A Landmark Study on Palliation of Bone Mets PainWhen a primary cancer such as cancer of the breast, prostate or lung spreads to the bone (bone mets), treatment strategies become complex. In today’s world of oncology, better systemic chemotherapies can add months and even years to a patient’s life; in addition, local cancer control of […] KEEP READING
What You Should Know About CartilageOne of the most fascinating components of the human body is cartilage, an incredibly versatile material. Trying to describe cartilage is like the six blind men who try to figure out what an elephant is: “The elephant is like a pillar,” said the man who touched his leg. “Oh no! […] KEEP READING
How Stress Makes Essential Tremor WorseEssential tremor (ET) is the most common form of uncontrollable rhythmic shaking, though it is sometimes misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s disease. The involuntary trembling results from abnormal communication between certain areas of the brain (cerebellum, thalamus, and brain stem). It is estimated that 10 million Americans suffer from ET, though many […] KEEP READING
In 1974, First Lady Betty Ford announced that she had a mastectomy, she joined a handful of prominent women who were breaking the breast cancer silence barrier. Before that, breast cancer (BCa) and mastectomy were whispered about behind closed doors. Now, countless women got on board with life-saving early detection (breast self-exams, mammograms). Celebrities who […] CONTINUE
While the term head and neck cancers refers to a group of cancers located in or above the neck, each type has a separate name based on its location: Nasopharyngeal cancer (starts in the upper part of the throat behind the nose) Hypopharyngeal cancer (starts in the lower part of the throat) Laryngeal cancer (most […] CONTINUE
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in men and women, behind prostate and breast cancer. However, lung cancer is more feared because it is more deadly. As lung cancer tumors develop, tumor cells can spread beyond the lungs. If these cells establish a new tumor in bone, it is called metastatic lung cancer […] CONTINUE
Liver cancer is a disease that may have no symptoms in its early stages. It is often diagnosed at a stage when it’s beyond cure. It occurs most often in people with certain risk factors, including Hepatitis B or C, alcohol abuse/cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, and obesity. In the U.S., there are about 30,000 […] CONTINUE
What is osteosarcoma? Osteosarcoma is the most common type of cancer that starts in the bone. The name comes from “osteo” (of the bone) and “sarcoma” (cancer of connective tissue. It produces bony tumors that are actually immature types of bone growth. There are two types of osteosarcoma: Primary osteosarcoma occurs primarily in young persons […] CONTINUE
What is Metastatic Testicular Cancer? Testicular cancer occurs in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. According to the SEER Cancer Statistics, the average five-year survival rate for all stages is 95.1%, meaning it is one of the most treatable cancers. In fact, if diagnosed early before it has started to spread, the […] CONTINUE
Metastatic Thyroid Cancer In 2005, thyroid cancer was estimated to have the highest annual statistical increase of any type of cancer.1 It is three times more common in women than men, and the age at onset generally ranges from 30-50 years old. Thyroid cancer is considered to have a high cure rate, with studies reporting […] CONTINUE
“Silent killer” Pancreatic cancer is often called a “silent killer” because it is one of the fastest spreading types of cancer. Most patients have no symptoms until the cancer has already begun spreading. Also, given the deep location in the body, discovering pancreatic cancer during a routine exam or imaging (incidental diagnosis) is rare. Roughly […] CONTINUE
There are over 20 known lines of prostate cancer (PCa) and some are more able to metastasize (spread) beyond the gland. The majority of PCa cell lines rarely pose a threat to life, especially when diagnosed early. However, the aggressive minority is dangerous. Thanks to today’s ability to map an entire DNA sequence within a […] CONTINUE
How frequently do you hear about kidney cancer? Chances are, not very often. Yet kidney cancer (also called renal cancer) is one of the 10 most common cancers. While more men than women are diagnosed with kidney cancer, nearly 64,000 new cases occur in the U.S. annually. When kidney cancer is diagnosed early, 5-year survival […] CONTINUE
