Health Topics /

Cancer

Prostate cancer: Separating myths from facts

Health Topics

Oct 14, 2019

Prostate cancer — it’s a topic that has garnered more and more attention through the years, but that attention seems to be paying off. Death rates for prostate cancer are going down, and due to better screening processes, more men are...

Why fighting cancer is like learning how to swim

Health Topics

Oct 8, 2019

­­­­­Before cancer, I did not know how to swim, but I am learning. Journeying through cancer three times has taught me how.Recently, I was asked to speak at a luncheon for Swim Across America, an organization that supports cancer research....

Why cancer hates warriors like me

Health Topics

Oct 3, 2019

So, here I was… Finally going to my general practitioner to get him to look at my swollen lymph nodes. I feel great and figure my never-ending allergies are simply acting up again, but I go to the doctor anyway...

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What I’ve learned watching my husband fight pancreatic cancer

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Sep 6, 2019

Our cancer story is like millions of others. We certainly aren’t special. But we certainly are scared, broken, traumatized, frustrated, angry and sad. We are also hopeful, grateful, strong, supported and full of life. My husband, Thomas, was diagnosed with...

Why I became a patient navigator

Health Topics

Jul 11, 2019

Most of us have experienced cancer from at least one perspective — as a family member or friend, a caregiver, a patient or perhaps a volunteer. Each perspective is different, like looking through a prism. My story links all of...

5 lessons cancer patients have taught me about faith

Health Topics

May 14, 2019

One of the first lessons I learned starting out as a young chaplain 23 years ago was to listen. My experienced supervisor assured me that the patients I encounter will be some of the wisest people with whom I’d ever...

How this man’s heartburn led to cancer

Health Topics

May 4, 2019

When you hear the word “heartburn,” you probably don’t immediately make the leap to “cancer.” But Sam Douglass does. It’s easy to dismiss that uncomfortable burning in your chest as the inevitable consequence of a particularly heavy meal, but chronic...

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Chronic heartburn linked to one of the fastest-growing cancers in America

Health Topics

Apr 22, 2019

We all experience the occasional bout of heartburn, or acid reflux, especially after a particularly large or fatty meal. Although uncomfortable, that burning sensation in your chest likely doesn’t cause much concern. But did you know that heartburn has actually...

5 things I’ve learned fighting breast cancer in my 20s

Health Topics

Apr 12, 2019

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 21 years old. Like most 20-somethings, I was innocent, carefree and just trying to figure out my place in this world. Cancer was nowhere close to being on my radar. But before you...

7 simple steps to lower your risk of colon cancer

Health Topics

Mar 20, 2019

Would you be surprised to hear that almost half of all colorectal cancer diagnoses could be prevented with simple lifestyle changes? As colon cancer is on the rise among younger populations, it’s time to take a closer look at how...

I’m part of the “invisible generation” of young adults with cancer

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Mar 15, 2019

At 35 years old, I defined myself as a mortgage analyst, wife and mother. I never expected to add colon cancer survivor to that list, especially at this age. But I soon found myself part of the “invisible generation” of...

When the doctor becomes the breast cancer patient

Health Topics

Jan 30, 2019

As a doctor, I’m used to being the one with the answers, the one doing the comforting, the one instilling hope. But as a breast cancer survivor, I also know what it’s like to be on the other side of...

Breast cancer through a mother’s eyes

Health Topics

Jan 7, 2019

“Why? Why my daughter and not me?”That was the first thought that came to Lauri Cain’s mind when she heard the news. Her 31-year-old daughter Megan has breast cancer.The rush of emotions that engulfed her were overwhelming. First, it was...

How faith and prayer helped me battle stage 4 ovarian cancer

Health Topics

Dec 31, 2018

This is my second year to celebrate that coveted phrase: cancer-free. As a member of the “silent killer club,” every day has new meaning, new celebration and new challenge. Cancer is not a stranger in my family. My dad and...

Why multiple myeloma will never slow me down

Health Topics

Dec 19, 2018

Picture this: I’m cruising along with family, career and all the trimmings. At a routine physical, my doctor says there are some labs he’d like to repeat. They were all normal six months ago, but in two days, he tells...

What it’s like to be diagnosed with breast cancer at age 21

Health Topics

Dec 9, 2018

It starts as a lump in your breast. Then the lump invades your brain and convinces you that you actually are sick. Eventually, it moves to your throat and you find that you can’t talk to people about the big “C-word.”Cancer.In...

Breast self-awareness: Knowing your normal

Health Topics

Nov 29, 2018

Many changes occur naturally in our breasts throughout our lifetime. These changes happen at certain times in the menstruation cycle, during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and before and after menopause.But sometimes, changes in the breast can be a sign that something...

Men get breast cancer, too

Health Topics

Nov 5, 2018

I don’t know what you picture when you hear “breast cancer patient,” but I’d be willing to bet it isn’t me — a 58-year-old male. The truth you might not realize is that breast cancer affects men, too.It all started...

How yoga can heal body and mind for breast cancer patients

Health Topics

Oct 28, 2018

Yoga can bring healing to both body and mind for those who practice. This dual benefit can be especially valuable for those affected by breast cancer. From the moment of diagnosis through treatment and recovery, this disease is something that...

How family history and genetics affect your cancer risk

Health Topics

Oct 24, 2018

When a person receives a life-altering diagnosis like that of cancer, two questions generally asked are: “Am I going to die?” and “Will my family get this, too?”The answer to the first question is long and complicated, and depends on...