By Ephram Smith Introduction: If you or a loved one is going through testing for prostate cancer, it can feel overwhelming. There are many different tests, and each one has a purpose. As a healthcare advocate with years of experience supporting patients, I want to explain these common tests in a simple, friendly way. In…
By Sherman MumfordClinical trials can bring new ways to tackle diseases. They can offer treatments that are still in testing. People often worry about being placed in a group that receives no active treatment. That group is sometimes called the placebo arm. A placebo is usually a pill, injection, or other product that looks like…
By George LipmannSmoking tobacco is linked with many forms of cancer. When you inhale smoke, you take in chemicals that can damage your cells. These chemicals can lead to changes in your body that raise your chance of getting tumors. Doctors have studied this for many years. They have found that cigarette use is often…
By Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities face a range of obstacles when trying to get health care. These barriers are often rooted in systemic issues, geographic challenges, financial constraints, cultural factors, and other structural problems kff.org. Below is an overview of these key barriers, explained in clear terms: Systemic Issues…
by Darryl Mitteldorf, LCSW Cancer affects every community, but it does not affect all groups equally. American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people often face higher risks and worse outcomes from cancer than other groups ascopost.com. Research shows that AIAN communities are among the most underserved in the United States and are disproportionately affected by…
by Neil Horowitz How Do Vaccines Work? Vaccines help protect us by training the immune system to fight specific germs before we ever encounter them. When you get a vaccine, it introduces a harmless piece or weakened form of a germ into your body. This does not cause the disease, but it triggers your body’s defenses to react and learn: In…
By Nicholas Zuk Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that cannot be improved through sleep or rest in someone with cancer (American Cancer Society, 2024). CRF is often exacerbated through chemotherapy treatments, causing cancer treatment-related fatigue, or “chemo fatigue.” Chemo fatigue can occur both during treatment and can last for months…
By Nicholas Zuk Prostate cancer, with 13% of Americans expected to develop it in their lifetime, is one of the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer in men (CDC, 2024). Fortunately, most cases of prostate cancer are non-emergent and slow spreading, often taking years to become large enough to detect or to spread outside of…
By Nicholas Zuk Every year, millions of people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer. Because of its high unpredictability, various forms, and difficulty to treat, cancer remains one of the most complex challenges in modern medicine. While there have been groundbreaking advancements in our ability to treat cancer and its many forms, navigating a cancer diagnosis…