David Casarett, M.D.

Treatment for cancer has gotten out of hand. For almost every type of cancer, there are now dozens of potential treatments, in what are often hundreds of combinations. And, what is infinitely worse, these treatments can be lined up one after the other in a seamless row so that when...

There are few experiences that are as lonely and isolating as facing the death of a loved one. That sense of loss makes the world around us seem different -- strange and foreign in ways that are difficult to see and impossible to explain to others. The very experience of...

I often hear my patients and their families talk about courage. They say that someone faced his illness courageously, for instance. Or that he wouldn't give up. Or that he's a fighter.

When they talk about courage, though, they're usually talking about a very specific kind of courage that has...

Jack Kevorkian has become a polarizing figure among health care providers and the public. He's a litmus test, in a sense, of our opinions about health care in general, and physicians in particular. When the discussion turns to Jack Kevorkian, it's difficult not to take sides.

And Barry Levinson's You...

There are many lessons that we should learn from the recent tragedy at the Massey mine in Montcoal, West Virginia. One such lesson is that despite recent accidents, mining remains extremely dangerous for those who risk their lives underground to make a living. Another is that regulations and sanctions seem...

Wednesday, March 31, marks the fifth anniversary of Terri Schiavo's death. Five years ago, as a protracted legal battle riveted the nation's attention, lawyers, medical experts, judges, and legislators all became involved. Private family dramas unfolded behind closed doors, while a very public drama played out in the media and...

Cancer is a serious, life-threatening illness that kills more than half a million people every year in the U.S. alone. But you'd never know that if you get most of your information from newspapers and magazines. This is the surprising result of a study that was published this week in...