The House of Representatives last week passed a bill introduced by NY Congressman Michael Grimm, himself a Marine veteran, that will help both dogs and servicemembers. The legislation establishes a pilot program in VA medical centers whereby veterans with PTSD will receive instruction in the handling and training of shelter dogs. Abandoned dogs in animal…
In a world where we’re frequently being advised to take our vitamin supplements, a recent scientific study has produced results that are interesting and confusing at the same time, at least for women with breast cancer. It suggests that some vitamin supplements may be detrimental to women who have survived breast cancer. The Antioxidant Study…
Have You Heard Of Propofol? Propofol is one of the most widely used anesthetic agents worldwide, in the medical and veterinary fields. Up until a few years ago, however, it wasn’t exactly a household name. Now it’s a drug name that most people recognize, sadly as a result of the tragedy surrounding the death of Michael Jackson….
I work in a cancer research group at MIT that investigates the development of gastrointestinal cancers in particular. Consequently colorectal cancer is just one such type of this disease that has become a regular part of my everyday work life. This deadly condition, however, is anything but routine.pp p What Is Colorectal Cancer? This form…
“Long Interdialytic Interval and Mortality Among Patients Receiving Hemodialysis” Robert N. Foley et al, N Engl J Med 2011; 365:1099-1107 This article in the September 22nd edition of the New England Journal of Medicine stirs up further controversy over the traditional schedule of hemodialysis for patients with end-stage kidney failure. For most patients who require…
Continuing in the spirit of this month being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the lovely Cathy Miller invited me to write this guest post on breast cancer risk factors on her Simply Stated Health Care business blog. I was delighted that she invited me back into her blogosphere – it must mean I was well-behaved enough when I…
THIRTY YEARS AGO Do you remember the summer of ’81? Right now, chances are some of you may be conjuring up fun and pleasant memories to share. Doctors in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco at that time, however, would have some very different memories. Strange clusters of cases of pneumonia and cancer…
This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, representing an opportunity to promote and encourage screening for, and therefore aid early detection of breast cancer. p What is Breast Cancer? Breast cancer is a malignant tumor of the breast. It arises in the tissues of the breast, most commonly in the ducts that drain milk to…
Even if you don’t spend much time in the sun, your skin has likely still suffered damage over the years. Naturally this problem is exacerbated in people who do spend a significant amount of time in the sun, especially if they do not use sunscreen or take other precautions to protect their skin outdoors. Skin damage is…
It’s no longer just a cat’s eyes that glow in the dark! Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have created luminescent, genetically modified cats in an effort to learn more about AIDS. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes feline AIDS, a condition in cats that produces almost identical symptoms to those of AIDS in people infected with human…
