The Attitude Doc

I am away on vacation will be back next week. Have a good week.
Jason


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When my husband told me today that Merv Griffin had died, I was running on my treadmill, doing my part to pound out any chance that cancer will pay me a return visit. On my MP3 player the song Bad Day by Daniel Powter was blaring. Sweating, halfway through my second mile and feeling quite strong, I heard the words -- "Did you hear Merv Griffin died?"

No, I had not yet heard. All I was hearing were these lyrics:

You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Today may have been a bad day for Mr. Griffin. If he was tired of fighting cancer -- for a second time -- it may have been a good day. Regardless, I ran an extra mile this afternoon for the man who created and produced the TV game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, the man whose late afternoon talk show played loudly when I was a child in the living room of my grandparents house, the man I will memorialize in my mind along with all others who have lost their lives to cancer.

Merv Griffin died today of prostate cancer, shortly after being hospitalized for a recurrence of the disease and following his July announcement that this round of cancer had been discovered during a routine examination. He was 82.

Griffin is survived by his son, Anthony (from Griffin's marriage to Julann Elizabeth Wright, which ended in divorce in 1973), a daughter-in-law Tricia, and two grandchildren, Farah and Donovan Mervyn.

Tags:cancer, die, dies, fortune, griffin, hospitalized, jeopardy, merv, of, prostate, recurrence, wheel

As part of a study with the goal of preventing pancreatic cancer in those who are at very high risk, about 20 people have had their pancreases removed at Johns Hopkins, according to a recent article in The New York Times.

One such individual is Nancy Pratt. Mrs. Pratt has lost both her daughter and mother to the disease. Her daughter was only 37 and lived only three months after diagnosis, leaving two young children. In addition to Mrs. Pratt's family history, an ultrasound revealed numerous pancreatic cysts, leading her to choose the pancreas removal surgery.

The program is under the direction of Dr. Marcia Canto and is limited to high-risk families. Individuals who agree to undergo this removal are "trading the risk of cancer for the reality of diabetes," however, when the reality of pancreatic cancer is taken into account, it seems to be a reasonable choice.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst kinds of cancer, both deadly and extremely painful. Nearly all patients will die, with about 37,000 cases expected this year and about 33,000 deaths. Ninety-five percent will die in less than five years. Pancreatic cancer is so deadly partly because it usually evades detection until it is very advanced.

Dr. Eileen O'Reilly, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering is quoted in the article, saying, "It is one of the most challenging human malignancies for sure; I honestly can't think of a worse one."

For more about pancreatic cancer, including information about current paths of research, please see The New York Times article here.

As for Mrs. Pratt, the only regret she has is that they couldn't have removed her daughter's pancreas in time.

Tags:pancreas removal, PancreasRemoval, pancreatic cancer, PancreaticCancer

Smoking is a well-known risk factor for bladder cancer and is responsible for 50% of the incidence in men and 25% of the incidence in women. Earlier studies have suggested that quitting smoking might reduce the risk of cancer incidence. Researchers have recently shown that quitting smoking is also effective not only to lower the original occurrence, but also to reduce the risk of relapse.

Chen and colleagues at the National Taiwan University Hospital have shown that smokers who have had bladder cancer who continue smoking have a 2.2-fold greater risk of recurrence compared to those who quit.

Tags:bladder cancer, BladderCancer, smoking

There are countless methods we can use for optimizing our health. Each of us can surely rattle off a bunch right now. Give it a try. Quick. Name three actions you can take to improve your body, your mind, your soul. Good. Now remember what you picked -- and make each one happen.

In a recent newspaper article, one journalist listed 25 ways to live a healthy life. They're all super ideas. But I only have space today for seven. Here they are. Stop back in two weeks, and I'll give you another seven.

Keep your weight in check

Make sure your weight is appropriate for your height, age, sex, and body frame. The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that having an ideal body mass, eating properly, and exercising can reduce the risk of cancer by 30 to 40 percent.

Move more

Physical activity not only improves our chances of living longer, it helps prevent arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other diseases -- five hours of strenuous exercise per week is thought to ward off breast cancer. Exercise relieves symptoms of depression and anxiety, trims the waistline, and serves as a great adrenaline kick. Need I say more?

Go green

Give green tea a try if you want to promote good health. It's an antioxidant and an anti-carcinogen. Studies show green tea helps prevent stomach, lung, gastric, bladder, colorectal, and esophageal cancers.

Align with antioxidants

Some studies indicate an antioxidant-rich diet can prevent free radical damage -- this happens when renegade atoms cause cellular damage, making us vulnerable to diseases such as cancer. The main antioxidants are vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta carotene.

Eat six small meals

Portion sizes have grown and grown in this country, and most of us are shoveling way too much food into our mouths. Doctors and nutritionists recommend eating four to six small meals per day, about every three hours. Give it a go and watch your metabolism speed up.

Quit smoking

Do it now. Smokers, even occasional ones, are more likely to develop lung cancer, high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes.

Know your medical history

Find out what you're up against. If your grandmother died of breast cancer, be aware that the women in your family have a higher risk of developing the disease. Knowing your medical history will allow you to take necessary precautions.

Tags:antioxidants, cancer, exercise, green tea, GreenTea, health, history, meals, medical, move, portion, quit, seven, size, small, smoking, sunday, weight