Susan B. Komen for the Cure joined the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to increase the number of minorities practicing oncology in the United States.  By recruiting and training more doctors as oncologists from groups underrepresented in medicine, they hope to improve cancer care for ethnically diverse patients. Read the rest of this entry »

Are men and women with severe cancer pain treated in the same way?

Although both sexes reported the same level of worst pain in a past week, men were more likely to have a prescription for high-potency pain medicine and receive higher doses of morphine.

Women being first evaluated at a cancer pain clinic reported more pain “right now” and higher average pain during the past week.  However, a review of their medical charts showed they were getting  less morphine and had higher average pain scores than men.  They were more likely to say that their pain was poorly controlled. Read the rest of this entry »

Colon and rectum

Both black men and black women are more likely to have large polyps found during screening colonoscopies than whites.  Results of a large study that collected information from 67 gastrointestinal practices over two years found 6.2 percent of whites and 7.7 percent of blacks had colorectal polyps (adenomas) were larger than 9 millimeters.  These advanced adenomas have the most risk of developing into colon or rectal cancer. Read the rest of this entry »

Hair stylists and barbers in South Carolina are delivering a life-saving message to the folks sitting in their chairs — see your doctor about being screened for colorectal cancer.  More than 40 hair care professionals have already been trained in how to help their clients avoid colon and rectal cancer by following screening recommendations.  The goal is to reach at least 100 stylists, each promising to talk to 100 clients. Read the rest of this entry »

Latinos who responded to a health questionnaire in Spanish were significantly less likely to have been screened for colorectal cancer than Latinos who answered in English or English-speaking non-Latinos. Read the rest of this entry »