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FDA Considers Regulating DNA Testing Kits

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Those DNA test kits that you can buy from a website sure look tempting. Genealogists often find them interesting because they can learn more about their ancestors based on the analysis of their DNA sample. Many people use these tests to learn more about their health risks. The Food and Drug Administration is considering putting regulations in place regarding these direct to consumer DNA kits. You may want to wait a little longer before purchasing one. In some cases, doctors will recommend that a patient have genetic testing done. The purpose may be to determine the risk a couple has … Continue reading →

Could There Be a Vaccine for Breast Cancer?

Could there really be a vaccine for breast cancer in the near future? I have been hearing about this story quite a bit in the news. After successfully testing mice with a vaccine, there is great hope that breast cancer could be prevented in women. Now that the mice have been tested it’s time to move onto human clinical tests. It’s believed that possibly next year they will be ready to begin testing on women. Now I do have to admit that I am always apprehensive about new vaccinations. The first thing that comes to my mind is wondering what … Continue reading →

Emotional Support Can Improve Odds for Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is one of the leading types of cancer in the United States. If you or someone you know has battled with breast cancer, you understand the need for support and encouragement. Recently the “Cancer Support Community’s Research and Training Institute” unveiled a new registry for breast cancer survivors. These remarkable survivors will have the opportunity to share their experience and impact others who are going through the same thing. It is believed that emotional support can improve the survival odds for breast cancer patients. The Breast Cancer M.A.P. (Mind Affects the Physical) Project is recruiting survivors of breast … Continue reading →

Dogs Helping to Refine Human Cancer Treatments

Approximately six million dogs are diagnosed with cancer each year. Companion animals with cancer can be used by researchers as models for human cancer, to help develop new treatments for man and animal alike. Comparative oncology isn’t a new idea. Dogs were used for testing bone marrow transplant techniques in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, dogs were used to test limb-saving treatments for bone cancer. In 2003, the National Cancer Institute formally founded the Comparative Oncology Program, which aims to use pets to learn more about cancer — and to test and refine new therapies that … Continue reading →

Are You at High Risk for Breast Cancer?

According to the National Cancer Institute, the average woman has a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer. That’s a scary number… and it gets worse if you’re at high risk. What puts a person at high risk for breast cancer? Having a strong family history of breast cancer — that means two or more close relatives with breast cancer. If any of those relatives were diagnosed before the age of fifty, your risk is even higher. A strong family history makes you between two and five times more likely to develop breast cancer than the average woman. Having … Continue reading →

Testing for Breast Cancer

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Testing for breast cancer falls into three phases: screening, diagnostic, and monitoring. Screening tests are for people who seem to be healthy. Yearly mammograms and self-exams fall into this category. Screening tests are intended to catch breast cancer early — when treatment often has the best chance of success. Diagnostic tests (like ultrasound scans and biopsies) are for people who are suspected of having breast cancer. Maybe you found a lump on a screening test; maybe you have other symptoms of breast cancer. Diagnostic tests determine whether or not cancer is present, and if it is present, whether it has … Continue reading →

Not All Breast Cancer Patients Need Chemotherapy

Two recent studies took a look at whether or not chemotherapy is the best treatment for breast cancer — with interesting results. The studies were reported at the 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, an annual gathering of scientists from around the world. One study found that women were less likely to have a relapse or die if treated with a less harsh drug than the standard chemotherapy drug, Adriamycin. One study (from Loyola University in Chicago, IL) used a gene test to help predict whether or not a woman actually needs chemotherapy to treat breast cancer — or … Continue reading →

Medicaid Eligibility in Montana is Easy to Find

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Montana makes it really easy for people to learn more about the eligibility requirements of their Medicaid program. Just go to the website for the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, and you can quickly find what you want to know. The state has several parts to their Medicaid system. Medicaid is a public, (or government run) form or health insurance. It is designed to provide an affordable form of health insurance for people who are low-income, and who cannot afford to purchase health insurance from a private company. Medicaid is funded by both the federal government and the … Continue reading →

7 Deadly Foods: Expert Advice

What are the 7 Foods You Should Never Eat? Experts interviewed by Prevention Magazine let us know how scary some food can be. And, these foods aren’t what you think. Skip the usual advice about cholesterol, fat and sugar. Instead, let us talk about chemicals and toxins that you inadvertently consuming, present in some of the most innocuous-seeming food. Who ever knew that canned tomatoes could kill you. While I pretty much had heard many of this advice before, it seems to be coming as a surprise for many others. A link to the prevention article, 7 Foods You Should … Continue reading →

Inherited Diseases – Thalassemia

When you get pregnant, especially for the first time, it is easy to get confused by the vast amount of information that comes your way. From your doctors to your friends and family, everyone has something to tell you. The early discussions that many OBGYNs and midwives have with their newly pregnant patients often contain information regarding genetic testing. There are different types of tests and the reasons for suggesting each test are different. Some specific tests many be suggested based upon your family history and ethnic heritage. Today, I learned from my mother that a fairly distant relative of … Continue reading →