Head and neck cancers are cancers of the cells that line the head and neck cavity areas, which include the passages from the nose and mouth back toward the throat and down slightly toward the vocal cords. Although head and neck cancers only make up 4% of all cancers in the United States, they still pose a great danger.

Although bladder cancer is the seventh most common type of cancer found in the United States, I know from talking with my patients and their family members that it can be one of the most misunderstood as well. Many of the symptoms of bladder cancer, which develops when the cells in the bladder’s lining begin to grow out of control, are similar to symptoms of other medical conditions. This can cause people to overlook bladder cancer as a possibility.

Palliative care is a lot of things, but “end of life” care it is not. At its roots, it is care to keep living. Whereas hospice focuses on the last months of someone’s life, palliative care is concurrent with a patient’s illness – ideally, starting at initial diagnosis through any treatment or post-treatment adjustments.

On December 11, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNtech mRNA vaccine for use against the virus that is causing the illness known as COVID-19. The vaccine has been 95% effective in large-scale clinical trials and has already been approved for use in five other countries. It is given in two doses, three weeks apart. The state of California is now administering vaccines to those 65 and older.

Whether it’s a friend, family member or yourself going through cancer treatment, many of us have been impacted by pain associated with the disease and its treatment. With about 50% of cancer patients reporting pain as a symptom early in the diagnosis and more than 75% in later stages, pain caused by cancer and its treatment can become difficult to bear and can cause a variety of negative effects such as depression, hopelessness and loss of appetite.

We encourage our patients to protect themselves and stay as informed as possible during the pandemic. Coronavirus is a family of viruses, but a new strain discovered in 2019 has resulted in concern and actions worldwide. Its official name is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. It is also called novel (new) coronavirus.

Aside from skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer found in American women. According to the American Cancer Society, each woman has a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer within her lifetime. Approximately 1 in 39 women will die from breast cancer. With these high statistics, it is important that women know the basics about breast cancer signs, screening and treatments.

To effectively fight breast cancer, you need to know – and avoid – the myths that surround it