Pharmacists Corner

Flu season is upon us with expected peaks in January and February. Because many people with cancer already have weakened immune systems, we get a lot of questions about whether patients and their families should get vaccinated.

Information about what to do, when to call the clinic and over-the-counter options for cancer symptoms and side effects like nausea, fatigue, neuropathy, headaches and insomnia.

Anxiety is a common and understandable experience for cancer patients. Your oncology provider, primary care physician or a psychiatric provider could prescribe anxiety medication, in addition to behavioral approaches. Most anxiety medications do not directly interact with cancer treatments, but may cause additional side effects. A Rogel Cancer Center pharmacist explains what you need to know.

Medical cannabis (marijuana) became legal in the state of Michigan in 2008. Rogel Cancer Center pharmacist Shawna Kraft explains side effects of cancer and cancer treatment can be helped by cannabis; and what it can't help with.

Many times throughout treatment, a patient's medications may need to be adjusted or changed. It can happen for a variety of reasons, such as unpleasant or intolerable side effects, how your body is responding to the medication or interactions with other medications you take.

We often think of pharmacists as the people behind the counter who dispense the medication we need, but this is only one part of the role of a pharmacist in cancer care. Pharmacists at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center are now also part of each clinic, working day-to-day with your doctors and care team.

Patients often ask me about using turmeric, also called curcumin, for its anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer benefits. Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian food. It’s also known as curcumin since this is the yellow-colored active component of turmeric. It is used in America to make our mustard yellow.

Cancer can be treated with many types of therapy. Think of it as CREST: Chemotherapy, Radiation, Endocrine, Surgery, Targeted.

To treat flu, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication. Antiviral medications can make symptoms less severe and shorten the length of time that you are sick with the flu. Three antiviral medications are available to treat the flu, each with slightly different common side effects.