Oncology/Hematology
Real-time cancer detection and the future of oncology
An excerpt from Race for a Remedy: The Science and Scientists Behind the Next Life-Saving Cancer Medicine.
I like to compare diabetes and cancer. Both are chronic illnesses with a trend of increasing new cases globally over the past decades, and both are expected to be among the leading diagnoses in the world with an estimated one-half billion people living with either diabetes or cancer by 2040.
The similarities don’t end …
Beyond traditional cancer treatment [PODCAST]
Surviving medical residency: the untold story of resilience and hope
Working as a resident in medicine can be tiring. You are expected to study, pass exams, take care of your patients without making any mistakes, keep your seniors happy, have friendly ties with your co-workers, work extremely long hours, and avoid conflict at all times. No one will ever think of your well-being or happiness. You’ll be blamed and criticized even when your work is exceptional. You have to deal …
Toxic energy: Confronting the carcinogenic risks of fossil fuels
The evidence is clear: Proximity to fossil fuel infrastructure poses a significant cancer risk to millions of Americans. Studies consistently link exposure to pollutants like benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and particulate matter from fossil fuel facilities to elevated rates of lung cancer, leukemia, and other malignancies.
Alarmingly, 17.6 million Americans live in close proximity to active oil and gas wells, transportation pipelines, and processing facilities, …
Battling aplastic anemia: my journey with ATGAM equine therapy
This paper is written from the author’s perspective after receiving ATGAM equine immunotherapy for the treatment of aplastic anemia. This journey began in 2017 with the diagnosis of T-cell lymphocytic leukemia without having achieved remission. The author experienced extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. A full cardiac and pulmonary work-up was completed, and all findings were within normal limits. A CBC revealed a hemoglobin level of 4.4! Thus, the journey …
Minority representation in clinical trials [PODCAST]
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Join Ananth Ravi, a health care executive dedicated to democratizing health care through innovative image-guided therapeutics. In this episode, we delve into the persistent issue of racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes, exploring …
How oncologists and patients build lifelong connections
Oncology is a kind of specialty in medicine that involves seeing the same patients for many years. This can be beneficial when your patient is cured in cases of limited-stage disease or if the disease is stable on treatment for a long period of time in cases of advanced disease. In both scenarios, you follow the patient closely regularly and form a strong bond with them, even if you don’t …
Why saving interstate telehealth should matter to you
As cancer clinical trialists with sub-specialized practices, we treat patients from across the country. But while they must travel for treatment, there are clear occasions where we recognize that advice and consultation by telephone, video, and patient messaging are perfectly safe and far more convenient and cost-effective.
Telemedicine across state lines was the legal norm during COVID-19. Patients and practitioners quickly recognized that Americans deserved access to physicians unencumbered by …
A day in the life: the unseen struggles of an oncology resident
Yesterday, I couldn’t get up in time in the morning and had to rush to the hospital without breakfast. I was just afraid of getting noticed by anyone from my department that I was a little late. When I reached the outpatient department (OPD), I just got a text from my consultant that he was not feeling well, and I had to see all the patients in his absence. In …
A modern tale of thyroid cancer: AI, haikus, and healing
AI Ally
Hangs up. Phone drops. Thud.
She blinks back, tears, and looks up.
Thyroid cancer, huh …
Typing, click clack … thud.
She sighs in relief.
Texts friends, invites family
over for comfort.
The next day, she calls
her doctor ready to talk,
ready to listen.
