Vincent T DeVita Jr

Bio

Dr. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr., Sharecare Editorial Advisory Board Member, is the Amy and Joseph Perella Professor of Medicine at the Yale Cancer Center, and Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University School of Medicine. He served as Director of the Yale Cancer Center from 1993 to July 2003. Dr. DeVita is the President of the American Cancer Society for the 2012-2013 Volunteer Board of Directors. Dr. DeVita served as Physician-in-Chief and Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center from 1988 to 1993. In 1980, Dr. DeVita was appointed Director of the National Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Program, NIH, by the President of the United States where he served until 1988. Dr. DeVita is the editor of the popular text, Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology now in its 9th edition. Education: • BS: The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. • MD: George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington DC. Senior Residency in Medicine: • Yale-New Haven Medical Center. Fellowship: • National Cancer Institute, NIH. Residency in Medicine: • George Washington University Medical Service. Internship: • University of Michigan Medical Center. Certification: • National Board of Medical Examiners • American Board of Internal Medicine • Subspecialty of Hematology, American Board of Internal Medicine • Subspecialty of Medical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine.

Specialties:

  • oncology

Affiliation:

  • Yale University Medical School

Location:

Activity

  • Alison Ashton
  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Oncology:

    MONDAY, Aug. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Giving radiation treatment to older women with early-stage breast cancer who have undergone a lumpectomy could lower their risk of needing a mastectomy later on, new research shows.

    This suggests that current guidelines recommending that these older pat...Full Article

  • Sharecare News
    Sharecare News posted a story about Oncology:

    FRIDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Peter Judice's family doctor routinely added the prostate-specific antigen screening (PSA) test to his annual physical. And, more than once, the number was elevated enough that his doctor sent him to see a urologist. But, the urologist always reassured him that...Full Article

  • Jeff Arnold
    Jeff Arnold is now following Vincent T DeVita Jr
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Should I quit smoking if I already have lung disease?
    Yes. If you smoke your lung disease will get progressively worse. If you have emphysema from smoking, stopping won't reverse it but it will either stop the progression of the disease or slow it down. Even if you already have lung cancer you should stop. Studies have show a difference in survival...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Does cigarette smoking cause RA?

    Smoking is not known to cause RA, but all the various diseases caused by smoking can complicate the management of RA

     Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    If I smoke but don't inhale, is there any danger?
    Yes, because It is very difficult not to inhale the smoke because  you are breathing in the environment  permeated by smoke.At a very minimum, you will have the lung cancer risk associated with side stream smoking. Also, the chemicals in tobacco smoke will still be absorbed  by the oral mucosa, the...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Are there ways to prevent cancer with diet?
    Eating processed foods and too much red meat has been associated with a higher incidence of colon cancer so it is best to keep the intake of these foods to a minimum. Also, in addition to helping prevent heart disease, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and lean meat and fish is generally associated...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Can I smoke pipe tobacco and not get addicted to nicotine?
    No, you will absorb enough nicotine to get addicted from smoking a pipe. How addicted you get will depend on how much nicotine you absorb and whether you are predisposed to addicton to chemicals like nicotine. If  you have the right ( or wrong  perhaps) genetics, and are easily addicted, pipe smoking...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    How can I politely ask someone not to smoke around me?
    You sure can. And most people are understanding and will either put out a cigarette or move somewhere else. If they refuse it is best for you to move somewhere else if this is possible. If you are in an area where smoking is prohibited you should point this out to them and if they ignore it  find someone...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    What does cigar smoke contain?
    Cigar smoke, like cigarette smoke, contains over a thousand chemicals many of which cause cancer. They cause cancer proportional to how much of the chemicals are absorbed in the mouth ( oral cavity cancers) or inhaled as some cigar smoke is always inhaled.  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Why is it so hard to quit smoking?
    Nicotine is probably the most addictng substance known to mankind even more than cocaine. Once you get hooked on it it is very difficult to stop. That's why various nicotine based products are usefull .They give you a low dose of nicotine without exposure to all the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke ...  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Is there a cure for Hodgkin's lymphoma?
    Yes, Hodgkin's disease is one of the most curable of cancers. It is curable by both combination chemotherapy (the use of several drugs at the same time) and radiotherapy and in some cases by both used together.  Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    Is colorectal cancer different from colon cancer?

    Yes it is. Colon cancer refers to cancers of most of the large bowel. The last few inches of large bowel is the rectum. So colorectal refers to both. But since their blood supply and lymph drainage differ, they behave differently and are treated differently.

     Full Post
  • Vincent T DeVita Jr
    How does smoking affect my health?
    One in 8 who smoke a pack or more a day  get lung cancer.One in about 320 who don't smoke get lung cancer. And it also causes heart disease, emphysema , and increases the risk for bladder and other cancers because the inhaled smoke contains about a thousand chemicals many of which are known to cause...  Full Post