Health Topics – Johns Hopkins Medicine Podcasts

Have you heard of ultrasensitive genetic testing for cancer? This method produces a very detailed characterization of someone’s tumor, and William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says it then may be used for subsequent decision … How might very detailed cancer maps inform cancer management and treatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

The genetic makeup of a cancer is quite different than that of the person who has it, and now new efforts to very specifically characterize the cancer are poised to have surveillance and treatment implications. That’s according to Kimmel Cancer … What is an ultrasensitive DNA test in cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

This month's topics include medical imaging and childhood cancers, low dose aspirin in colorectal cancer, AI and colonoscopy skills, and good news for women with early breast cancer.

Federal officials have suggested that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy may increase the risk for autism in offspring. Heather Volk, an autism expert at Johns Hopkins, says use of acetaminophen may be a surrogate for something else. Volk: Could be … If you’re pregnant or considering pregnancy, should you take acetaminophen? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Do women who take acetaminophen during pregnancy risk autism in their offspring? Autism expert Heather Volk at Johns Hopkins says one likely explanation is that taking the pain reliever during pregnancy is a stand in for another exposure that may … Is acetaminophen use during pregnancy associated with autism in offspring? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

PM 2.5 stands for particulate matter 2.5 microns or less, and this category of air pollutant may well be involved in autism risk as well as cognitive issues in older adults. That’s according to Heather Volk, autism expert at Johns … A certain type of air pollutant seems to be linked to brain abnormalities, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

A new study points to chemicals called PFAS in possibly underpinning autism development. Autism expert Heather Volk at Johns Hopkins says another environmental pollutant with a much more established record is the very minute particles found in the air called … Can air pollution impact on autism? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Chemicals abbreviated PFAS have been used for some time in things like nonstick cookware, and almost all of us have measurable levels of them in our blood. Now a new study links maternal blood levels during pregnancy to changes in … PFAS exposure during pregnancy may cause changes in the developing brain, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

PFAS are chemicals that were used in things like nonstick cookware or stain resistant fabrics, and they’ve been implicated in a number of deleterious health outcomes, including autism. A new study looks at PFAS exposures in mothers and changes in … Do the environmental pollutants PFAS have any impact on development of autism? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Covid vaccines boosted the immune response in people being treated for cancer and improved their survival, a recent study concludes. mRNA expert Jeff Coller at Johns Hopkins says as more evidence mounts establishing the benefits of mRNA vaccines, we need … Many vaccines are intended to reduce disease severity, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

mRNA vaccines can help the body fight cancer, a new study found, yet when we look at what has been called ‘vaccine hesitancy’ we see many people are suspicious of vaccines in general, let alone mRNA vaccines. Johns Hopkins mRNA … Why were so many people hesitant to take mRNA vaccines? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

People with lung cancer and melanoma who were receiving immunotherapies and got a Covid vaccine saw dramatically improved survival compared with folks who did not get the vaccine, a recent study shows. mRNA expert Jeff Coller at Johns Hopkins muses … What is it about mRNA vaccines that helps us fight cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

People undergoing immunotherapy treatment for cancer and who got a Covid vaccine survived longer than those who did not get the vaccine, a new study finds. Jeff Coller, an mRNA expert at Johns Hopkins, examines why this hasn’t been seen … Why haven’t we seen cancer fighting effects with vaccines other than the Covid vaccines? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

If you were being treated for lung cancer or melanoma with immunotherapy and you received a Covid vaccine, you got a surprising benefit: you were twice as likely to survive your cancer as those who did not get a vaccine, … mRNA could comprise a generic vaccine to be used for cancer, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

People with lung cancer or melanoma who were receiving immunotherapy and got a Covid vaccine within 100 days of initiating treatment saw dramatically improved survival compared to those folks who did not receive a vaccine, a new study shows. mRNA … The benefit of mRNA vaccines in cancer treatment is ongoing, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Combating cancer may soon include immunization with an mRNA vaccine, as studies accumulate demonstrating their benefit in revving up the immune system against the disease. mRNA expert Jeff Coller at Johns Hopkins says this is one way to engage your … mRNA vaccines take advantage of the body’s own systems, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Receipt of an mRNA vaccine for Covid within 100 days of beginning immunotherapy for lung cancer or melanoma increased a person’s survival likelihood by a factor of two or greater, a new study shows. Johns Hopkins mRNA expert Jeff Coller … Might mRNA vaccines replace chemotherapy for cancer treatment? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

mRNA vaccines saved millions of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now a new study points to their effectiveness in helping people survive cancer. The study looked at people who received a Covid vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy for … Can mRNA vaccines treat cancer? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Testing a fluid known as cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, found surrounding the brain and spinal cord, reveals a lot about brain tumors and the immune response to them. Johns Hopkins neurosurgery department director Chetan Bettegowda and test developer says this … Can a new test of cerebrospinal fluid be used for many diseases of the brain and spinal cord? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More &#18...

Tumor components and immune response indicators can be found in cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, when someone has a brain tumor, in a new test developed by Chetan Bettagowda, director of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins and one of the test’s developers.  … Cerebrospinal fluid may hold the keys to brain cancer identification and treatment, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Your immune system has everything to do with how your body responds to cancer, and brain tumors are no exception. A new test aims to assess that along with characterizing the tumor itself. Chetan Bettegowda, director of neurosurgery at Johns … What does your immune response have to do with brain tumors? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

Your brain and spinal cord are floating in something called cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, and when brain tumors develop they shed cells and cellular components into this fluid. A new test developed by director of neurosurgery Chetan Bettegowda at Johns … Cerebrospinal fluid can tell lots about brain tumors, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

When someone is thought to have a brain tumor procedures to make the diagnosis may be risky or invasive, so a new test developed by Chetan Bettegowda, director of the department of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins and colleagues is a … Can assessments of brain cancers be done with cerebrospinal fluid? Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »

AI assisted colonoscopy, where a computer helped interpret images seen during the procedure, resulted in endoscopists being less adept at recognizing precancerous lesions known as polyps, a recent study finds. Kimmel Cancer Center director William Nelson at Johns Hopkins comments. … When you have screening colonoscopy should you worry about the endoscopist’s skills? Elizabeth Tracey reports...

If you’ve been treated for early breast cancer your overall risk for recurrence is small, a new large, long term study finds. William Nelson, director of the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, says these risks can be pinned to … Small risks of recurrent breast cancer may exist after treatment, Elizabeth Tracey reports Read More »