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
When a patient is told, “You have prostate cancer,” it’s not a simple one-size-fits-all diagnosis. The doctor will then give the patient an idea of how severe his cancer is. If his prostate cancer (PCa) is still localized (that is, contained within the gland), the doctor will specify if it is low, intermediate, or high […] CONTINUE
We’ve posted numerous blogs on the contributions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to various aspects of MRI detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). We’ve reported AI’s ability to predict metastasis, assign Gleason scores and PI-RADS scores, pinpoint tumor margins for focal therapy, rule out need for biopsy, predict PCa metastasis, and more—showing the accuracy and […] CONTINUE
If you’ve ever been involved in a simulation game, or a simulation training model, you are interacting with something that’s not really there but feels like it is. In fact, during the experience the same neurons in the brain are activated as if the simulation IS the real world. Thus, the brain can be functionally […] CONTINUE
In early August, 2024 several medical news services trumpeted the news that Artificial Intelligence can detect prostate cancer (PCa) on MRI with the same accuracy as radiologists: “AI model matches radiologists at detecting prostate cancer on MRIs” (Radiology Business, Aug. 7) “AI model as effective as radiologists in detecting prostate cancer on MRI” (MedPage Today, […] CONTINUE
No radiologist was born knowing how to interpret MRI scans of the prostate gland. They must be trained to interpret images, and the rate at which they improve is called their learning curve. According to Rosencrantz et al. (2017), At a basic level, by seeing many cases, radiologists experience innate self-directed visual learning, even without […] CONTINUE
When a person is born, is their IQ fixed for life? IQ stands for intelligence quotient, and is a standard measure of mental performance. Is it fixed, or can it be taken to a new level as the person develops? This question has sparked all manner of research with infants, young children, school-age kids, etc. […] CONTINUE
Let’s start with the hypothetical case of Robert. He considers himself lucky in life because good things have come his way. He has a happy marriage, nice kids, a decent job, and he’s healthy. He follows the principles of the Mediterranean diet, doesn’t smoke, and has an occasional glass of wine. He does cardio workouts […] CONTINUE
Two academics teamed up to write an elegant review of four areas in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making increasing contributions to the world of prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and treatment planning. One hails from the East Coast, the other from the West Coast. First, Dr. James B. Yu is a radiation oncologist in Hartford, […] CONTINUE
Advanced prostate cancer (PCa) threatens to shorten a man’s life. Advanced means PCa is no longer contained in the gland but is still within the prostate bed and groin lymph nodes. In such cases, prostatectomy is generally not done. The rationale is to avoid putting a patient through surgery with no hope of cure, yet […] CONTINUE
I’ve posted numerous blogs on the promising applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the medical world. Early research and development of Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning (DL) show results that offer accuracy rivaling that of humans, and speed/efficiency no human can begin to approach. This all sounds glorious! However, as AI tools have become […] CONTINUE
