Filed under: Childhood Cancers How are children surviving cancer today? Better than ever before. Some childhood cancer patients, now in their young adult years, are expecting to reach milestones in their lives others before them never would have reached. Today, 1 in 1,000 young adults in the United States is a childhood cancer survivor. In the 1970s, the chance a child would outlive leukemia or lymphoma was 25 percent. Today, it's 80 percent. That's better than most adult recovery rates. As recovery rates rise, a new frontier is on the horizon -- follow-up for these young people as they age. You see, the very treatments that saved these individuals may cause them complications later in life. It's not yet clear what happens when kids live 20 to 30 years beyond diagnosis. But teams at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, plan to find out as they launch one of the most ambitious follow-up programs to date. Contacting 5,000 patients who have survived for more than 10 years, doctors hope they will recruit a group to receive free check-ups for life. They'll also receive blood tests, MRI scans, even fertility counseling. Their medical histories will serve as rich textbooks for medical professionals and future patients -- so the war on childhood cancer can continue. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Breast Cancer , Celebrity cancer diagnosis , Bone Cancer , Politics , Television , Daily news Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth will appear tonight on 60 Minutes where they will publicly discuss with Katie Couric Elizabeth's newest cancer diagnosis and their decision to continue on in the presidential race. Elizabeth, 57 and first diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2004, shared Thursday that her cancer has returned, this time in her bones. Considered stage four and treatable -- but not curable -- her cancer has generated much discussion and awareness about the workings of this life-threatening disease. To view a clip from tonight's news program, airing at 7:00 PM ET/PT, click here . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers , Environment , Diets , Stress Reduction , Exercise , Nutrition , Services , Sunday Seven

Filed under: Prostate Cancer , Celebrity cancer diagnosis On the Phil Lesh and Friends website, musician and founding member of Grateful Dead Lesh begins, "What do I have in common with Rudy Giuliani, John Kerry, Bob Dole, Joe Torre, Nelson Mandela, Sean Connery, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Emperor Akihito of Japan, General Norman Schwarzkopf, Colin Powell, Quincy Jones, Roger Moore, Sydney Poitier, and Robert De Niro?" Prostate cancer. Lesh, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, will be undergoing the da Vinci robotic surgical procedure in December to remove the tumor. As a result of his prostate cancer diagnosis, he is urging all men to have a periodic PSA screening for early detection of prostate cancer. In 1998, Lesh underwent a liver transplant as a result of chronic Hepatitis C infection. He has become an active advocate for organ donor programs and raising awareness for Hepatitis C. Lesh is expecting a full recovery from prostate cancer because it was caught in its early stage. Here are a few fast facts about prostate cancer:

• Age is the most common risk factor for prostate cancer.
• Prostate cancer often does not cause symptoms for many years.
• Two simple tests are performed as part of a prostate cancer screening --a digital rectal exam and a blood test (PSA) to screen for prostate specific antigen.

To learn more about prostate cancer, visit Prostate Cancer . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Drug , Products , Daily news Two months ago, Wal-Mart launched its $4 dollar generic prescription drug program in Tampa, Florida. Two weeks ago, the program was expanded to include all Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies in 14 additional states -- Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Vermont. 314 generic prescription drugs, accounting for 25 percent of prescriptions it currently dispenses in its pharmacies nationwide, are available under the $4 dollar program. For those with health insurance, the typical co-pay for the 314 generic drugs in Wal-Mart's $4 dollar generic prescription drug program cost between $5 dollars and $10 dollars. While the savings might not seem like much for people with health insurance, the co-payments can add up each month. For those on limited incomes, any savings is welcome relief. For the 46 million uninsured patients who live in one of the 15 states where this program is available, the savings can amount to much more, and may be one of the few times they have been offered a break when it comes to medical costs. The generic drug list is available as a PDF document here . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Leukemia , Blood Cancer , Events , Daily news , Cancer Survivors The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) was founded in 1824 in Charleston. MUSC started a Blood and Marrow Transplant Program (BMT) in 1987 and has performed its 700th transplant for patients with benign and malignant hematological disorders.

Filed under: Opinion , Diets , Nutrition , Vitamins and nutrients , Daily news , Cancer Caregivers Some campaigns just make me sad. UK's Age Concern, a charity that works to promote the health and welfare of older citizens, has launched a campaign called Hungry To Be Heard because it seems nine of of ten nurses do not have time to make sure elderly patients are getting enough to eat during their stay in the hospital. As a result, over half of the elderly patients are at risk for malnutrition. As hospital patients, if the elderly are malnourished, they simply are not going to recover or heal as quickly; they are at greater risk for post-surgical complications and they suffer a higher rate of death. Age Concern calls this a national scandal and recites these statistics:

• Six out of ten older people are at risk of becoming malnourished, or their health worsen in hospital.
• Four out of ten older people admitted to hospital are malnourished on arrival.
• Patients over the age of 80 admitted to hospital have a five times higher prevalence of malnutrition than those under the age of 50.
• The toll of malnutrition on health and health care costs is estimated to exceed £7.3 billion per year (much more than obesity).

