health

Lung cancer is the third most common cancer in this country, but the most deadly. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women. According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 237,740 new cases will be diagnosed in 2022 and over 130,000 deaths.

Coronavirus cases are rising across several Massachusetts counties, including Suffolk, according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data released this week.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country exceeded only by heart disease. According to Cancer Facts & Figures 2021 published by the American Cancer Society, in 2021, there were an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases and 608,570 deaths.

For the past year, the world has been worrying about a virus working its way into our bodies and attacking our lungs. Yet, for much longer, certain air pollutants have been lurking in our streets and skies and damaging the systems that let us breathe. These pollutants, long tracked by stations across the U.S., have been tied to a multitude of heart and lung conditions.

The prostate gland is not known for its size. It’s not much bigger than a walnut. That does not diminish its role, however. Nor its complications.

Legislation passed at the State House last week will create a commission to investigate racial disparities related to maternal health. The bill, created by Rep. Liz Miranda, Rep. Kay Khan and Sen. Rebecca Rausch, is meant to address the crisis of Black women dying in childbirth at higher rates than white women.

Public health officials and policymakers need to implement strategies that can specifically reduce the risk of disease transmission in low-wage workers and racial/ethnic minority communities, for this pandemic and for public health emergencies in the future.

Community health centers in Massachusetts are feeling financial pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic, so much so that advocates say the centers need more state and federal assistance to stay open.

At the beginning of this year an auspicious change occurred, but in all probability, not many people took notice. The nutrition facts label that appears on all packaged foods has gone through a transformation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued a policy statement declaring that “racism is a social determinant of health” with a profound impact on the health status of children, adolescents, emerging adults and their families.

City councilors are considering expanding doula services in Boston as a way to close health disparity gaps for black mothers, and experts say it could be an achievable way for the city to make a significant public health impact.

A Boston City Council committee held two hearings at City Hall on Friday to discuss public health disparities among communities of color in Boston. The Committee on Healthy Women, Families and Communities has launched an initiative to combat high rates of poor health among African American, Asian American and Latino residents who suffer from conditions like asthma and diabetes at a much higher rate than their white counterparts.