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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
Housing as Health Care
Consider this scenario: You’re a physician working in the emergency room (ER) of a hospital. You have a patient who has shown up in your ER 30 times in just one year; 15 of those visits ended up in hospitalization. Despite effective treatment at each visit, your patient continues to be sick. To help stabilize this patient’s health, perhaps you write a prescription, suggest follow-up care through a primary care physician or outline a change in diet or exercise.
Let’s complicate the story a bit: Your patient is unhoused or lacks consistent housing. Now what?
Nebraska grapples with high paediatric cancer rates
Clinicians and researchers join forces at Nebraska’s Paediatric Cancer Research Group to shed light on the state’s high incidence of childhood cancer.
When 16-year-old Jacob Peters was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, he wanted to be known for more than being “that kid with cancer.” Following Jacob’s death 290 days later, his parents and younger brothers searched for a way to honor him that matched his outsized personality.
How Does Multiple Sclerosis Start?
"Inside out" vs "outside in" debate, and new perceptions about the role of EBV and gray matter
For Your Patients: What Are the Different Types of MS?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune, neurodegenerative disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS). These attacks lead to the breakdown of myelin, the protective cover that shields the nerve fibers in the CNS.
MS is an unpredictable disease. If you receive a diagnosis of MS, it's normal to wonder what your disease course might be like.
Early Diagnosis Can Mean Better Outcomes in Multiple Sclerosis
According to conventional wisdom, white women who live far from the equator and have possible or confirmed histories of vitamin D deficiency and/or prior infection with Epstein-Barr virus are the most likely candidates for a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), the chronic autoimmune demyelinating condition affecting the central nervous system.
This clinical shorthand is both convenient and well established, but a recent study suggests it may also encourage clinicians to overlook patients with MS who don't fit the paradigm.
For Your Patients: What to Expect After a Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. In MS, your immune system attacks myelin, the protective cover that shields nerve fibers throughout your central nervous system.
Whether you've recently been diagnosed with MS or are still going through the diagnostic process, you may have noticed that making a diagnosis of MS can be complicated and even confusing. If so, you're not alone.
Non-surgical Options in Bladder Cancer
For decades, the standard of care for muscle-invasive bladder cancer has been chemotherapy to shrink the tumor followed by surgery to remove the bladder. But a recent clinical trial found adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy may allow certain patients to avoid surgery.
Change Your Culture to Create and Maintain Continuous Improvement
Quality improvement (QI) systems are imperative to a well-run lab. They ensure that a laboratory is staying up to date with practices and that it provides high-quality care for patients. But developing a system of quality improvement is no small undertaking. No matter what system you use—Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, LEAN, or any of their competitors—building and maintaining a system of continuous improvement typically requires a cultural transformation.
To get at the heart of what tha...
The Surprising Biology Behind Menopause’s Worst Symptoms
Women in the workplace at midlife often reap the rewards of decades of experience, reaching their peak earning power and professional success. And then menopause occurs. Hot flashes, mood disturbances, sleep problems—these common symptoms can cause problems both at home and at work. About 1 in 4 women reported that their symptoms caused them to miss at least one day of work in the preceding year or that they experienced reduced productivity, fewer hours or even job loss.