Articles

Marcus Barnes couldn’t have envisioned what he was about to see. One month after successful brain surgery, the Irvine resident sat in an operating room at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach and was handed a pair of virtual reality goggles. “There’s your long-gone nemesis,” said Dr. Christopher Duma, neurosurgeon and medical director of the brain tumor … Read More

For years, anti-heartburn medication was prescribed like candy. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) seemed to cure the symptoms of heartburn, indigestion and acid reflux without any side effects. Or so we thought more than a decade ago. Now it seems as though every year researchers discover a new area of the body that has been negatively affected … Read More

Mark Franklin noticed he was losing the ability to communicate. He couldn’t think of everyday words, such as dog or pen. While working as a flight attendant, Cindy Godshall had a seizure in the middle of a Beijing hotel lobby. Both were diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-growing cancer of certain cells that support neurons in … Read More

Winter means shorter days, but in Orange County, even those short days are sunny. So when you step outside this weekend to enjoy the warm February forecast, don't forget to grab your sunscreen to protect yourself against damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., affecting 1 … Read More

We're at the beginning of the era of “curing” Alzheimer's disease. No more slipping into oblivion. No more loss of dignity. One day – not too long from now – degenerative cognitive conditions will be as manageable as high blood pressure, a disease that requires vigilance to keep at bay but doesn't rob you of … Read More

Chances are – if you’re reading this – you follow the NFL. You almost certainly enjoy the NFL. Perhaps you even love the NFL. But do you trust the NFL? Not likely, given the evidence that suggests the actual players don’t trust their own league or their own teams and the widely held assumption that … Read More

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) released PulsePoint today, a new free mobile app available for iPhone and Android. The app alerts individuals trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when a sudden cardiac arrest occurs in a public place in their immediate vicinity. PulsePoint is now available to the residents of Orange County through a generous … Read More

HPV is the leading cause of head and neck cancers, but there is good news. Head and neck cancers are on the rise and are due to a new culprit that already affects more than 26 million people in the United States. The oral human papilloma virus (HPV) is now the leading cause of head … Read More

You are about to give birth. Pregnancy has gone smoothly. The birth seems as if it will, too. It’s one baby, in the right position, full term, and you’ve never had a cesarean section — in other words, you’re at low risk for complications. What’s likely to be the biggest influence on whether you will … Read More

Going through a cancer diagnosis is difficult and anxiety-producing. Psychosocial support during treatment is important to help patients recognize and cope with the many emotions and feelings that come up as they navigate their cancer journey. When treatment is over, patients embark on the recovery process while still dealing with the impact of their diagnosis … Read More