Tag Archives: Oncology

The Promise and Hope a New Blood Test Brings as an Alternative to Cancer Biopsies



Researchers across the U.S. are testing out a blood test that could potentially find pieces of cancer DNA in one’s blood

For the most part, cancer biopsies tend to involve surgeons having to operate and remove pieces of wherever the suspicious cells and tissues that could be tumors might reside. According to a recent New York Times article, however, there is … Continue reading

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Mortal Darkness

Cancer and mortality emanate as darkness in Scottish artist Ken Currie's "Three Oncologists"

Three faces stare back at you, momentarily caught in the light as they turn into a looming darkness behind a curtain. Three men, clothed in gowns that quickly read medical. The illuminated gowns are covers that protect and contextualize these men as doctors. The … Continue reading

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What is a Dementia Provision? An interview with Mike Turbow

Mike Turbow shares how his professional and personal experiences in dealing with death have helped seek out a solution to help others take control of their own deaths

Today SevenPonds talks with Mike Turbow, who has 40 years of experience as a practicing oncologist and more than 25 years of experience as a hospice medical director at Stanford University. Although he no longer practices medicine, Mike is an … Continue reading

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“Birds of America” by Lorrie Moore (1998)

Lorrie Moore's stories deal artfully with illness and mortality in young children

  Lorrie Moore has made an appearance on this blog before for a reason. Her simple, incisive writing and her tragically everyday characters make for some very affecting pieces on life, death and sickness. Moore’s 1998 collection of short stories … Continue reading

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How to Cope with a Terminal Illness? – An Interview with Michael Engelberg

A longtime oncologist shares his thoughts on coping with a terminal condition and dying a "good death"

Doctor Michael Engelberg is an oncologist of 40 years, based at Cedars-Sinai medical center in Los Angeles, California. Aurora: Let’s say I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, or another terminal illness. What should my first steps be? Dr. Engelberg: I … Continue reading

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An Interview with Doctor C

How doctors can make a killing keeping end-of-life patients "alive"

This is a repost from April 2010. This is an interview with an oncologist at a leading cancer treatment center in Tucson, Arizona. We will call him Doctor C. Aurora: What question do you most often receive as an oncologist? … Continue reading

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