Ever logged into MyChart to check on some lab test results, then just stared blankly at the screen once you saw them? You’re not alone.
Unless you work in the medical field, figuring out what all of those values mean and how to interpret them can sometimes be a challenge.
We sought insight from Adriana Maria Knopfelmacher-Couchonal, M.D., a specialist in Laboratory Medicine. Here’s what she had to say.
How are...
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your lower neck. It produces hormones that help regulate your metabolism, temperature and energy...
When I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in October 2009, I knew exactly where I wanted to go for my cancer treatment.
Because with...
Polyps are clusters of cells that can develop in the entire gastrointestinal tract, but they’re more likely seen in the small intestine, colon and/or rectum. As they grow, they can transform into cancer.
“Not every polyp turns into cancer. But since they have the potential to, we remove them,” says Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, M.D., Ph.D., who specializes in hereditary cancer syndromes and colorectal cancer.
Familial adenomatous...
I’ve never been diagnosed with cancer, but I still get screened at MD Anderson for both breast cancer and skin cancer every year. And I tell...
Last updated March 18, 2022.
When Bob Seibert reflects on the nearly one and half years since his stage IV melanoma diagnosis...
Glioma and glioblastoma might sound similar, but there are differences between these two types of brain tumor diagnoses.
Here, neuro-oncologist...
A cancer diagnosis can stir up fear – fear of the loss of life, as well as fear of changes to quality of life.
But it can also cause...
Last updated Sept. 21, 2022
A cancer diagnosis brings many challenges. But from physical and emotional changes, to scheduling ...
Michelle Hildebrandt, Ph.D., left the Midwest 14 years ago for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at MD Anderson that focused on cancer prevention...
Last updated Oct. 4, 2023.
Your body works hard to keep the sugar in your blood at a safe level. As soon as you eat that cookie or...
The summer after six-year-old Christian completed kindergarten, he started complaining that his ear hurt. His mom, Marisa Garcia, thought...
Many cancers have been linked to genetic mutations, whether they’re inherited or occur spontaneously.
Certain BRCA mutations, for instance...
Many people already know that activities like yoga, exercise, meditation and talk therapy can help reduce anxiety. But what do you do when...
Michelene Holmes was diagnosed with stage IIIA triple-negative breast cancer in January 2014 at 45 years old after she noticed a tightening...
When retired Florida physician Bob Wagar, M.D., was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and sarcoma, he knew he would've felt comfortable...
If you’re confused about how your COVID-19 status might affect your eligibility to donate blood or platelets, you’re not alone. ...
I was 41 when I found out I had breast cancer.
One day, I was carting around two teenagers and a preschooler, running our small...
I'm an immunologist and a T cell biologist. My work pushes our understanding of how the immune system recognizes and destroys tumors....
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re among the three-quarters of all Americans who search for health information online.
The good...