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Lending advice on endometrial cancer and its treatments

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you comment on endometrial cancer? I have stage IV, and I’m in my 50s. I remain concerned about inflammatory foods. I’ve now embraced a macrobiotic diet, and I feel great. — T.P. ANSWER: In North America, endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer. Most women with endometrial cancer will see their doctor because of abnormal bleeding, usually years after menstruation has stopped. I still occasionally have patients who tell me that they are so glad their periods started again, but this is a serious concern that calls for an immediate ...

Voting Rights ruling will promote corrupt electoral maps

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. cautiously praised the hard-won Voting Rights Act of 1965 as a “great step forward” toward removing obstacles that kept Black Americans from voting. It was. But this week, in striking down a voter redistricting map in Louisiana, the U.S. Supreme Court has taken that embattled law and the movement that marched and campaigned for it on a disastrous step backward. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker expressed the sentiments of many Americans, particularly Democrats, saying of the high court ruling, “It is an attack on a crown jewel of our democracy.” As ...

Dear Annie: My child’s success in sports shouldn’t be a threat

Dear Annie: I have a friend I have known for years, and our sons have grown up playing lacrosse together. On the surface, we are both supportive sports moms who cheer from the sidelines, pack the snacks and talk about practices, tournaments and college hopes. But underneath it all, I have started to feel something painful that I can no longer ignore. Whenever my son has a strong game, gets recognition from a coach or reaches some milestone, my friend never seems genuinely happy for him. She may smile and say the right words, but there is always something strained behind it. Sometimes ...

Exercise is best to help preserve function in the shoulders

DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband, 79, has to get both of his shoulders replaced (a reverse total shoulder replacement) due to osteoarthritis. He had the first shoulder done two months ago. It is a very painful procedure and consists of a long and painful recovery. Physical therapy is helping. Now I’m concerned with every painful twinge in my shoulders. What, if anything, can people do to keep their shoulders healthy and keep themselves from needing surgery? He put off seeing his doctor for more than a year, even as his pain worsened. — S.Q. ANSWER: There are several different types of ...

Marriage: The inequality gap we should be talking about

The most consequential inequality in America is not the wealth gap or the wage gap. It may not be the racial opportunity gap. The marriage gap is wreaking havoc. And unfortunately, it’s the gap that gets the least attention. I’m a libertarian. I don’t care whom, or if, you marry. Yet I’m reminded that there is a problem by a new report from the American Enterprise Institute. Edited by Kevin Corinth and Scott Winship, “Land of Opportunity: Advancing the American Dream” covers a broad range of challenges facing the country today, from the cost of living and workforce ...

The political rift widens

Politicians and political parties, when unconstrained by constitutional guardrails or statutory limits, have long demonstrated a remarkable ability to manipulate electoral rules to their advantage. Gerrymandering is among the most enduring and consequential examples of this practice. The term itself dates back to 1812, when then-Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed legislation redrawing legislative districts to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party. A newspaper, the Boston Gazette, famously mocked one contorted district as resembling a salamander, giving rise to the term ...