The Need for Screening
While men may be reluctant to see the doctor, they should consider these important preventive tests How do you think most men would rather spend their day: doing household chores, like cleaning the bathroom, or visiting the doctor? Survey says: Most men (72%) would rather do a chore like scrubbing the floor than see their […]
Who, When, Why: Navigating Complex Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
If you are confused about breast cancer screening guidelines — how often to get mammograms and when to start — your instinct might be to head to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for some clarification. But you may not get the answers you seek because there you will see a matrix with […]
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 Sinai Hospital, her right breast swollen to nearly twice the size of her left, the skin so thick and dimpled that the doctor examining her would note that it resembled an orange peel. Ojalá que […]
Getting smart about dense breast tissue
Above image: four level breast density scale By Laura Drucker Chiqeeta Jameson woke up with a start one morning in 1998. “I have breast cancer,” the 41-year-old announced to her sleeping fiancé. “Are you talking about that lump on your right breast?” he asked, without opening his eyes. Jameson’s declaration “was just some instinctual thing,” […]
Doctor’s Orders
What Patients Should Know By Dr. Gena Vennikandam When was the last time you visited the doctor? In more scenarios than one, sadly, this question often elicits only a long pause followed by a shameful shrug of the shoulders. Understandably, our lives get hectic, but checking in on your health with your primary care physician should […]
Questionable Screenings
Timing is everything in avoiding unnecessary risks that can come with cancer screenings By Nancy Maes Screenings for cancer are filled with a haunting question: what if they find something? People might be so fearful of the disease that they cling to the notion that no news is good news. But statistics from screenings should […]
The Pap Education
Are women demanding unnecessary tests? By Megy Karydes A cancer that starts the day after a negative Papanicolaou (Pap) test, under the new guidelines, may have three years to develop before the next Pap test detects it. An annual Pap test for a healthy, sexually active woman used to be the norm as a preventive […]
Vitamin D Deficiency: How Common Is It?
By Karen Schwartz These dark and dreary winter months have many Chicagoans longing for warmer climates. But hot rays and relaxing days are not all that Chicagoans may miss by living in a colder and less sunny locale. Living in Chicago may predispose numerous Chicago residents to having a vitamin D deficiency. In fact, about […]
The Dying Brain – Part 2
When brain dead means total death Read Part 1 Seventy-five years ago, the concept of brain death wasn’t even imagined. “It was only with the advent of successful mechanical ventilation and the advancement of critical-care tools and techniques that a patient could actually be systemically stable after developing the irreversible cessation of brain function,” says […]
Skin Cancer Weapons
Dermatologists have a useful arsenal against skin cancer Whether you’re lying out on one of Chicago’s beaches this summer, riding your bike to and from work each day or just sitting in your backyard on a beautiful sunny afternoon, think about this sobering fact: According to the American Cancer Society, melanoma, the most serious type of […]
The Great Debate
Opinions keep changing on when mammograms should be administered Television personality Giuliana Rancic, 37, a Chicagoan, shone light on a very important women’s health issue last winter with the announcement that she would undergo a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. While the typical breast cancer patient is older, contradicting recommendations from professionals […]
Health Mastery
HPV and Males: Moms and Dads, Let’s Talk Before my son left for his freshman year at college, I, the single mom, pushed myself to have the talk with him. Not that talk. This talk was about HPV (human papillomavirus), and its link to the increasing number of occurrences of head and neck cancer in […]
The Power of Pink
Chicago is home to a range of organizations raising breast cancer awareness and offering assistance to those affected by the disease It’s October, and that means it’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During these next few weeks, Chicago will be awash in a now-familiar pink hue—on display everywhere from the Bears’ team uniforms to the […]
Smart Testing: Health Screenings for Women
Yes, yes. You know you’re overdue for your annual physical. And when was the last time you visited your dentist? Most women know that routine tests can be essential to maintaining good health, but our packed schedules and overflowing to-do lists often shove suggested medical screenings to the side. Still, a short talk with your […]
Smart Testing: Health Screenings for Men
All right, guys, let’s be honest. Where does scheduling an annual physical exam rank in its level of importance? If you’re under 40, probably somewhere between “cleaning the garage” and “not at all,” right? Not too long ago, my wife was having a follow-up visit with her new internist after recovering from surgery to remove […]
