Although early detection and treatment advances have significantly improved survival rates for patients with prostate cancer, the majority will face some form of sexual health side effect. Addressing these physical and emotional side effects is a priority for care teams at Dana-Farber. But longstanding cultural barriers can often keep men from discussing sensitive issues like … Read more
Just over a year after giving birth to her son, Emmett, Abigail Myers faced a devastating diagnosis of breast cancer in March 2014. It started when Myers woke up one morning feeling sore. When she found a lump, she rushed to her doctor, all the while in disbelief that she might have cancer. A resident … Read more
Overall, cancer death rates have declined by 33% since 1991, according to a Jan. 2023 American Cancer Society report. Multiple cancers like leukemia, melanoma, and kidney cancer have seen significant declines in mortality due to great advances in treatments. Prostate cancer rates had been on the decline for two decades, but the ACS report remarks that … Read more
Millions of people regularly take or use contraceptives, such as birth control pills, to avoid unwanted pregnancy or relieve menstruation-related side effects such as cramps or heavy bleeding. There is some evidence that contraceptives may affect cancer risk — specifically, that oral contraceptives may increase the likelihood of developing breast and cervical cancers but reduce … Read more
Finding a lump anywhere can be concerning, but oftentimes, the cause is unrelated to cancer. A lump behind the ear could simply be a swollen lymph node caused by an infection, common cold, or a skin condition. In some uncommon cases, the lump can be a tumor, and may either be benign or cancerous. There … Read more
In March 2020, Isa Infante, PhD, JD, who was 78 at the time, began to itch all over her body. It was a bizarre symptom for Infante, who had always been very active and adhered to a strict macrobiotic diet. “Every inch of my body itched,” Infante remembers. “From the top of my head to … Read more
Langley Perer thought her breast cancer was in the rearview mirror. In 2017, she had received a shocking diagnosis at age 35 of ductal in situ carcinoma (DCIS), the earliest form of breast cancer. “As far as I knew, I had no family history of breast cancer,” she says. DCIS is sometimes referred to as … Read more
At 25, Fredrick Knight was unsure what to do when he felt an intense pain in his right testicle. He visited the local emergency room where he lived in Western Massachusetts and was told that the answer might be testicular torsion, a condition that occurs when a testicle rotates, reducing blood flow and causing pain. … Read more
Nancy Arsenault was taking a lunch break from driving her elementary school bus route in her hometown of Stow, Massachusetts, when she began to experience double vision. She had been first diagnosed with pre-invasive breast cancer in 2006, which recurred in 2011. In 2019, she developed an invasive breast cancer in her chest wall and … Read more
It was recently reported that a consumer goods company was required to recall over a dozen of their aerosol dry shampoos because they may contain elevated levels of benzene, a known carcinogen at high levels of prolonged exposure. Other aerosol products, such as sunscreens and deodorants, have previously been recalled after benzene was found in … Read more
Finding a lump under the chin or in your neck can be concerning, but these lumps are usually harmless. Most of the time, they’re caused by swollen lymph nodes triggered by an infection. Lumps can be firm or soft, painful or not, grow slowly or rapidly. The type of symptoms you experience can help your … Read more
There were an estimated 18.1 million cancer cases around the world in 2020, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International. Of those cases, the United States had the fourth highest number of new diagnoses, with 362 cases per 100,000 people. These statistics are age-standardized — a summary measure of the rate of disease that a … Read more
Pap smears and HPV testing can be an important part of a person’s regular health care, and the procedure is very simple and quick. What is a Pap smear? A Pap smear, or Pap test, is a procedure that screens for cervical cancer. More specifically, it is used to check for abnormal cells on the … Read more
A tumor, also known as a neoplasm, is an abnormal swelling or enlargement within the body caused by cells dividing more than they should or not dying when they should. What is the difference between a tumor and cancer? Although the words “tumor” and “cancer” are often used interchangeably, they aren’t synonymous. A noncancerous (benign) … Read more
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is known to raise the risk of developing colorectal cancer. How much? It depends on how much of your colon and rectum is affected by IBD. Having IBD does not mean that you will develop colorectal cancer, and risk is changing over time as new treatments are available to control IBD. … Read more
For most people, early detection involves an awareness of changes in their body and raising concerns with their physician. Cancer is often detected when an individual notices a change in their health — excessive fatigue, for example, or unusual bleeding, a lump that doesn’t go away, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, or a persistent change in … Read more
Esophageal cancer forms in tissues that line the esophagus, the hollow, muscular tube that moves food and liquid from the throat down into the stomach. It forms on the inside of the lining and spreads through the outer layers as it grows. While relatively uncommon in the United States, esophageal cancer is often challenging to … Read more
Marijuana occupies a complicated position among the substances used to alleviate symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatment. On the one hand, most U.S. states have legalized cannabis (the plant from which marijuana is derived) for medical purposes. On the other hand, federal law prohibits the prescription or possession of marijuana. Although cannabis has been … Read more
Lynch syndrome — also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer — is the most common hereditary form of colorectal cancer. In the United States, about 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed each year and approximately 3 to 5% of these cancers are caused by Lynch syndrome. It’s estimated that 1 in 300 people may be … Read more
Support from social work has been found to improve health-related outcomes for patients and families.