Stand Up To Cancer

Today's Washington Post features a piece on that perennial cancer topic, the importance of early detection. A new report from the American Cancer Society indicates that the rate of screening for breast and cervical cancers has stayed level since the year 2000, with rates hovering between 50% and 60% for most recommended populations. "More people need to get screened than are being screened, and they need to get screened regularly -- that's a big problem," said report author Robert Smith.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502355.html

The tech world was rocked earlier this week by news that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is taking medical leave for five months. Today Bloomberg.com reports that the survivor of pancreatic cancer could be having his pancreas removed entirely, although the company and Jobs have remained pretty opaque. Whatever health problems he's facing, we hope he gets better soon.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZIf9jXBqp0Y&refer=home

Here's a wonderful piece on breast cancer myths that's simultaneously reassuring and scary. At the top of the list is the idea that only women with a family history of breast cancer are at risk; the truth is that only about 30% of breast cancers occur in women with identifiable risk factors. More comforting is the news that caffeine, underwire bras and mammograms do not cause breast cancer.
http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9057407&nav=menu110_10_2_2

Hesitant about getting that colonoscopy? Good news from the American Cancer Society: procedures performed by trained family doctors are safe, effective and meet quality guidelines. "Most people who finish medical school would be widely capable of doing any number of procedures in a high-quality fashion if they have the appropriate training," said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of colorectal cancer at ACS. "So that's the key. Training."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502796.html

I loved this story about The Yellow Umbrella, a non-profit founded by musician Christine Baze. Baze, a cervical cancer survivor, travels around the country playing music and giving presentations on cervical cancer prevention in schools and businesses. "When you speak to someone who's shared your experience, it's weird how you can bond over something so dark," she said. "It's this club you don't ever want to belong to, but once you're in it, you've got all these brothers and sisters."
http://www.tauntongazette.com/entertainment/x1943021785/Cancer-survivor-uses-music-to-deliver-a-message-abroad-and-at-home

Finally, some great food-related news, which you know is my favorite kind. Looks like Mexican food can actually fight cancer - not the Americanized, fried variety, but "native," vegetable-laden authentic Mexican. Otherwise known as the best kind. "Researchers compared our western diet to a low-fat diet and a Mediterranean diet. The western diet, high in sugar and fat, was associated with the greatest risk of breast cancer. Mediterranean and low fat had lower risks. Mexican can be cooked low fat. The native diet includes fresh fish as well as vegetables," said the lead doc on the study. Hello, fish tacos!
http://www.nbcwashington.com/health/diet_fitness/Mexican-Food-Can-Fight-Cancer.html

That's all for this week, but we'll be back next Thursday with more!

--Cat