DEAR DR. ROACH: Regarding your recent column about prostate cancer, could you please clarify a statement that has created some concern and confusion for me? The statement is: “Screening begins to have a net benefit after about 10 or 15 years.” About 10 or 15 years after what exactly? I had surgery about 18 months […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 64-year-old man. I got a terrible rash from poison ivy and needed to be put on prednisone. After a few days, I started having terrible hiccups. They’ve been going on for two days, and they are constant. I’ve tried all the home treatments to get rid of them. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 64-year-old man. I got a terrible rash from poison ivy and needed to be put on prednisone. After a few days, I started having terrible hiccups. They’ve been going on for two days, and they are constant. I’ve tried all the home treatments to get rid of them. […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About three months ago, I bled a bit while urinating. This was the first (and only) time in over 30 years since menopause that this happened. An ultrasound was performed, and they found a mildly thickened endometrium (6.1 mm) with scattered cystic change, but without focal lesion. My gynecologist is suggesting an […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: About three months ago, I bled a bit while urinating. This was the first (and only) time in over 30 years since menopause that this happened. An ultrasound was performed, and they found a mildly thickened endometrium (6.1 mm) with scattered cystic change, but without focal lesion. My gynecologist is suggesting an […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother died of lung cancer at 62. For 12-18 months afterward, a sibling passed of a cancer or an unusual disease. Here’s the list: lung cancer, uterine cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. All but the last sibling drank and smoked. Two sisters (nonsmokers) lived to the age […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother died of lung cancer at 62. For 12-18 months afterward, a sibling passed of a cancer or an unusual disease. Here’s the list: lung cancer, uterine cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. All but the last sibling drank and smoked. Two sisters (nonsmokers) lived to the age […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 75-year-old woman in generally good health. A couple of weeks ago, I woke up with an awful pain in my hand. Then I noticed hard bumps on my knuckles. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with a UTI. Just as my antibiotics were finished, I came down with some kind […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 71 years old. In 2021, lymphocytosis was found during my pre-op workup for breast cancer. I had a successful lumpectomy and radiation, and I am on a five-year course of anastrozole. After reviewing my prior complete blood counts, lymphocytosis was found leading back to 2018. It was thought to be due […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I received the pneumonia vaccination (Pneumovax 23) two weeks ago, and I was OK immediately afterward, apart from having a sore arm for a day. But I have felt extremely tired in the past couple of days. Could this be a delayed reaction to the vaccine? I am due to have the […]