Conversations About Immunotherapy and Caregiving

Published:  
02/09/2022
Categories:  
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In this episode, Dr. Ray Liu and Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS, Melanoma Lead at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and AIM’s Ask a Medical Expert, come together to address the many questions and concerns caregivers have as they support a loved one on immunotherapy. They will discuss caregiving through immunotherapy treatment as it relates to both emotional and physical impacts on patients and their families.

Practical care issues:
  • How to spot an immunotherapy complication? What are the top things to look out for?
  • How do you know when there is a problem that needs to be reported? Who do you report it to?
  • What can the patient do while on immunotherapy (exercise, etc.)?
  • What are caregiver and patient-reported outcomes and what does the evidence show?
Issues not directly related to the disease:
  • Financial worries – especially long-term treatment with immunotherapy.
  • How to talk to loved ones and friends about it.
Emotional impacts:
  • Anxiety about the future
  • Caregiver burn-out

Beyond the Clinic: Living Well With Melanoma is a twelve-series podcast hosted by Raymond LiuMD, Director of Cancer Survivorship for Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. For more information on our program, Beyond the Clinic: Living Well with Melanoma, and to find out about upcoming topics and guests, click here.