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Cancer Answers is hosted by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medical Oncology. The show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners questions. Myths, facts and advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed, with a different focus eachweek. Nationally acclaimed specialists in various types of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment discuss common misconceptions about the disease and respond to questions from the community.Listeners can submit questions to be answered on the program at canceranswers@yale.edu or by leaving a message at (888) 234-4YCC. As a resource, archived programs from 2006 through the present are available in both audio and written versions on the Yale Cancer Center website.

Veterans Administration Addressing Opioid Abuse and Overdose

Ryan Caron King
/
WNPR
VA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning Linda Schwartz.

The Veterans Administration is attempting to reduce the number of former service members suffering opioid abuse and overdose. The VA is now part of a working group with the Department of Defense trying to take a comprehensive look at the problem. 

VA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning Linda Schwartz is a Connecticut resident and the state's own former Veterans Commissioner.

She told WNPR’s Where We Live that it’s time for the agency to overhaul its procedures to stem the crisis.

"One of the things that we do at VA, is we ask every time somebody comes in. We ask them to rate their pain from one to ten. So you’re calling attention to the pain," said Schwartz. "That kind of does influence the way in which the provider might prescribe. Through many tragedies, actually, of overdosing, or too many medications, it has become abundantly clear that VA has to change.”

Schwartz said the agency is beginning to prioritize other approaches such as promoting resilience and giving spiritual support.

Listen to Lucy Nalpathanchil's whole conversation with Schwartz on Where We Live.

WNPR’s Opioid Addiction Crisis Reporting Initiative is supported by Hartford HealthCare Behavioral Health Network’s MATCH Program.

Harriet Jones is Managing Editor for Connecticut Public Radio, overseeing the coverage of daily stories from our busy newsroom.

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