Years ago, a friend and co-worker of mine with ovarian cancer lost all of her blonde hair during treatment. She donned a red wig and declared, “I’m going to do cancer as a redhead!” Her upbeat nature made it easier on the rest of us to accept her illness, so it was that much more shocking the day I walked into the newsroom to see a pink wreath on her desk. Read the rest of this entry »

Several studies have shown a link between exercise and lower cancer risk. However, the message often isn’t well received by patients who think it blames the victim by suggesting they wouldn’t have cancer had they just been more active. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the Memorial Day weekend, the actor Patrick Swayze, who is being treated for pancreatic cancer, made a pointedly public appearance at a Los Angeles Lakers game, looking strong-jawed and bright-eyed. He released a statement about his lively schedule and good response to therapy. Meanwhile, Senator Ted Kennedy, who had recently left Massachusetts General Hospital with a diagnosis of brain cancer, flashing crowds a thumbs up, competed in a sailing race. International headlines cheered, “Fight, Ted, Fight!” Read the rest of this entry »