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Health officials are expanding their efforts to reduce the HPV virus’ link to cervical cancer with a move that may seem counterintuitive—encouraging some women to get screened for the disease less frequently.
Learning the language of cancer can be difficult. For many patients and caregivers, it’s a jumbled mix of Immuno-this and onco-that.
Using procedures such as navigational bronchoscopy and fiducial marker placement, doctors may be able to reach the furthest recesses of the lungs to help locate and mark tumors that may otherwise be out of reach, except through traditional surgery.
November’s designation as National Lung Cancer Awareness Month offers a timely opportunity to continue a national conversation about the need for early detection and screening.
A simple blood test called a liquid biopsy offers another tool that may give doctors a more complete profile of solid tumors.
It may be hard to believe today, but in the 1980s, the public knew little about breast cancer, how it forms and how it’s treated. But thanks to annual Breast Cancer Awareness efforts launched every October, when the country is awash in pink ribbons, many women are better informed about how they may reduce their risk for developing the disease, and what they should do to screen for it. But gynecological cancers get little of that public attention
Gynecologic cancers do not get the kind of public attention other cancer types do. September is Gynecologic Cancer Month, but you’re unlikely to see many purple ribbons, fundraisers or walks to raise awareness for the cause. Compared to breast cancer and its pink takeover during its awareness month in October, gynecologic cancers—cervical, ovarian, uterine (endometrial), vaginal and vulvar— are much lesser known.
New direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests, like the one approved in April by the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), are seen by some as tools that allow everyday Americans to learn not just about their family lineage but also their risk for diseases ranging from late-onset Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s, all from the comfort of home. The news may sound like a welcome development to many, but experts warn that these at-home tests should be viewed with caution.
Do you ever wonder why one medication works for one patient but not another? The answer may lie in pharmacogenomics. This growing area of personalized medicine studies how a person’s unique genetic makeup influences his or her response to pharmaceutical drugs and medications.
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The information contained in this blog is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in the blog is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment of any illness, condition or disease.