mementomori
Posts by this author
November 28, 2007
OpinionJournal.com editor James Taranto coined the eponymous term "The Butterfield Effect" after New York Times crime reporter Fox Butterfield, who could not understand why the number of inmates in federal and state prisons was increasing when crime rates were falling. Taranto concluded that…
November 26, 2007
"Can't you do something to make this pain go away?"
No, my child, but understand that the greater is your pain, the greater was your love. Only passionate hearts can produce passionate grief. Such hearts use the gift of time not only to refill what has been emptied, but to reshape sorrow into…
November 24, 2007
"Yes, I'd like a dozen doughnuts, please."
"Are you sure, sir? If I were you I'd run as fast as I could from this shop and head for the nearest bakery for some whole grain bread."
"You work here and you're trying to discourage me from buying your product?"
"I know it sounds crazy, but you see - I'…
November 23, 2007
Here's a little post-Thanksgiving quiz for the gang to take - try guessing the correct answers regarding this research study from the University of California, San Diego. I'll even make this multiple choice...
"Previous studies have suggested that _____________ increases pain," [said] lead…
November 19, 2007
Here's a bit of encouraging news for patients afflicted with the brain tumor known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM):
U.S. biotechnology company Genentech, Inc. said on Sunday its blockbuster cancer drug, Avastin, showed encouraging results for patients with the most aggressive form of brain cancer…
November 16, 2007
[Editor's note: the C.O. petitioned us to allow him the chance to share his current reading list with the lovely and talented ScienceBlogs audience. As part of our policy to quash the rampant narcissism plaguing this nation, we initally declined, but he made us an offer we couldn't refuse, so…
November 14, 2007
Boston, Massachusetts, 1865 - Corporal Charles H. Williams, formerly of the 13th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, arrives from his hometown for a reunion with surviving members of his unit. For the past four years the 13th had been involved in a number of now hallowed Civil War battles…
November 12, 2007
From ABC News comes this story of a woman who had her health insurance policy cancelled after being diagnosed with cancer and starting on chemotherapy.
[She] is a self-employed hairdresser who was in the middle of cancer treatment when Health Net, one of California's biggest health care companies,…
November 9, 2007
Things Overheard in a Plastic Surgeon's Office:
1. "Doc, can you at least bring me down to an A-cup?"
2. "Yes, I'm pleased, but why does my husband keep asking me if I'm ready for my close-up?"
3. "I'm afraid I made this one longer than the other."
4. "We perform laser removal here, Mr. Talbot -…
November 7, 2007
I adhere to a certain practice on such a regular basis that my family has resigned themselves to residing with someone that exhibits what they consider to be quirky, if not downright bizarre behavior. No, it's not that 'certain practice'. Now it turns out I'm not so loony after all:
"Study Shows…
November 5, 2007
What do I say to a patient who declines to take chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy for his cancer? More specifically, how do I respond when a patient states that he prefers to take "alternative" medications in order to kill his rapidly growing malignant mass?
I've counselled him…
November 2, 2007
"There will be sleeping enough in the grave."
-Benjamin Franklin
Question: What kills more than 1550 Americans and injures another 71,000 every year?
A. Drowning
B. Accidental discharge of firearms
C. Viral hepatitis
D. Malignant melanoma
(Answer below the fold)
Answer: "None of the above."…
October 31, 2007
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 the slowest known way to commit suicide?")
Beef (…
October 29, 2007
[Editor's Note: at the request of our readers this will become a recurring feature. The C.O. in his infinite wisdom created a new character, Dr. Noce Saggio, to serve as the protagonist in this series of medical mysteries. And now, if you would please, raise the curtain... ]
"Another espresso,…
October 25, 2007
It seems that health insurance companies in New York are trying to persuade their customers to go to doctors who have excelled at the little game entitled "Popularity Contest." Say, what makes a physician popular with insurers? Is it high intelligence? Untiring diligence? Compassion, empathy…
October 24, 2007
As many ScienceBlogs readers know by now, last month Popular Mechanics published a list on their website of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," which included such esoteric talents as "frame a wall" and "extend your wireless network." How these two made the list over such accomplishments as "find…
October 22, 2007
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 medical reports that news services choose to disseminate…
October 19, 2007
Lessons learned are like
Bridges burned,
You only need to cross them but once.
-Dan Fogelberg
Last time I checked none of us have been ordered to bend their knee to the Gods of Apathy, Stupidity and Cowardice, yet I see people all the time who are miserable in life because of their unwillingness to…
October 16, 2007
"India to host world toilet summit"
The next time you find yourself kvetching about someone misplacing the television remote, or a spot on your collar, or the spaghetti being lukewarm, or $3 a gallon gasoline, or your favorite team playing like a rafter of turkeys, or Junior failing to put the…
October 15, 2007
I recently heard about an amazing case that seems to be filled with lessons for doctors. Not claming to be Homer, my paraphrasing will be modest, but let me tell the tale anyway. Then we'll try to decipher the moral of the story.
Once upon a time a 19 year old man woke up feeling ill. He…
October 13, 2007
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 have developed a profound loathing of this ugly malignancy. Its bite…
October 10, 2007
Des Moines, Iowa, 1961 - Martin Polzhappel, a 25 year-old carpenter, visits his family doctor for yet another bronchial infection. Instead of giving him the usual intramuscular injection of lincomycin, today the doctor decides to try a new oral antibiotic called ampicillin. Mr. Polzhappel is only…
October 7, 2007
The story of thalidomide, the notorious teratogenic drug developed in Germany and sold around the world from 1957 to 1961 as a treatment for morning sickness, continues to unfold. By now most are familiar with thalidomide's history, how it caused phocomelia and other severe birth defects in over…
October 5, 2007
Doctors constantly have to make decisions that reflect their intelligence and judgment, but sometimes they are faced with a decision that tests their personality. Here's an example:
"Should I (a) let this patient continue to ramble on, further delaying the eagerly anticipated close of my frantic…
October 3, 2007
Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat?
-Horace
Here's some hilarious "news" from the FDA, just hot off the press:
Taxotere Gets FDA Approval For Advanced Head And Neck Cancer Before Chemoradiotherapy And Surgery
Heh heh...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Taxotere Injection…
October 1, 2007
The next time you're tempted to act like a irresponsible jerk, take a deep breath and ask yourself this:
"Would I find it refreshing to be poseyed in a chair and crapping my pants during the halftime show of Super Bowl LXII?"
"Conscientious people are less prone to Alzheimer's"
According to the…
October 1, 2007
"What is it like to be an oncologist? How long does it usually take to get your specialization? Is there anything I should know from the start that I could learn from your education over the years in and out of school?"
From time to time students interested in the field of medical oncology ask me…
September 27, 2007
New evidence presented today by U.S. researchers suggests that women who drink at least three alcoholic drinks per day have a 30 per cent increase in the risk of developing breast cancer. Why is this important? Could it be because we don't want more women to acquire this disease? ¹ Could it be…
September 25, 2007
I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.
-Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773)
It was quite busy in the office today; in fact, I'm still here as I type this at 1710 hours CDT, and must go back to the hospital as soon as I'm finished writing. Not to confuse…
September 23, 2007
More evidence has just been published showing how reducing the caloric intake of cells influences their survival. Anyone want to take a guess as to what happens when a living organism (eukaryotes only, please) is subjected to noshing only on insultingly small morsels of food? Such asceticism of…