Stay Healthy

MANY WOMEN WITH EARLY-STAGE BREAST CANCER CAN SKIP CHEMOTHERAPY, STUDY SAYS

A major national study has found that many women with early-stage, intermediate-level breast cancer don’t need chemotherapy, and local doctors are examining its implications for breast cancer treatment.

The TAILORx trial, which stands for Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment, enrolled more than 10,000 women with breast cancer who fit specific credentials, making it one of the largest precision medicine trials ever for breast cancer, and possibly all cancers.

GOOD SKIN IS IN THIS SEASON THANKS TO THESE DIY TREATMENTS

Though October can be a scream — ghoulish yard decorations, scary slasher movies, horrifying piles of sugary candy — there is nothing more monstrous than not properly taking care of your skin from head to toe. But fear not: Here are a few healthy skincare ingredients you might already have at home, plus a few DIY treatments that will leave you hauntingly radiant.

While mammograms have been the go-to technique for years to identify abnormalities in women’s breasts, a new national study with a local test site is exploring another tool that may also prove useful.

SouthCoast Imaging Health Service, which has offices in Savannah and on Hilton Head, is part of a national study of a whole-breast ultrasound machine to see if it is a better option for women with specific types of tissue that are more prone to developing breast cancer.

Bras designed by high school students are on display this month to raise awareness for breast cancer. The Bra Project was started four years ago by Dr. Audrey Klenke of Pinnacle Plastic Surgery, and the practice continues to sponsor the exhibit. Students from May River High School and Hilton Head Island High School designed and created the bras, which will be on display at various locations throughout the Lowcountry.

Patients with no health insurance or high-deductible plans can now save money on a wide range of medical services, including mammograms, at Beaufort Memorial Hospital thanks to a new partnership with MDsave, an online healthcare marketplace.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Beaufort Memorial is offering $99 mammograms through MDsave during October. Mammograms are available in both Bluffton and Beaufort and can be purchased online at www.MDSave.com/Beaufort through Oct. 31.

REGAIN YOUR YOUTH AT THE SPA

Walking inside the calm environment of Serendipity Medical Spa in Hilton Head Island, you can’t help but relax. The neutral color palette, lightly scented air and soothing background music turn the space into a peaceful oasis, where even the most hectic of days fade away as you walk through the door.

PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS HELP KEEP YOUR GUT IN GOOD SHAPE

You may have heard the terms “micobiome,” “gut health” or “probiotic.” Here’s a recap: The microbiome is an internal ecosystem comprised of microbes — good and bad bacteria — that affect the health of your overall gut — your entire digestive system. Both of these things are greatly affected by probiotics, as well as prebiotics and postbiotics.

HOW TO ADDRESS DIFFICULT TOPICS WITH AGING PARENTS

How does a child — even an adult child — have a conversation with a parent about their driving? How can you tell your parents that it is not safe for them to drive anymore? It feels like the roles have been reversed; only a few decades ago, your parents were the ones telling you that you couldn’t get behind the wheel.

CARING FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL FAMILIES IS A BALANCING ACT

You’ve heard of baby boomers — those born between 1944 and 1964, and who today are in their 50s, 60s and 70s. Gen X kids — those born from the late 1960s to the early 1980s, today are in their 40s and 30s, working full-time jobs and raising families of their own. And then, of course, there’s the millennial: born sometime between the early 1980s to 2000, today’s teens and young adults are defining their generation and igniting our nation’s love for avocado toast.