Summary: The way we manage all types of cancers of the blood is rapidly evolving. Dr. Michael Williams (University of Virginia), internationally known for his work in lymphoma, says expect much more conservative chemo and radiation and less toxic drugs with better outcomes and higher cures. Also featured: There has been a dramatic drop in the rate of heart bypass procedures performed in the U.S. over the last decade. Dr. Michael Ragosta (University of Virginia) says advances in medications and drug-coated stents have given rise to a hybrid approach to heart disease. Increasingly surgeons and interventional cardiologists are getting better results for patients by taking a team approach to each case. Later in the show: When John Thomas (University of Virginia) met his first wife, he knew she was “the one.” Sadly, she died of breast cancer. Then, after the trauma of losing her, something amazing happened. John fell in love again. But tragically, he learned the woman who would be his second wife was diagnosed with breast cancer too.John details his experience in a new book called My Saints Alive: Reflections on a Journey of Love, Loss, and Life. Also featured: About 12 percent of women develop breast cancer. But years of studies have shown that for female flight attendants, nurses, factory workers, and other frequent night shift workers, the risk of breast cancer is as high as 37 percent. Carla Finkelstein (Virginia Tech) believes that these high rates of breast cancer in night shift workers is due to a disruption in circadian rhythms. But she says there may be simple, cost-effective solutions to the problem
