The Cardiologist as ‘Life Consultant’ By R. Mark Burke, MD, FACC Following is part one of a two-part column about heart disease prevention and treatment. Although the work of a cardiologist is centered on the heart beating in the chest, it turns out that an essential piece of that work centers on the figurative heart, [...]
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Breast MRI: The Role of Advanced Technology in Detection of Breast Cancer
Breast MRI: The Role of Advanced Technology in Detection of Breast Cancer By Marcy Rushford You may be asking what the big deal is about Breast MRI? Isn’t mammography or ultrasound enough? For some patients, the answer is yes, mammography is enough. Mammography is still considered the “gold standard” to screen for breast cancer. That [...]
Genetic Risk Assessment
Genetic Risk Assessment by Agnes Mikijaniec There have been great strides in the field of cancer genetics this past decade. It is now considered the standard of care in community and comprehensive cancer programs. However many individuals who would be appropriate for genetic risk assessment are not being tested. Barriers include distance to regional cancer [...]
Lessons Learned from Surviving Prostate Cancer
Lessons Learned from Surviving Prostate Cancer By Josh Hart When I was first told I had prostate cancer, the first thing I did was swear. Just once. Then I asked myself what am I going to do about it? I can’t whine about it. I’ve got it. Let’s get rid of it. The story of [...]
Gratitude for Volunteers
Gratitude for Volunteers By JoAnne Rogers National Volunteer Week (April 15-21 this year) was established in 1974 to recognize those who, as President Obama proclaimed in 2011, are “the lifeblood of our schools and shelters, hospitals and hotlines, and faith-based and community groups.” The 110 people who volunteered at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital logged an astounding [...]
Putting a Face to Cancer
Putting a Face to Cancer By Walter Wagenknecht, MD Long ago, there were politicians who advocated spending large sums of money on medical research, specifically with the goal of waging and winning “the war against cancer.” That appealed to many of us, especially the many whose lives had been touched directly or through family and [...]
Breast Cancer Risk Assessment
BREAST CANCER RISK ASSESSMENT By Dr. Joseph Rosen One of the advantages of caring for women with breast disease for over 30 years is the perspective one gains by seeing how things evolve over a time. I don’t think there are too many fields changing as quickly as breast disease management. Because it’s such a [...]
Top Questions About Colon Cancer Screening & Colonoscopy
Top Questions About Colon Cancer Screening & Colonoscopy by Jeffry Potash March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, creating an opportunity to educate the community about the dangers, prevention and treatment of colon cancer. Colon cancer is the third most common cancer. In Vermont, there are about 330 new cases per year and 24 of them [...]
Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins by Dr. Greg Gadowski Varicose veins are a very prevalent condition that no one really talks about as an illness. People who have not experienced them may think they are purely a cosmetic eyesore, but they are, in fact, a component of a condition called venous disease. Patients who have it know the [...]
Taking the Mystery Out of Anesthesia
Taking the Mystery Out of Anesthesia By Dr. Ithiel Fuller For many patients who are about to undergo surgery, something that frequently causes the most anxiety is the anesthesia that makes surgery possible. Fear of the unknown is very powerful, and anesthesia is very mysterious. Popular culture is full of portrayals of worst-case scenarios designed [...]
