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Surviving cancer, celebrating life
Brain tumor survivor Brianna Belair, 12, watches sea urchins at the National Cancer Survivors Day event at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo with her parents, Ann and Brian Belair. (PHOTOS BY SUSAN KAHN) Breast...
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Why a kidney biopsy may be unnecessary
Experts are examining when it is appropriate for the kidneys, shown in red, to undergo a biopsy. BY AMBER SMITH For decades, kidney experts believed that biopsies of the organ were not helpful in...
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Breast cancer diagnosis? Next step: surgeon consult
The Upstate Cancer Center will soon provide the services of four breast surgeons. From left are Mary Ellen Greco, MD, and Kristine Keeney, MD. In the accompanying article, Keeney discusses the role of...
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How can you help patients at Upstate?
State Police Sgt. Jeff Cicora, who is battling stage 4 cancer, threw a party for patients at the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital to take his mind off his health problems. Cicora was joined by...
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A way to help you communicate your pain to your doctor
Doctors rely on patients to accurately describe their pain in order to create an effective pain management plan. You can use a printout of the chart below to keep track of your pain, noting when it...
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State health commissioner taps Upstate doctor for cancer panel
Leslie Kohman, MD Leslie Kohman, MD, director of outreach for the Upstate Cancer Center, has been appointed to the New York State Cancer Detection and Education Program Advisory Council. The council...
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Coping with mouth sores from cancer treatment
People with mouth sores can use a rinse made from 12 ounces of warm water, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. BY AMBER SMITH What they are: Mouth sores that develop during chemotherapy...
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Upstate med student had a hand in PBS cancer documentary
Images from the documentary “Cancer: the Emperor of All Maladies.” BY JIM HOWE When Raghib Siddiqui was in his junior year of studying neurosciences and English at SUNY Stony Brook University on Long...
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Art from adversity: Students transform radiation masks into artistic décor
Mask sculpture by Amina GIngold. (PHOTO BY WILLIAM MUELLER) BY LILY GRENIS “Everything will be OK. I’ll be in a better place. I love you.” Amina Gingold’s mother spoke these words to her while dying of...
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What might $50,000 help discover?
Click to view slideshow. BY AMBER SMITH Scientists think big, and long term. They measure progress incrementally, knowing that solutions are often years, decades, centuries in the making. Such...
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Where cancer patients can find advice for eating right
Maria Erdman Upstate registered dietitian nutritionist Maria Erdman recommends these resources for help eating well during and after cancer treatment. She also sees patients who are referred by...
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How much do existing medical problems impact lung cancer?
BY AMBER SMITH When people are diagnosed with lung cancer, they usually ask about survival odds. Doctors have used calculation methods that take into account the patient’s other diseases, known as...
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Personal plan: Her team crafted the best way to fight her pancreatic cancer
Gail Brehm with her surgeon, Ajay Jain, MD, associate chief of liver and pancreatic surgery at Upstate. Her coordinated plan showed good results. (PHOTO BY ROBERT MESCAVAGE) BY AMBER SMITH A tumor...
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Navigating through a cancer diagnosis
Holly Briere is a nurse navigator who helps patients with cancers of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. The Upstate Cancer Center also has nurse navigators who specialize in other types of cancer....
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Got a couple hours to help save lives? Donate platelets
Scott Goodrich prepares equipment for a platelet donation at the Red Cross’ Liverpool Blood Donation Center. Goodrich is a phlebotomist, someone trained to draw blood from patients. (PHOTO BY SUSAN...
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Hospital’s new PET scanner another tool to detect cancer, other diseases
A new positron emission tomography machine at Upstate University Hospital can reveal the onset of a disease process before anatomical changes would show up on other types of imaging scans. PET scans...
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Ailing med student Alex Paley: ‘A brilliant mind, a true friend’
Upstate medical students set up a fundraising run and crowdfunding site for their classmate, Alex Paley, who has a brain tumor. Front row: Gabrielle Ritaccio, Kathryn Conway, Victoria Fairchild,...
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Rethinking breast cancer treatment options: Should chemotherapy or surgery...
Anees Chagpar, MD, illustrates a breast tumor with a chocolate chip cookie. Chemotherapy can either cause cancers to shrink concentrically or to break apart, leaving cookie crumbs. That’s why surgery,...
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Growing up, despite cancer
Parker Hysick in his Pittsburgh Steelers-themed “man cave,” a gift from Make a Wish Central New York. (PHOTOS BY SUSAN KAHN) BY AMBER SMITH The Hysicks of Baldwinsville got a puppy in November 2012,...
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What happens after you find a breast lump
What should you do once you find a breast lump? And what should you expect to happen? Sam Benjamin, MD 1. Primary care Connect with your primary care provider to have the lump investigated. The...
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