There is a bizarre paradox in the culture of medicine: The system generates more data than ever, but questionable priorities are limiting our ability to effectively use it.
Stigma is one reason that African Americans are less likely to get a colonoscopy. But a recent study found that doctors may be partly responsible as African Americans are more likely than any other racial and ethnic group to say that their doctor never recommended colon cancer screening.
Prostate cancer survivor Freddie Muse talks to men at church, at barbershops, everywhere he goes. This, researchers say, is the best way to reduce the disparity among cancer screening and survival rates.
Each year, about 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer, and more than 50,000 die from it. That’s bad news, but for African-Americans, it’s even worse. KCRW reporter Avishay Artsy explains why.
I recently spoke with Dr. Leonard Lichtenfeld, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the ACS. I told him how I wished I had undergone screening earlier, thinking my cancer would have been caught before it could spread to my bones and my brain. “I would not have screened you,” he said bluntly.
A viable treatment option for women who already have breast cancer, mastectomy has become a controversial procedure for women who want to reduce their chances of getting it in the first place.
When it comes to health issues, the southeastern corner of Virginia usually is pretty average. That’s why I was surprised to discover a report that showed a city in my readership area has the highest cancer mortality rate in the state.
When it comes to health issues, the southeastern corner of Virginia usually is pretty average. That’s why I was surprised to discover a report that showed a city in my readership area has the highest cancer mortality rate in the state.
Learn the latest tips for covering cancer — including important difference in types of screening — from an international journalism conference.
Get tips for smart coverage of cancer from an international journalism conference.
