Oncology/Hematology
How Betty Ford’s breast cancer battle revolutionized health care in the 1970s
It is rare that an ABC movie of the week endures. Buzz Kulick’s 1971 Brian’s Song is the notable exception. IMDB describes the movie as a “beloved tearjerker,” which portrays the friendship between Chicago Bears teammates Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo in the mid-1960s. Central to the plot is not only the race-based prejudice that existed in professional football at the time but also the public depiction of cancer in …
A terminal disease intercepted by modern medicine
I have been a physician for over forty years, with an office practice and providing geriatric house calls in our community. Now, I am also a caregiver.
My partner, Robin, was diagnosed with a rare malignancy in November 2022, known as anaplastic thyroid cancer. She was given six months to live.
Surgery to remove what they could took 9 1/2 hours, and seven weeks of subsequent radiation and chemotherapy helped slow it …
How a single act of kindness can transform the world
Since I was a child, I have despised the words “May you live long.”
I felt like it was a curse.
My younger brother, who knows my thoughts, used to joke, “Allah kre tumhari itni lambi umar ho, tum marne ko tarso!” (May Allah bless you with such a long life that you will pray for your death.)
He still wishes the same for me. (He wants me to suffer.)
I used to say …
Why rural America’s health care crisis is getting worse—and what it means for retirees [PODCAST]
I spent years rebelling against my father—until I realized I was exactly like him
I am 31, and my dad turned 54 this year. He had me when he was just 23 years old. I was born in Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan, and he came from a small village in Punjab.
He is a self-made man who struggled all his life to give his children a better future. No one from our village ever went to school. He was the first to get …
Why prayers alone couldn’t save my friend from cancer
I was raised in the Catholic Church. The solemn, reserved, respectful quiet as the priest whispered out his occasional reverent chants. That’s what I knew. That was the only thing I grew to love of the Catholic faith.
This friend of mine. We met years ago by happenstance. She was a firm believer in God, her husband, her dog, her daughters, and her Christian novels that she read feverishly.
She also loved …
The unlikely friendship between a young doctor and an elderly scholar
He is 75 years old, and I am 30. Wondering how we met? It was a very casual meeting in a park.
I live in a four-story building with numerous flats. There is a long walking and jogging track and a playground in front of my building.
On the opposite side of this ground, there are huge bungalows and fancy houses.
People from both sides of the road come here to walk and …
A patient gave me the best gift of my life
I’m at a loss for words—how can someone give something so beautiful to a complete stranger who is nothing more than a doctor?
I first met him a year ago when he was referred to us by the neurosurgery department following his brain tumor surgery.
I was the first doctor to meet him in the radiation oncology clinic. He was 40 years old, a laborer from the lower middle class, and accompanied …
The heartbreaking reality of smoking: a daughter’s final goodbye
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 …
Closing the colorectal cancer screening gap: the need for clear guidance on the use of new screening options
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 …
An inspirational journey through chemotherapy and immunotherapy [PODCAST]
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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 …
When a patient’s story hits close to home: a doctor’s emotional journey
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 …
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AI and empathy: Transforming cancer patient support [PODCAST]
From devotion to despair: a teacher’s fight against glioblastoma
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 …
Challenging the legal barriers of cross-state telemedicine [PODCAST]
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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 …
Solutions for lymphedema in breast cancer survivors [PODCAST]
Talcum powder and female cancer: Separating myths from facts
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 …
How cultural barriers delay cancer treatment for women in Pakistan
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 …
Lessons learned at the bedside: Stick with the basics
“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, …
Past Week
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Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
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Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
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Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
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How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders
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How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]
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Past 6 Months
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Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
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Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
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Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
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Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
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What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
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How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
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Recent Posts
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Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture
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Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.
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Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity
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Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire
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How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]
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Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.
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Past Week
-
Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders
-
Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture
-
How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]
-
Past 6 Months
-
Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients
-
Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]
-
Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine
-
Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR
-
What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab
-
How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight
-
Recent Posts
-
Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture
-
Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.
-
Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity
-
Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire
-
How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]
-
Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.
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