Breast cancer treatment can leave women to face the devastating emotional toll of the diagnosis, as well as overwhelming decisions about their bodies, their appearance, and what recovery will look like. Many women choose breast reconstruction to restore confidence, and to feel healed and whole again.

“It’s not just about comparing success rates; it’s about defining what success means for each family, whether that’s minimizing interventions, avoiding anesthesia, or achieving the lowest chance of readmission,” Dr. Isabella Faria tells Medscape. Faria was an author on a recent paper reevaluating nonoperative management of pediatric appendicitis.

Regular OB-GYN visits are vital for women’s health, offering preventive care and support through all life stages, from adolescence to menopause. UTMB Health emphasizes early visits to build trust and educate young patients, while adult care focuses on screenings, reproductive health, and symptom management during hormonal transitions.

A new strain of mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, has surfaced in Southern California. "What's really required is vigilance or surveillance … to detect new cases and try and stop them from being spread further," Dr. Thomas Ksiazek tells Fox News.

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), a leading global molecular diagnostic society, has honored UTMB’s Dr. Michael Laposata with its prestigious Champion for Innovation Award for his countless contributions to the clinical laboratory field and for his role as a joint plaintiff in AMP’s lawsuit challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s rule on laboratory-developed test procedure regulation.

Nurse Practitioner Jill Resendez shared how her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis shaped her career and her life. Resendez works in UTMB’s Division of Plastic Surgery where, among other procedures and services, she performs areola tattooing for patients who have undergone a mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

The University of Texas Medical Branch is proudly celebrating nurses from various UTMB campuses honored by the Good Samaritan Foundation for their outstanding dedication to patient care and service.

“The pace of hospital consolidation has slowed but will continue over the next few years,” Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of UTMB Health, tells Becker’s Hospital Review. Becker’s spoke C-suite executives from hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and universities across the U.S. to share their outlook on the future of hospital consolidation.

Following up on last week’s column, Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp explain how maternal RSV vaccination works and how it can protect newborns from RSV.

“Mindful eating is purposefully taking the time to taste, chew, and enjoy your meal,” explains Dr. Samuel Mathis in his latest column. Taking time to mindfully eat your food has some surprising health benefits, he writes.

People diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata suffer from a disruption in hair growth that leaves them with patchy scalps and uneven hair, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their latest Medical Discovery News column. But new drugs are available that can restore hair growth.

Medpage reports on a UTMB retrospective cohort study that linked GLP-1 receptor agonists to a lower risk of legal blindness in patients with type 2 diabetes and risk for cardiovascular disease. UTMB’s Dr. Praveena Gupta, Dr. Andrew G. Lee and UTMB medical student Ethan Jarrett, all authors on the study, were quoted in the Medpage article.

Honoring Darleene “Dolly” Warren's legacy of service, Dolly’s Promise, plans to offer all breast health services to support underserved residents of Galveston County to help prevent, detect, or treat breast cancer.

A breast cancer diagnosis is life-changing news. Understanding the emotional impact is the first step in supporting patients and families as they cope with everything and move forward toward treatment and recovery.

“It is the rural communities that are being disproportionately affected by the power outages,” UTMB’s Dr. Brian Downer tells The Daily Yonder. Recent research shows that the elderly and those in rural areas are at greater risk from adverse climate events and power outages, reports The Daily Yonder.

“The present situation demands AI literacy to empower young people to understand, question and navigate the tools that show no signs of slowing down,” writes Dr. Jarrel De Matas in a guest column in the Daily News.

At the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, UTMB’s Dr. Andrew G. Lee explained that El Nino and La Nina weather patterns — worsened by climate change — can worsen eye conditions such as dry eye, cataracts, infections and UV-related damage while also influencing disease outbreaks and access to care.

A breast cancer diagnosis is generally the worst news a woman can receive, but although the journey is challenging, there are also many reasons for genuine hope. Each year, more women are not only surviving breast cancer, but thriving afterward, thanks to treatments that are more effective and more compassionate than ever.

Breast health is highly individual, with varying expert opinions and personal risk factors, making early education and proactive care essential. Understand your risk through family history and medical consultation, know your breasts by recognizing changes, and follow personalized screening plans with your doctor.

The University of Texas Medical Branch is hosting the 3rd Annual Howard and Lillian Becker Perinatal Care Conference today and Thursday on its Galveston Campus, serving as the required annual all-staff training mandated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through UTMB’s Regional Women’s Services and Pediatrics (RWSP) grants.