DEAR DR. ROACH: Two years ago, my mother had a large mass surgically removed from her colon. (A laparoscopic surgery with colon resection.) The operative diagnosis was cancer that had metastasized to her lymph nodes. A quote from radiology following her PET: “She lit up like a Christmas tree!” The lymph nodes weren’t biopsied, and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Are there any benefits to taking omega-3? — B.H. ANSWER: Yes, there are, but it’s not clear just how big those benefits are. Although there has been some evidence that omega-3 fatty acids may be of benefit in slowing dementia, treating depression and helping asthma, the consensus on these topics is that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman of Thai descent. I have been on a Fosamax regimen for over eight years. I suffered a femur fracture in a fall approximately two years ago. About the first thing the attending orthopedic surgeon asked me was, “Are you taking Fosamax?” I received no explanation about a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband’s recent lab work showed that he had a glucose reading of 72 (82-115 is considered a healthy range). Is this a precursor to diabetes? Should he be staying away from refined sugar? His father had diabetes and had his leg amputated. I do not want this to happen to my […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you tell me the difference between ADD, Asperger’s and autism? — J.K. ANSWER: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sometimes still called attention deficit disorder, is a condition that begins in childhood with symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. The DSM-5, a standard for psychiatric diagnoses, recognizes three subtypes: predominantly inattentive, predominantly […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: After seeing many specialists, I received the diagnosis of esophageal cancer T4b N2. The PET scan shows thickening of the lower esophagus of 4.1 cm in diameter and local nodal disease, but no distant metastatic disease. They say I am not a candidate for surgery, and chemo and radiation are the only […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 62-year-old male in generally good physical and mental health. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 21. I had bowel resection surgery, but have no debilitating symptoms now, except some diarrhea flare-ups. My question is regarding polymyalgia rheumatica. I was diagnosed with this just two weeks ago. I’ve been […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 64-year-old woman. I have been an avid exerciser and runner since 1980. I am in excellent health and take no medications, except for a low-dose rheumatoid arthritis medication, methotrexate. Over a month ago, I developed a throbbing pain that radiated down the left side of my leg, the top […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently saw an article about how higher cholesterol levels (especially LDL) actually contribute to a longer life. I think that means if you don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. I went online, and there are a few articles about this. Since I and some of my offspring have genetic high […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I hope you can help me. I have a pain that I would be embarrassed to share, in my small town, with the person who makes my doctor appointments, then the young girls who take my blood pressure and weight, and then, finally, with the doctor. I’m in my late 40s. In […]