The difference between conventional X-ray therapy and proton therapy – and why we are re-examining the way we treat left-side breast cancer.
The majority of breast cancer patients today are able to preserve their breasts as they undergo a lumpectomy followed by post-operative radiation. However, research shows that left-side breast cancer patients treated with radiation have an increased risk of radiation-induced heart problems.
Here, Dr. Brian Chon writes about the connection…
On the occasion of World Cancer Day, Dr V Shanta, Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai, a doyenne in her field, talks to PatientsEngage about the challenges of tackling cancer in India. “India has state of the art facilities but it does not reach everyone.” PE: There are many differing views on how frequently one should have mammograms. You have said that annual mammograms are unnecessary. Dr. Shanta: I believe that we do follow the general guidelines laid…
Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby – son of a BBC legend – tells Charlie Cooper how his father’s candour informed the family’s attitude to coping with illness Britain in 1965 was not a country that talked about cancer. So when one of the most recognisable men in Britain, the veteran broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, decided in October 1965 to go public with the fact that he was suffering from it, the announcement stunned the country. “The newspapers, when he said: ‘I have got cancer’, responded…
Falls are a serious concern for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, in which the body’s immune system attacks the protective covering or sheath surrounding nerve fibers. The risk for serious head and extremity injuries can increase with the duration of the disease. As disruption of balance is both a common and debilitating symptom of MS, initiatives to reduce the incidence of falls would be welcomed by patients and medical…
According to the World Health Organization, there are more than 350 million people all over the world with depression. With that staggering statistic, it is highly probable that we will all interact at some point with someone experiencing a bout with depression. One of the most devastating aspects of dealing with depression is the stigma and negative criticism that comes from others. Furthermore, people may not even know that their behaviors and comments are being negative or hurtful…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Ibrance (palbociclib) to treat advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. Breast cancer in women is one of the three common cancers in most countries. The drug, whose chemical name is palbociclib, was approved for previously untreated postmenopausal women whose cancer cells have receptors to the female hormone estrogen and who do not have mutations in the HER2 gene that can contribute to uncontrolled growth of breast…
Girls who frequently consume sugary drinks tend to start their menstrual periods earlier than girls who do not, according to new research published online Jan 28 in Human Reproduction. This effect was independent of the girls' body mass index (BMI), height, total food intake and other lifestyle factors such as physical activity. The findings are important not only because of the growing problem of childhood obesity in a number of developed countries, but also because starting periods earlier is…
Driven by the evidence, not by rhetoric or anecdote, we describe what the reality of research actually shows to be true. Myth 1: Cancer is a man-made, modern disease While it’s certainly true that global lifestyle-related diseases like cancer are on the rise, the biggest risk factor for cancer is age. Myth 2: Superfoods prevent cancer Blueberries, beetroot, broccoli, garlic, green tea… the list goes on. Despite thousands of websites claiming otherwise, there’s no such thing…
Nytol, Benadryl, Ditropan and Piriton among the medications identified by scientists as raising likelihood of dementia A report published online this week in JAMA Internal Medicine offers compelling evidence of a link between long-term use of anticholinergic medications like Benadryl and dementia. Anticholinergic drugs block the action of acetylcholine. This substance transmits messages in the nervous system. In the brain, acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory. In the…
