Cracking Down on Drinking and Driving
The New York Times (Well blog), May 14, 2013 “It’s better not to drink and drive, but if you do, keep it under 0.05.” So rhymed William N. Plymat, an Iowa insurance company president and former Prohibitionist who became one of the earliest anti-drunken driving activists in the 1950s. Mr. Plymat’s plea remains timely, with […]
Pressing Patients to Change Their Minds
The New York Times (Well blog), May 9, 2013 When my patient Suzy took herself off the active liver transplant list, she was too embarrassed to tell me. I found out from her liver doctors. When I confronted her, we discussed her reasoning. I told her I would continue to support and care for her. […]
New Breast Cancer Film to Premiere in New York City
The Huffington Post, March 29, 2013 Can you imagine having breast cancer, having lost your sister, mother and other relatives to the disease, and having doctors with no clue as to why the disease is devastating your family? It should not be that hard to imagine. It was entirely commonplace only 25 years ago until […]
Extreme Breast Cancer Prevention
The Huffington Post, January 14, 2013 The news that 24-year-old Allyn Rose, Miss District of Columbia in this year’s Miss America competition, is planning to have both of her breasts removed in the near future is the latest case of what we might call “extreme breast cancer prevention.” Rose’s mother died of breast cancer, but […]
Why Can’t the NFL Stop Its Players From Driving Drunk?
The Huffington Post, December 9, 2012 Can we stop National Football League players from continuing to drive drunk and killing people? I ask this question in light of the news that Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent has been arrested for intoxication manslaughter after allegedly causing the tragic death of his teammate and friend Jerry […]
What Can We Learn From Eleanor Roosevelt’s Death?
huffingtonpost.com October 23, 2012 Fifty years ago this November, when Eleanor Roosevelt’s doctor told her that her very debilitating disease was tuberculosis, and potentially curable, he expected her to be thrilled. But she instead uttered “I want to die” three times. As the Affordable Health Care Act goes into effect, much attention is being paid […]
Friends Still Let Friends Drive Drunk
The New York Times (Well blog), 18 October 2011 On Sept. 15, Matthew Grape, 21, got into the passenger seat of a car with one of his Duke University fraternity brothers. The driver hit a tree, escaping with minor injuries, but killing his dear friend. According to local press reports, the driver was charged with […]
The Annals of Extreme Surgery
The New York Times, 29 August 2011 THE heat is on again in the world of cancer treatment, both literally and figuratively. More and more doctors are now using an extremely aggressive procedure to treat certain colorectal and ovarian cancers called Hipec, in which patients first undergo surgery to remove any visible cancer, then have […]
Suzanne Somers, Cancer Expert
The New York Times (Well blog), February 25, 2011 This week, “Dateline” on NBC devoted an entire hour on Sunday evening to allow the actress Suzanne Somers to express her rather unconventional beliefs about cancer. It is not the first time a major media outlet has given air time to Ms. Somers, whose journey into the […]
Lessons From Elizabeth Edwards
The New York Times (Well blog), 7 December 2010 The news that Elizabeth Edwards died on Tuesday is extremely sad. Ms. Edwards, 61, a lawyer, mother and author of two autobiographical books and the estranged wife of former Senator John Edwards, had only recently announced that she had stopped treatment for advanced breast cancer. Ms. […]