Category: Conditions

Evolution of targeted cancer therapies: a radiation oncologist’s perspective

On July 1, 1987, I started treating cancer patients as a full-time radiation oncologist – a cancer specialist who uses radiation therapy to help cancer patients beat their disease. Now, nearly 37 years later, I have the privilege of caring for cancer p…

Hospital retaliation and my fight for patient rights

I found myself compelled into the complex world of health care advocacy under extraordinary circumstances last year when I went to my university administration to request a table to do a free speech petition because of a personal and troubling experien…

The battle of the bulge: The struggle is real

The economic impact of obesity looms large, casting a shadow over both individual well-being and national prosperity. Beyond the personal struggles and societal pressures surrounding weight management, the financial ramifications of obesity ripple thro…

Addressing mental health in the medical field

In the heart of a bustling hospital, where the relentless pace of saving lives never wanes, lies an unseen battle that rages quietly within the souls of those who care for us. Health care professionals, heralded as heroes, especially in the wake of a g…

Real pain deserves real treatment

When a patient comes to us and describes confusing symptoms that don’t seem to fit into any immediate category, we can see it in two different ways: as a challenge, we can rise to, a riddle to solve … or we can see it as an opportunity to denigra…

How my sister’s rights were taken away, like thousands of others with developmental disabilities

Teresa has Down syndrome and was 49 when the capacity assessment took place in Ontario. I saw her as happy, healthy, and active. She enjoyed living nearby with my 91-year-old father, who often said, “We’re a team. We help each other.”…

Can you predict Alzheimer’s? New research on early detection.

You can’t treat something until you know it’s there. Currently, there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but earlier diagnosis may lead to better understanding of how the disease inexorably progresses, which in turn may lead…

Wendy Williams’s battle with health and the fragility of success

Lifetime recently premiered the documentary Where is Wendy Williams? This four-part special delves into the captivating life and career of Wendy Williams, the once dynamic 59-year-old American broadcaster, media personality, and writer. Renowned for ho…

A potential discovery of highly fatal SARS coronavirus?

Has a highly fatal SARS coronavirus already been discovered? Maybe yes, but just its report is highly concerning. On January 4, 2024, a letter to the editor was uploaded to a preprint server which gave too few details but described a 100 percent fatal …

Understanding seasonal affective disorder: more than just winter blues

As the summer sun bids its farewell, a distinct group of people seem to “fall back” as a mysterious change begins to take hold. Several individuals get caught in the embrace of the transitions of fall and winter, revealing a shift between t…