Keeping Track of Family Health History

Today while you’re digesting turkey or washing the Thanksgiving dinner dishes, take time to talk about your family’s health history.  Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., the acting Surgeon General, has declared Thanksgiving 2008 the fifth annual National Family History Day.

Families are encouraged to share health information to identify diseases that might be inherited or lifestyles that may contribute to medical problems.  Family histories can lead to a discussion with your doctor about tests you may need or changes you should make to prevent cancer and other diseases.

My Family Health History, a tool developed by the Surgeon General, can help you make a drawing of your family tree and a chart of your family’s health history.  They both can be printed out and shared with others in your family and with your doctor. Read the rest of this entry »

Have a Healthy Holiday

Even when turkey is well-prepared, bacteria spores may remain that can cause food poisoning if warm turkey is left out too long.

Normally, cooking turkey to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill bacteria like salmonella or e. coli, as well as Clostridium perfringens, a bacteria common to turkey.  But spores from c. perfringens remain after cooking and can be activated in warm turkey. Read the rest of this entry »

MSKCC Nurse Practitioner Survivorship Team

Nurse practitioners help cancer survivors meet their ongoing needs after their formal cancer treatment ends at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Specially trained, they focus on both medical and psychosocial needs that are unique for each patient.  During the first visit, the nurse practitioner develops a survivorship care plan with the patient which is then sent to that patient’s community primary care physician so that cancer care and other medical needs can be coordinated.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nevada) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert C. Byrd (West Virginia) unveiled a $100.3 billion economic recovery package. Read the rest of this entry »

AACR Panel of Scientists

Some thoughts from Kate:

I’m here just outside of Washington for the AACR Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research conference.  Smaller the the huge American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in the spring, this meeting focuses on research into how to prevent cancer.

I’m part of the Scientist-Survivor program, a special project that links cancer survivors with scientist mentors to help us understand the research being discussed here so we can bring it back to other survivors and advocates.

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