Oncology and hematology

To my patient who is going to lose her hair from chemotherapy

Farhan S. Imran, MD

November 25, 2021Nov 25, 20212

I understand that the biggest fear you have about going through chemotherapy is losing your hair. I just want to tell you. You will be fine. Trust me. I know it’s barbaric. Why don’t we have medicines to treat cancer…

I understand that the biggest fear you have about going through chemotherapy is losing your hair. I just want to tell you. You will be fine. Trust me.

I know it’s barbaric. Why don’t we have medicines to treat cancer that will not make you lose your hair in this day and age? Strange, right? But science has its limits. Work is being done on finding such

…

Cancer provided an unexpected silver lining

Erin O'Laughlin, DO

November 25, 2021Nov 25, 2021

When I first met her, I perceived she was nervous. I could sense the doctor skepticism. She simply had a negative aura about her. An Eeyore, if you will. A "no" person. A drag. To my absolute non-surprise, she declined…

When I first met her, I perceived she was nervous. I could sense the doctor skepticism. She simply had a negative aura about her. An Eeyore, if you will. A “no” person. A drag.

To my absolute non-surprise, she declined all screenings that a woman of her age is recommended to get. No labs. No pap. No mammogram. No flu shot.

I wondered why she had even come to the doctor.

I think …

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Courtney Markham-Abedi, MD

Until next year, breast care center

November 16, 2021Nov 16, 2021

I enter the breast care center, check in, and take a seat. Though there are few people in the room; there is a sense of dread and trepidation that hangs in the air. It feels almost like a sacred space as I am acutely aware of all the prayers, meditations, and laments that have been spoken in this room whether aloud or silently. I can imagine behests to God, Jesus, …

Until next year, breast care center

How MRI-guided radiation therapy is changing the paradigm in pancreatic cancer

Michael Chuong, MD

November 14, 2021Nov 14, 2021

I truly believe we’re at the beginning of something great in terms of fundamentally changing how we approach pancreatic cancer, the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. With a mortality rate of roughly 80 percent, it’s been referred to as a medical emergency, yet minimal progress has been made in its treatment over the past few decades.

In the world of radiation oncology,

…

Drugs and prescribing

The rise of targeted therapies: the era of the patient-focused approach

M. Yair Levy, MD

November 12, 2021Nov 12, 2021

There is an urgent need for innovation in cancer treatments. Although we’ve seen significant progress in indications for drugs treating particular diseases, cancer research data shows that 10-year survival statistics for cancers such as esophageal and lung cancer, for instance, have shown only a 10 percent increase, while pancreatic cancer has shown no significant improvement since the 1970s. The implementation of targeted therapies in cancer treatment is an …

Tackling racial disparities in cancer care by creating new ways for institutions to operate

Joseph D. Stern, MD, PhD

October 31, 2021Oct 31, 2021

At 84, Emma Shuford found a lump in her breast. After a lumpectomy, she was diagnosed with locally aggressive breast cancer. Her doctors said it was treatable but she needed radiation to help stop it from growing. At first, she…

At first, she refused. Because of her age and a chronic leg injury, she didn’t feel safe driving to the cancer center. The bus would take 90 minutes each way, and she couldn’t walk …

A son’s brain cancer. A father’s story. [PODCAST]

October 21, 2021Oct 21, 2021

"As you wait, you have a lot of time to think. You comb through the past in search of something you might have missed. If we had acted sooner on the signs of his illness—had the cancer been diagnosed earlier—would…

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“As you wait, you have a lot of time to think. You comb through the past in search of something you might have missed. If we had acted sooner on the signs of his illness—had the cancer been diagnosed earlier—would Lee have had a better chance? You think about …

Breast cancer’s silver lining

Anne Katz, RN, PhD

October 19, 2021Oct 19, 2021

In many ways, this woman was similar to other patients I have seen after a diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Her hair was growing back, and I immediately noticed that she was comfortable enough to not be wearing a…

Breast cancer’s silver lining

How to overcome the roadblocks to getting a medical second opinion

Miles J. Varn, MD

October 7, 2021Oct 7, 20212

There are many reasons why you should seek a second opinion. A second opinion can help you: Make sure your diagnosis is accurate, lowering your risk of misdiagnosis and the harms that can cause. Ensure that you’re choosing an appropriate,…

There are many reasons why you should seek a second opinion. A second opinion can help you:

Make sure your diagnosis is accurate, lowering your risk of misdiagnosis and the harms that can cause.
Ensure that you’re choosing an appropriate, evidence-based treatment that has been shown to achieve better outcomes.
Learn about all appropriate treatment options, both medical and surgical, so you can make an informed decision.

