Cancer
Benzene In Sunscreen? What’s the Latest?
No doubt you have heard the slogan “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” I have never found that tag line inviting myself, but it has become quite famous. We have a different slogan to share: …
Will High Drug Prices Soon Destroy Healthcare?
Have you ever heard of a house of cards? It is a structure that will eventually collapse when it can no longer sustain itself. We fear that high drug prices could soon cause the collapse of our entire…
Prednisone Withdrawal: Can You Ever Stop Cortico…
Corticosteroids are powerful double-edged swords. One side of the blade is beneficial. It can save lives. The other side can do incredible harm. Balancing the benefits against the risks of drugs like …
What Are the Alternatives to Colonoscopy?
Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among American adults. If it is detected early, before it spreads, colorectal cancer can be treat…
Your Money or Your Life? Costly Cancer Drugs
This post was first published on April 4, 2016. We were amused to read an article in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 9, 2022 titled almost the same: "Your Money or Your Life — The High C…
How Much Coffee Should You Drink to Improve Long…
Americans like their morning coffee. In some cities it seems as if there is a coffee shop on every corner. And yet our coffee consumption is paltry compared to many other countries. Not surprisingly, …
Show 1302: Managing the Microbiome for Better He…
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we with an international expert about managing the microbiome. How does the microbiome interact with our immune system? Each of us has trillions of m…
Show 1301: What Are Forever Chemicals Doing in F…
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, our guests discuss “forever chemicals” (PFAS) used in a wide range of products. How do they affect our health? What Are PFAS, or Forever Chemical…
Show 1300: How Vitamin D and Omega-3s Help Your …
In our nationally syndicated radio show this week, we consider the benefits of two dietary supplements against autoimmune diseases. Although health care providers are sometimes skeptical about the val…
Does Your Medicine Pose a Cancer Risk?
Most people take prescription medications to relieve symptoms or prevent serious health problems. Some of the best sellers include blood pressure medicines, acid-suppressors, diabetes drugs and medica…
War on Opioids Punishes Desperate Pain Patients
We have been reading about the horrors of opioids for decades. Americans are increasingly paranoid about drugs like codeine, hydrocodone (Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, Vicodin, etc.) and oxycodone (OxyContin…
Have You Lost Confidence in the FDA?
We used to tremendous confidence in the FDA. When we started writing about pharmaceuticals nearly 50 years ago, the agency was highly respected. It had mostly protected American children from the thal…
Valisure Identifies Benzene in Antiperspirant Bo…
Valisure announced that it has: “…tested and detected high levels of benzene, a known human carcinogen, in several brands and batches of antiperspirant body sprays…” According to Valisure, 54%…
Does CAR-T Offer Hope for Multiple Myeloma Cance…
Multiple myeloma is personal for me. That's because my best friend, Dr. Tom Ferguson, died from this blood cancer on April 14, 2006. Every year about 35,000 people are diagnosed with multiple myeloma …
People in Pain Are in Misery Because of the War …
Deaths from opioid overdoses have been surging. For years, the CDC has been concerned about the toll that opioid overdoses are taking. There have been reports that fentanyl and its chemical cousins ar…
Why Doesn’t Cancer Treatment Also Include Exer…
When people are diagnosed with cancer, they are often traumatized. The word "cancer" is scary and most people find it hard to regain equilibrium during the initial doctor's visit. Next come challengin…
Why Put Aluminum OR Benzene In Your Armpits?
Have you ever seen the TV commercials where some famous actor asks: "What's in your wallet?" We're asking you a different question: "What's in your armpit?" Dozens of popular products contain benzene …
Is CAR-T for Cancer the Latest Immunotherapy Bre…
A study published in Nature (Feb. 2, 2022) offers extraordinary promise in the fight against blood-based cancers. Doctors are using the C word ("cure") to describe CAR-T for cancer. In this paper, the…
How Plants Like Thyme and Oregano Make Cancer-Fi…
Researchers at Purdue University have unraveled just how plants like thyme and oregano make some of their bioactive compounds. Thymol, carvacrol and thymohydroquinone provide the characteristic flavor…
Can You Trust TV Ads for Cancer Drugs?
