Diabetes specialist: Why I love working at MD Anderson
When I first joined the faculty at MD Anderson in 2012, I didn’t really intend to stay, even though I was one of only two diabetes specialists on staff here, and the need was great for my area of expertise.
My husband is also a physician, and he had just been matched with a fellowship program in California. So, my original plan was to work at MD Anderson for a year and then join him on the West Coast, where we would come...
5 ways to improve your life as a caregiver
When you act as the caregiver for a cancer patient, it’s easy to let your own needs take a back seat sometimes. After all, they are the sick...
Immunotherapy clinical trial puts stage IV kidney cancer into remission
From 2013 to 2015, Mike Headley and his wife, Betty, kicked off their retirement by traveling to 30 states in their RV. When the couple returned...
Children’s Art Project gives osteosarcoma survivor meaningful experiences as both a child and an adult
Jordan Rance was only 11 years old when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2005.
“I didn’t have any symptoms,” she says. “I got hit in the right leg while playing a softball game. When it didn’t get better after a few weeks, I had an X-ray. It turned out to be sarcoma.”
After overcoming their initial shock, Jordan’s parents took her to MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital. There, several rounds of chemotherapy and...
How proton therapy helped my son with a childhood brain tumor
My son Benjamin was born weighing only 3 pounds. He stayed in the NICU for seven months. It was challenging and financially draining....
How BTK inhibitors treat mantle cell lymphoma
B cells are an important part of the immune system. One of their jobs is to neutralize the threat from a foreign invader known as a pathogen...
What does an early inflammatory breast cancer rash look like?
Redness or another change in the skin color of the breast, swelling on one side and/or a rash that appears quickly — sometimes literally overnight...
How to manage the fear of cancer recurrence
Overcoming cancer or completing treatment can make many survivors feel like they’re on top of the world. But there’s another very real, raw...
5 hard truths it’s important to acknowledge as a caregiver
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), roughly 6 in every 10 adults live with some form of chronic illness. Many are severe enough...
4 facts about Hurthle cell carcinoma
There are four main types of thyroid cells: follicular, papillary, medullary and Hurthle. While they’re all different, each of these cells...
Oligometastatic cancer: What patients with stage IV cancer should know
What does it mean when your cancer has spread? Many patients given a cancer diagnosis of metastatic cancer or stage IV cancer do not know...
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor: How MD Anderson supports transgender patients like me
I’ve been in treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma for more than 30 years. Since I was first diagnosed in 1992, I’ve had radiation therapy, a...
Can frequent UTIs be a sign of bladder cancer?
The symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and the symptoms of bladder cancer can be very similar. Both may involve pain while urinating...
What is a colonoscopy? Your questions, answered
You’ve probably heard that a colonoscopy is the gold standard for colorectal cancer screening and prevention. But you may still have questions...
Can you have thyroid cancer without knowing?
The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the neck. It’s responsible for the hormones that control your heart rate, blood...
What is microsatellite instability?
When a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, one of the things their doctor might refer to is whether their cancer has microsatellite instability...
How is ovarian cancer treated?
One reason ovarian cancer often comes with a poor prognosis is that the disease is not usually diagnosed until it’s already in the latter...
7 myths about caregiving you shouldn’t believe
Taking care of myself is selfish.
All of the support available is for patients.
Nobody really understands what I'm going through...
Tips on how to navigate MD Anderson
Nearly eight years ago, I was undergoing surgery at MD Anderson to remove a low-grade brain tumor. My treatment lasted about 18 months. Although...