Exorcising Stress From Your Life
If you are stressed out at work, please keep in mind the fact that you may be increasing your chances of a heart attack.Posted on January 22, 2008 8:56 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Cheerful Oncologist
"Courage and cheerfulness will not only carry you over the rough places in life, but will enable you to bring comfort and help to the weak-hearted and will console you in the sad hours." -Sir William Osler
Search this blog
Profile
Recent Posts
- Goodbye to ScienceBlogs
- "You Are Dying - and I Hate Myself for Saying It"
- Exorcising Stress From Your Life
- Frying Prostates in Puerto Vallarta
- Le Mot Juste
- Have a Seat in the Waiting Room - Sucker!
- The Right Kind of Blood
- Where's Mao Zedong When You Need Him?
- Three Hundred Easy Pieces
- "I Feel Your Pain. Now, Getting Back to Your Co-Pays..."
Recent Comments
- monkmeat on Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
- Bridget on Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
- Teşvik Belgesi on Rationing Cancer Care: An Example
- travesti on Best of The Cheerful Oncologist - "The Sales Pitch, Part I"
- travesti on It's a Family Affair
- cal doc on "You Are Dying - and I Hate Myself for Saying It"
- ıslak mendil on A Message to One Who Mourns
- youtube on What Does It Mean to Have 'Relapsed Breast Cancer?'
- nispet on "You Are Dying - and I Hate Myself for Saying It"
- travesti on Le Mot Juste
Archives
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
Blogroll
Other Information
My archives are located at Archives of the Cheerful Oncologist, Volume 2
Commentary:
Frying Prostates in Puerto Vallarta
The New York Times article implies that men are being ripped off by unscrupulous doctors who are charging exorbitant fees for the procedure.Posted on January 21, 2008 1:39 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Have a Seat in the Waiting Room - Sucker!
Just because some Oxford don pronounces a certain medical treatment as "unnecessary" doesn't mean that the American people will gladly stop having said treatment "for the common good."Posted on January 16, 2008 3:26 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I Can Take the Pain - But Should I?
God help my physician if I read a list of symptoms followed by the words "See Your Doctor Immediately!"Posted on January 6, 2008 8:37 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Smokers: Swish and Spit - If You Dare
The instructions were to scrape the inside of the mouth with a brush and then after gargling with 20cc of salt water, spit into a specimen container.Posted on January 2, 2008 12:18 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"Is There a Ring of Debris Around Uranus?"
The art of writing a headline is tricky, as anyone who has read a newspaper knows, and we don't mean to disparage your natural abilities, but would you consider rewriting these examples, too?Posted on December 19, 2007 3:34 PM • • 0 TrackBacks
Cancer Death Rates Drop Again
to those who think, think, think about how to exploit the Byzantine inner workings of the cancer cell to bring it grievous physiological harm...Posted on December 18, 2007 8:17 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Periodic Pushups Prevent Pessimistic Proclivities
The responses I get remind me of a teenage boy who has just been asked to take out the garbage...Posted on December 7, 2007 6:08 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Let's Face It - All Roads Lead to Celery
...reminds me of Robert DeNiro in Casino: "...look how many blueberries your muffin has and how many mine has. Yours is falling apart. I have nothing."Posted on November 30, 2007 12:19 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A Drama at Donut-A-Rama
"I know it sounds crazy, but you see - I'm pre-med at State U, and I found out that doughnuts are not good for your health."Posted on November 24, 2007 9:19 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A Glimmer of Hope Against a Vicious Adversary
Glioblastoma multiforme, the most frequent primary brain malignancy in adults, is a heinous tumor that snuffs out life not just with speed but with cruelty...Posted on November 19, 2007 8:42 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"Honey, Bring Me My Ice Cream - The Biggest Loser Is On!"
I encourage our more intrepid scientists to conduct a controlled study on the effects of fasting as part of a weight-loss program.Posted on November 7, 2007 8:32 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Eyes Wide Shut
Question: What kills more than 1550 Americans and injures another 71,000 every year?Posted on November 2, 2007 10:57 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"The Steaks are Done! Hey, Where'd Everybody Go?"
Attention All Lovers of the Following: Hamburgers (also known as "our national pastime") French Fries (also known as "coronary sticks") Pastries (apply directly to hips to cut out the middle man) Sugary Drinks (the answer to this riddle: "What is...Posted on October 31, 2007 3:04 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Put On a Happy Face - That's an Order?
