Concerns about hormone therapy safety have made many women turn to alternatives, such as phytoestrogens (soy, flaxseed, etc)  to alleviate their menopausal symptoms.  A recent systematic review of flaxseed intervention was recently done and reported in the journal Menopause.   Their findings:  “Flaxseed is currently not indicated for the alleviation of vasomotor symptoms in postmenopausal women, and there is little evidence to support an effect on circulating sex hormones.  A paucity of appropriate randomized controlled studies indicates that the effects of flax intervention on BMD are inconclusive.”

Information gaps are widely apparent in patient-physician relationships due to a multitude of factors.  Some patients are not interested or emotionally able to process information provided by the physician while certain physicians may not be comfortable discussing various options with their patients or feel that they are not appropriate candidates for a particular procedure.  Whatever the reason for the disconnect, healthcare providers and patients need to find a way to meet in the middle and discuss the difficult decisions and side effects of potential treatments.

Polio, or poliomyelitis, has been nearly eradicated by the polio vaccines developed in the 1950’s, sparing countless children and adults from symptoms such as muscle weakness and acute flaccid paralysis. However, there are still three countries (Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) that have never been polio-free. These countries are starting to serve as “exporters” of the polio virus, affecting China and Syria, countries that had previously been polio-free.

What do you do when your partner or spouse is diagnosed with cancer? What if he or she is thinking about undergoing fertility preservation? While the impacts of both cancer and infertility on relationships have been investigated individually, there is little published research on the intersection of the two. A new book chapter from Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines investigates the potential ways partners may participate in the oncofertility process, from digesting a cancer diagnosis to helping make decisions about building a future family.