Vaccination for HPV

After a recent presentation in League City, TX, an attendee asked if I work with Merck. I denied any association with the pharmaceutical and asked why. She said, ‘The way you talked about the importance of getting the HPV vaccine.’ She continued to tell me about another speaker she heard who believes the vaccine is harmful. In my presentation, I …

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Sticking Out Tongue Straight: An Impossible Feat

I have adopted a sister, a survivor sister Dale Noelle. Tongue cancer became the topic of conversation between my friend Erin’s mother and Dale’s mother over a card game. They agreed Dale and I should meet. For months, our busy schedules didn’t allow us to plan a meeting. But, when I got the message she could attend a lecture I …

HPV16: Increased Risk with Tobacco Use

The numbers of HPV16 cancers have increased 225% in the United States over the past two decades. An October 2014 study by Johns Hopkins researchers, shows an increased risk with tobacco use in any form including second hand smoke of the serious strain of the HPV16 virus in the throat and mouth. The study detected the virus with a 30-second …

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HPV 16: A Vaccination That Prevents Cervical and Oropharyngeal Cancer

If there is a vaccination that prevents cervical and oropharyngeal cancer, wouldn’t you want your child to be vaccinated? Gardisil protects youth from HPV 16 and 18, the two strains of hundreds that actually cause cancer. And, it provides added protection against genital warts. It is a parent responsibility to obtain information and vaccinate. It’s a safe vaccination since the …

Heat-Not-Burn Tobacco Delivery Devices: E-Cigarettes

Even though the rates of oral cancer associated with tobacco are declining, it is still a major cause. Smoking replacement products like gums and patches have generally failed because they release nicotine too slowly or in amounts too low to satisfy smokers. For the same reason, only a small percentage of smokers have switched to e-cigarettes, devices that heat a …