JAMA Review on Mammography Points to the Need for Better Ways to Advise Women and Detect Breast Cancer

This new JAMA article reviews the literature. At a glance, it may add to the growing perception among journalists, primary care physicians and others – including ordinary women – that mammography’s effectiveness has been, again, disproved.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer screening, journalism, Oncology (cancer), Public Health, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , 3 Comments on JAMA Review on Mammography Points to the Need for Better Ways to Advise Women and Detect Breast Cancer

On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

If I could pick a field for future investigation that might lead to insight on cancer’s causes and, ultimately, reduce the cancer burden 30 and 50 years from now, I might choose the tiny, under-funded area of environmental oncology

Posted in Blogs, cancer causes, Environmental Health, journalism, Life, Life as a Patient, Life as a writer, Oncology (cancer)Tagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment on On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

Should People With Health Problems Talk About their Conditions?

Do you need to explain to the person on the checkout line or, say, a mother organizing a bake sale, why your back hurts? Or why you need a seat on the bus?

Posted in Communication, Essential Lessons, from the author, journalism, Life, Life as a Patient, PrivacyTagged , , , , , , , , 8 Comments on Should People With Health Problems Talk About their Conditions?

Don’t Judge Her! An Essay on Angelina Jolie, BRCA, Cancer Risk and Informed Decision-Making

There’s no right answer…Jolie’s essay reflects the dilemma of any person making a medical choice based on their cir­cum­stances, values, genetic test results and what infor­mation they’ve been given or oth­erwise found and interpreted.

Posted in Breast Cancer, journalism, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Public Illness, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments on Don’t Judge Her! An Essay on Angelina Jolie, BRCA, Cancer Risk and Informed Decision-Making

A Closer Look at the Details on Mammography, in Between the Lines

A seemingly slight adjustment in a statistic, for teaching purposes, can significantly change a test’s calculated value….

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer screening, journalism, StatisticsTagged , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment on A Closer Look at the Details on Mammography, in Between the Lines

Three Reasons to Celebrate the Supreme Court’s Decision on Obamacare

Like a good, smart doctor, morally grounded and, perhaps, influenced by compassion (hard to tell), the Chief Justice figured out a legally acceptable way for his court to do the right thing. Bravo!

Posted in from the author, journalism, Policy, Public HealthTagged , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments on Three Reasons to Celebrate the Supreme Court’s Decision on Obamacare

A JAMA Press Briefing on CER, Helicopters and Time for Questions

What’s clear is that depending on how investigators adjust or manipulate or clarify or frame or present data – you choose the verb – they might show differing results. This doesn’t just pertain to data on trauma and helicopters…

Posted in health care delivery, journalism, StatisticsTagged , , , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on A JAMA Press Briefing on CER, Helicopters and Time for Questions

New Article on Mammography Spawns False Hope That Breast Cancer is Not a Dangerous Disease

Few forms of invasive breast cancer warrant no treatment unless the patient is so old that she is likely to die first of another condition, or the patient prefers to die of the disease….“Mammograms Spot Cancers That May Not Be Dangerous,” said WebMD, yesterday. This is feel-good news, and largely wishful.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer screening, Communication, Diagnosis, Essential Lessons, journalism, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Women's HealthTagged , , , , , 6 Comments on New Article on Mammography Spawns False Hope That Breast Cancer is Not a Dangerous Disease
newsletter software