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Kimberly Tripp was 12 years old when her grandmother died of gastrointestinal cancer. The loss of the person she most admired led her to a career in health care and, eventually, to MD Anderson.

"My first position here was as a post-op surgical nurse on the GI floor," says Tripp, currently administrative director of Acute Care Services. "I ended up taking care of these very same patients."

She eventually became a research nurse in the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, where she worked with colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients. About the same time (in 2002), Cathy Eng, M.D., associate professor, joined GI Medical Oncology, and Tripp began working on a number of her colorectal cancer trials.

A stroll through a "colon"
According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the third most common cause of cancer in men and women and the second leading cause of cancer death. However, colorectal cancer, relative to other malignancies, is a preventable cancer.

Continue reading Colorectal Cancer 5K Drives Home Importance of Education and Screening.

But not for him the easy lure of cereal and milk, pancakes or bacon and eggs.

"Most mornings, I sauté vegetables -- broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts. I look in the fridge and see what we have, and cook it up with seasonings," he says.

His three young children "love it," he adds. "It disappears in a second and, in fact, my children will not eat their eggs without veggies mixed in."

Cohen, Ph.D., professor in the departments of Behavioral Science and General Oncology, also directs MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Program.

As his choice of breakfast foods implies, Cohen is an unabashed promoter of a healthy lifestyle. He meditates, practices yoga and carefully chooses what he eats and drinks, sticking to a mainly plant-based diet, whole grains and no sugar as much as possible.

Changed by year in Italy with grandmother
He started out a typical, meat-eating kid, then teenager. "I worked as an assistant butcher when I was in high school," he says.

He didn't get serious about watching what he ate until he went to live with his grandmother, Vanda Scaravelli, in Italy for a year when he was 24. She was a yoga master and a vegetarian. Cohen joined her in a daily yoga practice and gave up meat for the whole year.

The experience gave Cohen insight into how lifestyle changes can help people strengthen their defenses against cancer -- getting it, or having a recurrence.

Continue reading Advice on Avoiding Cancer or a Recurrence.

By Sapna Patel, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology

When a patient is diagnosed with uveal melanoma, he or she should be evaluated by an ocular oncologist, an ophthalmologist who specializes in treating cancer of the eye.

The objective of this examination is to find out whether the uveal (or intraocular) cancer has spread to the optic nerve or nearby tissues of the eye socket, or has moved through the blood to other parts of the body.

Depends on diagnosis
When uveal melanoma is diagnosed, the treatment depends on whether the disease has metastasized to other organs. Most patients whose disease has not metastasized are treated with surgery known as enucleation or some form of radiation therapy.

A commonly used radiation treatment for uveal melanoma is plaque brachytherapy, in which a tiny radioactive disk is placed on the affected part of the eye for a few days, minimizing exposure to surrounding tissue.

Dan Gombos, M.D., associate professor and chief of the Section of Ophthalmology, is an ocular oncologist who specializes in the treatment of uveal melanoma, in addition to other intraocular malignancies. He works in coordination with Beth Beadle, M.D., and William Morrison, M.D., in the Department of Radiation Oncology, to manage these patients.

The latest diagnostic techniques and treatments for eye cancer are available at MD Anderson, where cutting-edge translational research is conducted, continually driving laboratory discoveries forward to application in the clinical realm.

Continue reading Treating Uveal Melanoma.

By Laura Nathan-Garner, MD Anderson Staff Writer

Your pap test isn't the only reason to see your gynecologist.

Your doctor also can address unusual symptoms that could be cancer. And, he or she can help you decide what do about body changes that may affect your cancer risk at different stages of life.

Here are some topics you may need to discuss with your gynecologist at your next appointment.

1. Gynecologic Cancer: Symptoms Besides Pelvic Pain

Unfortunately, gynecologic cancers -- including cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancers -- have vague symptoms. And, many women often overlook or mistake them for less serious conditions.

Talk to your doctor if you have any of these symptoms for more than two weeks:

Continue reading Conversation Starters for Your Next Trip to the Gynecologist .

