Dr. Harvey Gilbert, MD

Medical and Policies Director
Harvey Gilbert, MD, is a radiation oncologist with over thirty-five years of professional experience...read more

How Does Your Health Affect Your Response to Cancer Treatment?

Older adults and elderly individuals comprise more than 50% of cancer patients in the U.S. and as a group, are the most common recipients of chemotherapy. A large segment of American adults are already sixty-five years or older, and their life expectancy is at least fifteen years more. Ideally, they will remain functionally independent during this time. By comparison, a seventy-five year-old has an average life expectancy of ten years, while an eighty-five-year-old has an average life expectancy of...Read entire article »

A Summary: Older Americans Update 2006: Key Indicators of Well-Being

This posting summarizes the findings of the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics’ report, “Older Americans Update 2006: Key Indicators of Well-Being,” which addresses the state of America’s seniors. This report reveals the rapidly escalating growth of this population, identifies their current and future health-related needs, and offers insight into the resources that will address these needs. A Snapshot of America’s Seniors The number of people in the over-65 group (henceforth called “seniors”) is rapidly escalating; from 35 million...Read entire article »

Is Obesity Linked to Cancer?

Obesity has been shown to interfere with immunity, and scientific studies on mice show that it also stimulates inflammation in the body. The animals showed marked inflammation and inflammation-fighting blood cells, which were less effective in killing cancer cells. Obesity probably increases cancer risk in some people by altering their immune system. While it is not known if losing the weight can reverse these changes, reduced inflammation is a preventative measure in combating disease. In the United States and Europe,...Read entire article »

How Ethnicity & Gender Affect Cancer Incidence & Mortality Rates

Recent research into the incidence and mortality rates for some of the most common cancers within several ethnic groups in California reveals marked differences within the ethnic groups. Although some of the factors affecting the differences within the groups might be genetic, certain cancers seem strongly correlated to lifestyle factors. Examples include the role that diet plays in prostate and stomach cancer; smoking in lung cancer; and screening for early detection in prostate, cervix, colorectal and breast cancer. In addition,...Read entire article »

Prostate Cancer: Is Surgery REALLY the Most Effective Treatment?

Prostate cancer is an age-related illness and is the leading cancer in males. Thankfully, most prostate cancer is not fatal and is amenable to early diagnosis and treatment. Most doctors dealing with this problem are walking a fine line between (1) whether to treat the patient, (2) how to treat the patient, and (3) how to balance the treatment, particularly as it occurs frequently in an elderly population. As a radiation oncologist, I find the decision a little easier than...Read entire article »