How ironic is it that the place we go to be cared for, to be healed, is so often feeding us with food that could lead to serious health problems? The following article is a call to action for hospital administrators, but you don’t have to wear that hat to voice your concerns. You can be a “foodie” advocate in your own medical community! Write your hospital administrators and share the patient’s perspective. Find someone there who could make a difference and use your voice to change things.

Here are the results of a fascinating study on the risk of bone density loss in adult survivors of childhood cancer. This research looked at more than 3900 survivors from the St. Jude Lifetime cohort. Not surprisingly, the study showed that a significant portion of these survivors had significant bone loss decades after their treatment ended. Increased doses of radiation led to increased risks, though the researchers found that other comorbid conditions like sedentary behavior and smoking were factors that led to loss of bone density.

Officials in other countries are warning about the health hazards of alcohol in any amount. Americans are still told that moderate drinking is safe. What gives?

This is a thought-provoking short video about the challenges that cancer survivors face when they are diagnosed with cancer in another country. Hear from Carmen, an AYA survivor of Hodgkin’s who is from Costa Rica, and April, who is from the Philippines, as they negotiate cancer care in a world that is not their own.

Insurance companies have been in the hot seat lately, for good reason. Both private insurers and Medicare are experiencing piercing scrutiny for their routine and often mind-boggling refusals to reimburse. Read this article if you have any doubt that the system is broken.

Erin Cummings, Founder and Executive Director of Hodgkin’s International, was featured in a recent post for OncoDaily.com. The piece was written for Linkedin and picked up by OncoDaily. Erin takes the opportunity to recognize and appreciate ALL the fellow Hodgkin’s survivors she has had the privilege to meet over the years.

Researchers have found a potential link to the consumption of coffee and tea to the reduced risk of head and neck cancers. The “how’s and why’s” are not yet clear, but we find this to be a very interesting discovery, especially as Hodgkin’s survivors may be at risk for cancers of the neck (esophageal) due to earlier radiation treatments.

We often hear about the association of PTSD with a cancer diagnosis, but there are, in fact, opportunities for positive change and growth.

This article is a powerful commentary on the dangers of “tribal thinking” – the tendency to surround ourselves with others who mirror our own opinions, inadvertently creating a vacuum of objective thinking. As Sheilagh points out, this can be especially dangerous when it comes to making decisions about our health. (If prompted, click “Yes” for medical professional.)

Chelsey Gomez was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 28. Cancer ghosting “is the most painful thing” she says, “because you’re sitting there thinking, ‘Oh, I must’ve been a horrible person.'”