Tag Archives: cancer

Be more informed – Breast Cancer Awareness

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

breast cancer awarenessOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness month

October has become the month to pressure women to Buy Pink! and schedule their annual mammograms.

But I’d rather see more women informed about the effectiveness of annual mammograms (not as much as you might think).

And I’d like to see more care providers drop the paternal attitudes and really have a conversation with women about the pros and cons of screening mammograms, and … read on

Melanoma – Prevention and detection

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month!

I think one of the best discussions about the prevention and detection of melanoma is from Doctor Mike Evans in this YouTube video:

It’s only 8 minutes long, but packed full of information.

Melanoma is deadly

And the numbers are increasing. Did you know:

  • From 1970 to 2009, the incidence of melanoma increased by 800 percent among young
… read on

Beware “miracle” cancer cures

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miracle cancer curesFDA warns consumers

Nothing makes me angrier than unscrupulous companies (owned by unscrupulous individuals) marketing products advertised as “miracles” to cure illness.

These modern-day snake oil salespeople prey on fear and suffering by selling false hope. Worse, the products they sell can sometimes harm rather than heal.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently put out a new warning on their Consumer Updates page: Products claiming to “cure” cancer are … read on

Active surveillance for thyroid cancer

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Papillary thyroid cancers are overtreated

In 2010 my husband almost died while being treated for a small papillary thyroid cancer.

Papillary tumors are by far the most common type of thyroid cancer, and are typically very slow growing. Most doctors I know say that if you have to get cancer, papillary thyroid cancer is the one to pick!

My husband didn’t choose to get thyroid cancer, of course, but once … read on

How to prevent colon cancer

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Colon cancer on the rise in young adults

I recently read a disturbing report that colon cancer is on the rise in Millenials and GenXers.

People born in 1990 now have double the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer, compared with those born around 1950 when the risk was lowest, the researchers said.

The overall risk is still very low for that age group, … read on

SmartQuit – An app to help you quit smoking

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

smartquit appA smart way to quit smoking

Is quitting smoking on your New Year’s resolution list? Or that of a friend or family member?

If so, consider the SmartQuit app.

But first I’ll tell you what I do and don’t like about it.

I like that it seems to be pretty effective. The SmartQuit program and app were developed by researchers at Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University … read on

Think Pink? Think twice!

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

think pinkI just returned from an errand to the bank where I saw a huge cardboard advertisement for a pink-ribboned Susan G. Komen credit card. That reminded me that October (or Pinktober) is all about Think Pink and breast cancer awareness.

But be aware that there are less-than-worthy charities and lots of for-profit merchandising, too. This post from last October has excellent links to help you know if a charity … read on

Skin cancer screening guidelines

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“Insufficient evidence”

Many years ago I had a primary care doctor who used to perform a total body skin examination (TBSE) on me every year as part of my annual exam.

Of course, those all-inclusive physicals are a thing of the past. I haven’t had a physician perform a TBSE for a long time.

I often wondered about that. A TBSE seems like a relatively easy and harmless way to … read on

Why shared decision making matters

Frugal Nurse Posted on by

As a nurse who worked for a surgeon, I had to spend a lot of time talking to patients and educating them about their proposed surgeries.

The surgeon talked to them first, of course, but often patients don’t remember everything the surgeon said. Or they think of questions after the consult.

If I couldn’t answer a question, or if I thought the patient really didn’t understand what the surgery entailed—why … read on

Rats, cell phones and cancer

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rats, cell phones and cancerScary headlines sell news

Last week the media blitzed us with headlines that linked cell phones with an increased risk of brain and heart cancers.

Don’t believe everything you read in a headline!

That news story was based on a study out of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences that looked at the effect of cell phone radiation on rats.

Most journalists, if you bothered to read the … read on