Tag Archives: cancer
Cancer & Death with Dignity – My Final CANCERMD Blog
Writing When Cancer Hits Home (http://www.amazon.com/When-Cancer-Hits-Home-Empowered/dp/0615391117) was a labor of love. After 15 years treating patients with cancer and having experienced my father’s and both of my wife’s parents’ cancer journeys, I felt compelled to write to help other future patients and families. I started thecancermd.com blog to provide timely information on cancer-related topics that couldn’t be [...]
Does Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer Hurt the Heart?
A major study published in the March 14, 2013 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine has made national headlines and is causing great concern for thousands of patients with breast cancer: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1209825. The study’s conclusion is that radiation doses to the heart during RT for breast cancer cause an increased risk of major [...]
Pat’s Picks for Major Cancer Treatment Advances in 2012
Oncologists and cancer researchers have trudged a few more steps forward in the marathon “race toward a cure” in 2012. The following link from the Journal of Clinical Oncology by Roth et al highlights several of these: http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2012/12/04/JCO.2012.47.1938.short?rss=1. I’ll briefly lay out my top three from this list which I’ve chosen, not because they’re the most fascinating [...]
Adventures with “Lumpy & Sneaky” – A Cancer Journey
Since it’s the most common non-skin cancer diagnosed in women, virtually everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. On the other hand, most people have never even heard of soft tissue sarcoma, let alone knowing someone dealing with that type of cancer. Sadly, my good friend’s girlfriend, Jen, has been dealing with [...]
Cancer CURE with “Open Source” Communication?
Uniting doctors is like herding cats (unless you’re talking about tort reform). From college through medical school and residency specialty training, young physicians compete and are rewarded for individual achievements. Competition among researchers and scientists is notoriously “cut-throat.” Other healthcare professionals are splintered in various directions. Unfortunately, there are limits to what can be achieved [...]
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 [...]
Ovarian & Prostate Cancer Screening: A Tale of Two Tests
September is both Ovarian Cancer and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Both are life-threatening disease originating from pelvic organs. Screening tests have been evaluated to potentially detect both cancer types early toward the ultimate goal of saving lives. What do we know in 2012 about the impact of CA125 and PSA blood tests? Women who are [...]
Vinegar for Cervical Cancer?
No, we’re not talking about pouring vinegar on a woman’s cervix to cure cancer. Despite the quackery rife on the internet produced by what I describe in When Cancer Hits Home as “modern day snakeoil salesmen,” there is no data that vinegar cures cancer. What it does appear to do very well is detect cervical [...]
When a Leg Lump Means Cancer: Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Most lumps or masses that develop on the thigh or leg are from trauma or benign causes. In rare cases, however, a leg lump can be the presenting sign of an aggressive cancer called a soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Although uncommon, STS can be lethal. My wife and I lost a close friend this week [...]
