As we remember those who have fallen, we should also remember another casualty of war — skin cancer
Memorial Day has an important place in American history. It is the one day of the year which is set aside for our nation to memorialize those who have lost their lives in the performance of their military duties. It was first celebrated in 1868, then known as ‘Decoration Day’, and has become a prominent fixture in American culture to this day. While it has become synonymous for many with weekend sales and an unofficial start to Summer, the meaning behind the holiday is to remember those who have lost their lives in their service to the United States.
Warfare and cancer have both claimed millions of lives
Warfare…
Skin cancer does not discriminate. Knowing your risk may save your life.
This article was originally published on James Goydos’ website.
As May 2021 comes to a close, this marks the end of melanoma and skin cancer awareness month.
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in humans. Cases of skin cancer have been on the rise, likely due to a combination of factors. Improvements in access to cancer screening, global pollution and heightened UV exposure, longevity, and more variables may help to explain the increase in skin cancer.
Although understanding the underlying causes of melanoma and other skin cancers is an important venture in its own right, helping…
Learning how to use a sewing machine in a Mexico City parking lot 35 years ago taught me the skills needed to make PPE during the pandemic.” — James Goydos, M.D.
This article was originally published on James Goydos’ website.
In September 1985 I was a second-year medical student on vacation with three other students in a small beach community on Mexico’s western coast. One of the students had relatives living in Mexico and we were able to borrow a car and drive down to the local beach town. We expected to stay from the 15th to the 21st but on September 19, 1985 at 7:17 AM Mexico City was hit with an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.
Growing up in California I had already lived through 3 larger earthquakes, but this one…
Teaching our children is a great way to start.
Giving back to the community can be enriching for both the giver and the receiver. But before someone can “give back to their community” they have to decide what community they belong to. Many of us live in one location and work in another, and what we consider our “community” can vary from person to person.
As a homeowner, I consider myself a part of the East Brunswick community, and there are things I do every day to help make my community a better place. I support our local library and donate to the local food bank. …
“They are unsung heroes who prefer to remain unsung as the satisfaction they obtain from their work is all they need.” — James Goydos, M.D.
I consider a public servant to be someone who works for the public good, either as part of the government or on their own. I do not include elected officials above the municipal level in this definition as few State and National politicians run for office because they are altruistic. Altruism is the hallmark of a true public servant, though it doesn’t have to be the main reason a person makes this choice.
All of my adult life I have worked as an academic physician, first for UMDNJ, and more recently for Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. …
We may know that doctors are there to help us, but the perceived danger and subsequent anxiety may remain.
White coat hypertension, or white coat syndrome is something many are all too familiar with. On average, the prevalence of white coat hypertension (WCH) is around 10–15% of the general population. For those that may not be familiar, WCH is a condition whereby patients experience elevated blood pressure when they are in the presence of a doctor or other medical professional.
When not in the presence of a ‘white coat’ or healthcare professional, these same patients exhibit normative blood pressure levels. It is specifically the presence of a medical professional, or ‘white coat’ which triggers the rise in blood pressure.
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And they did.
Over the past 30 years, the world has experienced multiple potential pandemic events including SARS, MERS, H1N1, the Ebola virus, and many others. Furthermore, as a healthcare worker, I’ve been trained to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis, and HPV by using universal precautions and participating in continuing education programs to keep up to date about these and other diseases.
Infectious diseases have been a part of my entire adult life and I have always been proud of the work performed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health — all paid for…
Growing up in California, I experienced 3 major earthquakes, two wildfires that required my family to temporarily evacuate, a landside that almost covered our car on a family vacation, and a flood that lifted our house off its foundations. Later in life, I was in Mexico City during the September 1985 Earthquake, and recently I lived through Superstorm Sandy here in New Jersey, going without power for 2 weeks. All of these natural disasters were difficult in their own ways, but, fortunately, I didn’t lose a friend or loved one during any of them. …
Something you don’t have an aptitude for may turn out to be an important skill in your life.
What is considered a skill? Is it something you’re born with, something you nurture? I am a senior surgical oncologist, a former tenured professor of surgery and tumor biology, I have three patents, and I ran an NIH-funded research laboratory for 15 years. One could say I do have some skills. However, I don’t consider any of these accomplishments particularly noteworthy, as I enjoyed all of these activities and have a knack for this type of work.
We are all born with innate abilities, all we really need is for us or someone else to recognize these abilities and nurture…
One night as a surgeon in a level-one trauma center changed my life and the lives of many.
On a Friday night in the Fall of 1992, I was the fifth-year Chief Surgical Resident on call at a level-one trauma center in central Connecticut. This meant that, other than the in-house cardiac surgical attending, I was the head surgeon in the hospital at the time. At approximately 11:00 PM that evening we received a trauma alert with the victim arriving in the ER within the next 10 minutes.
I rushed to the ER and was met by the trauma team, which included the on-call third-year surgical resident, a medical student, trauma nurses, a respiratory therapist, an on-call anesthesia…
James Goydos, MD
Professor, Surgeon, Clinical Trial Lead. Transforming cancer treatment & helping patients see that melanoma isn’t a death sentence. https://jamesgoydos.com
