The delay in diagnosis changes the prognosis, treatment approach, and the cost associated with it, dramatically
By Jame Abraham, M.D, FACP, Cleveland Clinic
Arathi is a 47-year-old, highly successful systems engineer from Mumbai. About six months ago, she noticed some discomfort in her left breast. When she raised her arm above her head to comb her hair, she noticed some skin changes on the left breast. But she chose to ignore that, too. When she developed a constant nagging pain in her…
Says Dr V Shanta, cancer specialist and the Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai. Lung cancer, which is related to smoking, is today the top cancer in the country. Within the year, 15.5% of 13 to 15-year-olds are going to start smoking. Don’t let your child be one of them. Plus, how smoking harms non-smokers, too. 1. How grave is the health problem posed by tobacco use in India? How much of it relates to smoking cigarettes, beedis and how much is it due to consumption of gutka,…
World No Tobacco Day is on May 31. Cancer survivor Vandana Gupta (VG), the founder of V Care, a support service for cancer patients and their families in India, talks about the urgent need to protect your kids and family members from the widespread scourge of tobacco use. Plus, what to say to kids who think smoking is cool. PE: Your organisation, V Care, offers support to different types of cancer patients. What are the specific challenges pertaining to …
The risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25, those who used multiple supplements, and those who used them for years. A new study links taking muscle-building supplements, such as pills and powders with creatine or androstenedione, with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Moreover, says study senior author Tongzhang Zheng, the associated testicular germ cell cancer risk was especially high among men who started using supplements before age 25,…
Quality of life and Autonomy are important criteria in a patient's choice Dr. Gawande stresses that for most people, there comes a time when the quality of those years becomes more important than the absolute quantity. Research shows that older adults are less concerned with safety and more worried about losing their autonomy. The desire to consider quality of life over quantity can conflict with some of the practices of modern medicine. But it’s entirely consistent with the core values of the…
SINGAPORE — When it comes to managing their condition, younger TYPE 2 diabetic patients — those below the age of 40 — in Singapore appear to be having a harder time keeping their conditions in check as compared to their older counterparts, a study by the Asia Diabetes Foundation (ADF) has found. The study involved over 300 diabetic patients here and was conducted at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Findings revealed that younger patients fared worse in two of three key indicators doctors…
By Bruce Broussard, President and CEO at Humana Jan 27, 2015 Do we know how to handle death as we do life? Most of us don’t think about the former; we’re so wrapped up in our busy lives that it doesn’t really enter our thoughts that often. We’re focused on getting the kids to school; meeting the next deadline at work; getting the family together for dinner. Due to advances in health and medicine, people over 65 are able to live longer than in any previous generation. They’re wearing…
While conscious but not knowing her life was at risk, the patient was against amputation. Lawyer Lyn Boxall presents a case of doctors acting in the best interest of the patient when only an amputation could save her life. Mdm LP, a diabetic, consulted Dr Tan at the Gleneagles Medical Centre in October 2005 complaining about pain in both feet1. She said she had been told by doctors at Singapore General Hospital and at Tan Tock Seng hospital that her right leg had…
A widely prevalent skew in kidney donation — gender disparity — is just as shocking as economic disparity, when the bald numbers are scanned. Doctors at Narayana Health, a large Bangalore-headquartered hospital chain run by well-known cardiac surgeon Devi Shetty, found that an overwhelming 65 per cent of kidney donors in its hospitals are women, whereas 70 per cent of kidney recipients are male. Kidney donation is a medically proven safe process that has no bearing on a person’s lifespan. Yet,…
