Faulty versions of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are well known to increase the risk of breast cancer in men and women, and in ovarian cancer. Now BRCA1 and BRCA2 have been linked to several other cancers, including those that affect men. A study published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology has provided the strongest evidence to date of these links and helped researchers estimate more accurately the associated risk. Since these genes were discovered in the mid-90s, numerous studies have ...

People with pancreatic cancer are more likely to need pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy for several reasons. First, pancreatic cancer can itself damage the pancreas and block the flow of pancreatic enzymes into the intestine, which is where food is normally digested. Surgically removing the pancreas and parts of the intestine to treat pancreatic cancer or other types of cancer can also lead to pancreatic enzyme deficiency. In addition, certain tumours can produce high levels of stomach ac...

Cancer may change the way you feel about your body and what feels good to you. But with a combination of self-reflection, physical intervention, communication, and patience, you can rebuild your intimacy. After a breast cancer diagnosis, the last thing you’re likely thinking about is sex. Instead, you’re probably thinking about your treatment costs, upcoming surgery decisions, the cost of battling cancer, and how to manage the side effects of chemotherapy. While it can feel emba...

Our stories give our lives meaning.
What story are you telling yourself? What story are you telling others? Do your thoughts echo your inner critic or are they your biggest cheerleader? The stories we tell ourselves are connected to our past, yet they often limit our future. What we believe is ultimately what we become.
Challenging and painful chapters make it harder for us to rewrite our story because we feel stuck. I’ve often felt stuck in the past and powerless or even incapable...

Anxiety is the sensation you feel when your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) turns on. The SNS can turn on for a whole variety of reasons, including your response to stimuli from the environment, changes in your body chemistry, or your response to your own troubling thoughts. The connection to our own thoughts is the connection we make most readily, but it’s not always the right connection to make. It’s important for us to understand the range of possibilities, so we don’t a...

One group of nutrients found in plant food may be important to our brain health. These are called polyphenols, a large family of molecules that includes rutin, quercetin, and resveratrol, among many others. Polyphenols are found in high concentrations in colourful fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols might improve brain health. These included many immune-related pathways, as well as the potential to improve memory, learning, and general cognition. The challenge of feeding a growing populatio...