There are few diagnoses more difficult to share with a patient than head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer is synonymous with squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCCA). When talking about HNSCCA we are referring to cancer that has developed on a mucosal surface somewhere within the upper aerodigestive tract; for instance, on the tongue or…

As we quickly approach the holiday season of 2020, I hope that many of my patients will be experiencing much-needed relaxation and quality time with friends and family. However, they also may celebrate with some little overindulgences in fine food and alcohol, which could lead to another unwelcomed holiday gift. This is the time of…

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. In the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am confronted daily with questions from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and their families: What should we do? Should we stay home and avoid all personal contact? I saw the impact of the pandemic on these patients: social isolation with subsequent…

The mammogram is a powerful and potentially life-saving tool. In this blog, Dr. Michael Klouda, board-certified diagnostic radiologist at the UT Health East Texas HOPE Breast Care Center, explains when women should start receiving mammograms and why timing is so important. Annual screening mammography should begin at age 40. This simple recommendation has recently been…