At a certain age, you might start to wonder if you should be stepping up your screening for cancer. And then you might start to wonder: what exactly is that age? And what kinds of cancer screening should I consider? While there are some guidelines to these questions, there has to be a lot of(...)
Prevention/Screening
What should you think about before getting a mammogram?
Posted by | Prevention/ScreeningA frequent question women ask Susan Harvey, M.D. about mammograms: “Can’t you make it so they don’t squeeze so hard?” Unfortunately, some discomfort is part of the screening, as breast imagers “compress the breast to get the best quality image,” says Harvey, director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Imaging Division in the Department of Radiology.(...)
What is PSA?
Posted by | Prevention/Screening“PSA, or prostate specific antigen, is an enzyme that normally appears in the ejaculate or central reproduction but when there’s a cancer present, it leaks into the circulation system so you can detect it in the bloodstream, where it becomes a marker of prostate cancer and other prostate diseases,” explains William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D.,(...)
Top Power Foods to Eat on Meatless Monday
Posted by | Prevention/ScreeningIf the phrase “Meatless Monday” has you staring blankly into your fridge, take heart. There may already be a few “power foods” lurking in there that can help you get your week off to a healthy start, says nutritionist Lynda McIntytre. Avocado, beans, berries, broccoli, eggs, leeks, nuts, oats, spinach and yogurt make the top(...)
Why do recommendations for colon cancer and prostate cancer screening tend to start around age 50?
Posted by | Prevention/Screening“If you look at the overall incidence of cancer in the U.S., 80% of all cancers are diagnosed in people older than 60, and 30% of cancers are diagnosed in people older than 80, so in general, more cancers appear in people as they get older,” explains William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sidney(...)
Is there any test for prostate cancer that doesn’t depend on a blood test for PSA?
Posted by | Prevention/Screening“There are an increasing collection of tests that sample other aspects of prostate cancer in urine, blood or tissue, including acquired gene defects in the disease and acquired changes that cancers display that normal cells don’t,” says William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. “I would(...)
How can I figure out if prostate cancer screening will help me personally?
Posted by | Prevention/Screening“The best approach is to have a significant conversation with your physician about the risks and benefits of screening. It's shared decision making,” says William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. “People have different attitudes about what they’d like to do with their health. If someone(...)
What you need to know about prostate cancer screening guidelines
Posted by | Prevention/ScreeningProstate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer has received mixed reviews from different organizations, says William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Today, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has posted draft recommendations for prostate screening that encourage men ages 55 - 69 to make individual decisions about(...)
Kimmel Cancer Center Director Moderates AACR Webinar on Cancer Screening Guidelines
Posted by | Prevention/ScreeningWhat cancer screenings do I need and when? If this answer isn't clear to you, listen to Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson moderate a webinar on "Making Sense of Cancer Screening Guidelines," hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research and Cancer Today magazine. Nelson and his co-panelists will summarize the guidelines and provide their(...)
I’m a former smoker. Is there a way to prevent lung cancer now?
Posted by | Prevention/Screening“The best way to prevent lung cancer now is to make sure you're not currently smoking,” says Russell K. Hales, M.D. Hales, who is a radiation oncologist at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus, notes that smoking, even as late as when you’ve had a lung cancer diagnosis, can(...)