DEAR DR ROACH: My mother is 82. About two years ago, she was diagnosed with low iron. All tests came back negative. She can’t tolerate an iron infusion and is allergic to iron pills and/or vitamins with iron. She eats foods that are high in iron, like liver, and drinks a little bit of red […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a 72-year-old male friend in excellent health. Approximately six months ago, he had difficulty breathing and subsequently had fluid drained from his left lung. He worked with asbestos in his earlier years, so a biopsy was performed, with benign results. The surgeon who performed the surgery told him that his […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: A friend who is a breast cancer survivor recently had another friend who survived uterine cancer, but learned she had bone cancer after five years of being cancer-free. I am 76, and my friend insists I’m crazy if I don’t have a hysterectomy to avoid getting cancer in that area. I have […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have an increased genetic risk for breast cancer and take an annual mammogram and sonogram. I had a baby last year and am now breastfeeding. What is the best way to do screening while breastfeeding? — Anon. ANSWER: Breast cancer during pregnancy and lactation is unusual, but unfortunately does rarely happen. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 55-year-old perimenopausal woman who developed asthma a few years ago. My symptoms always start right before my menstrual cycle. My doctor ruled out allergies as the cause. I used to get colds and sinus infections premenstrually in my younger years. Most medical practitioners don’t see the correlation between hormones and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer in my 70s. I read that HPV causes this cancer, but I have never been diagnosed with that. I also haven’t been intimate with anyone since my 60s, when I became a widow. What could explain my cancer diagnosis? — J.R. ANSWER: I am […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you please explain the pros and cons of general versus spinal anesthetic? I have had three bladder tumor resection operations with general anesthetic in the past two years and have suffered the consequences of anesthetic fog, which is sometimes very disturbing and inconvenient. I am 82, and I’m worried about how […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I worked in a building from 1975 to 2002 that is now being torn down due to asbestos. The people who worked in the building didn’t know at the time of any asbestos exposure. What problems could we potentially have? Should anything be done? This isn’t good! — L.B. ANSWER: Asbestos is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a problem I’ve never seen addressed in your column. Unlike many people who are my age (85), I get too much sleep. I am pretty healthy, and I work out three times a week. Until last year, when my husband died, I was always busy taking care of him at […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I so appreciated your recent column on arthritis — specifically osteoarthritis. I’m a big exerciser; however, I have always heard that this arthritis is caused or exacerbated by wear and tear. I was surprised to hear otherwise! I have modified or given up a handful of exercises that seem to cause my […]