Lets Say Thanks

My daughter, Elizabeth, in Knoxville, TN. put me onto this site where a person can go, like you, and send a thank you note to a member of our armed forces to say thanks for their service to our country.
Please take a minute to do this. It will mean alot to them all for what they are doing to maintain our freedoms.
Thank you and God bless,
Rick

Cancer Rates Coming Down?

A new report from the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society and other scientific organizations, indicates cancer diagnosis rates decreased by an average of 0.8 percent each year from 1999 to 2005. Death rates continued to decline as well, falling an average of 1.8 percent each year from 2002 to 2005. The decline is primarily due to a reduction in death rates from certain common cancers, including prostate cancer and lung cancer in men, breast cancer in women and colorectal cancer in both sexes. The incidence of prostate cancer has declined by 4.4 percent a year from 2001 to 2005, after annual increases of 2.1 percent a year for several years.
"Each year that you see these steady declines it gives you more confidence that we're moving in the right direction," said Dr. John E. Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute. "This is not just a blip on the screen."
The report indicates these reductions may be a result of healthier lifestyles, improved screening, and advances in treatment. However, the drop in annual incidence rates is harder to interpret. While the data may indicate a real decline in the occurrence of some types of cancer, this decline may reflect inconsistent screening practices, causing some cancers that used to be detected to now go undiagnosed.

Have a good Wednesday.
Blessings,
Rick

Enjoying The Benefits Of Proton Therapy

I was able to enjoy my granddaughter, Christina's, Christmas program last night thanks to the proton therapy I received to treat my prostate cancer.
Oh sure, there were no doubt guys there last night who were also enjoying the program who used other options to treat their prostate cancer, but thankfully I never went through what they did to get to that point.
Every good thing that comes about from here on is just an added benefit to my decision to treat with protons.

Have a good Tuesday.
Blessings,
Rick

New Blood Test To Replace PSA Test?

The following story tells of a new blood test being developed at Johns Hopkins to better detect the presence of prostate cancer. With 1.6 million biopsies done each year and 80% of those showing negative for prostate cancer, this test hopes to eliminate unnecessary biopsies. This article appeared in The Good Earth April 26, 2007.

WASHINGTON, April 26 U.S. researchers say an experimental blood test for prostate cancer may detect more tumors and reduce unnecessary biopsies.
In a study published in the April issue of the journal Urology, Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers said EPCA-2 testing is more accurate than the current PSA test in identifying cancer in the prostate.
The PSA test measures a protein normally produced by the prostate, while EPCA-2 detects a chemical primarily made in cancerous tissue, The Washington Post reported.
Robert H. Getzenberg -- professor of urology and director of research at the James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine -- said PSA testing often erroneously highlights non-cancerous conditions and can miss some cases of cancer.
Getzenberg, lead author of the study, said approximately 1.6 million men undergo prostatic biopsies in the United States annually, and roughly 80 percent of them have negative results.
Johns Hopkins Hospital is working with Onconome Inc., a biomedical company based in Seattle, to bring the test to market within the next 18 months.

Have a good Monday.
Blessings,
Rick