One study conducted by …

Heather E. Schultz, MD, MPH

Pink ribbons and murder boobs

October 5, 2021Oct 5, 2021

I woke up this morning to a flood of ballerina pink emails for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The irony was not lost on me as I rolled over in bed, protecting my body from the healing scars of where my breasts used to be. “I don’t even like pink,” I muttered to myself, while swallowing feelings of guilt. I shifted my mind to focus on gratitude … for awareness of …

Pink ribbons and murder boobs

Why people diagnosed with cancer should get a second opinion [PODCAST]

October 4, 2021Oct 4, 2021

"Although people think of medicine as a science—the facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatment—most physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. It’s not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right…

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“Although people think of medicine as a science—the facts reveal the diagnosis, the diagnosis dictates the treatment—most physicians acknowledge that medicine is as much an art as a science. It’s not like a simple math equation with one undeniably right answer. Even when the diagnosis is clear, there may …

Medicine’s science has advanced. Medicine’s art has stalled. [PODCAST]

October 3, 2021Oct 3, 2021

"I was a bit nervous about how she would perceive my advice. She could find it inappropriate and report me for making personal remarks. But I believe she sensed the sincerity in my words and appeared invigorated, uplifted, and excited.…

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“I was a bit nervous about how she would perceive my advice. She could find it inappropriate and report me for making personal remarks. But I believe she sensed the sincerity in my words and appeared invigorated, uplifted, and excited. She was smiling now and exclaimed, ‘Doctor, you will …

I’m grateful for your trust in me. I wish it didn’t require a cancer diagnosis to win it.

Cynthia Cooper, MD

October 2, 2021Oct 2, 2021

You are my favorite patient. You're charming and funny. You proudly tell me you've just retired – having built multiple successful businesses from scratch. You were admitted to my service with rapidly progressive respiratory failure. Your CT shows cancer everywhere.…

You are my favorite patient.

You’re charming and funny.

You proudly tell me you’ve just retired – having built multiple successful businesses from scratch.

You were admitted to my service with rapidly progressive respiratory failure.

Your CT shows cancer everywhere.

You are the same age as my husband.

“I’m not getting that vaccine. It’s my body. I don’t trust Biden. What about the illegals pouring over the border? These mandates are un-American.”

2020 was a good year …

Could a pause in screenings increase missed cancer diagnoses?

Miles J. Varn, MD

September 19, 2021Sep 19, 2021

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in the U.S. in 2020, most hospitals and physician’s offices paused elective and preventive care services to focus on treating large numbers of COVID patients, preserving medical supplies and bed space in hospitals, and reducing the risk of non-COVID patients being exposed to the virus. Cancer screenings were one of the services that were paused. In 2020, this pause resulted in an …

Patient voices

That glorious last summer: A patient says no to chemo

Althea Halchuck, EJD

August 14, 2021Aug 14, 20217

It never ceases to amaze me that some people do not realize they have the absolute right to make their own health care choices even if everyone else thinks it’s the wrong choice. Once they recognize that every medical option…

In the Patient Self-Determination Act of 1990 Act, this right to choose is outlined, including the right to refuse treatment, …

Doing right in the everyday care of patients

Sheila Crow, PhD

July 22, 2021Jul 22, 2021

Caring for patients is not only a clinical endeavor, it is also an ethical one. Patient care and ethics are woven together as an integral part of every doctor-patient encounter. Medical schools have traditionally taught students the principle-based ethics approach of autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and justice. These abstract principles are often applied to “big” patient care situations, such as physician-assisted suicide, organ transplantation, and withholding/withdrawing treatment. The life and death …

What clinicians need to know about clinical trials [PODCAST]

July 13, 2021Jul 13, 2021

"Before COVID-19, clinical research was a little-known part of health care. Despite this process being responsible for determining the safety and efficacy of all the drugs, medical devices, vaccines, and other medical therapies available, less than 5 percent of the…

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“Before COVID-19, clinical research was a little-known part of health care. Despite this process being responsible for determining the safety and efficacy of all the drugs, medical devices, vaccines, and other medical therapies available, less than 5 percent of the U.S. population actually participates in clinical research.

One reason why clinical research …

We need to do better: Caring for patients after cancer treatment

Sheila Crow, PhD

July 11, 2021Jul 11, 20212

The number of cancer survivors currently in the U.S. is around 15 million. With the rapid advancement of improved treatments and early detection, this number is expected to increase to over 20 million by 2026. I am lucky enough to be one of the survivors, now fourteen years out from my diagnosis of cervical cancer. The life-altering long-term side effects of surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation are numerous. …

Culture and end-of-life caretaking

Deepa Iyengar, MD, MPH

July 7, 2021Jul 7, 2021

Amidst beeping monitors, I sat holding my mother’s frail hand in mine with tears rolling down my face and an eerie silence within my soul. I was trying to make sense of the last 24 hours. My mother had migrated…

Amidst beeping monitors, I sat holding my mother’s frail hand in mine with tears rolling down my face and an eerie silence within my soul. I was trying to make sense of the last 24 hours.

My mother had migrated to Houston after an early retirement at 55 to spend time with her granddaughter and me. But life had other plans, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer a year into …