September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulvar cancers. This year, about 110,000 women in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (uterine, ovarian, cervical, and vulvar estimates combined). Treatment for these cancers — … Read more
If you’ve noticed changes in bladder control, pelvic pain, or discomfort during intimacy since starting cancer treatment, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. Pelvic floor changes are one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment that nobody warns you about, and one of the most treatable. Whether you’re being treated for … Read more
Every September, gold ribbons go up for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Nearly 15,000 children and teens are diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. each year, according to the National Cancer Institute — but survival rates have climbed from about 20% in 1962 to over 80% today, according to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Surviving is … Read more
If you’ve been through chemotherapy, radiation, or major cancer surgery, you already know a kind of tired that doesn’t match anything you dealt with before treatment. It’s not the tired that a good night’s sleep fixes. It can sit on you after a full night of rest, make a shower feel like a workout, or … Read more
If you’ve just been scheduled for cancer surgery, your calendar probably filled up fast. Pre-op appointments, imaging, maybe a meeting with a surgeon you’re still getting to know. Physical therapy may not be on that list at all. If no one has mentioned it yet, it’s worth asking about. Starting therapy before surgery, not just after, can … Read more
If you’ve had breast cancer surgery and noticed a tight, rope-like cord running from your armpit down your arm — sometimes all the way to your wrist or thumb — you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone. This is called cording, or axillary web syndrome (AWS), and it’s one of the most common things … Read more