Diary of a Doctor

October is a month that usually commemorates breast cancer awareness. I actually did a post on Breast cancer prevention last year. You can read about it here . I have read different articles all over the internet where people place emphasis on self breast examination only, which is contrary to the latest suggestion of  the American Cancer Society. They proposed  that self-breast examination is no longer recommended as a screening tool for women with average risk of breast cancer. This is based on ongoing uncertainties raised by various studies. Over the years, there has been some debate over just how valuable breast self-examination is in detecting breast cancer early and increasing the likelihood of survival. For example, a 2008 study of nearly 400,000 women in Russia and China reported that breast self-examination does not have a meaningful impact on breast cancer survival rates and may even cause harm by prompting unnecessary biopsies (removal and examination of s

Recently, there is a growing concern for Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) especially in the United States of America. So far, the CDC has reported over 62 cases across 22 States including Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The AFM is a rare condition that affects the nervous system, precisely the area of the spinal cord called the grey matter. This disease usually causes the muscles and reflexes in the body to become weak. This illness usually starts suddenly and is common in children. Although the illness is not new, the rising trend since 2014 is new. The CDC estimates that less than one in a million people will get AFM every year. Causes A variety of possible causes of AFM include: Viruses (Such as polio virus, non-polio enteroviruses, adenoviruses, and West Nile virus) Enviromental Toxins Genetic Disorders The September 26, 2014 CDC health Advisory that decided the cases identified enterovirus 68, a member of the enterovirus D species as a suspected cause.