- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
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Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
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Causes (1)
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Treatments and drugs (9)
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- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (2)
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Prevention (1)
- Goji juice: Can it lower my cancer risk?
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Question
Goji juice: Can it lower my cancer risk?
I've been reading about the health benefits of goji juice. Is it true that goji juice can help prevent cancer?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Goji juice has been touted as a cure-all for conditions ranging from high blood pressure and cholesterol to gastrointestinal problems. Although a few laboratory studies suggest that goji extracts might have some anti-cancer effects, there are no human trials to support the idea that goji juice can treat or prevent any specific diseases — including cancer. There's also some concern that goji juice may interact with certain medications, including drugs used to treat diabetes.
Like many fruit juices, goji juice is a rich source of vitamins and antioxidants. Drink goji juice if you like the taste and your doctor approves. But don't invest a lot of money on goji juice as a cure for cancer or any other disease. Instead, watch for future results of clinical trials involving goji juice to see if it lives up to any of the claims made by its promoters.
Next questionCell phones and cancer: What's the risk?
- Lycium. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Sept. 18, 2008.
- Amagase H, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (goji) juice, GoChi. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2008;14:403.
- Zhang M, et al. Effect of lyceum barbarum polysaccharide on human hepatoma QGY7703 cells: Inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Life Sciences. 2005;76:2115.
- Chao J, et al. Hot-water extracted Lycium barbarum and Rehmannia glutinosa inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2006;12:4478.
