mementomori | December 18, 2007Death rates from cancer continue to fall in the United States, dropping more than 2 percent per year from 2002 through 2004, cancer experts reported on Monday.
They found important declines in deaths from lung, prostate and colorectal cancers in men, as well as in breast and colon cancer among women. Lung cancer deaths were still on the rise among women but this increase slowed, according to the report.
We're always grateful to hear such encouraging news from medical statisticians, but how can we use this information in our daily lives? Perhaps it would help to first remind ourselves of…
mementomori | December 16, 2007[Editor's Note: on Friday the narrator lost his little self-esteem-raising med quiz, which apparently was written on the back of a receipt from Rutto's Trattoria. This afternoon he called from an undisclosed location and apologized for the mishap, but was only able to recall a smattering of the questions. We publish them now. Why, we don't know.]
The playground ditty "Ring Around the Rosies" is thought to have referred to what epidemic?
A. Jaegermeister fever
B. Jungian Archetypal Oingo-Boingo Neurosis
C. Jakob's Jumping Jiminy Yingiencephalosis
D. Bubonic plague
In medical slang the term…
mementomori | December 14, 2007'Tis the time of year to bring tidings of joy and celebrate Homo sapien-kind's (formerly known as mankind's) spirit of generosity. Not being one to scoff at this equitable terpsichore of self-esteem, we here at the Cheerful Oncologist have a quiz of medical knowledge guaranteed to raise the confidence of every person who takes it. Initial beta-testing has shown that 99% of testees (please don't confuse this term with any androgenic anatomical appendages) obtain a perfect score. What better way to promote our citizen's intelligence than to give everybody an "A," right? Now sharpen your…
mementomori | December 12, 2007Beginning Jan. 1, Medicare will reimburse only $16,000 of the $30,000 total cost for hospitals to acquire and administer each treatment of radioimmunotherapy drugs. Currently, only two drugs -- Bexxar and Zevalin -- fall under this class of therapy.
What on earth is going on here? Why would our government reimburse cancer care providers for less than the actual cost of a new lymphoma treatment, not to mention the cost of the physicians, nurses, equipment and space needed in order to give the treatment at the correct dose, in the correct manner, flawlessly, without any adverse outcomes, with…
mementomori | December 11, 2007It was a pleasure meeting you today. I truly enjoyed our time together and wish I could have stayed longer. Please pardon my forwardness, but I want to brag a bit about you.
When I walked into your home I was struck at how tall you stand - do you know you move without hesitation, as one who knows exactly what he wants out of this life? Not many of us can claim to face the challenges of the day with such a spark in our eyes.
You have a robust and joyful spirit that sweeps over your listeners and draws them to you - in the world of business they call this magnetism. It will serve you well…
mementomori | December 7, 2007"Let's see - what should I do today...YouTube? IPod? Watch a DVD? Surf the 'net? Watch a little television? Uh, what was I thinking? Oh, who cares - I hate my life anyway."
A lack of physical activity leads to depression and dementia, evidence presented at the British Nutrition Foundation conference shows.
A new study from the U.K. shows that regular physical activity cuts the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 30 to 40%.
It is unclear why there is such a great effect but it could be associated with benefits to the vascular system as well as release of chemicals in the brain.…
mementomori | December 5, 2007As part of our ongoing commitment to the environment we here at The Cheerful Oncologist have decided to implement the research of Dr. Gregor Blaberidae Samsa, the first scientist to discover the association between mental activity and the release of carbon dioxide gas during normal respiration. Dr. Samsa's seminal study, published in the Deutsche Fachzeitschrift den Lachsalven in 1923, measured the carbon dioxide emissions from thirty students who volunteered to spend eight hours in a room especially designed by the noted scientist. For the control arm the students either slept on cots,…
mementomori | December 4, 2007"If it is not seemly, do it not; if it is not true, speak it not."
-Marcus Aurelius
A story in USA Today reports the results of a survey of 1,662 physicians, of whom 96% agreed that "doctors should report impaired or incompetent colleagues to relevant authorities," while over half the group confessed that after encountering such tarnished peers they declined to denounce them.
