Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is gaining acceptance as a convenient and relatively complication-free method of treating precancerous skin lesions on the face. These lesions, known as actinic keratoses (AKs), are primarily caused by damage from UV radiation from the sun. If …
Cells are the basic building blocks of living organisms. The human body is made up of many different types of cells—skin cells, nerve cells, muscle cells, etc. All cells (with the exception of certain nerve cells) are capable of reproducing …
Most people are aware of the many lives that have been saved through early detection and treatment of cancer. A good example of this is regular Pap screening which has decreased cervix cancer mortality by at least 80%. Why then …
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. The American Cancer Society has estimated that in 2014, approximately 22,000 women will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer and over 14,000 will die of this disease. By learning more about this type …
Recent statistics indicate that over 46 million Americans still smoke despite widespread knowledge that tobacco use is a leading cause of disease and premature death. However, of these, almost 70% would like to quit. Why don’t they? Because most smokers …
Medical science has made tremendous strides in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Screening tests including mammograms for breast cancer, Pap smears for cervical cancer, and colonoscopies for colon cancer have allowed these cancers to be detected at an earlier …
Two of the leading organizations issuing guidelines for cancer screening, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), have separately made recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer. In both cases, data from …
A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Some of these risk factors can be modified, while some can’t be changed. For example, even though breast cancer does occur in males, being …
