The Cancer Lounge

The New York Times had a compelling article last week about the cancer recreation lounge at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. The lounge is a place for patient to both forget about their cancer and talk about their cancer freely with other patients who understand. It is a compellling read about the waiting involved in cancer treatment and the simple joy a card game can bring.

Tension at the Thanksgiving dinner table

The New York Times Well column this week reflects on the tension that sometimes joins the family at the holiday table. In particular, issues surrounding food, portions, control and preferences, can cause anxiety when families join together for a big meal. The article illustrates that health messages are not always healthy and that the messengers aren't always health professionals. We should all remember there is power in our words.

New breast cancer guidelines and possible confusion

New screening guidelines by the Preventative Services Task Force of the Department of Health and Human Services may start a lot of conversations in exam rooms across the country. The Preventative Services Task Force is recommending women be screened for breast cancer starting at age 50, with follow-up mammograms every other year. This is a change from previous guidelines and and is opposed by many cancer associations, which recommend annual mammograms starting at the age of 40.

The contrasting guidelines will likely be a source of confusion for some patients, faced with the decision to have a mammogram. It will be all the more important for physicians to provide effective counseling and ongoing dialogue with patients to help them make the decision that is right for them.

The importance of a name

The New York Times had an article today about the intangible importance of having a name for a disorder and how patients claim ownership of that name. The issue is being raised by a group of patients unhappy that the term Asperger's Syndrome will be removed from fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Asperger's Symdrome is a mild form of autism, in which children and adults often are socially awkward but many are verbal prodigies and highly skilled in specific expertise. But inconsistent diagnosis and a move to depict mental illnesses as falling on a spectrum rather than "they-have-it-or-they-don't" mentality have lead the editors of the D.S.M.-V to place what is known as Asperger's on the autism spectrum. But patient advocates are concerned that losing the well-known and well-accepted term will make others reluctant to seek treatment if they exhibit mild autism spectrum symptoms.

The American Psychiatric Association is expected to post a draft of the new terms and diagnostic criteria and solicit feedback from the community. There will likely be a lot of it, and the feedback will give the authors insight into how patients see themselves and their community.

The physical environment and communication

The New York Times blog on aging, "The New Old Age," had an article that illustrates how interpersonal communication isn't just about two people talking, but is also about the environment and circumstances surrounding the interaction and the relationship. The article takes a look at Continuing Care Retirement Communities or CCRC, where residents can enter into an independent living apartment and be moved within the same building to an assisted living floor when the time comes. Intuitively, these facilities seem like a great idea: residents can make friends while they are still independent and mobile and when they require more assistance they will still be able to remain in the same community. But studies and observations are finding that moving within the same facility doesn't mean relationships stay in tact. It seems physically moving, even if it is only to another floor of the same building, can disrupt interpersonal and community relationships.

What do you think? Is there a way these facilities can better accommodate communities as individuals' needs change?