How Cancer Cells Get Their Food: A New Theory
Mon, 02/6/12 – 2:38 | No Comment

According to a new theory, cancer cells survive by getting healthy cells around it  to self destruct by releasing hydrogen peroxide. This self-destruction releases nutrients that feed the cancer cells.
Just how do the cancer cells …

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Paying Patients to Take Their Medicine
Monday, 21 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Paying Patients to Take Their Medicine

If the end justifies the means, then why not pay patients to take their medicine? The statistics are startling – 33% to 50% of patients don’t take their medications and 25% never get them filled …

V/Q Scan to Detect Pulmonary Emboli
Friday, 18 Jun, 2010 – 4:20 | No Comment

I was recently asked by a patient to explain the steps involved in the V/Q scan or ventilation perfusion scan which we order if we suspect a pulmonary emboli (blood clot). Truth was, I’ve ordered …

Full Moon Patients?
Wednesday, 16 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | One Comment
Full Moon Patients?

It was just one of those weeks where every day consisted of some very challenging medical cases so much so that I wondered if there had been a full moon (nope it was a new …

Nocturnal Muscle Cramps: Causes and Treatment
Monday, 14 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Nocturnal Muscle Cramps: Causes and Treatment

They won’t kill you but the pain sure is breathtaking – just ask anyone who suffers from leg cramps in the middle of the night.
Medically referred to as “nocturnal leg cramps”, these severe muscle contractions …

Martha’s Fear
Friday, 11 Jun, 2010 – 3:55 | No Comment
Martha’s Fear

A middle-aged woman who I’ll call Martha came to see me concerned about a neck mass and given her long smoking history, she admitted to being worried about lung cancer. This woman was  thoughtful and articluate and …

Study Finds 20% of High Schoolers Abused Prescription Medications
Wednesday, 9 Jun, 2010 – 4:02 | No Comment
Study Finds 20% of High Schoolers Abused Prescription Medications

Every other year since 1990, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) publishes data on youth associated risk behavior by monitoring six categories of behavior. The  survey, officially entitled “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – U.S. 2009” (YRBS) …

Panic Attack Hormone Found
Monday, 7 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Panic Attack Hormone Found

New research has linked a brain hormone to panic attacks. Called orexin, this hormone is secreted in abnormally high amounts in those who suffer from panic attacks. Previous research showed that orexin regulates vigilance, arousal, wakefulness and …

Nanotechnology Used to Target Cancer Cells
Friday, 4 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Nanotechnology Used to Target Cancer Cells

Imagine being able to find metastatic dormant cancer cells far too small to be detected by MRI, CT or PET scans. Research being conducted at the University of Pennsylvania has successfully demonstrated this ability using animal models. …

Possible Breast Cancer Vaccine on the Horizon
Wednesday, 2 Jun, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Possible Breast Cancer Vaccine on the Horizon

The idea of preventing or even treating cancer with a vaccine has always faced a particular challenge: cancer cells originate in our bodies and a vaccine wouldn’t be able to distinguish good cells from bad ones. …

Antioxidant Use During Cancer Treatment: Helpful or Harmful?
Monday, 31 May, 2010 – 4:00 | No Comment
Antioxidant Use During Cancer Treatment: Helpful or Harmful?

I recently had a patient ask about the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy. Although my patient didn’t have cancer – her family member did – I remembered reading about this when my mother was being …