The Centers for Disease Control has awarded $22 million to 26 states and tribal organizations to provide colorectal cancer screening to the uninsured and underinsured from age 50 to 64.

Through the Colorectal Cancer Control Program, five-year grants ranging from $358,283 to $1.1 million will support support screening and diagnostic follow–up care, data collection, outreach and public education, health care provider education, and program evaluation.  Projects can choose from among recommended screening methods including colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, or stool tests.

The new funding builds on the successful CDC Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program in five sites across the US, including Baltimore, Long Island, Seattle and King County, Nebraska, and Missouri. Read the rest of this entry »

The Centers for Disease Control have issued Interim Guidance for reducing the impact of swine influenza A (H1N1).

While they are not recommending now that large community gatherings be cancelled, they do say:

Persons with underlying medical conditions who are at high risk for complications of influenza may wish to consider avoiding large gatherings.

In addition, they strongly recommend that people who have symptoms of influenza-type illness, including coughing or sore throat, contact their doctor first before going to a medical office or hospital.  Talk to your oncologist about how to manage your treatment and what symptoms to report during this time of heightened risk for infection. Read the rest of this entry »

The Centers for Disease Control have made an preliminary link between an outbreak of Salmonella infection and peanut butter.  Studies of illness patterns by the Minnesota Department of Health suggested that King Nut  peanut butter might the source of the bacteria.  Strains of Salmonella Typhimurium were found in an open 5-pound container of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter in Minnesota.

In addition, clusters of infection have been found in schools and institutions in other states.  King Nut was the only peanut butter used in those places.  King Nut peanut butter is not sold to consumers, but is only distributed to institutional food service programs.

The King Nut Companies voluntarily recalled both King Nut and Parnell’s Pride peanut butters in an effort to prevent further infection. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the average patient will wait nearly an hour to see a doctor, up from 38 minutes ten years ago.

The reason?  Fewer emergency departments and more visits to them.  Emergency room visits increased by almost 1/3 (32 percent) between 1996 and 2006 with 119 million visits in 2006.  At the same time there were 300 fewer emergency departments to handle the need.  In addition, ED beds fill up with patients who are waiting for a bed to free up so they can be admitted to the hospital. Read the rest of this entry »

More than 810 cases of salmonella related to tomatoes have been reported to the FDA, according to the latest update on June 27th. Ninety-five people have been hospitalized.  Cases have been identified in 36 states and the District of Columbia.  While there have not been any confirmed deaths so far, there is one case of a man with cancer who died while infected and salmonellosis may have contributed to his death.

Plum, Roma, and round red tomatoes have been associated with the particular strain of Saintpaul Salmonella infection.   The FDA is advising consumers eat these types of tomatoes only if they can be certain they were grown and harvested in one of the areas that have not been associated with the outbreak. If you have tomatoes and don’t know where they came from, go back to the store where you bought them and ask. Read the rest of this entry »