TresSugar

Front Page: Tanning Beds Elevated to Highest Cancer Risk

TresSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:19 -0700

International cancer experts have reclassified tanning beds into the top cancer risk category of "probable carcinogens." The beds are now considered as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas. - AP
Microsoft and Yahoo have reached a deal to collaborate on Internet search and online advertising, in hopes of challenging Google. - NY Times
Michael Jackson's personal chef is speaking out about her time with MJ, including the day he died. - AP
US housing prices are on the rise again, showing that the bust might be coming to an end. - WSJ
Terrorists are threatening Sacha Baron Cohen over their portrayal in the film Bruno. - London Times

PSA From a Vagina's Point of View

TresSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Time was, vagina was a word you didn't hear often, unlike the word penis. (Where did this come from - vagina phobia? Dislike of the actual word vagina?)

Now, vaginas are having monologues, ads imagine boys having vaginas, and in this PSA for cervical cancer, a vagina has what film theorists call a "point of view." In film theory parlance, anything you see on the screen comes from one character's point of view, unless it's an omniscient perspective. In this PSA for Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, we see a vagina's POV during the dreaded but necessary pelvic exam. What's next? A feature length film on the adventures of Virginia the Vagina?

Women Take Better Care of Themselves Than Men

TresSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

When British scientists discovered, to their surprise, that men have a greater risk of cancer than women, they came upon an explanation that has nothing to do with biology: women take better care of themselves.

The new study looked at cancer that afflicts both men and women and found that men were 40 percent more likely than women to die from such cancer and 16 percent more likely to get it in the first place.

Researchers pointed out that men typically put off reporting symptoms to doctors. Men are also less aware that smoking, excess weight around the waist, and high alcohol intake all increase the risk of cancer. As for their diets, men are better at avoiding diet cola and highly processed "diet" snacks, but they're lazy about getting their vegetables and eat too many calories overall.

Since it's Men's Health Week, now might be a good time to remind the men in your life to schedule a doctor's appointment. Make one for yourself while you're at it!

Do you take better care of your health than the men in your life?

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Breasts: They’re Not Just There to Titillate

TresSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

"I put these pictures out on Facebook to put a message out to women – check your breasts regularly and do not ever be ashamed of a mastectomy. For Facebook to claim they were ‘sexual and abusive’ was absurd. There is nothing sexual about them."

After 45-year-old cancer survivor Sharon Adams underwent a mastectomy, she decided that the best way to raise awareness was to post her mastectomy scar on Facebook. The picture is graphic, scary, and far removed from the airbrushed soft core porn images of breasts we see everyday. In a way, it was her personal public service announcement to women.

Facebook's response? They took the images down, claiming they were "sexual and abusive." To find out what happened after this, read more

This sounds remarkably similar to the furor they created when breastfeeding photos were taken down and Facebook spokesperson Barry Schnitt said, "Photos containing a fully exposed breast (as defined by showing the nipple or areola) do violate those terms (on obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material) and may be removed."

Adams won in the end, and Facebook issued an apology after nearly 900 furious people joined an online group calling for the ban to be lifted.

These cases bring up an interesting issue about gender and representation. There seems to be only one prevailing meaning of the female breast - it's "obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit" because that's the way it's represented in our culture. When a woman presents a nonsexual image of breasts, in the context of certain women's issues - motherhood, illness and recovery - there's a refusal to see it from her point of view.

When Facebook told Sharon Adams her mastectomy scars were "abusive," maybe they meant abusive to men who only want to see breasts that turn them on.

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Farrah Fawcett Shares Her Cancer Struggle

TresSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Farrah Fawcett's hair is iconic, but tomorrow night she will shave it off in front of the world. In Farrah's Story, the former angel chronicles her three-year battle with cancer, and it's sure to be extremely honest, emotional, and at times hard to watch. The video diary airs tomorrow on NBC.

Farrah is determined to show her beautiful strength, along with the ugly side of cancer, in the documentary. The story is sometimes gut-wrenching, and to be honest, I had to turn away during some of the preview clips that aired on the Today Show this morning.

Do you think the film will enlighten the public, or do you find the idea exploitative?

To see the segment from this morning, read more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Briefing Book! New Study Links Marijuana to Testicular Cancer

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:30:45 -0800

Marijuana: No need to outlaw it now? Marijuana linked to testicular cancer in new study. - Good
Stimulus: Economists say cuts from the stimulus bill could be disastrous. - Huffington Post
Press Conference: President Obama will sell the stimulus to the public during a primetime press conference tonight at 8 pm EST. - The Caucus
Michael Steele: RNC chairman under federal investigation for campaign money scandal. - Wonkette
Cable News: Obama aides rip cable news and DC media as out of touch on stimulus. - The Plum Line
Bailout: Total bailout reaches $9.7 trillion, enough to pay off nearly every mortgage in America. - Townhall

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The How-To Lounge: Testing Your Man For Testicular Cancer

DearSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Just as guys help their girlfriends and wives check for breast cancer, you can help your man check for testicular cancer. You might not know this, but it's the most common cancer in American males between the ages of 15 and 40; a pretty scary stat! If it's found early though, it's highly treatable, so it's important to encourage your man to check for lumps or changes in his testicles, and you can help too. Here's how:

Find a time when your man isn't wearing underwear, but not before or after sex for two reasons: One, it's a total mood killer to think about cancer when you're trying to be intimate, and two, if your man is aroused, his testicles will be too swollen and sensitive to get a good feel.

