Doctor Column
CDC Vaccine Update for the 2023 Fall and Winter “Respi” Season
October 5, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
From January to December 2022, COVID-19 was the primary or contributing cause of approximately 244,000 deaths in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Psoriatic Arthritis Pictures of PsA
September 25, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a type of chronic inflammatory arthritis that causes joint swelling, pain and stiffness. It’s associated with psoriasis, a skin condition characterized by red, thick, itchy, scaly patches. Both inflammatory arthritis and psoriasis are an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system mistakenly attacks its own healthy tissues leading to joint inflammation and skin lesions. Approximately eighty per cent of the time, psoriasis precedes the onset of arthritis. PsA can occur at any age, but most commonly presents in people between the ages of 30 and 50.
Prenatal Vitamins and Nutrition During Pregnancy
September 15, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Years ago, I was examining a young woman whom I had known since she was a teenager. She was happily employed as a social worker. “How are you doing? How’s the family?”
The ABCDs of Breast Density: What Is It? Could Dense Breast Tissue Increase the Risk of Cancer?
September 5, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Breast cancer is the second common cancer in the United States after skin cancer. It’s more common than lung, prostate, or colorectal cancers. It accounts for 14% of cancers in the U. S. with 300,900 new cases anticipated in 2023 according to the National Cancer Institute.
Bladder Cancer How the Type, Size, and Location of Bladder Cancer Influence Your Survival
August 25, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
In January of 2023, the American Cancer Society estimated there’ll be about 82,290 new cases of bladder cancer, and about 16,710 deaths from bladder cancer in the United States. Men are about three times more likely to be stricken by bladder cancer (BLCA) than women. A previous article discussed the symptoms, and diagnosis of bladder cancer. This article will discuss how grading and staging of the tumor predict your survival, and treatment.
Bladder Cancer Symptoms and Diagnosis — Early Diagnosis is a Key to Survival
August 15, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
Bladder cancer ranks as the fourth most common form of cancer among men, and sixth among women. Men get it three times more frequently compared to women, although women may be diagnosed when their cancer is at a more advanced stage. Smoking is the most significant risk factor for bladder cancer; and the presence of blood in the urine is a red alert, a danger sign, signaling doctors to rule out cancer as the underlying reason for this bloody finding.
Tennis Elbow What Is It? What You Can Do About It
August 5, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
With warmer weather, outdoor activities have become more popular. On a summery day, you can see men and women in their tennis whites swinging their racquets and hear the “booms and pops” the tennis balls make. Occasionally a player complains of discomfort and pain in the elbow and wonders, “Might this be the beginning of tennis elbow?”
Neck Masses in Children Clues in Diagnosing and Treating
July 25, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
An anxious mother takes her child to the Pediatrician concerned about a bump that appeared “out of nowhere” on one the side of the neck. Another mother is worried about swollen lymph nodes on both sides of her child’s neck that haven’t gone away after two months.
Legacy of Henrietta Lacks (HeLa) and the Dr. Gey Connection
July 15, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
In 1951, Johns Hopkins was the only hospitals in Baltimore that treated African American patients. Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman, was examined by the doctors at the hospital after she felt a “knot” in her “womb.” After a series of tests at the hospital, Mrs. Lacks was informed she had cervical cancer. She received various treatments which included radiation therapy. But nine months after the diagnosis, Mrs. Lacks was dead.
Malaria U. S. Health Alert Are We Prepared for Widespread Outbreaks?
July 5, 2023
Joseph R. Anticaglia, MD
On June 26, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a public health alert, warning the public, doctors, and public health authorities about the risk of contracting malaria in the United States after four cases of malaria infections were reported in Florida and one in Texas.
