Throat cancer associated with HPV on the rise

via San Francisco Chronicle, By Kathryn Roethel

When most people think of throat or oral cancers, they probably believe they are not at risk unless they are smokers or heavy drinkers. But that's not necessarily the case. According to Bay Area doctors and a new national study, the incidence of tobacco- and alcohol-related throat cancers is down. On the rise is another type of throat cancer for which more Americans may be at risk - one associated with the sexually transmitted human
papillomavirus commonly known for causing cervical cancer in women.

Dr. Michael Kaplan, chief of head and neck surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, said he sees about 125 new cases of oral and throat cancer each year, and "the vast majority" are cases associated with HPV. Perhaps more surprising, this type of cancer is much more common in men than in women.

Kaplan's experience correlates with a National Cancer Institute study released in June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual scientific meeting. In it, researchers found that throat and oral cancers linked to HPV increased more than 200 percent between 1988 and 2004 - from 0.8 occurrences per 100,000 people to 2.8 per 100,000.

In the same time period, throat and oral cancers related to tobacco and alcohol use were down 50 percent, from 2 to 1 case per 100,000 people.

Read more.

Ted Kennedy: The Cause of My Life

Ted Kennedy wrote a personal, touching article last month for Newsweek on the need for health care reform that needs to be highlighted. We all mourn the loss of Sen. Kennedy, but should remember that we can honor his life and his dreams for this country by passing health care reform.

The Cause of My Life

By Edward M. Kennedy | NEWSWEEK

Published Jul 18, 2009

In 1964, I was flying with several companions to the Massachusetts Democratic Convention when our small plane crashed and burned short of the runway. My friend and colleague in the Senate, Birch Bayh, risked his life to pull me from the wreckage. Our pilot, Edwin Zimny, and my administrative assistant, Ed Moss, didn't survive. With crushed vertebrae, broken ribs, and a collapsed lung, I spent months in New England Baptist Hospital in Boston. To prevent paralysis, I was strapped into a special bed that immobilizes a patient between two canvas slings. Nurses would regularly turn me over so my lungs didn't fill with fluid. I knew the care was expensive, but I didn't have to worry about that. I needed the care and I got it.

Now I face another medical challenge. Last year, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Surgeons at Duke University Medical Center removed part of the tumor, and I had proton-beam radiation at Massachusetts General Hospital. I've undergone many rounds of chemotherapy and continue to receive treatment. Again, I have enjoyed the best medical care money (and a good insurance policy) can buy.

Read the rest at Newsweek.

So, just how does exercise make you healthier? And can it make you smarter?

via Scientific American

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) late this year released its new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, calling for adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to exercise moderately (such as brisk walking or water aerobics) for at least two hours and 30 minutes or vigorously (running, swimming, or cycling 10 mph or faster) for at least an hour and 15 minutes weekly.

The longer, harder and more often you exercise, the greater the health benefits, including reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, according to the recommendations, which were based on a decade of scientific research.

Studies have shown that people who engage in the amount of exercise recommended by the feds live an average of three to seven years longer than couch potatoes, according to William Haskell, a medical professor at Stanford University who chaired the HHS advisory committee. But how exactly does exercise accomplish this? And what about claims by naysayers that exercise not only isn't healthy but may actually be bad for you? Is there any truth to them?

Read the rest.

Newly Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer?

info via Malecare, Inc for

Newly Diagnosed Guys w/Prostate Cancer

No rash decisions

First:

Make no decisions until you are comfortably informed about your situation. Read at least some of the patient and doctor written articles about cancer symptoms, treatment and causes. Prostate cancer tends to be progress slowly. There is usually no need for urgency. But make no mistake... some men do die from cancer. It is vital to take time to understand what you can do to save your life.

No question is a dumb one

Second:

Ask questions about your cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment. Answers about cancer won't find you, you have to ask. Please don't assume that your doctor will tell you everything that you need to know. There are lists of questions for you to ask about cancer on the Malecare site. Prostate cancer treatment may extend your life, but might also cause collateral damage or side effects, such as incontinence or impotence. Even the best treatment choice may have consequences you probably won't like. The prostate is surrounded by the nerves controlling erections and lies close to the bladder and bowel, so there are significant risks of damage during treatment to sexual potency, continence (ability to control urine retention) and bowel function. Learn about the difference between cancer cure and cancer treatment.

Ask around

Third:

Speak with other guys at a prostate cancer support group. Hear our stories. Put your natural fears into a better perspective. Cancer treatments, symptoms, diagnosis, and causes can be confusing...we are here to help. Most men expect their doctor to recommend whatever treatment they need. They are surprised and anxious when the doctor discusses several possible treatments and says the patient has to decide for himself which one to choose. Think about speaking with a urologist, a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist before making any decision about treatment, to get a balanced picture of the benefits and drawbacks of all the cancer treatment options available to you.

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Malecare, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization, founded in 1997.

Malecare develops practical, life saving programs to address the problem of men dying sooner than women and is known for its pioneering work in developing psycho-social interventions for gay and bisexual men diagnosed with cancer.

In 2005, created the OutWithCancer LGBT Cancer Survivor Project, providing services and research regarding the effects of cancer on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.

OutWithCancer has since gone on to become our country’s first national nonprofit LGBT cancer survivor network.

Resources and support:

malecare.org
outwithcancer.org and
lgbtcancer.org

Related: Check out the recent LifeLube post Feel Yourself Up for info on how to do a testicular self-exam