Behind the poem: not your typical haiku
A story of liver cancer and diabetes [PODCAST]
Why doctors rely on nurses more than you think
I think we spend more working hours with nurses than with any other colleagues. They not only solve the problems of the patients, but most of the time, they even know more than doctors about the progress of every patient. I really rely on their assessment, and sometimes we make better decisions with a little discussion about the situation with each other. We have the same problems, we hate the …
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Navigating the challenges of breast cancer-related lymphedema
As advancements in breast cancer treatments have led to improved patient survival rates, the focus has begun to shift to addressing the significant long-term side effects, particularly lymphedema. This condition, often resulting from cancer therapies, presents substantial health care challenges and negatively impacts patients’ quality of life. With a staggering up to 82 percent of breast cancer patients having a risk factor for developing limb lymphedema due to treatment, …
Costly care vs. cutting-edge treatments: the state of cancer today
For decades, many patients, their children, and grandkids have strived to answer, “What is cancer?” As a doctor and scientist, over the past 16 months, I have learned the latest cancer information from experts at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and MD Anderson in Houston. With that, I have also become aware some patients are either denied state-of-the-art care or just kept in the dark about potential treatment because it is …
Geriatric oncology: challenges and rewards of treating elderly cancer patients
If anyone asks me, “What part of oncology do you hate the most?” I would definitely answer without much thought, “geriatric oncology.” I think that’s the most difficult specialty because it needs extraordinary skills and patience to deal with elderly patients dealing with cancer. Although cancer is much more prevalent in the elderly, their needs are quite different compared to other adult patients. They are mostly very weak and malnourished, …
Hemophilia treatment: new hope with gene therapy and other advancements
Hemophilia and other bleeding disorders are rare genetic conditions that affect the body’s ability to properly form blood clots. People with these conditions often face challenges in accessing appropriate care and treatment. This is true not only in developed countries but also in low- and middle-income countries around the world.
One of the biggest access to care issues for people with hemophilia and bleeding disorders is the availability of specialized treatment …
Lung cancer in Asian American women: Don’t be a statistic (never smoked)
May is AANHPI Heritage Month so it’s a good time to share again my journey from nonsmoker to lung cancer survivor. It is such an important issue to bring awareness to this little-known and potentially deadly health disparity because, according to the 2020 census, 6.2 percent or 20.6 million people identify as AANHPI (Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander).
Wait. How can you have lung cancer? You’re not a …
Why preventive care is the cure for our failing health care system
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
– Thomas Edison
Mr. Edison, if he is watching over us, must be sadly disappointed.
The provocative idea of making cancer centers obsolete might sound extreme, but it underscores a critical vision for health care—shifting from reactive to preventive treatment. Envision a …
Targeting cancer treatment for better outcomes [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!
We welcome Kevin L. Schewe, a radiation oncologist, as we explore the evolution of cancer treatment from the perspective of someone who has witnessed groundbreaking advancements firsthand. From the significance of targeted therapies …
Past Week
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Health care as a human right vs. commodity: Resolving the paradox
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My wife’s story: How DEA and CDC guidelines destroyed our golden years
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The gastroenterologist shortage: Why supply is falling behind demand
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Why voicemail in outpatient care is failing patients and staff
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Alex Pretti’s death: Why politics belongs in emergency medicine
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U.S. opioid policy history: How politics replaced science in pain care
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Past 6 Months
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How environmental justice and health disparities connect to climate change
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Will AI replace primary care physicians?
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A physician father on the Dobbs decision and reproductive rights
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What is the minority tax in medicine?
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Why the U.S. health care system is failing patients and physicians
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Alex Pretti: a physician’s open letter defending his legacy
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Recent Posts
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AI censorship threatens the lifeline of caregiver support [PODCAST]
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Demedicalize dying: Why end-of-life care needs a spiritual reset
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Physician due process: Surviving the court of public opinion
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Spaced repetition in medicine: Why current apps fail clinicians
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When the doctor becomes the patient: a breast cancer diagnosis
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My journey with fibroids and hysterectomy: a patient’s perspective
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Past Week
-
Health care as a human right vs. commodity: Resolving the paradox
-
My wife’s story: How DEA and CDC guidelines destroyed our golden years
-
The gastroenterologist shortage: Why supply is falling behind demand
-
Why voicemail in outpatient care is failing patients and staff
-
Alex Pretti’s death: Why politics belongs in emergency medicine
-
U.S. opioid policy history: How politics replaced science in pain care
-
Past 6 Months
-
How environmental justice and health disparities connect to climate change
-
Will AI replace primary care physicians?
-
A physician father on the Dobbs decision and reproductive rights
-
What is the minority tax in medicine?
-
Why the U.S. health care system is failing patients and physicians
-
Alex Pretti: a physician’s open letter defending his legacy
-
Recent Posts
-
AI censorship threatens the lifeline of caregiver support [PODCAST]
-
Demedicalize dying: Why end-of-life care needs a spiritual reset
-
Physician due process: Surviving the court of public opinion
-
Spaced repetition in medicine: Why current apps fail clinicians
-
When the doctor becomes the patient: a breast cancer diagnosis
-
My journey with fibroids and hysterectomy: a patient’s perspective
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