This month, an Ask the Doctor question comes from the wife of a cancer survivor who is concerned about her husband’s post-surgery symptoms. As part of our Ask the Doctor program, readers send questions related to health, wellness, colon cancer prevention, screening or treatment. Our panel of experts responds. This month, Dr. Deborah Nagle, M.D., [...]
In Carol Ann Larson’s book, When the Trip Changes, A Traveler’s Advisory to Colorectal Cancer, the survivor narrates the story of her diagnosis, treatment and recovery from colon cancer. She interlaces the story of her trip to Italy, a journey she takes near end of her medical battle. While it may seem that these two [...]
Neal Meropol, M.D. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reported that oncologists treating newly diagnosed colon cancer patients often do not comply with recommended protocols. The article examined the issue of how to evaluate physicians who treat cancer patients. According to a report by UnitedHealthcare, some patients with colon cancer receive tests and [...]
The stories of cancer patients often inspire hope and courage, particularly when the disease hits those who are young and active. But those stories also offer important information about physical symptoms that warrant medical attention. Recently, WebMD published a list of warning signs most often ignored by women. The list included persistent and unexplained pain, [...]
In mid August, the Colon Cancer Coalition helped promote efforts by the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Alert Network to bring the real voices of cancer survivors, caregivers and concerned citizens to the ears of legislators. A blog post at GetYourRearinGear.com, gave readers information about submitting their own voice messages to the organization. Now two months [...]
Jaimie Mattes is a remarkable 39-year-old colon cancer survivor. I say remarkable, because Jaimie has not been silent with his recovery. He has been loud. In 2008, he won the Get Your Rear in Gear Advocacy Award from the Colon Cancer Coalition. He also modeled for the 2009 Colondar and volunteered for a Minnesota Cancer [...]
Watch as Dick Woodruff, ACS CAN’s lead advocate in Washington, talks about his meetings with the White House and Congress as he negotiates for lower health care costs and to prevent people from being denied coverage because they survived cancer. Tell five friends to to stand with the American Cancer Society for better health care [...]
With the health care reform debate heating up, it is critical that cancer survivors make our voices heard. Too many Americans who think they have good health insurance find out the hard way, when cancer strikes, that their coverage is inadequate. Survivors have delayed care, gone deeply into debt, drained lifelong savings or find they [...]
Trying to navigate the onslaught of news stories about the swine flu epidemic can be confusing for anyone. But for those who are already dealing with a serious illness such as cancer, or for those caring for cancer patients, the information can be even more confusing. Terri Ades, director of cancer information at the American [...]
It’s nearly a taboo subject, talking about one’s guts, especially that very private, unmentionable space in the body that deals with outgo. No amount of crude remarks or “bathroom” humor can breakdown the walls that we have built around the topic of the rear end. We seem to associate the function it handles with a [...]
