Lymphoma survivor: Why I recommend hepatitis C testing
I’ve never taken illegal drugs, and the only time I ever had a needle in my arm was when a doctor was on the other side of it. So my best guess is that I contracted hepatitis C from a blood transfusion I received after a car accident when I was 19.
Back in 1985, donated blood wasn’t tested for hepatitis C, as it hadn’t really been identified yet. Then, it was just known as “non-A/B hepatitis.” And for years, the only real treatment...
Starting exercise prior to cancer treatment can pay off
Cancer can have a lasting effect on a patient.
That’s why rehabilitation is often so important after cancer treatment or...
Surviving sarcoma took a different treatment route than I expected
One weekend in June 2017, I became incredibly ill. I’d faced digestive issues for three years, but this pain was different. By Monday, the...
What older cancer patients should know about clinical trials
Clinical trials enable us to discover new and better cancer treatments. They offer patients access to cutting-edge treatments years before they’re available to the general public. And, in many cases, they extend participants’ lives or even eliminate their cancer.
Despite clinical trials’ benefits, far fewer adults ages 65 and older participate in them compared to younger patients. But with 50% of new cancer cases in the United...
My B-cell lymphoma treatment during pregnancy
During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I had a lingering cough that would not go away. I thought it was allergies, so I procrastinated...
Should you get a central line for chemotherapy?
Many cancer patients will receive chemotherapy infusions as a part of their cancer treatment.
Sometimes, chemotherapy is delivered...
Colorectal cancer survivor: Giving back changed my life
Sharing my stage IV colorectal cancer story with others is a blessing, though I’ll admit: at the time of my diagnosis, I didn’t feel this...
What are ‘omics and how can they improve cancer treatment?
One gene can tell you a lot about your risk for developing cancer and how well you’re likely to respond to cancer treatment. But there’s only...
The fatherly advice that shaped our doctors
As Father’s Day approaches, we asked our doctors to share their fathers’ words of wisdom that left an everlasting mark. Here’s what they said...
What does an inpatient pharmacist do?
Each day nearly 200 pharmacists around MD Anderson dispense an average of 23,000 drug doses. That’s 8.4 million doses a year, one of the highest...
Glioblastoma survivor: Family and faith give me hope
I’m a 58-year-old guy who never thought I would be talking about “the C word.” Nevertheless, here I am recollecting the past year contending...
How I coped with my emotions during bladder cancer treatment
After I was diagnosed with stage IV bladder cancer in September 2014, I experienced many of the stages of grief.
My doctor initially...
Life after my leukemia diagnosis and stem cell transplant
Before my acute myeloid leukemia diagnosis, I was in great shape. I was training 20-25 hours a week as a professional triathlete and had recently...
How a targeted therapy clinical trial is keeping my bile duct cancer in check
Cancer is not uncommon in my family, but I was still totally unprepared for my own diagnosis.
In June 2015, I was a healthy 43-year-old...