       Tomatoes were once considered poisonous -- even in Italy! -- and early pioneers were convinced that bathing was an open invitation to catching a deadly disease. But even today, there are commonly held prejudices that doctors and researchers are wor

Surprising Treatment for C. diff and Chemo

Ovarian cancer&nbsp;is the eighth most common cancer, and fifth-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. The good news: If treated early, the 5-year survival rate is about 93%. But survival rates drop steeply as the disease progresses. In honor of 

What Every Woman Must Know About Ovarian Cancer

How can cancer treatment sometimes cause second cancers? No one knows exactly why survivors who have been treated for cancer develop a second cancer. Learn more from our experts about second cancer.

Some of the medications used to treat cancer are nonspecific in their activity. That is they have a &quot;shotgun&quot; effect on healthy and well as cancerous cells. While the majority of the bad cells tend to be more affected, a small percentage of normal cells also get damaged in the process leading to a very low risk of developing cancer. This is not only true for chemotherapy agents but for standard medications as well. If you look at the drug packet insert, you can see whether or not a medication is &quot;mutagenic&quot; or cancer causing. The benefits of most standard medications (including chemotherapy) many time outweigh the risks associated with it. Therefore, this is the impetus for taking chemotherapy as the risk of developing cancer due to treatment is extremely small itself.

How can cancer treatment sometimes cause second cancers?

One common type of early breast cancer is highly curable. However, once the cancer spreads, the chance of a cure plummets. Learn more from our experts about breast cancer.

There are many very good and improved breast cancer treatments compared to even 20 years ago. The best cure for breast cancer is when the cancer has been found at an early stage, before it has a chance to spread. Most often, breast cancers today are diagnosed at an early stage due to screening with yearly mammograms, and in most cases women will have a low risk of getting breast cancer again. Breast cancer advances that have helped give a better survival are:
<ul>
	<li>Earlier diagnosis with mammograms and increased awareness of breast cancer.</li>
	<li>Better surgical treatment with fewer side effects -- for example, rather than removing many of the lymph nodes under the arm, we now remove the &ldquo;sentinel&rdquo; lymph nodes, meaning the first lymph nodes that the breast drains to, usually 1 to 3 nodes. This gives a very low risk of arm swelling down the road.</li>
	<li>Better and more targeted chemotherapy. The tumor itself can be looked at with gene tests to determine if chemotherapy will be needed.</li>
	<li>Hormonal therapy with a pill that is taken for 5 to 10 years, which decreases recurrence of breast cancer in half.</li>
	<li>Improved radiation therapy with fewer side effects.</li>
</ul>

Is there a cure for breast cancer?

Just because you are in remission does not mean that cancer cells are not present in your body. Learn more from our contributors.

Monique Sajjad, DO, a hematologist and oncologist from Northside Hospital, explains what the terms remission and cure mean in relation to hematologic cancers.

Is a remission the same as a cure for my hematologic cancer?

What can women do about breast cancer? NCI recommends that women in their 40s and older get screening mammograms every one to two years. Learn more from our experts about breast cancer.

All women over the age of 40 should have screening mammographies done every 1-2 years.&nbsp; After the age of 50, it should be done annually.&nbsp; In our patients who undergo breast augmentation, we have mammograms performed after the age of 35.&nbsp; Mammograms and ultrasounds can save women's lives by detecting premalignant tumors.&nbsp; In general, if a woman feels a mass or a lump in the breast, it should be diagnosed and mammograms and ultrasounds should be performed and read by a board-certified radiologist.&nbsp; If necessary, MRIs may also be required.&nbsp; If there is still suspicion with microcalcifications or spiculations or enlarging tumors, then tissue biopsies should be performed through fine-needle aspiration, Tru-Cor biopsy, or direct excisional biopsy.

What can women do about breast cancer?

Recurrent colon cancer is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated.

Recurrent colon cancer is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in the colon or in other parts of the body, such as the liver, lungs, or both.This answer is based on source information from&nbsp; the National Cancer Institute .

What is recurrent colon cancer?

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin is the diagnosis when metastatic cancer is found but the place where the cancer began cannot be determined.

Cancer of unknown primary (CUP) origin is the diagnosis when metastatic cancer is found but the place where the cancer began (the primary site) cannot be determined. About 2 to 4 percent of all cancer patients have a cancer whose primary site is never identified.Treatment for CUP depends on many factors, including where the metastatic cancer is found, what the cancer cells look like under a microscope, and the patient's age and general health. Recent advances in diagnostic techniques have improved doctors' ability to eventually find the primary site, even when the original diagnosis is CUP.This answer is based on the source infromation from the the National Cancer Institute

Dr. Mahdi Taha, DO

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Dr. Mahdi Taha, DO

Dr. Taha's Locations

Practices

Dr. Taha's Accepted Insurance Carriers & Plans

Dr. Taha's Accepted
Insurance
Carriers & Plans