Does keeping a positive mental outlook help cancer patients to live longer? People who are depressed about their cancer are no more likely to die than people who keep a positive outlook, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. The choice of...Posted on October 22, 2007 8:30 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Tragedy of Death by Diarrhea
Maybe a courageous visionary, inspired by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a hectoring pseudo-eschatologist, will roll up his or her sleeves and make the goal of saving children's lives their mission in life.Posted on October 16, 2007 2:36 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Another Reason to Leave Your Plate Half Full (or Is That Half Empty?)
Here's some food for thought the next time you sit down to shovel in a wheelbarrow or two from the breakfast buffet: "Obese People Much More Likely To Develop Esophageal Cancer" I've seen enough esophageal cancer in my career to...Posted on October 13, 2007 5:38 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Thalidomide, The Phoenix, Arises Again
Will its legacy be one of more than just shame?Posted on October 7, 2007 8:09 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Yes, Oncologists Have a Weird Sense of Humor
Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure!Posted on October 3, 2007 9:52 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Do a Good Turn Daily, and Keep Your Wits About Ye!
"Would I find it refreshing to be poseyed in a chair and crapping my pants during the halftime show of Super Bowl LXII?"Posted on October 1, 2007 8:48 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"Liquor in the Front, Mammograms in the Back"
Is it reasonable now to add "contributing to the risk of breast cancer" to the list of accusations against Big Alcohol?Posted on September 27, 2007 7:15 PM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Tyranny of NAD+, or Where'd My Dessert Go?
How do we report this in such a way as to not offend those Americans who are addicted to eating more than their body requires?Posted on September 23, 2007 7:44 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Message to Abraham Cherrix
"Don't just automatically let a medical provider sell you on a treatment that has absolutely no chance to prevent your death from Hodgkin lymphoma. Why settle for any outcome less than total cure?"Posted on September 17, 2007 3:48 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found...
Posted on September 11, 2007 8:31 AM • • 0 TrackBacks
It's a Family Affair
It would seem logical that one might also be at risk of a heart attack if a close family member just had the same. Yes, quite logical, even indubitable, my dear Watson.Posted on September 9, 2007 5:00 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
CH3SH, H2S, DMS - Holy Allium, Batman!
The remedy for this pitiable affliction almost always includes repeated purges of the evil humors and vapors found hidden within.Posted on August 26, 2007 8:14 PM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Deer Hunting: Not Just Dangerous for the Deer
It wouldn't surprise me one bit that an overweight hypertense smoker might show signs of cardiac ischemia while hauling a 20 point buck through the snow.Posted on August 19, 2007 8:50 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Give My Regards to N,N-Diethyl Toluamide
Even the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (now there's an oxymoron if there ever was one) has specific guidelines for the use of DEET in children and adults.Posted on August 13, 2007 8:16 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Something's Brewing with Nude Mice!
Compared to the UVB-exposed control animals, the caffeine drinkers showed an approximately 95 percent increase in UVB-induced apoptosis...Posted on July 31, 2007 7:14 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Learning The Truth About Cancer
The lifestyle decisions we make as a teenager and young adult will either come back to reward us or haunt us long before fourscore years have weathered our once cuddly, pristine bodies.Posted on July 27, 2007 9:14 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Why We Have Breast Cancer Support Groups
One of our responsibilities as oncologists is to reduce suffering, to do everything in our power to vanquish it, by any means, at any time of the day or night...Posted on July 24, 2007 9:14 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
For a Healthier Pump, Pump Iron!
It can no longer be argued, however, that resistance training is unhealthy. Just as we suspected, it is good for heart patients who meet the requirements set by the AHA.Posted on July 17, 2007 8:36 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A Schmaltzy Story
The injections are meant to fill out the defect left behind in a breast that has undergone a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy...Posted on July 10, 2007 8:07 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Made in China (Caveat Emptor!)
