Stage IV neuroendocrine tumor survivor: Why I keep joining clinical trials at MD Anderson
My mother was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 45. She passed away just two years later. So, I started getting my colorectal cancer screenings early.
During my third colonoscopy, my doctor found a mass. That was in the fall of 2007. By that time, I was 53. So, I think we both expected it to be colon cancer.
But the biopsy showed it was a neuroendocrine tumor, sometimes called a carcinoid tumor.
I live in a small...
Helping my daughter overcome childhood soft tissue sarcoma
When my 11-year-old daughter, Averi, fell at school, we didn’t think anything of it. But when the bruise didn’t go away after several weeks...
7 questions about follicular lymphoma, answered
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is caused by abnormal white blood cells. While there are several types, non-Hodgkin lymphoma can be divided into slow-growing...
Breast cancer survivor: Don’t put off your mammogram
I did not expect anything to be wrong during my mammogram. I hadn’t felt any lumps or noticed any other breast cancer symptoms. So when the mammogram found an abnormal lump, I was shocked. Further testing showed I had invasive ductal carcinoma, a type of breast cancer.
I knew right away I wanted to get to MD Anderson for treatment. My father had undergone treatment for melanoma at MD Anderson 30 years ago, so I had great confidence...
What is NUT carcinoma?
NUT carcinoma is a rare cancer that starts in the lungs or sinuses. Less than 200 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. But it might...
5 questions about photodynamic therapy, answered
Developed in the 1900s, photodynamic therapy uses light to kill cancer cells and spare healthy tissue. It can be used in a variety of cancer...
Cancer and COVID-19: What protection do antiviral therapies provide?
Last updated Jan. 31, 2023
If you or someone you know has had COVID-19 recently, you may have heard of PAXLOVID. Maybe you’ve even...
Types of skin cancer: How they’re diagnosed and treated
What are the different types of skin cancer? How are they usually diagnosed? What do they look like? And how are they treated?
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Medical laboratory scientist faces her own multiple myeloma diagnosis
As a senior medical laboratory scientist at MD Anderson, I work behind the scenes to analyze patients’ lab work. My findings play a crucial...
Breast cancer surgery recovery and follow-up screening
Most breast cancer patients undergo surgery of some kind. For some, this may include mastectomy; others may have breast conservation surgeries...
COVID-19’s BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants: 12 questions, answered
The Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are behind an increase in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. We spoke with MD Anderson’s Chief...
What is synthetic nicotine?
Beating a nicotine addiction is one of the toughest things a person can do, but it can be one of the best things for your health. Nicotine...
Myelodysplastic syndrome researcher: Leaps of faith led to my career at MD Anderson
Growing up in Italy, I found my happy place with science. Even when dealing with a challenging home life, science offered an escape. But I...
4 myths about tattoos, sunscreen and sun safety
Whether you have a tattoo from radiation therapy or have a meaningful design you’ve worn for years, there are a few things you should know...
Blood donor: Why I give at MD Anderson
Growing up, Ross Robinson knew the type O-negative blood he and his family shared was special.
"I'm a universal...
Esophageal cancer survivor marks end of treatment with custom sculpture
Roberta Burns was diagnosed with esophageal cancer on her 64th birthday. She’d been dealing with dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, for...
Stages of breast cancer: How they’ve changed over time
In the past, only the size of a tumor and the status of nearby lymph nodes were used to determine the stage of someone’s breast cancer. It...
In sickness and in health: Husband and wife face back-to-back cancer diagnoses
Carolyn Drone thought her days of coping with cancer were over. She’d finished leukemia treatment two years earlier and showed no signs of...