Cancer

Mammograms after 50, not 40? No self-exams? What you need to know about committee’s reversal on breast cancer screening

Get ready for a fight.

In a move that certainly came as a surprise to many, new recommendations by a panel published yesterday now recommend that regular mammograms start at 50, not 40 for most wom

Men More Likely than Women to Leave Sick Spouse

When Anna received the dreaded call from her doctor in May 2008 that she had breast cancer she thought that was worst day of her life. She was wrong. Just a month later her husband of eleven years left home forever leaving Anna to care for their eight-year-old daughter and undergo treatment alone.

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month so I'm doing my part to help spread the word about causes, symptoms or warning signs, treatments, prevention, and research.

First Mammograms, Now Pap Smears

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology released early Friday that the annual pap smear, given to women in their 20’s to test for abnormalities in their cervix, may not be necessary and women should plan on taking this only every other year. The news came uncomfortably close to federal officials' new statement that women over 50 should begin to have a mammogram every two years as opposed to the original annual exam for women over 40. As new recommendations begin to flood in, what will be the new norm? And what do we do in the mean time?

Mammogram ruling backlash: Shock, anger, and vows to ignore the new guidelines

I expected the stories, told by breast-cancer survivors whose tumors were found by mammograms in their 40s or even their 30s.

Searching for Energy with Lung Cancer

That’s what my life is centered around, right now - searching for some energy. My pain is controlled except for some mild discomfort in my left hip when I’m walking around on it. Occasional mild nausea is controlled easily with medication. I just can’t get past feeling like someone hooked up a giant vacuum and sucked absolutely everything out of me.

Is Happiness Oversold to Cancer Patients?

Barbara Ehrenreich, self-proclaimed feminist and proponent of women’s health, just released a surprising new book, Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America. I caught her interview on TV and was taken aback by the negativity of her comments . . . which I guess is the point.

Will your insurance company still cover annual mammograms at age 40? So far, most say yes

There are a lot of worries surrounding this week’s new breast screening guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

The Power of Positive Thinking - Can We Literally Will Ourselves to Become Well?

When you are sick, either from something minor like a cold or from a more serious health problem, have you ever noticed how your mental attitude can really contribute to the way you feel?

I Had an Abnormal Pap Smear!

No woman expects it. Most of us don’t even think about it.