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Read our latest stories on the people and scientific innovations making a difference in patients’ lives.
Living & Wellbeing
Understanding Healthcare Disparities in Colorectal Cancer
In the United States, an estimated 147,950 people were diagnosed with cancer of the colon or rectum in 2020. It is one of the most highly diagnosed cancers in the US, with 12 percent of cases diagnosed in people under the age of 50.[i] Additionally, more than 20 percent of Americans with colorectal cancer have metastatic disease at diagnosis. Metastatic disease means the cancer has already begun to spread to other parts of the body.[ii] The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws within healthcare...
Living & Wellbeing
Know the Mutational Status of Your Cancer: Biomarker Testing in Metastatic Melanoma and Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma or metastatic colorectal cancer, chances are you’ve had to familiarize yourself with a lot of new terms and complicated concepts. One term you may not have heard before is “biomarker.” As researchers learn more about how cancer cells develop, grow, and spread, more attention is being paid to the role biomarkers play in these processes. For patients, undergoing biomarker testing helps their doctor/healthcare team determine whether or not...
Living & Wellbeing
Pfizer's New C. difficile Awareness Initiative Explained
Pfizer recently convened experts representing a cross-section of healthcare professionals and patient organizations for a panel titled, “Clostridioides difficile: A public health threat in plain sight.” They first met during a panel discussion that coincided with Infectious Disease (ID) Week in late-2019 and served as a launchpad for the C. difficile Awareness Initiative, which will help educate the public about Clostridioides difficile (pronounced: klos-TRID-e-OY-dees dif-uh-SEEL)and C...
Living & Wellbeing
Dear Scientist, Atopic Dermatitis Keeps Me Itching Nonstop
Twelve-year-old Jaemin Kung, from Arlington, has a condition that makes his skin break out severely, with no preventative treatments to fight it. Scientist Jean Beebe is searching for ways to make his life less burdensome, and way less itchy.
Living & Wellbeing
Viral vs. Bacterial Pneumonia: Understanding the Difference
Having pneumonia can be frightening because this illness directly impacts one vital function — our breathing. For those who are at high risk of getting pneumonia and the complications that may accompany it, it is very important to make an accurate diagnosis.According to the World Health Organization’s most current statistical data, pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in children — responsible for 18% of all deaths in children under age five. Many of these outcomes can be prevented...
Living & Wellbeing
Cancer Screenings: Understanding the Pros and Cons
Cancer screenings can be powerful tools that can help find the disease at an early stage, when it may be easier to treat. Most of the time screenings do not diagnose cancer. Instead, they help your healthcare provider see if you need more tests. For example, a mammogram may find a breast lump, but a lump doesn’t always mean you have breast cancer. You would need a biopsy or another diagnostic test to find out if the lump is cancerous.What kinds of cancer screenings are available?When it comes to...
Living & Wellbeing
Why Your Family Health History Matters
Your family health history is important to your health. Besides similar looks and lifestyle habits, genes play an important role in your risk of developing certain health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer. Having a picture of your family’s medical history is a good thing when it comes to proactively managing your health. According to the United States Surgeon General, however, very few people are likely to have detailed and precise information about their family...
Living & Wellbeing
Why You Need Your Workout Now More Than Ever
If you engage in regular exercise, chances are the COVID-19 pandemic has altered some aspect of your workout routine. Maybe your gym is closed, your favorite spin or yoga classes no longer an option. Perhaps you no longer meet up with friends to power walk because it’s too hard to stay socially distanced. Maybe the demands of overseeing your children’s virtual learning while doing your own job have left you with no time for your usual lunchtime run. Or you’re simply in a funk about the state of...
Living & Wellbeing
Chronic Stress and How to Manage It
Everyone seems stressed these days. From the current pandemic to economic pressures, racial unrest, political tensions and natural disasters, the start of the new decade has seemed to throw one stressor after another.At some point, that stress may become something you can’t simply shake off: Experiencing stress over an extended period may indicate that stress is chronic.Chronic stress can take a toll on your mind and body. Fortunately, there are things you can do to back on the path to mental...
Living & Wellbeing
Cancer Doesn’t Wait: Why People Need to Get Back to Cancer Screenings and Follow-Up Appointments
Around the country, doctors and healthcare systems are reporting an alarming drop in non-COVID-19 patient visits.1 Included in this is a plummet in important cancer screenings and follow-up appointments. These checkups, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests, have gone down significantly since the start of COVID-19 because of delays or cancellations.2,3Even short delays in follow-up care can pose a big riskCancer screenings and follow-up appointments...
Living & Wellbeing
Preparing for a Colonoscopy?
When your doctor says the word “colonoscopy,” do you want to bolt out the door and never come back? If so, you’re not alone—it’s natural to feel anxious about getting a colonoscopy. But it’s also important to remember why colonoscopies are so important. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in the U.S., and being screened regularly for colon cancer can potentially save your life. Colonoscopy is one of the recommended screening procedures to detect the disease. Talk with your doctor to...
Living & Wellbeing
Shedding Light on Seasonal Affective Disorder
The winter blues are one thing, but seasonal affective disorder is quite another. Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression, sometimes referred to as SAD, seasonal depression, or winter depression. What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? Seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) is a type of depression that can make patients feel less energetic, moody, and distressed for parts of the year. Seasonal affective disorder begins and ends around the same time every year, typically inclusive of...
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