Mind Games: Brain Boosters for Older Adults
By Tricia Despres Bill Darling has always been up for a challenge. A former public relations executive with ComEd, the 78-year-old from the Northwest Side of Chicago has a higher-than-average IQ and an even higher hope that he will be able to continue working for years to come in his current real estate […]
A Failing Heart
As the body’s pump struggles, problems build Evanston resident Marjorie David has been living with heart failure for more than two decades. Leading up to her diagnosis, a few heart issues — mitral valve prolapse and occasional heart racing — were mildly concerning but didn’t slow her down. Then one day in 1997, the now-retired Chicago […]
Second Time’s a Charm
For orthopedic surgery, additional opinions can revise the treatment course Adam Chopp was a freshman athlete, playing football for Olivet College in Michigan, when he tore the labrum in his left hip during a game. He thought surgery would quickly fix the problem, but after four surgeries to the area, he still had pain and […]
Assuring the We in the Health Mastery of Me
Yep, 2020 was a challenging year. It clarified the imperative that the I of the we — the individual in the collective — must actively nourish the sustainability of all: humans and nature. Makes me reconsider the shazam! power of health mastery. Usually, this column addresses the mastering of our individual health. Because of Covid-19, […]
The Support No One Wants (But Everyone Needs)
This morning, I attended a virtual funeral for Brad Rosner. He was 36. Bile duct cancer. Gone just 36 days after he was diagnosed. My family has known Brad his entire life. I was in love with his older sister from age 4 to 8. It was unrequited, but we managed a solid friendship and […]
Screenings Save Lives
Intervening early can halt colorectal cancer In 2003, Bronzeville resident Candace Henley, then 35, was experiencing on-and-off symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and a low blood count throughout the year. Her first two trips to the emergency room (ER) didn’t result in any answers. It wasn’t until after her third trip to the ER — following six […]
Facing Terminal Cancer
Support helps families come to terms with looming loss Last April, Rogers Park resident Aisha Luster got the biggest shock of her life when she learned that her father was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. “He didn’t tell me or my older sister,” says Luster, 37. “We were crushed. We felt left in the dark. It […]
Not Safe at Home
As Covid-19 stress continues, domestic violence escalates in Chicago Life had been dangerous enough for Elise, whose name has been changed for safety. The mother of twins was living with her husband, who was also her abuser. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and Elise’s husband lost his job in the service industry. The family had to rely […]
A Beginner’s Guide to Running
Start slowly — you have to walk before you can run Evelyn Cato began her journey as a runner by walking. When she was young, her family didn’t emphasize exercise. And Cato, who’s Latina, says she never saw anyone who looked like her go running in her Humboldt Park neighborhood. Then, two decades ago, Cato noticed her […]
Can Food Fight Cancer?
Reduce your risk with these healthy eating practices What we eat, as well as how often we exercise, can affect our risk of cancer. Healthy lifestyle factors — such as a nourishing diet, regular physical activity, and a normal body weight — prevent 30% to 40% of cancers, according to a study in the journal […]
Cancer-Fighting Pantry
Stock these healthy staples in your kitchen Numerous studies show the link between unhealthy eating and cancer. About 18% of cancers and 16% of cancer deaths are due to factors such as poor diet, excess body weight, alcohol intake, and lack of exercise, according to the American Cancer Society. But what should you be eating if […]
Survivor Support
Even though cancer treatment ends, the need for physical and emotional care continues When Marty Hogan found out at age 34 that he had acute lymphocytic leukemia, a rapidly progressing blood cancer, the news devastated him and his pregnant wife, Whitney. It was 2016, and the doctor gave him a low five-year survival prognosis. His […]
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 than most women who develop breast cancer. But it concerned her that three healthcare providers in Chicago told her three different things about the lump in her breast, while saying that she was too young […]
Breast Cancer Breakthroughs
Better surgeries, less radiation, and new drugs are changing treatments and offering hope In 1811, Nabby Adams, daughter of President John Adams and Abigail Adams, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Brave Nabby submitted to a mastectomy without anesthesia in her parents’ home. The doctor successfully removed her tumor, but the cancer reappeared, and she died two […]
