Darcy Lewis is an award-winning Chicago journalist, content writer and editor. She writes about health, medicine, and the arts for universities, nonprofits and cultural institutions.
How to learn about a world-class double bass? Give it a CT
When you’re an expert in medical CT imaging, two things are bound to happen, says Peter Noël, PhD, associate professor of Radiology and director of CT Research at the Perelman School of Medicine. One: You develop an insatiable curiosity about the inner workings of all kinds of objects, including those unrelated to your research. And two: Both colleagues and complete strangers will ask for your help in imaging a wide variety of unexpected items.
Evolving trends in how biopharma can engage community oncologists
About 55 percent of the Americans who receive treatment for cancer do so in the community oncology setting, according to the nonprofit Community Oncology Alliance. Patients consistently indicate that they value the option of receiving cancer care in their own communities and that they have a high level of trust in their local physicians. While that has stayed consistent, the definition of community oncology, and engaging with this important group, has not, explained Ed Andreozzi.
For Your Patients: The Benefits of Early Aggressive Treatment for MS
Doctors have traditionally used a "step-up," also known as the "escalation," approach for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), the neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. Using this approach, neurologists often prescribe a first-line therapy that is less effective, but is perceived to be safer. Then, if new MS symptoms consistent with an MS relapse occur or an MRI reveals new damage to the brain or spinal cord, treatment is ramped up to a more effective medication.
Nebraska clinicians and scientists use team science to fight childhood brain cancer
From tumour-homing nanoparticles to a potential medulloblastoma growth inhibitor, the Nebraska Children’s Brain Tumor Collaborative is trying to improve outcomes for children with high-risk central nervous system malignancies.
For Your Patients: Coping With the Mental Health Challenges of Multiple Sclerosis
For people with the neurodegenerative disease multiple sclerosis (MS), mental health is a major concern. Researchers estimate that depression occurs in up to 50% of people living with MS and is up to three times as common as in the overall population.
Shining a Spotlight on Health-related Social Needs
Have your health care providers asked if you need help with necessities like transportation or housing? Organizations that set national quality standards for cancer care say they should.
Research has increasingly documented the impact of social needs on health and cancer outcomes. That’s why the Joint Commission, which provides quality and safety accreditation, includes asking patients about their health-related social needs in its standards.
How Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Differs From Relapsing-Remitting MS
About 10-15% of patients with the demyelinating disorder multiple sclerosis (MS) have the primary progressive (PP) form of the disease, which is characterized by a phenotype of gradual progression from onset. PPMS typically includes a steady loss of function from the onset of symptoms. Given that disability progression is essential for a diagnosis of PPMS, physicians seek telltale signs that help them differentiate among the different forms of MS. There is currently only one FDA-approved DMT to treat PPMS: ocrelizumab, a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody.
Early Aggressive Treatment May Work Best in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis
Over time, the traditional MS treatment paradigm seems to be less entrenched as international treatment guidelines continue to vary on their recommendations for using specific DMTs. Data from a wide variety of clinical studies have shown that newer, higher-efficacy DMTs can have a positive long-term impact when started earlier in the disease course. As a result, many clinicians have shifted to a so-called "early aggressive" treatment approach in which they initially start patients on a higher-efficacy DMT.
Some Breast Cancer Patients Can Skip Radiation
Research suggests postmenopausal women over 50 with low-risk hormone receptor-positive breast cancer may forgo radiation after surgery.
Lung Cancer Treatment: Next Steps After Diagnosis
What happens after you or a loved one receives a lung cancer diagnosis?
Receiving a lung cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming and traumatic for patients and their families. So, the first step is to take some time to process the news. Then, it’s time to make some decisions.
It’s understandable to feel a sense of urgency after getting a cancer diagnosis, but there is usually time to consider all treatment options and perhaps even get a second opinion before deciding on a treatment plan, said Pr...
For Your Patients: Understanding Progressive MS and Relapsing MS
People who have progressive, gradual onset of neurologic symptoms over time have primary progressive (PP) MS. In PPMS, the symptoms typically worsen steadily over time and physical and/or cognitive disability accumulates. This represents about 10-15% of people with MS. Here's what you need to know.
Cancer and Fertility Preservation
For many of us, family planning includes a host of questions, from when to have a family to how many children to have. For some, that list of questions also includes: Are there health limitations that might prevent us from having a family—and if so what help is available to help us achieve our goal? And for those who face life-changing health events, the need to answer such questions may come sooner rather than later—if they want to preserve the option of having biological children in the future.
Girls Flag Football: Ready to Step into the Spotlight
If you or your child has ever wished for a safer, more inclusive way to play football, a solution may be coming soon to a playing field near you. If it’s not already there, that is.
Girls flag football — a sport whose time has come.
And Aaron Mares, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician with UPMC Sports Medicine, couldn’t be happier.
Cushing’s Syndrome: A Clinical Update
Endocrinologist Elena Christofides, MD, FACE, shares new understandings around this rare condition, including the role of elevated cortisol, steroid dosing and tapering, and more.
The Deep and Multidimensional Connection Between Multiple Sclerosis and Depression
When it comes to any kind of chronic condition, patients are all too likely to develop depression as they navigate the associated stresses and challenges. But with the chronic demyelinating disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), there appears to be even deeper connections with depression.