Health
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, cancer expert says 'survivor tsunami' is coming
Breast cancer patients and survivors are speaking out on how the treatment landscape is setting them up to not just survive, but thrive.
A recent report from the American Cancer Society (ACS) shows that although cases are still rising — particularly among younger women and groups such as Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders — mortality rates are dropping.
Since 1989, the rate of breast cancer deaths has declined 44%.
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Younger women under 50 saw a 1.4% increased rate of breast cancer year over year, while the latter groups faced 2-½ times the number of diagnoses, the report revealed.
Woman undergoes mammogram
The rise of breast cancer diagnoses is partly due to an uptick in risk factors, such as obesity and exposures to alcohol and ultra-processed foods, according to Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society in Pennsylvania.
“I’M A RADIOLOGIST – TO REDUCE BREAST CANCER RISK, EAT THESE 5 FOODS AND FOLLOW THESE HEALTHY HABITS
It’s not all bad news, she told Fox News, as a “survivor tsunami” is on the horizon.
“We have almost 19 million cancer survivors now in the United States,” Knudsen said. “And with the new advances in cancer treatment, we’re going to see even more survivors.”
Relieving cancer’s financial burden
More than half of cancer patients and survivors say they’ve taken on medical debt, according to the ACS.
A majority weren’t prepared for the costs, with 73% saying they are concerned about their ability to pay current or future health care expenses.
Three in five people who are diagnosed with cancer face financial hardships, such as taking unpaid leave, losing health insurance or losing a job, the report found.
Woman undergoes breast ultrasound for preventive breast cancer care
More programs, clinics and workplaces are offering financial relief and services to help ease the burden on breast cancer patients and survivors, including temporary housing.
One survivor, Shannon Barette, told Fox News that she owes much of her successful battle against bilateral breast cancer to Hope Lodge, an ACS community that provides housing for cancer patients and their caregivers in various locations across the country.
“We need a community to help every breast cancer survivor get the treatment they need.”
When Barette faced struggles with her physical and mental recovery, Hope Lodge made it possible for her to receive treatment at NYU and overcome the associated financial burdens, she said.
“Women need to focus on their treatment and recovery,” Barette told Fox News.
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“We need a community to help every breast cancer survivor get the treatment they need. And they are entitled to world-class medicine. That should not be held back because of any kind of financial burden.”
After going through almost 2-½ years of treatment — including immunotherapy, chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery — Barette was declared cancer-free.
“Too many women face the added pressure of having to find a way to pay big bills while fighting for their lives.”
Most breast cancer patients rely on employer-sponsored coverage.
When Fox Business correspondent Gerri Willis learned she had stage 3 breast cancer eight years ago, her employer provided her with the health insurance coverage she needed to undergo treatment without experiencing financial setbacks.
“The diagnosis hit me hard, but I didn’t have to worry about being able to afford treatment,” Willis told Fox News.
Woman undergoes mammogram
“My employer had great health insurance coverage, and I was never forced to choose between paying a bill and getting treatment — but I was one of the lucky ones,” she went on.
“Too many women face the added pressure of having to find a way to pay big bills while fighting for their lives.”
Some employer plans offer case managers to help employees work through paying the bills and out-of-pocket costs, Willis noted.
For those who don’t have coverage, there are independent and government programs to help fund cancer essentials, from treatment to transportation.
For those who don’t have coverage, there are independent and government programs to help fund cancer essentials, from treatment to transportation.
Helping women build confidence
Coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, some clinics are offering complimentary laser tattoo removals for survivors who have radiation markings.
“They’ve gone through a huge journey that has been very sad, and now they want to feel comfortable in their own skin, whether it’s in clothing or in bathing suits,” Dr. Kevin Tehrani, a surgeon at Aristocrat Plastic Surgery located in New York, told Fox News.
“The removal process takes them to the next level of confidence and helps them move past the dark part of the journey.”
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“The removal process takes them to the next level of confidence and helps them move past the dark part of the journey.”
Dr. Tehrani and his team usually spend three to four sessions removing the tattoos until they are completely eradicated.
Earlier this month, the clinic removed four to five radiation marks from survivors.
Most survivors did not even realize they could have the markings removed, the doctor noted.
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Dr. Tehrani also offers free screenings for breast cancer survivors who receive silicone implants, which is the majority of patients who opt for reconstructive surgery.
Although the screening is typically covered by insurance in most states, the clinic is enhancing the service with their ultrasonographic technologies.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
ONE WALKING HABIT COULD SIGNAL A HEALTHIER BRAIN AFTER 80, SCIENTISTS SAY
The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
COMMON VITAMIN MAY INFLUENCE BRAIN AGING IN WAYS SCIENTISTS DIDN’T EXPECT
The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
I Tried the Viral Gelatin Weight-Loss Recipe—Here’s My Honest Take
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