The authors conclude that most physicians believe in following professional guidelines for behavior and in reporting those colleagues who don't, but are less likely to make the call themselves when they encounter a…
mementomori | December 2, 2007I read fellow ScienceBlogger Orac's take on the sad case of Dennis Lindberg, the 14 year old boy with acute leukemia who died after refusing to accept blood transfusions due to his religious beliefs, and felt like putting my own two cents in this dialogue.
As a medical oncologist who occasionally cares for patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses my opinion is this:
Why would cancer specialists agree to give induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia to a patient whom they knew could not survive the treatment? Such a decision, to proceed with intensive chemotherapy in a patient who is…
mementomori | November 30, 2007A report from MSNBC identifies seven food items commonly thought to be nutritious (or at least harmless) but actually either filled with nasty ingredients or stripped of healthy ones.
If I may be permitted, I'd like to summarize the author's findings. The seven deadly snack foods (and their sins of comission and omission) are these:
1. Granola bars - aw, c'mon - that ain't true...they are good for you...I refute it thus! [kicks display rack full of Three Musketeers] (sugar and chocolate, little protein/fiber/vitamins)
2. Bottled tea beverages - (full of sugar and spices, but little tea,…
mementomori | November 28, 2007OpinionJournal.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 perhaps Butterfield inadvertantly reversed the cause with the effect, viz., the correct way to interpret the phenomenom in question is that incarcerating more criminals (thus increasing the Sing-Sing population) reduces the crime rate by taking rapscallions out of circulation.
Now comes an interesting…
mementomori | 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 something that honors the one who was loved and is now gone.
"How can I go on with this agony inside of me?"
No answer will satisfy you now, my child. I could say that if you were lost at sea, battered by the wind, cold, frightened, but unwilling to force yourself to slip beneath the waves, you would…
mementomori | 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'm pre-med at State U, and I found out that doughnuts are not good for your health."
"Pre-med? You already sound like one of those sanctimonious medical bloggers. Just give me the doughnuts - on second thought make it two dozen doughnuts, Mr. Know-It-All."
'Yes, sir, and thanks very much - you just…
mementomori | November 23, 2007Here'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 investigator Dr. Mark Wallace.
A. standing while riding "Space Mountain" at Walt Disney World
B. being cruel to be kind
C. suppressing the urge to unleash a salvo of flatulence during the homily of a family wedding
D. smuggling potatoes through customs
"This is the first study using a dose-response method…
mementomori | November 19, 2007Here'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.
A pilot study from Duke University Medical Center, published in the Journal of Clincial Oncology, showed that the combination of irinotecan, a chemotherapy drug, plus the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab produced a significant improvement in the response rate and 6 month survival of patients with…
mementomori | 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 here it is.]
Some interesting items currently on my bookshelf:
Auschwitz, A New History, by Laurence Rees
Simultaneously horrifying and compelling...a groundbreaking and complete picture of the most abominable destination in human history, or least since Homo Neanderthalensis became extinct...I still…
mementomori | November 14, 2007Boston, 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 including Second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg. With the pounding of cannon still fresh in the soldiers' minds, their commander, Lt. Col. Hovey, has arranged for a ceremony to honor the freshly minted veterans for their sacrifice to the Union.
In the midst of a hushed crowd, each man climbs…
mementomori | November 12, 2007From 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, canceled her coverage.
[She] told ABC News, "I have two chemotherapy sessions, then we find out the surgeon hasn't been paid. The anaesthesiologist hasn't been paid, and the cancer doctor has not been paid."
The patient sued her insurance provider, and in the discovery phase it was revealed that…
mementomori | November 9, 2007Things 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 - not miracles."
5. "You have four sisters just like you? Well, I suppose I could take a look at them..."
6. "Now, then, Mr. Jones, if you'll just take off your fur coat..."
7. "Are you sure you want a reduction? It might affect your career, you know."
8. "Please - no more. I can't take it! You've…
mementomori | November 7, 2007I 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 People Who Fast Are Less Likely to Have Artery Blockages"
A study of 4500 men and women who fast on a regular basis revealed that they were less likely to be diagnosed with coronary artery disease than those patients who do not fast. Those who fast were 39% less likely to have the disease, defined…