Multiple Myeloma

Multiple Myeloma

Advancements improve outlook for people with blood cancer affecting the bone marrow Human resources manager Valarie Traynham was standing in…

Eliminating Cervical Cancer

Eliminating Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer in Chicago occurs 39% more often and has a 60% higher death rate than the national average, according…

Op-Ed, Part 2: How to Take a Dire Cancer Diagnosis and Make the Best of It

Op-Ed, Part 2: How to Take a Dire Cancer Diagnosis and Make the Best of It

Chicago Health is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. The opinions expressed in this op-ed article are the author’s own.…

Op-Ed: I Have Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma, and I’m Surprisingly Content

Op-Ed: I Have Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma, and I’m Surprisingly Content

Chicago Health is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. The opinions expressed in this op-ed article are the author’s…

Beyond Covid-19

Beyond Covid-19

mRNA vaccines get ready for their next act: fighting cancer When you look at the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic in…

A Crisis of Undiagnosed Cancers Is Emerging in the Pandemic’s Second Year

A Crisis of Undiagnosed Cancers Is Emerging in the Pandemic’s Second Year

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Teresa Ruvalcaba lay on a bed in the emergency room of Chicago’s Mount…

Cancer-Fighting Pantry

Cancer-Fighting Pantry

Stock these healthy staples in your kitchen Numerous studies show the link between unhealthy eating and cancer. About 18% of cancers…

Survivor Support

Survivor Support

Even though cancer treatment ends, the need for physical and emotional care continues When Marty Hogan found out at age…

The Color of Cancer

The Color of Cancer

Local groups counter sub-par cancer care in underserved Chicago communities At 31, Roshanda Randle of Englewood knew she was younger…

Joining a Clinical Trial

Joining a Clinical Trial

Consider the following when deciding whether to join a trial  Treatment. Usually, patients get either the medication being studied or…

Empowering Outreach

Empowering Outreach

Organizations offer breast cancer advocacy and support September 27, 2006. No one forgets their date, Sophia Williams says. She was…

Prostate Problems

Prostate Problems

Treatments offer men relief for a common uncomfortable condition About 10 years ago, Steven Prosser, of Libertyville, started beating a…

Cancer & Fertility

Cancer & Fertility

Options preserve hope for pregnancy after treatment When 31-year-old Amy Glomski was planning her perfect wedding, a pandemic wasn’t part…

Using Artificial Intelligence to Assess Breast Cancer

Using Artificial Intelligence to Assess Breast Cancer

Software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) may help improve breast cancer diagnosis. QuantX, developed in Chicago, uses AI to analyze…

Kwame Raoul Discusses Importance of Prostate Cancer Screenings

Kwame Raoul Discusses Importance of Prostate Cancer Screenings

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul knew that he was at risk of developing prostate cancer. His family history seemed inescapable.…

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Thyroid Nodules Generally Don’t Cause Signs or Symptoms

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Thyroid Nodules Generally Don’t Cause Signs or Symptoms

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Are thyroid nodules common? What causes them to develop, and should I be concerned if I have…

Diagnosed with Breast Cancer? Answers to Common Questions About Radiation

Diagnosed with Breast Cancer? Answers to Common Questions About Radiation

Physicians have used radiation therapy to treat breast cancer for well over a century. But even though it’s safe, some…

Cancer and Covid-19

Cancer and Covid-19

While individuals are at greater risk, treatment and screening must continue Robyn Hawkins is not an anxious person. “But this…

Suffering from ‘Chemo Brain’? There’s Hope

Suffering from ‘Chemo Brain’? There’s Hope

Some of the most common symptoms experienced by cancer patients are memory problems, difficulties with multitasking, and reduced attention and…

Cancer Patients Face Uncertainty as Coronavirus Cripples Hospitals

Cancer Patients Face Uncertainty as Coronavirus Cripples Hospitals

Above photo: National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov. Photo by Rhoda Baer The federal government has encouraged health centers to delay nonessential…

Eating to Prevent Cancer

Eating to Prevent Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of cancer in the United States is 1 in 3. But…

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Screening Is an Important Step in Preventing Colon Cancer

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Screening Is an Important Step in Preventing Colon Cancer

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Are there ways to prevent colon cancer? What about early symptoms to watch for? I just turned…

Six Viruses that Cause Cancer

Six Viruses that Cause Cancer

The truth is doctors and scientists don’t know what causes most types of cancer. Yes, some lifestyle behaviors, such as…

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Living with a terminal cancer that is seldom understood Chicagoan Shannon Collins was in for a shock. At age 26,…

Training Cells to Attack

Training Cells to Attack

Groundbreaking CAR T-cell therapy engineers cells to target tumors In fall 2013, when psychiatrist J. Barry Rubin, DO, developed hip pain,…

Chondroitin and Melanoma: How Worried Should You Be?

