Category Archives: Cancer Prevention or Risk Reduction
Mammograms for All Women Over 40: The Good, the Bad…
An article in the February 18, 2013 online edition of the Wall St. Journal asks readers, “Should All Women Over 40 get Annual Mammograms?” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323539804578260241902140764.html?mod=WSJ_GoogleNews&mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1). For a few decades now, that’s been the recommendation to American women by most of their doctors. So, why has there been so much controversy about this cancer screening test [...]
MOVEMBER Raising Awareness About Prostate & Testicular Cancer
Despite being an oncologist, I was oblivious about MOVEMBER until an old college buddy enlightened me this month. Each November, men grow mustaches to serve as billboards for men’s health issues. While the general topic of conversation is men’s health, “Mo Bros” have a particular focus on prostate and testicular cancer: http://us.movember.com/mens-health/. Other than non-melanoma skin [...]
CT Scans Increase Cancer Risk in Children. What to Do Now?!
A recent study from the prestigious medical journal, Lancet, has parents in a panic. Researchers looked at nearly 180,000 children and young adults (<22 years old) who had at least one computed tomography (CT) scan of their head between 1985 and 2002 and reviewed their medical records for the future development of cancer: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2812%2960815-0/abstract. They [...]
Three (3) Preventable Infections That Cause Cancer
One in every 6 cancers worldwide are currently caused by infections! That’s the conclusion of a major medical report released this week: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/05/09/1-in-6-cancers-worldwide-caused-by-infections-that-can-be-prevented-or-treated/. The critical point, however, is that these infections are preventable or treatable. The main chronic cancer-causing infections are discussed in detail in When Cancer Hits Home: http://www.amazon.com/When-Cancer-Hits-Home-Empowered/dp/0615391117/ref=tmm_pap_title_0. These are: human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis [...]
Is Dr. Otis Brawley’s Diagnosis of Cancer Treatment Correct?
As the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, Dr. Otis Brawley should know whereof he speaks when it comes to the state of cancer care in America. He pulls no punches in his new book, How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America. With its publication, he is taking aim at not only [...]
Who is Losing the War on Cancer in 2012?
Despite what you may have heard, cancer is NOT an equal opportunity killer. As we begin National Minority Cancer Awareness Week, April 16-21, 2012, I’d like visitors to http://thecancermd.com/ to remember that single fact. While oncologists try to be positive and hopeful with our patients whenever possible, we also need to be realists, with eyes wide open. The [...]
Top 3 Causes of Head and Neck Cancer in 2012
April is Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month. Famous survivors include Michael Douglas (http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20100901/throat-cancer-faq) and Peter Tork of the Monkees (http://www.headandneck.org/site/c.8hKNI0MEImI4E/b.6281225/k.BDD9/Home.htm). As we remember these survivors and loved ones with the disease in 2012, it’s helpful to know how to minimize our future risk for this group of diseases. “Head and neck cancer” describes cancers of [...]
Can an Aspirin a Day Keep the Cancer MD Away?!
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but can an aspirin a day keep cancer at bay?! In December 2011, I posted a blog about Dr. Peter Rockwell and colleagues who published a meta-analysis about the beneficial effects of aspirin in decreasing the risks of developing multiple types of cancer. There are a [...]
Donald Payne, NJ Congressman, Dies of Colon Cancer
The U.S. Congress and the people of New Jersey have suffered a great loss with the passing of Representative Donald Payne. He died today of colorectal cancer (CRC) at age 77. Congressman Payne was a champion of education and a tireless advocate for the underserved both in America and in Africa: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/hold_donald_payne.html. As a former teacher, I [...]
NPS Study Shows Colonoscopy Reduced Colon Cancer Deaths
Doctors from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mt. Sinai and several other major medical centers throughout the country just published their long-term findings from the National Polyp Study (NPS) in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1100370. They prospectively evaluated 2600 patients found to have adenomatous polyps at the time of screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer (CRC) [...]
