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You’ve had your colon cancer screening. Your results just came. The news isn’t what you had hoped. You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Now the question is how is colon cancer treated? 

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the overall five-year survival rate for people is 64%. If the cancer is diagnosed at a localized stage, the survival rate is 91%. If cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or organs and/or the regional lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 72%. 

Your treatment choices depend on the type of colorectal cancer you have, your test results and the stage of...

Who doesn't like a simple and quick recipe that tastes great? This recipe has just four ingredients. You could double the sauce and set it aside to pour on after cooking. 

(Serves 4)

Fecal incontinence is a common, yet embarrassing, condition. It happens when the anal sphincter muscle (located at the end of the rectum and controls the release of stool) doesn’t work properly, leading to involuntary or unexpected loss of bowel control. Affecting millions of people, treatment for fecal incontinence (aka bowel incontinence) has come a long way. With the development of sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) surgery, sufferers now have an effective and less invasive option.

What Happens During SNS Surgery?

• With SNS, a small device, like a pacemaker, is implanted. It sends mild electrical...

UMass Memorial Health is debunking myths about osteoporosis. Unlike mammograms and colonoscopies, osteoporosis and bone density tests don’t get as much airtime or visibility. As a result, we’ve heard myths about the disease and screenings, and we want to set the record straight. 

Myth: I don’t have any risk factors, so I don’t need to be screened. 

You may think you don’t have any risk factors for osteoporosis, but in addition to the ones below, there are other diseases, medications and procedures that contribute to your bones weakening. 

Common risk factors:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Smoking
• Excessive...

A vegetarian option for pizza with red sauce, red onion and red pepper 

(Serves 1)

We know sleep is important to our well-being. But getting it can be challenging. Stress, caffeine and poor work/life balance can interfere a restful night. But sleep apnea — a serious, potentially life-threatening disorder — can also be the culprit. 

One of the chief causes of non-restful sleep is snoring – an issue in which its potential seriousness is underrated. Snoring occurs when the muscles in our airway relax and collapse, causing a narrowing in the throat and the rear of the mouth. As air flows past the relaxed tissue, it vibrates, causing a coarse or harsh sound. 

When that tissue...

These summertime smoothies are quick, easy and healthy. Replace any fruit with what's in season to add variety. 

Pineapple Smoothie - Just three ingredients make this smoothie delish: pineapple chunks, vanilla yogurt and ice. Quick and yummy! 

Blueberry Banana Smoothie - Past ripe bananas work perfectly in smoothies. Peel them, wrap them in plastic, and freeze them. 

Summer Breeze Smoothie - Try this healthy treat for summertime featuring strawberries, bananas and pineapple.

It'll take just 60 seconds of your time to watch our Health Watch video to learn about preventing UV light damage to your eyes. 

Ultraviolet (UV) light can cause damage to all parts of the eye, leading to eye issues including vision impairment, cataracts and retinal degeneration. Most of this dangerous UV light exposure comes from sunlight, but can also come from workplace exposure. Learn from Juan Ding, OD, optometrist at UMass Memorial Eye Center, how UV light hurts your eyes and what you can do to protect your eyes. 

Certain drugs cause sun sensitivity like rashes and an increased risk of sunburn. If you’re taking these medications, take extra precautions to protect yourself when outdoors. These drugs, known as photosensitizing drugs, increase the risk of developing a rash in response to sunlight. There are two different types of photosensitive drug reactions: phototoxic and photoallergic. 

Phototoxic drug reactions result in a burning rash similar to sunburn. They could cause a rash in any individual who has taken a high-enough dose of the drug and has been exposed to enough ultraviolet rays. Some of the...