Fred was the cool guy.
Back in the 1950s and 60s, smoking cigarettes was considered movie star quality. That circling of smoke in his parked car with the girl of his dreams.
He started smoking at the tender age of 15.
Fred had it figured out. Cigarettes were glamorous. Cigarettes were cool.
Doctors advertised that smoking was good for you. It helped you keep weight off, and it relieved your anxiety.
In 1965, the Surgeon …
As a practicing gastroenterologist, I never want to say to a patient: “You have advanced colon cancer.” Just last week, I discovered an early colon cancer in an asymptomatic patient who was referred to me after a positive result on a non-invasive multi-target stool DNA test. The patient was grateful we caught it and recognized that if it was not for that positive test, she was hesitant to have a …
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Join Deborah C. Smith, a nurse who shares her courageous battle with T-cell lymphocytic leukemia and aplastic anemia. Diagnosed in 2017, Deborah navigated extreme fatigue, frequent transfusions, and challenging chemotherapy regimens before finding …
It had been a busy day. He was the last patient of the day.
In the oncology outpatient department, we have forms for documenting a patient’s medical history. The form has specific sections that need to be filled out in a set order. First, we start with the presenting complaint, followed by the history of presenting illness. Next, we document the patient’s past medical and surgical history, followed by sections for …
He was only 31 years old. He had a beard and was a very tall and incredibly handsome man. He was a teacher who used to teach the Holy Quran to young children in a faraway village in Punjab. He used to offer his prayers regularly. He did not go to school or college but was a productive member of society. He worked at a tailor shop and used to …
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Join radiation oncologists Shannon MacDonald and Sean McBride as they delve into the evolving landscape of telemedicine in oncology. They discuss the significant improvements telemedicine brought during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges and …
Another recent correlational study on the relationship between talcum powder (TP) and female reproductive tract cancers was published. This research originated in the 1970s when gynecologists at one hospital noted that an unusually high number of women were experiencing these cancers. They reviewed medical records and, in looking at possible causative agents, noted that many of the affected women used TP. They published their findings, and additional case review studies …
Pakistan, classified as a lower-middle-income nation, is experiencing a massive increase in the number of cancer cases. Our health expenditure as a proportion of the gross domestic product (GDP) is worryingly small in contrast to that of more developed nations.
We are fighting with illiteracy, poverty, limited resources, lack of awareness regarding screening and early presentation of tumors, and an inadequate number of trained oncologists. There are very few centers with …
“Dance with the one who brought you.” This phrase was attributed to an iconic college coach. There have been lots of interpretations of this comment, but the coach basically said that when the big game is on the line, when the championship is at stake, you do not tinker with your personnel and your coaching strategy.
Stick with the basics that brought you to this point in the season.
Throughout our careers, …
Writing is something I enjoy. I take pleasure in writing, especially because of my beautiful handwriting. When I started school, we had to write with a lead pencil until fifth grade. I was so excited to write with a pen when I started sixth grade. After I learned how to write with a pen, I have been writing nonstop. I found my writing mesmerizing. My friends used to cram notes …
Writing is something I really enjoy. I take pleasure in writing, especially because of my beautiful handwriting. When I started school, we had to write with a lead pencil until fifth grade. I was so excited to write with a pen when I started sixth grade. After I learned how to write with a pen, I have been writing nonstop since that day. I found my writing mesmerizing. While my …
Memories of retiring from medicine flooded me while watching the recent presidential debate, a distressing experience for many staunch Democrats, including me.
Joe Biden’s struggles to speak clearly and move fluidly brought back difficult memories of how my illness forced the end of a satisfying medical career. Faced with the toughest choice imaginable, I decided for the collective good. Now we as a …
An excerpt from Race for a Remedy: The Science and Scientists Behind the Next Life-Saving Cancer Medicine.
I like to compare diabetes and cancer. Both are chronic illnesses with a trend of increasing new cases globally over the past decades, and both are expected to be among the leading diagnoses in the world with an estimated one-half billion people living with either diabetes or cancer by 2040.
The similarities don’t end …
Working as a resident in medicine can be tiring. You are expected to study, pass exams, take care of your patients without making any mistakes, keep your seniors happy, have friendly ties with your co-workers, work extremely long hours, and avoid conflict at all times. No one will ever think of your well-being or happiness. You’ll be blamed and criticized even when your work is exceptional. You have to deal …
The evidence is clear: Proximity to fossil fuel infrastructure poses a significant cancer risk to millions of Americans. Studies consistently link exposure to pollutants like benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and particulate matter from fossil fuel facilities to elevated rates of lung cancer, leukemia, and other malignancies.
Alarmingly, 17.6 million Americans live in close proximity to active oil and gas wells, transportation pipelines, and processing facilities, …
This paper is written from the author’s perspective after receiving ATGAM equine immunotherapy for the treatment of aplastic anemia. This journey began in 2017 with the diagnosis of T-cell lymphocytic leukemia without having achieved remission. The author experienced extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. A full cardiac and pulmonary work-up was completed, and all findings were within normal limits. A CBC revealed a hemoglobin level of 4.4! Thus, the journey …
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