If you watch any television at all, you know that prescription drug ads are pervasive. I find commercials that promote Humira for Crohn's disease, Dupixent for atopic dermatitis, Trulicity for type 2 …
Joe is Hosting A Webinar on Contamination in Con…
Friends, I have been asked to moderate a Webinar this coming Tuesday, September 28, 2021 at noon Eastern Time. I think you will find it of interest. The title is: "Contamination in Consumer Products: …
Why Should You Eat Colorful Veggies?
Your mother and possibly your grandmother probably told you to eat your vegetables. But did they tell you to relish colorful veggies most? We now have more information on their benefits and exactly ho…
Does Vitamin D Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer?
Colorectal cancer rates have been declining since the mid 1980s. That may be due in part because of regular screening through colonoscopy. However, scientists have previously found evidence that vitam…
What Is the Best Diet for Cancer Survivors?
Does it matter what you eat after you’ve been treated for cancer? A new study of 1400 German people who had survived colorectal cancer treatment has clarified the best diet for cancer survivors. Fin…
The Zantac – Ranitidine Weirdness Just Got Str…
If you have been reading this newsletter, you know that one of the most popular acid-reducing drugs in the world became embroiled in a carcinogen controversy over two years ago. That's when a pharmacy…
How to Choose Whole Grains for a Longer Life
Nutrition experts have long been advising us to eat whole grains, and epidemiologists have evidence that getting three servings of whole grains daily can reduce the chance of an early death. In fact, …
What Is the Benefit to Eating Black Walnuts?
Have you ever seen black walnuts? When they fall off the tree, they are surrounded by large green fruit husks that are very tough. Both those green balls and the leaves have a pungent aroma. Is it wor…
Should You Worry About Benzene in Some Sunscreen…
In 1988 a song by Bobby McFerrin reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was titled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” This mantra has been adopted by chemical companies, pharmaceutical manu…
Show 1179: What Should You Do About Digestive Di…
Have you ever had horrible heartburn or a really bad bellyache? Most of us have experienced digestive distress at one time or another. When do you need to seek medical attention for your problem? What…
Do People Who Eat Nuts Live Longer?
Were you ever told not to eat too many nuts because they are so high in calories and fat? Perhaps instead you have heard that nut consumption is associated with longer life. Do people who eat nuts rea…
Some Hand Sanitizers Are Contaminated with Benze…
Hand sanitizers have become ubiquitous in homes, doctors’ offices, supermarkets, banks and dozens of other establishments. There have been problems with some products that were contaminated with met…
Show 1250: Antimicrobial Resistant Infections Co…
Everyone is weary of the coronavirus pandemic and ready to be done with it. So the news that a new pandemic is already slowly unfolding is unwelcome. But unless we pay attention and do what we can to …
Is Zantac – Ranitidine and Cancer the Tip of t…
There was a time when Zantac (ranitidine) was the world’s most successful drug. This heartburn and anti-ulcer medicine hit the market in 1983. It was a cash cow for Glaxo, earning billions. We heard…
New Ways to Detect Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer is less common than many other varieties of cancer, such as breast, colon or prostate cancer. Over the last several years, more people have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, possibly …
Show 1228: Why Clinical Trials Matter for COVID-…
Until December of 2019, doctors had no experience with pandemic that has now killed hundreds of thousands of people around the world. As the infection raced from country to country, they tried a lot o…
Show 1170: What Makes Your Immune System an Eleg…
This show first aired in June, 2019, before anyone had heard of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19. Today, understanding how your immune system works to overcome an infection is more important than ever. Just how…
Bayer Settles Roundup Litigation for Up To $10.9…
Have you ever tried to pull up weeds? It’s slow, painstaking work. Anyone who has attempted to get rid of weeds in a lawn, walkway or garden knows that it is a lot easier to spray with a weedkiller.…
Missouri Court Slashes Baby Powder Damages for J…
An appeals court in Missouri reduced the baby powder damages Johnson & Johnson must pay women who sued the company. The plaintiffs claimed that using the company’s baby powder containing talcum …
Which Metformin is OK and Which is on the FDA’…
Is the FDA facing another scandal? It was not that long ago that the agency was announcing massive recalls of popular “sartan” blood pressure medications such as irbesartan, losartan and valsartan…
Reducing Cancer Risk With Vitamin D and Magnesiu…
Scientists have linked low levels of vitamin D to a higher risk for cancer, especially colorectal cancer. What do they say about minerals? Is there a role for them in cancer prevention? A new study pu…