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that starts in the cells lining certain parts of the body, especially the chest and abdomen. Primary risk factors include workplace exposure to asbestos.

Anne Tsao, M.D., associate professor in MD Anderson's Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology and director of its Mesothelioma Program, answers questions about mesothelioma. (See related story on mesothelioma patient Sherry Moore.)  

What is mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a cancer that arises from mesothelial cells, which normally make up the lining around our organs. Mesothelioma can originate from the:

• Pleura (lining around the lungs)
• Peritoneum (lining around the abdominal cavity)
• Pericardium (lining around the heart)
• Testes
  

Is mesothelioma rare?
In the United States about 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, and in Western Europe approximately 5,000. There is some speculation that the 9/11 event that destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City may lead to increased incidence of mesothelioma and other cancers in the first responders who worked in the affected site.

Continue reading Q&A: Focus on Mesothelioma.

By Bonnie Nelson

Know your options
Your doctor has just told you that you have localized prostate cancer. While he's explaining your treatment options, all you're trying to do is not panic.

He's discussing different types of surgery or radiation therapies, while you're probably wondering, "What is localized prostate cancer?" and "How am I supposed to decide which treatment option is best?"

This decision can be overwhelming and at times frightening. There are so many different things to consider, so many new terms to learn and so many opinions. Take a deep breath; here's some advice.

"Take your time, get the facts, and make a 'game plan.' "

Decision aid
Decision aids exist in various forms (e.g., pamphlets or videos) and are designed to help people understand their health care options, consider the personal importance of possible benefits and harms, and participate in decision making. Decision aids are used when there's more than one medically reasonable option.

Recently, a new decision aid for men with localized prostate cancer was released on the web and is available to the public. "Knowing Your Options" is an interactive, web-based decision aid designed to prepare men who have been diagnosed with clinically localized prostate cancer to have an informed discussion with their doctor about which treatment options are best for them.

Continue reading A Decision Aid for Men With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer.

By Nita Pyle, associate director, Patient Education

Think about the last time you wanted to learn something. What did you do? Did you attend a lecture? Did you "Google" the topic? How about read a book or magazine? Maybe, take a course?

As adults, we have developed ways of learning that suit us best. Some of us are listeners, some prefer reading and digesting information slowly, and some want that hands-on experience that uses all our senses.

What you really need to know
As patient educators, we know that patients have a preferred learning style. We also know that there are barriers to learning at any particular moment. Your pain level might be too high or you are sick to your stomach. Your brain function seems fuzzy or maybe you don't have your glasses.

Health care professionals know patients are motivated to learn because the content pertains to you and your well-being.

As a patient, you no doubt have been inundated with printed materials to read. Has anyone told you what's really important in that material for you to know and remember? Some of it may be nice to know, but not critical.

Tips to take control
Here are things you might want to consider when you want to learn, need to learn or when it's just not a good time to learn.

Continue reading The Role of the Modern Patient: Always Learning.

By Sapna Patel, M.D., assistant professor, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology

Uveal melanoma is a term with which many people may be unfamiliar. In part, that's because it's a relatively rare type of cancer, but also because it's been called different names by different sources.

Essentially, uveal melanoma is a cancer, or melanoma, of the eye. While it's not seen as often as cutaneous (skin) melanoma, which accounts for the vast majority of melanoma cases, it's the second most common type of primary malignant melanoma in the body. It represents an estimated 5% to 6% of all melanoma diagnoses.

Uveal melanoma involves one of the three parts of the eye that comprise the uvea: the iris, the ciliary body and the choroid. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) provides useful information on uveal melanoma under the heading of intraocular melanoma, defined as a disease in which malignant cells form in the tissues of the eye.

Intraocular disease starts in the middle layer -- the uvea -- of the wall of the eye. The uvea is located behind the sclera (the white of the eye) and the cornea, the window at the front of the eye. Of the three main components of the uvea, the iris is the colored area of the eye.

Behind the iris is the ciliary body, a ring of tissue with muscle fibers that alter the size of the pupil and the shape of the lens. The choroid (also known as the posterior uvea) is a layer of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the eye; this is where most intraocular (hence, uveal) melanomas develop.

