Young adult aplastic anemia survivor: The importance of staying flexible
When I was diagnosed with a bone marrow disorder called aplastic anemia in the fall of 2013, I was already in something of an “early-life crisis.”
I was only 21 years old at the time, but seven months earlier, a series of unfortunate knee injuries had forced me to walk away from what I believed would be a truly promising college football career with Texas Tech University. With that came the loss of a long-sought professional career...
How to use acupressure points to relieve headache, nausea and anxiety
Acupressure is an ancient practice from traditional Chinese medicine. It can seem mysterious because the theory is based on pressure points...
Pre-Cancer Atlas: Plotting a course to intercept cancer
The route a cancer takes from its earliest stages to advanced disease is a long and winding road. Often, the first mutations or changes that...
Thymoma survivor grateful for a second opinion
After she’d been sick with flu-like symptoms for several weeks, Kirsti Hoopingarner decided to see her doctor. She’d been having trouble breathing, so her doctor ordered a chest X-ray and a CT scan.
The results showed a mass on Kirsti’s thymus gland. The 29-year-old was shocked. Her mother had been diagnosed with thymoma when she was 46.
Kirsti had a biopsy of the mass done near her home in Illinois. While her local...
Orthopedic oncology surgeon: Being at MD Anderson allows me to do my best work
When I was growing up, I played a lot of sports. In high school, one of my favorites was wrestling. And with a lot of practice, I learned...
4 appendix cancer questions, answered
When John Paul Shen, M.D., tells people he studies appendix cancer, many are surprised to learn that you can get appendix cancer in the first...
Aspiring radiation oncologist faces astrocytoma
Ever since high school, Ethan Damron has wanted to be a radiation oncologist. In July 2019, he and his wife, Kendra, moved to Houston so Ethan...
Breakthrough infections and the COVID-19 delta variant: What you need to know
Reports of breakthrough COVID-19 infections are on the rise, as the delta variant rapidly spreads in communities across the country.
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Liquid biopsies: Understanding ctDNA and circulating tumor cells
What if we could know more about a tumor just from a patient’s blood sample? While this concept is well-established with blood cancers like...
Patient with vaginal cancer with DDR mutation benefits from clinical trial
In March 2019, Shelly Busby began experiencing unusual vaginal bleeding. Frightened and concerned, she went to her OB/GYN for an examination...
Leukemia survivor: How I knew MD Anderson was the right choice
Before I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in December 2018, I’d never heard of MD Anderson. And cancer doesn’t run in my family,...
Third COVID-19 vaccine doses for cancer patients: What to know
Last updated Oct. 25 2021
Research studies show that immunocompromised people who have low or no protection following two doses of...
Should you get a home HPV test?
Home HPV tests are marketed as a convenient, accurate and discreet way to find out if you have human papillomavirus, a common infection that...
What is a hysterectomy?
A hysterectomy is a common procedure used to treat gynecologic cancers, like ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, and other...
Diagnosed with a rare cancer: Now what?
Receiving any type of cancer diagnosis can be stressful, even if it’s a common or well-known disease, such as breast cancer, lung cancer or...
5 things to know about the FDA approval process
Whether it’s a cancer drug, vaccine or other medication, medical treatments in the U.S. have to go through a specific process to make sure...
Maintenance therapy for chronic leukemia: What patients should know
Until recently, treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphoblastic leukemia meant a hospital stay, intravenous chemotherapy...
Reducing secondhand smoke exposure and tobacco disparities is personal for this researcher
As a child, researcher Surendranath Shastri, M.D., D.Ph., worshiped his dad. “He was a lifetime smoker, so I thought it was cool to smoke,...
How to cut empty calories
If our weight loss expert had to give you one tip to help you achieve your healthy eating goals, it would be this: Avoid empty calories.
Reconstruction options for breast cancer survivors
Whether you have a lumpectomy or a type of mastectomy, your chest may be flattened, misshapen or asymmetrical after surgery. Breast reconstruction...
Why I got my 13-year-old daughter vaccinated against COVID-19
As a doctor, I’m used to looking at data sets to determine when medical studies are working really well, sort of well or not very well at...
SBRT helps stage IV kidney cancer patient keep her treatment options open
Becky Van Curen’s family had no history of cancer. So, when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2015, she was shocked and scared....
Back to school and the delta variant : 7 questions, answered
As many children prepare to return to school in person, the highly contagious delta variant continues to spur a rapid increase in COVID-19...
5 things parents should know about childhood leukemia
Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, but it’s still considered rare with fewer than 5,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year....
3 reasons to donate blood
You probably already know that donating blood can save lives.
But did you know that donating blood and platelets is risk-free to the...
4 skull base tumor myths
Under your skull, between your brain and the top of the neck, is an area called the skull base. The space is home to a platform where the...
Are moles cancerous?
Almost everyone has at least one mole, and you may already regularly check your moles for signs of change.
That’s a good idea since...
How fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) fits into cancer care
Many cancers grow when there’s a glitch in the DNA of our cells. Sometimes that error is passed down from a parent to their child, and sometimes...