After The Flu Fades, When Is It OK To Go Back To Work?

Breast Cancer Treatment Can Cause Other Health Problems

Skunk Bear/NPR How Long Are You Contagious With The Flu? Thousands and thousands of people across the country have come down with the flu this season, one of the worst in years. If you’re part of the unfortunate multitude, you might be asking yourself when it’s OK to leave your sick bed and return to real life, including work. NPR’s Madeline Sofia and Adam Cole put together a video in our Skunk Bear series that might help you figure it out.   Virginia Harrod survived breast cancer but developed lymphedema, which sent her to the hospital three times with serious infections.   Luke Sharrett for NPR A Side Effect From Breast Cancer Treatment 'Almost Killed' Her During Virginia Harrod’s treatment for stage 3 breast cancer, she underwent a double mastectomy. Surgeons also took out 16 lymph nodes from under her armpit and the area around her breast to determine how far the cancer had spread and whether she needed more treatment. The removal of the lymph nodes, along with radiation therapy, put Harrod at risk for lymphedema, a painful and debilitating swelling of the soft tissue of the arms or legs. The problem with her lymph system months after surgery was a direct result of her lifesaving cancer treatment. "Cancer was a piece of cake," Harrod tells NPR’s Patti Neighmond. "It was the lymphedema that almost killed me."   Shaorong Deng gets an experimental cancer treatment that uses genetically modified cells from his own immune system.   Yuhan Xu/NPR Doctors In China Lead Race To Treat Cancer By Editing Genes Shaorong Deng, who has cancer of the esophagus, is taking part in a study that Dr. Shixiu Wu says is the most advanced of its kind in China. Wu and his colleagues are testing the gene-editing technique called CRISPR as a treatment for cancer. At least eight other Chinese studies of CRISPR for various forms of cancer are listed on a U.S. government website that serves as a research clearinghouse. "China has made this a very high priority — a national priority to develop this" technology, says Dr. Carl June of the University of Pennsylvania. He worries the U.S. is falling behind China, in an echo of the early days of the space race: "It's kind of like Sputnik 2.0." Your Shots editor, Scott Hensley   You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002