It could be your mom, sister, aunt or best friend. One out of eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime. A small subset of the women who get diagnosed have inherited an abnormal copy of a gene that runs in families and can greatly increase their risk of certain cancers. One question these women and their families face is: should I get tested to find out if I have a genetic risk? The answer is always a very personal one.
Sometimes doctors have to be detectives to stop the villain that's making their patient's lives miserable. And sometimes, when the condition is rarely seen and the bod's own defenses are to blame ... it takes a specialist. Heres Dennis Douda for Mayo Clinic News Network.
Sleuthing. Looking for clues. That's what doctors do when they search for signs of colon cancer. One of their main tools is the endoscope. They use it to look at the colon for signs of disease. The technology can detect cancer early when it's still curable. Now, doctors at Mayo Clinic are modifying the test to hopefully make it more effective for high risk patients.
Pain. Every day. All day. More than one-fourth of all people in the U.S. suffer from chronic pain. It can destroy quality of life, and make even the simplest tasks difficult. Sometimes there is no cure for chronic pain. But a program at Mayo Clinic helps give patients the tools they need to get control over their pain and regain a fulfilling life.
Stem cells and their use in regenerative medicine have been in the media a lot lately. But, what exactly does it mean? Physicians and researchers in the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic say it has to do with developing completely new ways to treat and manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure or even degenerative nerve, bone and joint conditions. Experts worldwide will meet this December for the World Stem Cell Summit, where they'll explore and share ideas about regenerative medicine. Here are the basics of how this research benefits patients.