Our Blog

School was out for the year and the July 4 holiday was approaching – two perfect reasons to celebrate. However, for Carman-Ainsworth High School health teacher Abbey Cowen, summer plans were about to change. In June 2007, Abbey went to see her primary care physician – Renee Krusniak, DO, for her usual annual physical. That […]

Grand Blanc resident, early childhood educator and owner of Studio T Pilates, Tami Lysher understands first hand the value of a second opinion. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and referred to a surgeon who, “without even reviewing my chart or my test results, told me I needed a mastectomy. I was given […]

Legal assistant and Detroit resident, Denise Taylor Malone, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 52, the same year her mother died from the disease, and one month after her ex-husband developed throat cancer. “I was so blessed to have Dr. Brown (Eric Brown, MD, FACS, breast surgeon) at my side, assuring me my condition […]

“I eat right, exercise regularly, don’t smoke, do everything I can to stay healthy … and I still got cancer.” Flint resident Cory Pacheco initially speaks somewhat casually when sharing the story about her breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and next phase of her life. A Hurley registered nurse for the past 30 years, Cory admits […]

When we have to break the news to a patient that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, in most conversations, the reaction is very similar – as soon as they hear “breast cancer,” they stop listening. Their mind immediately begins thinking, “I’m going to die.” That’s when we quickly begin talking a patient off […]

This is a terrific article from “General Surgery News”.  As we strive to have less morbidity (long term consequences of our treatment) the hope is to reduce the amount of axillary (lymph node) surgery. Arm Morbidity a Particular Problem for Young Breast Cancer Survivors Young breast cancer survivors experience significant arm morbidity after lymph node […]

From Medscape, February 18, 2018 Cancer patients who exercise regularly while undergoing adjuvant therapy appear to be more physically active years after their treatment ends. In addition, in cancer patients who participated in an exercise program during therapy, there was a tendency toward less fatigue over both the short and long term, according to new […]

Report: breast cancer survivors who exercise live 40 percent longer Survivors who exercise are 40 percent more likely to live longer than those who led a sedentary lifestyle. While the story was played as news, it didn’t come as a surprise to Eric Brown, M.D., director of the Center for Breast Health in Troy. “We […]

Antiestrogen medications are commonly used in the treatment of breast cancer.  It is amazing just how many women discontinue this treatemnt due to ‘side effects’.  The ‘power’ of these drugs cannot be overestimated … in many case, their effectiveness is more than chemotherapy. Below is an summary (taken directly from the Journal of Clinical Pathways) […]

There are many aspects of breast cancer therapy that can result win menopausal symptoms during and after treatment.  In fact, in some studies pre-menopausal women who do not recover ovarian function if lost during her treatment, actually fair BETTER than women who do.  Estrogen blockade, either by blocking the estrogen receptor or its production, are […]