That is not a typo, I do indeed mean Vitamin A and not the usual Vitamin D story that we have discussed umpteen times before.  It seems Vitamin A may help reduce risk of aggressive melanoma.  Who knew.  And have you heard of Merkl Cell Carcinoma, a skin cancer just as deadly as malignant melanoma?

Even for the young at heart, age does make a difference.  This is of particular importance when we consider therapy options for elderly patients.  Here is a review of a “best practices” paper that discusses the special needs of elderly CLL patients.

That is the first question that pops into our brains, when we are first diagnosed with cancer.  CLL patients are no different in that respect.  So, what can early stage CLL  patients expect, by way of both quality and quantity of life?

The CLL guidelines formulated by the International Expert Working Group are the state-of-the-art guidance on how to diagnose, evaluate and treat our patients. Physicians who are not familiar with these guidelines are not likely to be your best bet.  This is stuff you and your oncologist should know in your sleep!

Does it matter whether you see a local oncologist or one of the CLL experts?   Are your chances of survival better if you stick close to home with a community oncologist, or are you better off traveling to an expert center?  As always, devil is in the details.

Does humor have a role when dealing with messy, frustrating and to-date incurable cancers like CLL?  I think so, but obviously not everyone agrees.  What say you?

Prognostic indicators have vastly increased our understanding of CLL and our ability to distinguish between high risk patients and lucky “smoldering” variety. Is this must have information? Should patients ‘encourage’ their physicians to do prognostic testing?  This is an important issue and one that impacts all patients.

Like it or not, majority of CLL patients tend to be older.  Are present day FCR style therapy options right for elderly patients? How well are older patients represented in clinical trials?  Here is an expert’s opinion on treating older CLL patients.

Many “solid” cancers are associated with a lot more physical pain than CLL.  But we have our share.  Painkillers can be a huge blessing – and they can also just about kill you if you overdose.  Knowing what to take, how much to take can save you anguish – and keep you safe.

Most often, CLL is slow moving beast.  But sometimes it creates problems that need quick action on your part.  Being able to spot an emergency and respond to it in real time may save your life.  Blood clots can cause strokes, heart attacks, even death. You are at risk and here is your wake-up call.