Age Concern is calling for the implementation of these practices:

• Asking older patients, and the relatives of elderly patients, what their food preferences are and then serving food that falls within those preferences.
• Hospital staff taking responsibility for the food needs of older people in hospital.
• Hospital staff following professional codes.
• Older people assessed for the signs or danger of malnourishment on admission to hospital and at regular intervals during their stay.
• Introduction of protected mealtimes where elderly patients are given any assistance needed and the time needed to eat their meal.
• Implement a red tray system that alerts staff as to who needs help at mealtime without overtly jepordizing the dignity of the patient.
• Use of volunteers where appropriate.

Okay, I have to ask. Where are the family members for these patients? Presumably most will have grown children and grandchildren. Anyone who has been hospitalized knows that patients who have frequent visits from family, especially around mealtime, get better care. Most likely, because family members are there to help. From the times I have spent in hospital, the nurses were harried and overworked, trying the best they could to get to every patient who needed them. Someone in my family was almost always there. I would be shocked and dismayed to find myself alone, and frankly, it just wouldn't happen. This is not a judgment call, but don't we have a responsibility to our family members to be there for them? Especially as they become older? I am certain that nurses need to be responsible for the quality of care for patients in their charge, but I also feel that nurses who work long understaffed shifts need to be supported either by increased staffing or more volunteer help. Realistically, there are only so many hours in a day and only so much one person can do. In addition to the Hungry To Be Heard campaign, from September 23rd thorugh the 30th, Age Concern Week raises awareness for the elderly on how to get the most out of life as we age by encouraging fitness, promoting nutrition and an active lifestyle. Age Concern seems a wonderful organization with a mission to fight ageism, elder abuse and pensioner poverty. Age Concern Buckinghamshire received an AOL Innovation in the Community Award for proposing innovative ways of using the internet. If you would like to learn more about the organization, visit Age Concern . Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Research , Politics , Stress Reduction , Smoking , Daily news While public and private groups, along with researchers and a few drug companies , have been making serious efforts to help smokers quit smoking cigarettes, the tobacco industry has been spiking the level of nicotine in cigarettes, according to a study by the Department of Public Health. Between the years 1998 to 2004, the amount of nicotine in cigarettes has risen by ten percent. According to Lois Keithly , director of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, "We in public health have tried to spend a lot of time figuring out why people don't stop smoking." Full withdrawal will be felt after the first day of not smoking. But symptoms from nicotine withdrawal are felt within the first 30 minutes after the last cigarette, with smokers reporting cravings within the first hour after the last cigarette. In one hour, smokers reported anger. In three hours of smoking cessation, smokers reported heightened levels of anxiety, sadness and difficulty concentrating. Nicotine is what makes cigarettes so addictive. The Boston Globe reports when contacted, representatives of the three major tobacco makers in the US declined to comment on the study and would not answer questions about the nicotine content of their products. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: All Cancers , Stomach Cancer , Television Our days start early now that Joey is in kindergarten and school begins promptly at 7:45 AM. His daddy gets him out of bed at 6:30 AM so he can have some time to wake to the world before shuffling out the door, and we've happily found that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood comes on at just this time. The same Mister Rogers that first appeared on television in Canada in 1963 and then in the United States in 1967 -- with a gentle man, Mister Rogers himself, spreading his calm but uplifting messages to children and nurturing personalities of kids everywhere. The last original episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was aired in 2001. And in 2003, Fred McFeeley Rogers died at the age of 74 after a brief bout with stomach cancer. But his legacy lives on as his show -- the longest-running PBS program ever -- still graces the television screen. I remember watching this show with my grandmother when I was a little girl. And now I get to watch it with my little boy -- who can also visit Mister Rogers on the PBS website . Today, Joey and I started our day with a cheery little song, sung by the man who hated television and joined it only to bring about change -- to use this fabulous instrument to guide children in a positive direction. And here is what he sang this morning -- the song that is still playing in my head as I take on the day ahead of me. It's such a good feeling to know you're alive. It's such a happy feeling: You're growing inside. And when you wake up ready to say, "I think I'll make a snappy new day." It's such a good feeling, a very good feeling, The feeling you know that we're friends. I hope it's a good day in your neighborhood. Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments

Filed under: Lung Cancer , Celebrity cancer diagnosis , Books , Smoking A man in the business of helping smokers quit, has been diagnosed with lung cancer . Allen Carr, who was a heavy smoker for 33 years, found what he claimed was an easy way to quit smoking after he quit smoking 23 years ago. Using cognitive therapy, Carr told smokers interested in quitting that they could do it without willpower, without suffering withdrawal and without gaining weight. The celebrity endorsements include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Bean, Marie Helvin, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Lisa Stansfield, Sir Richard Branson, Susannah York, Bruce Oldfield, Stefano Gabbana and Julie Christie. Carr believes his lung cancer diagnosis might be the result of second-hand smoke after spending the last 23 years in the presence of his clients who signed up for his Easy Way to Stop Smoking program. On being diagnosed with lung cancer, Carr was quoted as saying, "I have been the happiest man in the world since I stopped smoking 23 years ago and I still feel the same way. This has come as a shock but I remain very upbeat." In addition to his quit smoking workshops, Carr wrote a book Alan Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking , which has sold more than 10 million copies in more than 45 countries. He claims his Easy Way to Stop Smoking method has a 53 percent success rate after 12 months compared with less than 5 percent for those who go cold turkey. Easy Way maintains a website. Read     Permalink     Email this     Linking Blogs     Comments