Risks and symptoms

Continue reading Uveal Melanoma: What is it?.

By Lauren Schoenemann, MD Anderson Staff Writer

Janice Simon believes that cancer patients can, and should, get organized.

A project director in MD Anderson's Department of Faculty Development, Simon says that though collecting and sorting paperwork is time-consuming and may seem overwhelming, consolidating personal documents, health records and questions benefits both patient and physician by making appointments more efficient and productive.

So that they don't feel overwhelmed, Simon recommends that patients take small steps toward organization.

First, they should decide which documents to keep and discard, dividing the process into less intimidating "chunks" to increase their chances of completing each task.

Patients can then use a three-ring binder with subject dividers to categorize documents according to type. Categories may include bills, insurance information or medical records.



Preparing for a doctor visit
Before the all-important appointment with a physician, patients can prepare an updated list of their medications, as well as any current research gathered on their cancer or condition.

"Medical visits run more smoothly when patients come prepared with a list of questions for their doctors," Simon says. "It can also lead to shorter and more productive appointments."

Continue reading Why Cancer Patients Should Get Organized.

Cervical cancer forms in the tissues of the cervix. It is usually slow-growing and caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), but it rarely produces symptoms. Approximately 100 of the cases diagnosed in the United States each year are small cell cervical cancer (SCCC), an aggressive variant.

Despite the rarity of the disease, Michael Frumovitz, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at MD Anderson, has worked the past 13 months to recruit patients with SCCC to participate in research at the institution.

He is also involved in fundraising efforts for the cause and plans to use the funding to help build a worldwide tumor registry to make patient information more readily accessible to all doctors interested in studying SCCC.

What is small cell cervical cancer?
Small cell cervical cancer is a rare subtype of cervical cancer. It is a high-grade variant of a larger group of tumors called neuroendocrine cancers. These are cancers that form in the hormone-producing cells of the body's neuroendocrine system, which is composed of cells that are a cross between traditional endocrine cells (or hormone-producing cells) and nerve cells.

Continue reading Q&A: Focus on Small Cell Cervical Cancer.

When entertainment reporter and reality TV star Giuliana Rancic made public her breast cancer diagnosis, rumors began to swirl about whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) might have been a contributing factor.

Rancic was in the midst of her third IVF treatment when her doctor ordered her to get the mammogram that revealed early-stage breast cancer.

"Right now there is no convincing evidence that IVF causes breast cancers," Jennifer Litton, M.D., tells ABC News.

Litton, an assistant professor in MD Anderson's Department of Breast Medical Oncology, sets the record straight about IVF and breast cancer.

Continue reading IVF and Breast Cancer: Setting the Record Straight.

By Mindy Loya, MD Anderson Staff Writer

Imagine that after a long day in meetings, training others and getting your work done, you find a blank canvas sitting in your chair. Scrawled on the plastic wrapping are the words "Just Do It."

This is the challenge Lauren Langford, M.D., issued to a fellow colleague in 2010.

An associate professor in Pathology at MD Anderson, Langford grew up in an artistic household, never far from a camera. And, in her eyes, her fondness for photography and art fits hand-in-hand with being a pathologist.

"When I say I look at the human nervous system, I mean it," Langford explains. "Pathologists look at shapes and colors on slides through a microscope and compare what we see to other images. And then we photograph the slides for use in teaching, publications or tumor boards."



Extracurricular Artistry
Langford says art never was encouraged in medical school or in her pathology training. She was lucky to land a job in a research lab with a darkroom where workers developed their own negatives.

"The person who trained me didn't discourage personal work, because the more you developed, the better you got. So, we'd print our black-and-white pictures from the weekend."

In the 1990s, Langford used what was then a new media, the CD-ROM, to share photographs of diseased cells with pathologists, neurologists and neuro-oncologists. "It was an exercise in art. I wanted to adjust the colors and present the images in a way that was easier than looking at glass slides."

Continue reading From Microscope to Canvas: The Art of Pathology.