DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you please discuss the meaning and significance of blood tests to show the level of cancer markers to identify cancer and track the efficacy of treatments? I am 69 years old and have metastatic breast cancer, diagnosed in July 2022. The primary cancer was treated in 2018-2019 with surgery, chemotherapy and […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: When my doctor told me that as a vegetarian I needed a B12 supplement, I didn’t take it seriously, and went with nutritional yeast to supply it. I had always read that supplements are unreliable and it’s better to get your vitamins and minerals from a food source. Well, I became extremely […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: After dealing with hyperparathyroidism for over a decade, I became an administrator of a support group for the disease. Many of our members have difficulties getting a diagnosis and a subsequent referral to a surgeon. Can you discuss why you think this is? Shouldn’t a PTH lab be ordered as a follow […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Some months ago, my doctor used a QuantaFlo test to measure circulation in my legs. My result was low — 0.69 versus the normal range of 0.9-1.40. I was not surprised, as poor circulation runs in the family. She recommended I wear compression socks. I am 70 and have never had symptoms, […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m confused by the relationship between my blood glucose level and A1C. My blood glucose has crept up from 100 to 112 in one year after I started taking 40 mg of atorvastatin. My A1C level is 5.1%, apparently “normal,” so my doctor is unconcerned about the blood glucose reading. When is […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is there such a thing as a functional alcoholic? — Anon. ANSWER: The term “alcoholic” is imprecise and no longer used. There are several conditions to describe problem drinking, including risky use of alcohol, which puts a person at risk for health consequences. Although any given individual may have a greater or […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 78-year-old man. Yesterday, I read that I am considered intersex because urine does not come out the end of my penis, but rather under the penis shaft. This does not surprise me much, but I am really curious about it. I want to see a psychiatrist just to talk […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had a thyroidectomy, and I take levothyroxine. Instructions for the medication say not to take it within four hours of having calcium. No discussion of the drug has clearly stated whether this only refers to calcium supplements or whether this also includes high-calcium foods. I usually take levothyroxine when I wake […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: My 30-year-old and otherwise healthy grandson has been suffering from and treating hemorrhoids for two years. He is anemic due to his loss of blood. He’s had several bandings; they couldn’t complete the last one because he was in too much pain. They said they couldn’t anesthetize the area because his lack […]

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have some questions about adult men getting circumcised. I am 93 and of reasonably good health. I do take some medicines — a diuretic, a blood pressure control medication and a statin. All my life, I’ve had problems with balanitis, but I’ve only had problems with posthitis in recent years. I […]