Each year, millions of Americans develop cancerous skin lesions. The vast majority of these are easily treated and highly survivable, but some are—or could become—melanomas, which can be aggressive and potentially deadly. The causes of skin cancer vary, ranging from excessive sun exposure to family genetics. People who have numerous…
Growing up in Tokyo, Dr. Shuichi Suzuki was well aware of the destruction that stroke can cause. Stroke was Japan’s No. 1 cause of death at the time. He knew neighbors who died of stroke, was aware of others who suffered life-changing disabilities, and saw how the disease affected not…
Hemorrhaging and without a pulse, new mother Stephanie Shaffer appeared close to death in an intensive care unit at UC Irvine Medical Center. Shaffer suffers from Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome, a rare congenital vascular disorder that affects blood and lymph vessels. Soon after giving birth to her son, Brian, at a south…
Citing UC Irvine's award-winning Program in Geriatrics, the U.S. Administration on Aging has designated UC Irvine as the National Center on Elder Abuse, a clearinghouse for practical information supporting federal, state and local efforts to prevent, identify and effectively respond to elder abuse. The agency will provide funding of $561,000…
For epilepsy specialist Jack J. Lin, MD, patient cases don’t come much more rewarding than Thomas Phelan’s. The Irvine boy’s mother had been seeking medical help ever since his staring spells prompted a preschool official to write him off as autistic, destined to live out his life in a group…
The act of speaking involves a complex chain of events. It begins when air from the lungs travels through the trachea into the larynx (voice box). Here, it passes across two fibrous bands within the larynx called the vocal cords. The action of the passing air makes the vocal cords…
Healthier cafeteria choices, longer and more intense periods of physical activity and robust in-school education programs can lower rates of obesity and other risk factors for type 2 diabetes, according to a national study called HEALTHY. "We found that innovative PE programs, healthier food choices in school lunches and snacks…
In a brief period of only 280 days, a baby can be conceived and born. During the first three weeks of pregnancy, the fetus grows from a zygote—a one-celled structure—into a blastocyst consisting of about 500 cells. By the fifth week, it’s called an embryo and is about one-seventeenth of…
A full-body skin exam is a vital tool in screening patients for benign or cancerous lesions they may not see or recognize on their own, says Dr. Janellen Smith. During a skin exam, patients are inspected for any suspicious growths, moles or lesions, says Smith. These scans are often performed…
When retiree Dan Christensen moved to Orange County from his native Oregon in September 2010, he immediately began searching for volunteer opportunities. "I wanted to be somewhat intellectually stimulated so that I didn’t get rusty, so to speak," Christensen says. His wife, Susan Christensen suggested he look at UC Irvine…
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