Our Blog: To Your Health

Colon Cancer Screening: A Modern-Day Medical Success Story in The Making

Friday, March 13, 2020
 
Colon cancer remains a common and deadly cancer—it is the second most common cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States, affecting approximately four percent of people in their lifetimes.
 
In the past 50 years, we have seen dramatic improvements in survival rates and a decline in the incidence of colon cancer in those older than 50. In fact, survival rates from colon cancer have improved by two percent per year in recent decades, cutting the mortality rate in half since 1970.
 

Considering the Risks and Benefits of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use

Friday, March 6, 2020

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs; e.g. Prilosec/omeprazole, Prevacid/lansoprazole, and others) are among the most commonly used medications, with prevalence estimates ranging between about five percent and fifteen percent of the adult population. Recently, there have been increasing concerns about the safety of long-term PPI use, leading many patients to abandon their PPIs in favor of H2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs; e.g. Pepcid/famotidine, Zantac/ranitidine, Tagamet/cimetidine) or to stop acid suppression therapy altogether. While the tenet of “first, do no harm” remains paramount in the practice of medicine, it is important to use caution when interpreting reports of risks associated with PPI use.

Finding Support During a High-Risk Pregnancy: Aisha's Story

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

When Aisha turned 40, the last thing she expected was a baby. Already a mom of three — ages 16, 15, and 13 — Aisha thought she was finished having children. After visiting the doctor thinking her appendix had burst, she discovered that she was not only pregnant but also would have a high-risk pregnancy. Having recently moved to Oregon from Alaska, Aisha was new to Portland and didn’t know where to begin to find an OBGYN. All she knew was that she needed to find someone she trusted. 

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