October 15, 2007

12:10: The Health Roundup, with Jay, Jamie and Jimmy.

12:20: A new study out of St. Joseph’’s HealthCare Hamilton has found that drug coated heart stents are the most effective in reducing the need for repeat angioplasty procedures or bypass surgery in angioplasty patients at the ‘‘highest risk’’ for a renarrowing of the artery around the stent, without significantly increasing the rate of death or risk of heart attack.
Guest: Jim Bowen, Program Manager at St. Joseph’s Healthcare’s Program for Assessment of Technology in Health.

12:35: Time for our weekly visit with Shalom Village.
Guest: Pat Morden, CEO of Shalom Village.

12:45: DayNight Pharmacy segment.
Guest: Irene

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer.
Different ways to prevent cancer include, changing lifestyle or eating habits, avoiding things known to cause cancer, and taking medicines to treat precancerous conditions or to keep cancer from starting. Decreasing excess weight and alcohol intake, while increasing exercise may reduce the risk of breast cancer. Most often breast cancer is first noticed as a painless lump in the breast or armpit. You or your partner may discover the lump, or your doctor may find it during a routine physical exam or screening mammogram or thermography. So what is breast cancer ? Breast cancer starts in the cells of the breast. The breast tissue covers an area larger than just the breast, it extends up the collarbone and from the armpit across to the breastbone in the center of the chest. The breasts sit on the chest muscle that covers the ribs. Each breast is made up of glands, ducts and fatty tissue. The breasts also contain lymph vessels and lymph nodes, which are part of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps fights infections. Lymph nodes trap bacteria, cancer cells and other harmful substances. There are groups of lymph nodes near the breast under the arm, near the collarbone and in the chest behind the breastbone. Cancer cells may start within the ducts or in the lobules. Ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer. Other types of breast cancer such as inflammatory breast cancer and Paget's disease, behave differently and may need different treatment. Know your breasts, look for signs which might include. lump or swelling in the armpit. Changes in breast size or shape. Dimpling or puckering of the skin. Redness, swelling and increased warmth in the affected area. Inverted nipple. Crushing or scaling on the nipple. Often these symptoms are not caused by cancer, other problems can cause them too. Remember lumps in the breast are very common. Testing is necessary to make a diagnosis. There is no single cause of breast cancer but some factors appear to increase the risk, age, personal history, family history, never given birth or given birth for the first time over the age of 30, beginning to menstruate at an early age or history of breast biopsies. Don't forget men have breast tissue just like women, they also can can develop breast cancer. In Canada less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men. Most commonly diagnosed in men over 60, but can be found in men of all ages.
Know your risks, stay healthy. Early detection and screening can save lives.

strenghtinknowing.com