Not being an expert on sinological economics I can only speculate on the severity of the damage China has done to its reputation with these latest scandals involving the sale of tainted food or medical products...Posted on July 9, 2007 3:39 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Americans and Alcohol Abuse - an Update
The stigma of alcohol abuse is a major obstacle to treatment and recovery, from patients who are afraid to seek help to insurance companies who limit payment for alcohol dependence.Posted on July 2, 2007 10:12 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Abraham Cherrix and the Fallacy of Moderation
Unlike other chronic illnesses Hodgkin disease kills if it is not killed itself. There is no middle ground; no partial credit is given for eliminating some of the tumor.Posted on June 21, 2007 5:15 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Five New Tongue Twisters From Glaxo
Ofatumumab (reminds me of the hula dancer at Uncle Louie's luau) is a fully human monoclonal antibody against the CD-20 antigen.Posted on June 18, 2007 9:17 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Warning Signs of Ovarian Cancer Released
The bottom line is that women should be aware of the four symptoms listed in the consensus statement and notify their health care provider (formerly known as 'doctor') if they have been present for longer than a fortnight.Posted on June 14, 2007 8:39 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Hello, I Love You, Won't You Tell Me Your Name?
I also support the notion that when a doctor asks one to drop one's trousers it would be immensely gratifying to know to whom the fickle finger of fate belongs.Posted on June 11, 2007 8:43 PM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Low Testosterone Increases Death Rate - Above 100 Percent?
Oh, Lordy, don't tell me I have to go get my testosterone level checked in order to keep my mortality rate from rising higher than the guy next to me.Posted on June 6, 2007 8:23 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A Step in the Right Direction in the Treatment of a Stubborn Cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma is not a malignancy that tends to appear in healthy people without warning.Posted on June 4, 2007 1:17 PM • 11 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The New China Syndrome
There aren't enough doctors in the world to solve this problem. Someone needs to wake up the Chinese Minister of Health before the word "dystopia" acquires a new meaning.Posted on May 21, 2007 7:51 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Flash! Murine Mop Misfortune Mitigated!
Suddenly tens of millions of men in this country stop in their tracks and strain to hear the voice on the radio:Posted on May 16, 2007 10:04 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"I'd Like a Steak But I Don't See It on the Menu"
I suppose I could tell Jeeves to tell the cook to prepare a fish dish every Monday and Thursday - or maybe I should just hold off until I need glasses...Posted on May 15, 2007 8:13 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Take Two Aspirin and - No, Wait! I Didn't Mean It!
As with many clinical trials one can skillfully spin the data into a silky reassurance that none of us will ever die if we take the correct pills. Critics, though, will undoubtedly point out key flaws in the fabric.Posted on May 14, 2007 9:03 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Take the Lead - Become a Designated Driver!
The truck was in front of a disabled car and had its emergency lights flashing when Hancock's vehicle hit it, killing the 29 year old relief pitcher instantly.Posted on May 4, 2007 12:26 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
What Do Iran and California Have in Common?
Can you guess what this amazing member of the Sumac family is?Posted on May 1, 2007 1:09 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"Say, is that a Novartis Pen You're Using? You're Under Arrest!"
Doctors have been receiving free items from Big Pharma (hereafter referred to as BP) for decades; why are these researchers wasting our precious natural resources by once again printing the obvious?Posted on April 26, 2007 1:52 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Vice President Cheney is on Warfarin for a DVT
I know we doctors can be absent-minded, but I must be really out of it - I had no idea Vice President Cheney was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremity in early March. He had...Posted on April 25, 2007 9:29 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Deep Knee Bends? Me? You Gotta Be Kiddin'!
As more and more baby boomers enter their golden years, the effects of years of weight training, organized sports and creeping avoirdupois (the last being more likely to apply to most of us) leave their toll upon the joints.Posted on April 17, 2007 9:05 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Please remember all those who were murdered or injured at Virginia Tech in your prayers....
Posted on April 16, 2007 8:58 PM • •
Former Sen. Fred Thompson Has Marginal Zone Lymphoma
"The average overall survival for nodal marginal zone lymphoma is only five years; Senator Thompson stated his lymphoma was in a lymph node, therefore can you tell us what the typical prognosis is for a patient with the exact type, stage, FLIPI prognostic index and age as Mr. Thompson?"Posted on April 11, 2007 2:09 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Theobroma Cacao - "Food of the Gods"
Remember those days when you and your friends came stamping in after a shivering January afternoon on the local sledding hill? Didn't your mother have a steaming mug of hot cocoa waiting on the kitchen table?Posted on April 10, 2007 9:46 PM • • 0 TrackBacks
Get Up and Get Moving! Follow Me!
