Bilasan Hammo, MD, had just turned 30, and everything seemed set up for a successful move into adulthood. As she wrapped up her residency at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, she landed a prestigious fellowship in Boston Children’s Hospital’s Gastrointestinal-Nutrition Department. Heavily influenced by her father – who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist – the fellowship felt … Read more
When the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies’ Practice Manager Sara Menendez, LAT, ATC, learned she had Lynch syndrome at age 30, she had dozens of questions. A hereditary condition, Lynch syndrome raises a person’s risk for cancer in several organs including the colon, endometrium, ovaries, and skin. Suddenly faced with this new information, … Read more
Castor oil is a thick, yellowish vegetable oil extracted from castor beans native to warm temperate regions. It is often available in grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores. Despite its long history in providing laxative results, there’s little research to suggest this product can be used as a remedy for other health concerns such as cancer. Can castor oil be used to cure cancer or reduce my risk of it? Castor oil has many potential uses and applications, … Read more
Feeling constipated? You may not be getting enough fiber in your diet. Fiber-rich diets are a key component to preventing and reducing constipation and can help you maintain a healthy gut. Dietary fiber offers many health benefits from reducing chronic diseases like diabetes to lowering your risk of some types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer. Fiber is an undigested nutrient that passes through the body when you consume fruits, vegetables, … Read more
On the surface, it might appear that Meghan McLyman and Jay Wood don’t have much in common. McLyman is a mother and professor who teaches dance, and Wood is a stay-at-home father and former architect. They came to Dana-Farber for different reasons — McLyman had breast cancer and Wood was diagnosed with prostate cancer — … Read more
Among cancer diagnoses, prostate cancer is relatively common, especially for those who are older than 65. Fortunately, it is often manageable with minimal interventions necessary for a substantial portion of patients. However, many prostate cancer cases can be categorized as “aggressive,” meaning it will require more extensive treatment to address or avoid metastasis (spread of the cancer). … Read more
Whether it’s the fear of receiving bad news, the stress of managing logistics, or the emotional weight of confronting illness, the prospect of scheduling a medical appointment can be a source of significant anxiety for many patients. This feeling is both common and understandable, and while it can be managed, it’s important to acknowledge those … Read more
Cold plunges, the act of immersing the body in cold water for therapeutic benefit, have been used for centuries — from vinterbading in Scandinavia (swimming in cold water during winter months) to misogi in Japan (a Shinto practice of purifying the body under a cold or icy waterfall) to ice baths in the United States … Read more
After her breast cancer surgery, Tia struggled with mobility in her left shoulder. It felt as though the joint was frozen, and she could feel some swelling in her chest. After several dead ends, she learned that this feeling may be caused by early-stage lymphedema. This condition is a common side effect of breast cancer … Read more
Dana-Farber’s Older Adult Gastrointestinal Cancer Program specializes in treating patients who are 65 and older and have gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal cancer, esophageal and gastric cancer, liver cancer, neuroendocrine and pancreatic cancer. “Older adults are richly complex and multidimensional,” says gastrointestinal and geriatric oncologist Nadine McCleary, MD, MPH, who leads the program. “They deserve … Read more
In March 2016, two months before joining Dana-Farber, Sara Menendez, LAT, ATC, attended LYNKED IN, an annual one-day conference hosted by Dana-Farber’s Lynch Syndrome Center. The event gave her an opportunity to meet colleagues and learn about treatment advances, screening guidelines, and prevention efforts for Lynch syndrome, an inherited and often underdiagnosed condition that increases … Read more
When Michael Koran, 83, came to Dana-Farber for a recurrence of sinus cancer, he received unwelcome news — the cancer was no longer treatable. The focus of Koran’s care then shifted to managing his symptoms and finding ways to cope with the emotions he was experiencing. Koran’s care team offered him expressive arts therapy. “They … Read more
After treatment for early-stage breast cancer, patients are eager to get back to their normal lives. Most, however, are prescribed five or more years of hormone therapy, such as estrogen-blocking medicines, to help keep the cancer from coming back. These medicines can cause menopause-like symptoms even in people who are decades away from menopause. Symptoms … Read more
There are ways to make connections even as you are navigating such a challenging time.
As a veteran scuba diver who has donned her wetsuit around the globe, Stephanie Lafontaine is never more at peace than when deep below the water’s surface. Even if she’s sharing the depths with sharks, she considers it her happy place. So when Lafontaine, 42, learned in April 2019 that she had inflammatory breast cancer … Read more
With the season of sniffles and sneezes upon us, it’s integral to ensure your immune system is shored up. The immune system is a complicated mechanism that defends you from bacteria and viruses, and it’s especially important for many people undergoing treatment for cancer. Many chemotherapies damage the immune system as they attack all fast-growing … Read more
The trip from Nantucket to Boston, involving a long drive and ferry ride, is an arduous four-hour journey (not counting summer traffic). But when Nantucket resident and retired educator, Claudia Kilvert, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she committed to regularly getting in the car with her husband and 80-pound golden retriever Luna to get treatment … Read more
Over the past three decades, the number of cancer survivors has increased. That trend is expected to continue. The numbers indicate progress in the treatment of cancer, but they also underscore the importance of quality of life after cancer. “We want people to lead healthy, productive, enjoyable lives, and mobility is such an important piece … Read more
Words like “chemobrain” and “chemofog” — terms now used by patients, doctors, and scientists to describe cognitive decline that some patients experience in response to cancer therapy — didn’t exist a few decades ago. Today, however, there’s a general awareness that cancer treatments can take a toll on the brain. Oncologists don’t yet have a … Read more
Alanna Devlin Ball spent 12 years in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander and serving with the elite SEAL Team TWO special operations unit. She was trained to always be ready for action, and worked to do so even when facing a daunting off-the-job challenge: brain cancer. In between radiation sessions … Read more