Tag Archives: cancer

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel: Get an Annual Flu Shot and a Colonoscopy Every Ten Years, But Skip Your Annual Physical

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist, writes at The New York Times today that you should get an annual flu shot and a colonoscopy every ten years, but skip annual physicals. Seriously. He says there is no evidence that they save lives. … Continue reading

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God is Immanent Through the Internet?

That’s Jim Gilliam’s thesis. The ghost of love has infected the global machine. A rather robust form of religious humanism, I’d say. To whom much is given, etc.

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How Doctors Die: A Great Follow-Up Essay to a Great Essay

Dr. Ken Murray has offered a follow-up essay providing some statistical support for his claim that doctors really do die differently from the rest of us (that is, they tend to “go gentle into that good night”). Here’s a taste: … Continue reading

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Christopher Hitchens’ Advice to Young People

A powerful appeal from Hitchens when he was clearly in decline. Carpe diem. _____ Hitchens would have had his 62nd birthday this past week, and Charlie Rose did a powerful roundtable discussion with four of his closest friends—Salmon Rushdie, Martin … Continue reading

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A Good Reason to Stop Fearing Cancer

If you worry about detecting cancer early, and therefore anxiously get regular cancer screenings, the New York Times today has an article on cancer screening that puts the whole subject into perspective: early detection doesn’t reduce the actual mortality rates from most … Continue reading

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Near Death Experience (NDE) Watch: Waiting for Dr. Sam Parnia

Late last year, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting piece on near death experiences (NDEs), and it included an aspect on the phenomenon that I’d never heard of before: near death awareness: In his book, “Visions, Trips and Crowds,” David … Continue reading

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Pam Reynold’s Near Death Experience

I’ve long found this the most intriguing near death experience that I’ve ever come across. The clip here is from a BBC documentary titled The Day I Died:

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The New York Times on psilocybin

Seriously. There is an enormously important science article, posted just yesterday at the New York Times, about the state of contemporary clinical research in the United States on psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms). The article is here and deserves to be read in full, but here’s a … Continue reading

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I think that Henry David Thoreau would have liked Dr. Michael de Ridder

In Spiegel this weekend, Dr. Michael de Ridder advocates a return to simplicity in human death: no frantic rushing about, no elaborate rescue measures: Dying a simple death is no longer an option in our society, even in places where one might … Continue reading

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Take 2,000 IU of Vitamin D?

Vitamin D seems to be a genuinely potent nutrient that a lot of doctors are recommending, including my family practitioner. The vitamin appears to be associated with lower rates of cancer and diabetes (to name just two large benefits). And the amount … Continue reading

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The Narcissistic Abyss

No, not blogging. This:

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The Last Cancer Generation?

Yesterday, when I walked into a class of (mostly) 20 year olds all staring back at me, I had a thought: this may be the last cancer generation. 80% of all cancers are diagnosed in people after the age of fifty, … Continue reading

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The Glorious Mary Travers of the Folk Trio Peter, Paul, and Mary Died Today

Of cancer. She was 73. She was 27 when she sang this:

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What Does Atheism Really Offer to, Say, the Dying?

I like this quote from Michael Dirda (a writer for the NY Times) writing about agnostic Julian Barnes’s book on death: “Beautifully done might also justly describe Nothing to Be Frightened Of. A friend once summed up Julian Barnes’s own … Continue reading

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Get Sunshine and Take 2000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D?

Sunshine (a natural source of vitamin D) and supplemental vitamin D appear to be really, really good for you. This today in the Los Angeles Times: Vitamin supplements have been both heralded and hyped over the years, only to ultimately fall … Continue reading

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The New York Times on the PSA: Maybe Prostate Cancer Screening Doesn’t Matter Too Much

If you’re a male, and a Woody Allen-like hypochondriac (like me), perhaps you feel anxiety each year when you go to get your PSA blood test. Today the NY Times reports on a big study that suggests that all that … Continue reading

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