DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 66-year old post-menopausal woman who is scheduled next month for a hysterectomy to correct a pelvic organ prolapse. There is no history of ovarian cancer in my family. My first period was at age 12, and menopause happened for me at age 51. I used birth control pills. My […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old retired mail carrier. I have a growth on my palm that continues to grow. It’s not hurting me, but it is annoying and puts pressure on my hand. My hand surgeon called it “palmar fibromatosis” and said to just leave it alone, since it’s no big deal. But […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter, 45, has had a paralyzed left vocal cord for about a year now. We have been to an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor who ran at least a half dozen tests, including several scans. These didn’t show a reason for the problem, and everything else appeared to be normal. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 94-year-old father has been having trouble swallowing lately. He tries to expel any food by inducing himself to vomit, but it is very difficult. We looked up his esophagus symptoms, but there doesn’t seem to be many causes. He does have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); would this point to cancer or […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: The results for my last bone density test show not only a T-score but also a Z-score. For my spine (L1 through L4), the T-score is -3.4, while the Z-score is -1.4. Can you please explain the difference between the two measurements? I realize that I have osteoporosis; this is something that […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an almost 70-year-old male. I’m 6 feet and 2 inches tall, and I weigh 174 pounds. I quit smoking in May 1988. I drink little to no alcohol (although I have had periods of moderate to heavy use in my life). I have been a runner and moderate strength trainer […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I recently contracted a rather severe case of bacterial pneumonia, requiring 10 days of amoxicillin. It has left me with a problem — I have an enlarged prostate. Prior to getting pneumonia, I had to go to the bathroom three times a night, which I could handle. Now I have to urinate […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mom was just admitted to the hospital with chest pressure. She had just lost her husband of 62 years last week, and she initially thought this was just stress. They said she might have a blockage because her troponin level was 142 ng/mL. Her cardiologist recommended an angiogram. Is that a […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband, age 70, had been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in his neck, for which he would take Aleve to relieve his discomfort when needed. Just before the Christmas holiday last year, his back began hurting so much that he went to his doctor, who said to get up and move more. (We […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: After many years of dealing with reflux, I have now developed Barrett’s esophagus. The biopsy said “Barrett’s/intestinal metaplasia.” After speaking to the nurse at my gastroenterologist’s office, she explained that they were the “same thing.” Needless to say, I’m a bit concerned knowing that this diagnosis is a precursor to esophageal cancer. […]