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said Wednesday it would spend $500 million over the next five years to combat an "epidemic" of childhood obesity. This can only be interpreted as good news for those of us who are saddened by...Posted on April 4, 2007 7:45 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Do You Know Your BMI? Do You Even Want to Know?
How long, O Lord, must I pontificate about the dangers of obesity until the nation repents its evil ways?Posted on March 29, 2007 7:10 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Update on Tony Snow's Recurrent Colon Cancer
We, just like the patients sitting before us, want more time out of this life on Earth. Our interests are aligned - it is now up to both of us to make something good happen.Posted on March 28, 2007 1:33 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Another Public Figure Stricken with Relapsed Cancer
This is like reminding the nation that the average survival of patients who refuse to ingest solid and liquid refreshments is only three days.Posted on March 27, 2007 9:35 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Chocolate Without Sugar? Sacrilege!
Egad! Are they prepared to deal with the outrage we members of Chocolate Forever are about to unleash on the scientific community?Posted on March 26, 2007 12:14 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
What Does It Mean to Have 'Relapsed Breast Cancer?'
I just heard the news that Elizabeth Edwards has been diagnosed with a recurrence of her breast cancer and wanted to let ScienceBlogs readers know what information we medical oncologists look for in this situation.Posted on March 22, 2007 7:14 PM • 21 Comments • 1 TrackBacks
We'll Be Right Back After These Messages
Oh, the agony of having to go on Spring Break (with the family, of course).Posted on March 19, 2007 10:00 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Another Mystery Solved by the Neuroscience Patrol
The adolescent brain is not only different from the adult specimen but inchoate, imperfectly developed yet actively building highways, exit ramps, cloverleaves and rest stops in order to conquer the challenges of negotiating life's passages. In the meantime the teenage intellect is best described as the world's largest bumper car ride.Posted on March 12, 2007 2:58 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'm Still Sure It Was the Robin's-Egg Blue Tuxedo I Wore
Does This Explain the Disaster That Was my High School Prom? Bad-tempered women 'can blame it on genes' Ever wonder why some women seem to be more ill-tempered than others? University of Pittsburgh researchers have found that behaviors such as...Posted on March 10, 2007 4:54 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Aspirin, NSAIDs Not Recommended for Prevention of Colon Cancer
"Aspirin is a stinker? That's no military secret!"Posted on March 5, 2007 9:32 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Little Ol' Wine Drinkers of the World Unite!
It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it, if for no other reason than to set an example for the vacillating chicken-hearted men of the world.Posted on March 2, 2007 9:17 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Intimations of Mortality
Is it not inscribed in the ancient texts of old: "Be patient, Grasshopper, and your risk of death will no longer increase, but return to the normal rate - 100%"?Posted on February 28, 2007 8:41 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"I'll Have the Coronary Burger, Please, with a Side of Angioplasta."
"I could make you a salad, or there might be some of that leftover soup from Sunday..."Posted on February 26, 2007 8:23 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Why 'Poor Man's Bread' is Better for You Than the Daily Loaf
Perhaps the gentle reader recalls the effervescent watercress sandwich Mother used to make for breakfast, hmm?Posted on February 15, 2007 3:49 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Flash! Choir is Preached to; All Members Agree with Sermon!
After years of hoping and praying, my fondest wish has finally come true. I can hardly contain myself: New research on napping provides the perfect excuse for office slackers, finding that a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for...Posted on February 13, 2007 7:28 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Canadian Cancer Care Update
Understanding the machinations of cancer and then testing hypotheses of treatment is a slow process, but make no mistake about it - we are moving in the right direction.Posted on February 5, 2007 9:40 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Fiber! Broccoli! Chicken Docs and Coffee!
Rubbing coffee on our hard-boiled eggheads just might grow hair? What's next - pouring Scotch whisky on our breakfast flakes to improve our...improve our...Posted on January 23, 2007 8:02 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
"Hey, Anyone Want to Run to Starbucks?"
Is caffeine good for you or is it so dangerous to users that they might as well fry their arteries in coconut oil?Posted on January 18, 2007 7:57 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
3,014 People Are Alive Today Who Should Have Died - Why?
If you still don't understand how to reduce your risk of dying of cancer, you need to read up and then wise up.Posted on January 17, 2007 8:22 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks