Christina Crespi experienced extreme fatigue, weakness, and bowel changes for two years before doctors determined the cause of her symptoms: colon cancer. At 27, after many doctors’ visits, she was diagnosed with stage II colon cancer. She found the diagnosis “mind-blowing.” For Kara Stoughton, it was constipation that brought her to the doctor. She was … Read more
A fire truck pulls into the truck bay and idles for a minute or two as a firefighter attaches tubing to filter the exhaust out of the station. The firefighter’s face may be close to the exhaust for 30 seconds while the tubing is attached. It’s a routine task, one that’s performed by the same … Read more
Despite the fact that cancer survivorship is on the rise, it may seem that cancer is everywhere — and that there’s nothing we can do about it. But are we really powerless to stop certain cancers from coming our way? Or, at least, to lessen the chances of developing those cancers? With the help of … Read more
While not all cancers can be prevented, there are a number of strategies and techniques to help reduce cancer risk, even for those with inherited cancer genes. It’s important to start implementing healthful habits early in life, and as a parent, to educate kids about the importance of cancer prevention. However, it can be difficult … Read more
Although there is currently little evidence that breast self-exams help find breast cancer early when women also get screening mammograms, doing regular self-exams can be a way for you to keep track of how your breasts look and feel, according to the American Cancer Society. Any changes in your breasts should be reported to your … Read more
This post originally appeared on Cancer Research Catalyst, the official blog of the American Association for Cancer Research. It was originally published Jan. 10, 2017. By Srivani Ravoori, PhD As we step into 2017, a big question looming in the minds of all stakeholders in the cancer research arena is: What is the future of … Read more
It was once thought that people with certain personality traits were particularly susceptible to cancer. Neurotic people and introverts, in particular, were believed to be especially at risk for developing the disease. Personality type was also thought to play a role in whether people stricken with cancer would die of it. In the early 1960s, … Read more
Cancer researchers continue to explore why cancer occurs in the body – and how to stop it before it shows up. Tools like genetic testing, which looks for alterations, or mutations, in a person’s genes, can help determine whether a person is more likely to develop certain kinds of cancer. But researchers have also identified … Read more
Happy to have given birth in January 2015 to two seemingly healthy boys, Levi and Colton, after an uneventful pregnancy, Kala Looks gave little thought to the routine heel prick of newborn screening. At 23 and 24, she and her husband, Phillip, were high school sweethearts starting a family with a pair of fraternal twins. … Read more
In November, four states – California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Maine – passed measures legalizing marijuana for recreational use, bringing the total number of states with legal cannabis to eight, plus the District of Columbia. The vote in Maine was quite close and is expected to be challenged by opponents, but as of now, 26 states … Read more
Tobacco smoke is the number one risk factor for lung cancer – and every time it is inhaled, it deals a double blow to lung cells, creating conditions almost ideally suited to the formation of cancer. Does tar in cigarettes cause cancer? Chemicals such as tar and formaldehyde within tobacco smoke penetrate the cells and … Read more
Medically reviewed by Charles Thomas, MS, MBA People infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS are more susceptible to certain types of cancer than people who are not infected. In fact, some types of cancers are so common in people with HIV that they are referred to as AIDS-related or AIDS-defining cancers – including … Read more
While some may wonder, cancer is not contagious; a healthy person cannot catch cancer from a person who has the disease, nor can it be spread by close contact with a cancer patient. Cancer cells are far different from infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. A cancer cell is essentially a normal cell whose … Read more
With football season in full swing, concussions and their long- and short-term consequences promise to be in the news. While the harmful effects of repeated concussions, especially among teens and young adults, have been well documented, any links between concussions and brain cancer are less clear. Multiple studies have endeavored to see if such links … Read more
Worldwide, more than 700,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancer – a leading cause of cancer death – each year. Does drinking alcohol cause liver cancer? Although alcohol is a risk factor for liver cancer, it’s not the most common one. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B or C virus is the leading risk factor … Read more
Blood tests for the presence of substances called tumor markers can be helpful in diagnosing cancer and assessing how well treatment is working. But such tests alone generally can’t tell for certain whether someone has cancer or not. That’s why they are used in conjunction with other methods, such as imaging scans and biopsies. Hematological … Read more
Leukemia is a group of cancers of the blood cells. More than 60,000 new cases of adult leukemia are estimated in the United States for 2022 and it is one of the most common types of cancers in children. These cancers are classified as either acute, which means the cancer is fast-growing, or chronic, in which cells grow … Read more
Based on a review of numerous scientific studies, the International Agency for Research in Cancer (IARC) recently concluded that routine consumption of “very hot” drinks probably raises the risk of esophageal cancer. The review, by a panel of 23 experts around the world, found that drinking beverages such as coffee or tea at very high … Read more
Cancer is most dangerous when it has spread, or metastasized, from its original site in the body. A tumor that began as an isolated mass – often treatable by surgery and/or radiation therapy – can become a dispersed, much more difficult to treat, malignancy. For cancer to spread, several steps must occur. As a result … Read more
As with many cancers, screening is a crucial step in preventing colorectal cancer. In fact, colorectal cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer if it is found early. “There are many different ways we can prevent colorectal cancer, ranging from medical tests to dietary and lifestyle behaviors, to taking certain medications,” says … Read more