Introduction: Financing cancer or fighting it? Tobacco remains the single largest preventable cause of cancer worldwide, responsible for nearly 8 million deaths annually, including 1.2 million from exposure to secondhand smoke. Despite decades of publi…
Having worked with patients for more than 25 years, I’ve witnessed the courage, determination, and unbreakable spirit of those facing a cancer diagnosis. But I’ve also seen the questions, uncertainties, and misinformation they and their fam…
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common inherited bleeding disorder, affecting approximately 1 percent of the population, though clinically significant symptoms occur in about 1 in 10,000 individuals. It is caused by a deficiency or dysfunction…
Some people eat to live, but most of us live to eat. Meals are more than sustenance; they are how we celebrate milestones, connect with loved ones, and mark the passage of time. But for people living with food allergies, dining out can feel less like a…
Sexism in the workplace is often associated with overt hostility, harassment, insults, discrimination, or intimidation. But what about the subtler, seemingly well-intentioned behaviors that can still hinder women’s advancement? Our study explores…
As an infectious disease fellow years ago, I was called to the hospital in the middle of the night for a possible case of measles. I reviewed the clinical basics, as I was not quite sure what to expect, not previously having seen a case of measles. The…
A few months after meeting her during rounds at a dialysis center, an elderly woman gripped my hand and quietly asked, “Do you think I’ll make it in time?” Her voice trembled. She had been silent for weeks, worn down by dialysis and o…
It’s 4:30 in the morning. I can see the small clock across the room. I lie in a hospital bed. The woman who approaches, the nurse, I know a bit. She greets me with, “I need to take your vitals.” I know there is more to her message, bu…
Scientists have known about bird flu (H5N1) for decades as a virus that primarily affects birds. Until suddenly, one day, it didn’t. In March 2024, H5N1 showed up somewhere very unexpected—in dairy cows in Texas (and their milk). And then, the vi…
She whispered when she said “panic attacks.” Not because she thought I would judge her or fail to understand. But because she was a physician, and in her world, saying the wrong thing to the wrong person could cost her everything. She found…