Joining a Clinical Trial
Consider the following when deciding whether to join a trial Treatment. Usually, patients get either the medication being studied or a typical treatment for their cancer (called “standard of care”). Cancer patients rarely get placebos (nonactive medication). If placebos are used, it is along with regular medication. Ask your healthcare team how you could potentially benefit […]
Not Everyone Is Studied Equally
Historically, medical research has focused on white men rather than women or people of color, says Nicole Woitowich, PhD, research assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. This has changed somewhat in recent years, following a push for greater gender and minority representation in clinical studies, including draft guidance […]
Clinical Trials
Participating in cancer research can give access to life-saving drugs Alexa DiVenere was 16 in 2011, when she heard news that would drastically change her life: She had stage 4 lung cancer, discovered after she felt pressure in her chest while playing soccer. The Chicago teen underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and, at 17, had […]
Empowering Outreach
Organizations offer breast cancer advocacy and support September 27, 2006. No one forgets their date, Sophia Williams says. She was 36 years old and was joking around with a friend after returning from a cruise. During their horseplay, she says, she felt something in her breast. The possibility it was breast cancer never occurred to […]
Prostate Problems
Treatments offer men relief for a common uncomfortable condition About 10 years ago, Steven Prosser, of Libertyville, started beating a path from his bedroom to his bathroom five or six times every night to urinate. His problem got progressively worse until Prosser, who is now 57, was waking up more and more often to go […]
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 of it. Nor was cancer treatment, and, most certainly, infertility was not part of her plan. Yet, while the Chicago resident was in the midst of planning her June 2021 wedding, she found a lump […]
Connecting Families
Nurse home visits address maternal and infant health disparities Nine-year-old Angela Ellison spent Christmas Eve 1969 sitting in a beauty shop in West Chatham. She was getting ready to visit her mother in the hospital. Ellison’s sister Claudette had been born a month earlier, but then their mother, Willie Mae, returned to the hospital with […]
Home Sweet Sleep
Our overall health and well-being rely on sleep. Yet, for many people, sleep apnea not only prevents a good night’s sleep but also contributes to a range of serious health issues. If left undetected, the condition can put people at risk for everything from stroke to heart attacks. To diagnose sleep apnea, people traditionally need to undergo […]
App Gives Real-Time Updates from the NICU
Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, Craig Garfield, MD, and Young Lee, PhD, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, developed an app to solve a common problem in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU): Parents often can’t be at the hospital 24/7, yet they need to stay up to date on their baby’s care. Merging electronic medical records […]
Liquid Biopsies May Help Identify Lung Cancer
You may be used to hearing about tissue biopsies, in which doctors snip samples of tissue to see if it’s cancerous. For some cancers, liquid biopsies may offer a less invasive approach. In a liquid biopsy, specialists test your blood, plasma, or urine for DNA sequences unique to specific cancers. Scientists from the University of Illinois College of Medicine […]
Expanded Reach for HPV Vaccine
A vaccine against the human papillomavirus (HPV) can prevent six types of cancer if given at the right time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Updated recommendations in the past few years have expanded the reach of the vaccine, which can prevent cancers of the cervix, anus, penis, vulva, vagina, and throat. […]
Molecular Breast Imaging for Dense Breasts
Dense breast tissue can mask cancers on standard screening mammograms. “As many as 25% of cancers can be missed,” says Barry Rosen, MD, a breast cancer surgeon at Advocate Good Shepherd Breast Care Center in Barrington. “Every woman with dense breasts should have additional screening beyond mammography.” A newer technique, molecular breast imaging (MBI) can help distinguish […]
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 breast MRIs. Radiologists can use the technology to help assess if breast lesions are cancerous. Research shows the technology led to a 39% reduction in missed cancers, according to a clinical trial. Maryellen Giger, PhD, […]
