression in cancer patients
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
The only way to preserve ambulatory function in patients with spinal cord compression due to spinal metastases is to recognize and treat it early...
Article
Diagnosis and management of superior vena cava syndrome
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
The first manifestations of lung cancer or lymphoma may be due to compression of the superior vena cava.
Article
Why should cancer patients participate in clinical trials?
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Primary care physicians can help their cancer patients decide whether to enter a clinical trial of an experimental treatment by frankly discussing...
Article
The cruel “cancer cure” hype
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
The unrealistic hopes raised by recent news reports of an impending cure for cancer were cruel to patients.
Article
Cancer information and the Internet: Benefits and risks
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
The Internet has potential to educate the public about health care, but also can harm through misleading and deceptive information.
Article
The high cost of terminal care: Balancing conflicting goals
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
In caring for patients at the end of life, physicians are often torn by conflicting goals.
Article
Cancer and the mind: Separating fact from fiction
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
It is quite appropriate for physicians to encourage cancer patients to join support groups. However, these patients should not blame themselves or...
Article
Assessing and minimizing reproductive risks of cancer chemotherapy
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Now that more children and young adults are surviving malignant diseases, a new problem is arising: the reproductive effects of intensive...
Article
What primary care physicians should know about the toxicity of cancer chemotherapy
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Although symptomatic side effects of chemotherapy reduce a patient's quality of life, organ-system effects are potentially more serious.
Article
Ethical issues in clinical trials in oncology
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Ethical questions can arise in a number of situations in oncology clinical trials.
Article
Calculating cancer risk: It is harder than it seems
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Many factors make cancer risk assessment difficult, especially when determining the risk for an individual.
Article
The dilemma of evaluating and treating cancer of unknown primary site
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
In 5% to 10% of cancer cases, the initial presentation reflects metastases and not the primary lesion. How aggressively should one search for the...
Article
When and how to use serum tumor markers in clinical practice
- Author:
- Maurie Markman, MD
Clinicians have long wanted a simple test sensitive enough to detect cancer in its early stages, yet specific enought to not produce false-...