First do a visual check. Usually one testicle hangs a little lower, which is totally normal. What you're looking for is any swelling in the skin.
Then take both hands and gently cup his testicles - check both carefully. Keep in mind that testicles are usually smooth, oval-shaped, somewhat firm, and one testicle may be be larger than the other. As you gently roll his business between your thumb and forefingers, feel for lumps, swelling, or hardness. You may feel a cord leading from the top of each testicle, but that's normal too. When you do this check-up once a month, be on the lookout for any changes.
If you think you've found something, or your man has noticed pain or aching in his groin area, he should get in to see his doctor ASAP.

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NYT Raises Questions About Candidates' Health

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Today's New York Times outlined the known state of all four candidates' health. While it dedicated a section to each, the report clearly raised new questions about John McCain's chances of melanoma recurrence.

Here is a look at how the paper of record summarized the medical records:

McCain: Wounds from untreated injuries and torture while a POW mean McCain may eventually need joint replacements. Inconsistencies about the severity of McCain's melanoma skin cancer, make the probability of recurrence unknown. A reclassification of severity, called for by some experts, would change his statistical odds for survival at 10 years from about 60 percent to 36 percent. He has had no recurrence for eight years; but the 10th anniversary, which would be in 2010, is an important benchmark.
Obama: Obama’s campaign released a one-page letter from his doctor citing Obama’s “excellent health," last May and a series of test results last week. Obama has one medical issue, which is a difficulty in stopping smoking. Obama began smoking 20 years ago, trying several times since to quit. Obama, who decided to quit before running for president, has used Nicorette gum “with success," according to his doctor.

To see what the paper's doctor-turned-reporter summed up about the VP nominees, read more.

Palin: No records have been released regarding Palin.
Biden: Biden had emergency surgery in 1988 for a brain aneurysm and elective surgery for a second one. The campaign released 49 pages of medical records to last week showing that he was healthy, but did not indicate whether Biden had been tested in recent years to detect any new aneurysm.

The paper, which says it routinely investigates the major candidates' health, evidently feels the chill of the McCain campaign's cold shoulder - the Times was excluded from the restricted and semisecretive review of McCain's records in May, and has been prohibited from asking questions during reporter conference calls. The article maintains that when health information has been withheld in the past, it usually means the candidates are hiding something. Do you think candidates should allow for a complete airing of their health?

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Showing McCain's Cancer Scars in Ad on Health: Ugly Tactic?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:03:53 -0700

A 30-second spot airing on MSNBC and funded by two liberal PACs are choosing John McCain's historic bouts with skin cancer as the face of worries about the candidate's health. The ad shows his scars following skin cancer procedures with the text, "John McCain is 72 years old and had cancer 4 times. Why won't McCain release his medical records?"

One of the PACs behind the spot is helmed by DNC Chairman Howard Dean's brother, a connection the RNC calls "despicable." The spot highlights the groups' efforts to gain more access to McCain's medical records. So far 2,500 doctors have signed a petition put forth by one of the PACs calling for the documents to be released. A total of 1,173 pages of medical records were made available to reporters in May.

The records showed that the last bout with melanoma was six years ago, and described him as having a strong heart and good health. He receives a thorough cancer check every few months. Barack Obama's health records have not been similarly made available. With the black-and-white closeups of the aftermath of McCain's procedures and doctors intoning, "Another bout of cancer for John McCain while he's president of the United States would profoundly affect his ability to lead," combined with the tie to the DNC - is this ad fair? Where are Obama's records? Is it just an age thing or the ugliest of politics?

Reality Star Learns She Has Cancer - on TV! Where's the Line?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Hey, I watched Joe Millionaire, I'm no reality TV snob, but crushing medical diagnoses? Is this entertainment? Millions of viewers will get to decide that for themselves when they watch British reality star Jade Goody find out she has cancer on the Indian version of the show Big Brother (called Bigg Boss.)

The 27-year-old star received the diagnosis that she had cervical cancer from her doctor and broke the news to her housemates, in tears of course, all on camera. Goody immediately quit the show but the event had already been caught on tape. She's since given her consent to have the footage shown, but is there a line?

While we certainly follow the health concerns of celebrities, at least with stories like Christina Applegate, she carefully chose how to break the news and certainly wasn't filmed at the time of finding out. Should reality TV be a free-for-all, as long as the participant agrees - or should we start policing what we deem entertainment with the long arm of the remote?

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