Chondroitin and Melanoma: How Worried Should You Be?

Harvard Health Blog Chondroitin sulfate is among the most popular supplements in the world. It’s often taken in combination with…

Sex After Cancer

Sex After Cancer

Helping female survivors regain their sexual satisfaction and confidence After Naomi’s breast cancer treatment — the lumpectomy, the chemotherapy, the 33…

Cooling Caps May Reduce Chemo Hair Loss

Cooling Caps May Reduce Chemo Hair Loss

Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy face the distressing prospect of losing their hair. But cold cap therapy can reduce hair loss…

Supporting Medicare Patients After Chemo

Supporting Medicare Patients After Chemo

The almost 1.7 million people diagnosed with cancer each year face a range of hurdles, but a new healthcare approach…

At a Loss for Words

At a Loss for Words

What to say — and what not to — when talking about cancer In 2013, Charles Chamberlain, 53, a Chicago healthcare executive, was diagnosed with…

Cancer and Bone Health: Important Questions for Women

Cancer and Bone Health: Important Questions for Women

DXA Scanner. Photo courtesy of Northwestern Medicine’s Bone Health and Osteoporosis Center For women facing a cancer diagnosis, there are…

A Bright Light in Cancer Treatment

A Bright Light in Cancer Treatment

Imagine a technology that allows physicians to target cancer cells with laser precision, sparing a patient’s healthy cells in the…

Integrative Cancer Treatment

Integrative Cancer Treatment

From nutritional therapy to off-label drugs, holistic approaches help patients heal In this age of one-size-fits-all medicine, doctors who practice…

Shoot for the Moon

Shoot for the Moon

Cancer initiative spurs research—and already advancements are happening In the 1960s, America channeled its scientific and engineering efforts into putting…

A Family Affair

A Family Affair

Battling pediatric cancer Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo started a tradition in his frequent visits to the Ann &…

Cancer Survivorship

Cancer Survivorship

When treatment ends, the healing begins After Carolyn Nugent was diagnosed with stage 2B invasive ductal carcinoma, the 33-year-old physical…

Beating Cancer

Beating Cancer

Making progress in the long war Cancer has touched almost all of us in one way or another. Its fast-growing…

Life After Cancer

Life After Cancer

By David Himmel Above photo: Abigail Mendoza. Photo by Angela Garbot It’s been almost three years since I was diagnosed…

Children Exposed to Pesticides Have Increased Risk of Blood Cancers, Study Says

Children Exposed to Pesticides Have Increased Risk of Blood Cancers, Study Says

Pesticides seem necessary to keep the home free from ants, cockroaches and other insects, but the toxic chemicals may do…

Can aspirin protect against cancer?

Can aspirin protect against cancer?

Harvard Health Blog The other day, a fit 50-year-old man came to me for a visit to review his health.…

Study examines aggressive end-of-life care

Study examines aggressive end-of-life care

Source: University of North Carolina School of Medicine Advanced cancer patients receive aggressive care at high rates at the end…

Sleuthing Out Cancer

Sleuthing Out Cancer

Above photo: Carey August, MD Out of the spotlight, pathologists help detect disease By Nancy Maes When former President Jimmy Carter…

Sun Sense

Sun Sense

Dermatologists say chemicals in sunscreen not a risk By Laura Drucker I was walking along the lakefront with a friend…

To The Point

To The Point

Acupuncture eases chemo-related pain, fatigue and nausea A component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been well researched in Western…

Thyroid Cancer on the Rise

Thyroid Cancer on the Rise

Diagnosis increasing, but many questions left unanswered By Heidi Kiec When Rebecca Smith felt a lump on her neck the…

FDA’s Notice on Morcellation Stirs Up Fears and Not Enough Questions

FDA’s Notice on Morcellation Stirs Up Fears and Not Enough Questions

By Ruth Kaufman Last December, a Boston anesthesiologist and her husband, a surgeon, launched a campaign to end the use…

Skin Cancer: A Cautionary Tale

Skin Cancer: A Cautionary Tale

Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, everything is called into question By David Himmel You wouldn’t have known it by looking…

Funding the Cancer War

Funding the Cancer War

Despite the money spent on fighting the disease, we’re still searching for the cure to win by Alex Lubischer Bad…

Awareness Related to Colorectal Cancer Helps Reduce the Number of Deaths

Awareness Related to Colorectal Cancer Helps Reduce the Number of Deaths

By David Himmel March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, and here’s what you need to know: Colorectal cancer is tricky.…

Questionable Screenings

Questionable Screenings

Timing is everything in avoiding unnecessary risks that can come with cancer screenings By Nancy Maes Screenings for cancer are…