In November, Mariah Carey defrosts for another holiday season with her iconic tune, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” and social media floods platforms with content about Black Friday and the holidays.
November is also Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Lung cancer is the No. 1 cancer killer of both men and women in the U.S. and worldwide. Lung cancer kills more people each year than breast, prostate, and colon …
A holiday wish for lung cancer screening
Sandy was sent to me by her primary care physician for evaluation of anemia. As I reviewed her chart, I explained to the medical student that the blood work showed a lifelong benign condition called alpha thalassemia trait that she was born with. It had no potential to harm her. This would be a quick consult, meaning we would have some extra time to enjoy our lunch.
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My 5-minute conversation with a suicide hotline expert
The American Cancer Society released its annual report on cancer statistics, showing that we have made clear and significant progress in treating numerous forms of cancer. The overall rate of death has declined steadily since 1991, translating to over 3 million lives saved.
Despite this progress, I still see room for improvement in a care model where patients too often slip through the cracks.
The National Cancer Institute identified that …
Integrated care is the key to optimizing cancer outcomes
October 27th is the 30th anniversary of the Mammography Quality Standards Act (MQSA). Congress enacted this law to safeguard nationwide access to quality mammography to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. With this Act, the federal government accredits, inspects, and certifies mammography facilities and standardizes mammography equipment, quality assurance, recordkeeping, and communication of results.
What’s missing from the …
Better guidelines that consider breast density are critical for women’s health
I normally start October off by changing my Facebook profile picture to a pink survivor ribbon and celebrating my breast cancer survivorship, but this October was different. I slept on October 1st because I had spent 48 hours at Gulf Coast Medical Center when hurricane Ian struck Southwest Florida three days before. I was absolutely exhausted when I arrived home after the storm. The world was turned upside down. Then …
Say “I love you” often and mean it
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“I think it’s much more likely that my patients — some of whom are terminal and facing their own mortality; others who are suffering through a multitude of side effects from their cancers or our treatments – …
When patients want their doctors to heal [PODCAST]
“Mark my words. AI (artificial intelligence) is more dangerous than the nukes.”
– Elon Musk
The other day, as soon as I walked in to work, already running my usual ten minutes late, I was hustling from my office to the clinic when I saw one of our physician assistants in the hallway. Otherwise known for her calm composure, it seemed odd that she was visibly distressed. She had forgotten her laptop …
Is Elon Musk right about the future of medicine?
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“Lacking a supreme being in which to place our faith, my wife and I decided to make the most difficult decision of our lives and discontinue life support. I still wonder if we made the right decision, …
A physician’s reflections with certainty in medicine [PODCAST]
An excerpt from Preventing Prostate Cancer: Reduce Your Risk With Simple, Proactive Choices.
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in men globally. Within the United States, the American Cancer Society found that one in eight men are diagnosed …
Preventing prostate cancer with simple, proactive choices
I have experienced a wide spectrum of the health care ecosystem since childhood giving me a deeper insight into its future need. I suffered for 23 years with a wrong diagnosis and frequent long-distance hospital visits before my heart operation. For 14 years, I shifted through multiple doctors and hospitalizations for my father’s mismanaged diabetic complications, including a foot ulcer with cellulitis. My academic mentor said, “Your father himself is …
Turning obstacles into opportunities with diversified health care perspectives
As my patient’s face slowly became visible on the computer screen, I smiled and waved to her. She waved back with vigor.
She was a Cuban housekeeper who arrived in Miami during the Mariel boatlift in 1980. Now in her mid-60s, she had recently been diagnosed with leukemia and endured a two-month hospitalization during which her bone marrow grudgingly entered a remission, following an onslaught of chemotherapy. She was now back …
One conundrum patients face is the dichotomy of trusting our doctors whilst deep diving in web searches and seeking additional opinions. Another is when our findings and experiences do not align with our doctors or established practices and guidelines.
How would you react in the first consultation with a new patient who presented as I did: with a radiation oncologist in Houston, outcome data on three curative attempts, a graph of …
Urging patience with patient self-advocacy
“It’s just part of getting older.”
“Welcome to being a woman.”
“I hear this all the time from women. You just need to learn to deal with it.”
“Here’s a pill. See you in six months.”
“I have run all the labs I can think of. They are all normal. There’s nothing wrong. I’m sure it’s just stress.”
“It’s probably in your head.”
“There’s nothing I can do for you.”
Every doctor visit was the same. Each …
Breast implant illness: It’s not all in your head
While cancer has been around for decades, the fight for survival and treatment options are still very top of mind. Treatment is simply playing catch up. We continue to try and get rid of the disease that has already infiltrated one’s body rather than catching it before it develops. We need to shift the focus from therapeutics that fight the disease to ways we can catch it before the deterioration …
Cancer of the future: diagnosis, treatment, and impact on the health care system and patients
That health care in the United States is wildly expensive is beyond debate — but the actual numbers are almost beyond belief. In 2010, for example, health care costs amounted to $2.6-trillion. By 2020, those costs had risen to $4 trillion — an increase of more than 50%. Worse, such increases show no signs of slowing.
Health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and direct government expenses all add up to a nearly …
Denying essential medical care doesn’t save money — or lives
Lump
I am a pretty private person and will only disclose information with a small few I trust. However, it has been five years since my second diagnosis with breast cancer, and I felt compelled to share my journey because I’ve made it a lot longer than I thought I would.
Every day for the rest of the month, I will share what I recall, what helped, and what didn’t. My only …
5G and its related cell towers are still causing controversy around the U.S. Earlier this month, residents in Indiana and Nevada were against 5G cell towers being placed in their neighborhoods. In Charlotte County, Florida, one resident against the towers was concerned about his neighborhood being the guinea pigs of possible health implications caused by 5G. Before these complaints surfaced, 107 …
Clearing up common misconceptions surrounding cellular technology and radiation
It’s not a good feeling when you cannot do too much for your patient as a doctor. That’s how I felt when I walked into the room to see Valerie for the first time.
She was in her 60’s. She was flanked by her two adult granddaughters, who were very close to their grandma. You could tell that at some point in her life when she was younger, she may have …
According to data gathered by the American Cancer Society (ACS), more than 1.9 million new cancers are projected to be diagnosed in 2022. In addition, missed cancer screenings due to the pandemic are expected to potentially increase the number of cancers that are diagnosed at a more advanced stage. But the ACS data also highlight an important fact—approximately 42% of the new cancers projected to be diagnosed …
The building blocks of a cancer risk management strategy
I recently had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with an esthetic flat closure (no reconstruction). My decision took months of questions, discussion and reflection. My journey began during the final four weeks of 2021.
It included: four mammograms, four ultrasounds, three MRIs, two needle biopsies, two radioactive seed placements, two excisional biopsies (aka lumpectomies), two surgeon visits, and scheduling a prophylactic mastectomy.
Thankfully, I am currently cancer-free and have a greatly reduced risk …
Not a cancer survivor, not a cancer previvor: Am I a cancer preventer?
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