MSI Press Blog

Most people think of cancer as something dramatic — a lump, a sudden collapse, a terrifying scan. But cancer rarely begins with drama. It begins with whispers. And one of the quietest, most easily dismissed places the body whispers is the urinary tract. We are trained, culturally, to ignore urinary problems. We blame dehydration, aging, “a little infection,” stress, or simply being busy. We wait. We hope it will go away. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. And sometimes those early urinary changes are the first hints of something deeper. This post is about those hints — not to frighten, but to illuminate. 1. Blood in the urine: the most important sign we ignore If there is one urinary symptom that should never be brushed aside, it is hematuria — blood in the urine, visible or microscopic. Blood in the urine can signal: Bladder cancer Kidney cancer Ureteral cancer Prostate cancer (less commonly as the first sign) Advanced cervical or uterine cancer (when they invade nearby stru...

When most of us hear the word vaccine , we think of prevention. A flu vaccine helps keep us from getting the flu. A shingles vaccine helps prevent shingles. Childhood vaccines protect us from diseases before they ever take hold. So imagine my surprise when I learned about a new melanoma vaccine that is designed for people who have already had cancer. That sounds backward at first. But it represents one of the most intriguing developments in cancer treatment in recent years. Recent clinical trial results from a personalized mRNA melanoma vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck showed a significant reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence when combined with the immunotherapy drug Keytruda. The vaccine is not intended for healthy people who want to avoid skin cancer someday. Rather, it is designed for patients who have already had melanoma removed and face the lingering question every cancer patient knows all too well: Will it come back? [statnews.com] , [time.com] , [news.cance...archu...