Like any kid who always wanted to be a doctor, I went to medical school to learn how to help people. Just wearing the white coat during orientation week had people looking at me differently, expecting me to know something more than I did just a week before. One of my classmates was even asked for ...
Posts tagged Cancer
Sunscreen advice from a dermatologist to prevent skin cancer
by Susan Y. Chon, MD You know you need sunscreen. But with so many lotions, sprays and gels to choose from, how do you know which sunblock will actually prevent sunburns — and skin cancer?When it comes to shielding your skin from the sun, the type of sunscreen you choose is as important as how you use it.I hear many people blame their sunscreen when ...
Using genomics in cancer, and for early diagnosis in infectious disease
In the previous post I discussed the field of pharmacogenomics.Today I will focus on:
- Nutragenomics
- Disease classification
- Disease prognostication
- Early and rapid diagnosis
- Prediction of diseases to develop later in life
Treatment for stage 0 breast cancer is definitely real
I had never heard of ductal carcinoma in situ before I was diagnosed with it. Nor did I have a clue that breast cancer could be classified as stage 0; I only thought it came in stages 1 through 4. And I’m far from alone; most people I talked to had never heard of it either, including a ...
Cancer is a crime, and how a tumor board is the courtroom
by Katherine O'BrienCancer patients usually say they want a cure. Well, of course, that goes without saying. But it’s also kind of annoying.We’ve all, as children and adults, had those "What if" conversations. What if you could have anything you wanted in the whole world? Depending on the respondents’ ages, people might say anything from "a ...
MKSAP: 63-year-old woman with a 4 week history of fatigue
Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.
A 63-year-old woman is evaluated during a follow-up visit for a 4-week history of fatigue; pain in the proximal interphalangeal joints, knees, and hips; and low-grade fever.She has not had joint swelling, chest pain, or shortness of breath. Over the past 4 years, she ...
How much empathy is too much?
If you're sick, you need people to empathize with you, right? Maybe not.
Empathy is one of those words with a wide variety of definitions, especially in academic settings.From Wikipedia: "Empathy ... cover[s] a broad spectrum, ranging from feeling a concern for other people that creates a desire to help them, experiencing emotions that match another person's emotions, knowing what the other person is ...
Developing innovative solutions to battle cancer and disease
There isn’t a country on this planet where there isn’t someone dreaming of curing cancer. What if there was something even more spectacular than curing cancer? What if you could stop cancer right in its tracks and eliminate its existence. Prevent it. Squash it before it starts.Vincent Tuohy, PhD, an immunologist at Cleveland Clinic, may be on a path toward ...
Prostate cancer from a patient perspective
by Dan ZenkaAs a patient, I feel for anyone who is given a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Hearing the "Big-C" word can be upsetting enough. But the complexity of the disease—diagnosing it, trying to characterize it and selecting the appropriate treatment—can feel like insult upon injury. We need to talk about prostate cancers. With 24 known sub-types of this cancer—from ...
Emotional issues that come with cancer during the teenage years
When Clarissa was 13 she entered Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for relapsed acute leukemia knowing full well that she had only a 40% chance of survival. Today she is 16 and in excellent health. But it took 2 1/2 years of incredibly rigorous treatments to get there. Equally importantly it meant riding an emotional roller coaster for her and her parents.Clarissa had ...
Cancer patients get better care than patients in primary care
Why do my patients with cancer get better care than my patients in primary care? As the senior resident on my hospital’s inpatient leukemia service recently, this question troubled and intrigued me daily.Despite the sheer complexity of treating leukemia (administration of chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsies, stem cell transplantation), the resources required (transplantation routinely costs $1 million), and the severity of the illness ...
Will iodine and potassium iodide protect against radiation from Japan?
People in the United States are rushing out to take iodine pills, specifically in the form of potassium iodide, to combat the threat of radiation spreading from the nuclear events stemming from the Japan earthquake and tsunami.There are numerous reports that pharmacies in California have run out of the drug.Potassium iodide works when the thyroid takes it up, instead of the potentially dangerous radioactive iodine that comes from a ...
Making sense of colorectal cancer headlines
by Robert Bresalier, MDDid you hear the one about the cancer-sniffing dogs?Sounds crazy, right? This is just one of many recent headlines that may leave you scratching your head.Not every study you read in the news is the final word. But recent research can provide interesting new insight on colorectal cancer — the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States.Here’s some insight to help you make sense ...
EMR, a patient’s perspective
My oncologist's office implemented a new EMR system when I was in the middle of chemo. Once the nurses learned the system, I saw no difference in the care I got from them.Not quite so with the doctor. My experience with him changed dramatically.Before EMR I would enter the exam room and sit on a chair, play Angry Birds on my iPhone and wait. My doctor would walk in, make ...
Save the Boobs, and whether humor has a role in breast cancer
Last year it was the "Save the Boobs" video. This year it’s the “I (Heart)Boobies” bracelets.Some people were very offended by the video’s slow-motion close-ups that were more reminiscent of a beer commercial. Now, some schools are banning kids from wearing the bracelets. And in a recent post on Salon, Tracy Clark-Flory made the eloquent case that we’re more than the sum of our body parts, and recounted her mom’s battle ...
Exercise to prevent cancer
by Karen Basen-Engquist, PhDThe next time you’re on your couch contemplating whether to watch your favorite sitcom or get up and exercise, remind yourself that being active for at least 30 minutes every day can help reduce your chances of getting certain types of cancer.Physical activity fights cancer because it reduces body fat, and lowers hormone levels that raise breast and endometrial cancer risks. It also keeps the digestive system ...
Tragedy of cancer in a small child
The OR was hushed on Friday.Normally, it is a loud, busy place. The staff and surgeons are almost like a big family; we chat with each other and banter cheerfully with patients to help get their minds off the imminent ordeal of surgery. Chaplains pray with patients and families. Sometimes there are disagreements, as in any workplace. But everyone cares about everyone else.Because of that caring, it was hushed. Instead ...
KevinMD posts of the week, ending February 13, 2011
Here are the top posts from this past week, based on the number of times they were viewed.1. Female physicians make less money than male doctors, here’s why. By spending more time with patients, female physicians are financially penalized by seeing less patients during the day.2. Pelvic exam by a medical student for the first time. They say you never forget your first “real” patient. Mine was ...
Kernels of humor in a tragic cancer story
I didn't always recognize its importance. I mean when I was younger, I thought that being attractive, slim, athletic, articulate were sure-fire antidotes to one’s suffering a life of mediocrity. I just never recognized the value of something I took for granted, my sense of humor. And then life happened.When I was 36, my husband (who was older by 12 years) was diagnosed with lung cancer. Inoperable, incurable, his type ...
Menopause and cancer: What women should know
Menopause often brings more than physical changes. It also may bring uncertainty about cancer risks and cancer prevention.Below, I’ve compiled some of the questions I frequently hear from patients about menopause and cancer. I hope these answers will help other women start informed conversations with their doctors about menopause-related concerns.How does menopause affect a woman’s cancer risk? Menopause does not cause cancer. But your risk of developing cancer increases ...
