Every year, more than 37 million Americans suffer from at least one episode of sinusitis. Typically, the symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose and pressure or pain felt behind the eyes or teeth. these symptoms are caused by inflammation and infection of the sinuses.  

The sinuses are air-filled spaces located behind the forehead, nose, cheeks and eyes. Normally, mucus drains from the sinus, while air is able to circulate within them. When the sinus opening becomes blocked, bacteria and germs can easily become overgrown, resulting in infection and discomfort.

Conditions that can put you at risk for developing a sinus infection include diseases which increase mucus production or a physical block of the sinus, such as a polyp. Allergies, which affect more than 67 million Americans each year, can also increase your risk. While we are no longer experiencing unseasonably warm weather, March’s early heat wave resulted in higher than normal pollen counts and is having lingering effects for those who suffer from seasonal allergies.

While one’s initial instinct might be to request antibiotics, growing research is showing that this is rarely the best course of action. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association evaluated the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for sinus infection and found no difference in symptoms in those treated with antibiotics as compared to those who were given a placebo. this is because the vast majority of sinus infections are caused by viruses. In fact, only 2 percent of episodes are due to bacteria, which are the target of antibiotic medications. Antibiotics, unfortunately, are useless against viral sinus infections.

Viral infections are typically self-limited and the mainstay of therapy is symptom relief. Staying hydrated is key, because it helps thin the mucus and promotes drainage. Drinking warm non-caffeinated beverages helps keep you hydrated and can soothe a sore throat, while the steam helps loosen mucus. Over-the-counter medications, like ibuprofen or naproxen will help reduce pain and inflammation, while decongestants can help ease congestion.

The presence of green mucus is only a sign of infection — not the cause. the white blood cells of your immune system contain greenish-colored components, which in a large number, can color the mucus with a greenish hue. these cells are present regardless of whether your infection is bacterial or viral.

Taking antibiotics “just in case” is not harmless and can result in an upset stomach, rash, or even a life-threatening allergic reactions. on a population level, the volume of antibiotics prescribed is a major factor in the increasing rates of bacterial resistance. In the U.S., over 70 percent of hospital-acquired infections involve bacteria resistant to at least one antibiotic. this trend is making it more difficult to treat infections that were once simple to cure.

When you suspect a sinus infection, the best course of action is to consult your doctor, so that he or she can determine whether or not antibiotics are appropriate. If your symptoms persist for longer than 10 days or get worse, you may require antibiotics. If you experience a change in vision, a sustained fever higher than 101°F, or confusion, it is important to seek medical care immediately, as these could be signs of a more concerning condition.

Dr. David B. Samadi is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Urology and Chief of Robotics and Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He is a board-certified urologist, specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disease, with a focus on robotic prostate cancer treatments. to learn more please visit his websites RoboticOncology.com and SMART-surgery.com. Find Dr. Samadi on Facebook.

iStock/firebrandphotography

According to WebMD, most men don’t know they have prostate cancer until it’s found during a routine physical. while the disease doesn’t typically cause symptoms in its early stages, there are some signs you can look for.

While these symptoms may also be the symptom of something else besides prostate cancer, they can be signs of the disease.

One of the most common symptoms men notice are problems with urination. Not being able to urinate, urinating often, or experiencing pain or burning during urination can all be symptoms.

Other symptoms include: difficulty having an erection; noticing blood in your urine or semen; pain in your lower back, stomach, hip or pelvis.

If you experience any of these symptoms you should reach out to your doctor for further examination.

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Left: Actor Ryan O'Neal arrives at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Feb. 2, 2011 in Washington, D.C. / right: Warren Buffett attends a 2008 State Farm Basketball Challenge exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center July 25, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

(Credit:Getty Images) (CBS News) Actor Ryan O’Neal recently revealed that he had been diagnosed with state 2 prostate cancer. While he claims that doctors are positive about his recovery because his disease was caught early, he admitted in a statement he was “shocked and stunned by the news,” according to CBS News.

O’Neal’s announcement was followed on Monday by famed investor and business magnate Warren Buffet’s disclosure that he was suffering from stage 1 prostate cancer, CBS News Moneywatch reported. In a letter to investors, Buffett said he received his diagnosis last Wednesday after undergoing a PSA test and biopsy, and will undergo a two-month treatment of daily radiation starting mid-July. “I will let shareholders know immediately should my health situation change. Eventually, of course, it will; but I believe that day is a long way off,” he wrote.

Ultrasound prostate cancer treatment may reduce side effects, study showsPICTURES: Prostate cancer self defense: nine deadly myths

The announcements by these two men put the spotlight on a cancer that strikes nearly 242,000 men each year. but, what is the difference between stages 1 and 2?

Cancer is divided into four different stages with the higher the number, the more advanced the disease is. according to the National Cancer Institute, stage 1 indicates the cancer is found in one-half or less than one-half of one lobe of the prostate and stage 2 prostate cancer indicates that the cancer has not spread outside the prostate.

Stage 2 prostate cancer is divided into stage 2A and 2B depending how much of the lobe or both lobes of the prostate are affected. The cancer stage is determined by PSA levels, a protein made by the prostate gland and found in the blood, and Gleason scores, a ranking determined by microscopic appearance of the cancer.

Screening for prostate cancer is especially important because it can be hard to diagnose at earlier stages because patients have little or no symptoms. Stage 1 prostate cancers cannot be felt during digital rectal exams and are not visible during imaging, and can only be determined by biopsy.

Still, according to the National Institute of Health, it is the most common cause of cancer death in men over 75. High risk individuals include African-American men, men over 60, men with a father or brother who had the disease, men who drink too much alcohol, farmers, plant workers and those who have exposed to Agent Orange. There will be about 241,740 new cases of prostate cancer and about 28,170 men will die of prostate cancer this year alone, according to the American Cancer Society.

If abnormal results are shown through PSA test and an exam, the cancer will probably be at an earlier stage and therefore more treatable than if someone waited for severe symptoms.

However, while early results from a U.S. study have shown that annual screening with PSA and DRE found more prostate cancers than in men who skipped screening, it did not lower the death rate at all, the American Cancer Society noted. a European study did show a lower risk of death with more screening, but noted that 1,400 men would have to be screened and 48 treated before one death would be prevented. neither study showed that evidence of early high PSA levels helped save lives.

Early-stage prostate cancer is mainly treated by two ways: radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy. Radical prostatectomy involves surgical removal of the tumor-affected organ, while radiation therapy uses x-rays to kill cancer cells. Both can be very damaging to the surrounding tissue, leading to many side effects including the inability to maintain an erection for intercourse, urinary incontinence and rectal problems.

There are some promising new experimental therapies, including a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) that research has shown does not cause many of the feared effects, HealthPop reported.

Because there are such negative consequences with treatments, some doctors recommend “watchful waiting” for people with early-stage prostate cancer. This halts any therapy until any symptoms appear. Many suggested treatments depend on age and expected life span, other health conditions and the chances that the treatment will cure the patient’s prostate cancer. Typically, “watchful waiting” is recommended for those with slow growing cancers that will probably remain in the prostate and those who get the disease when they are much older.

Those with stage 1 cancers typically employ watchful waiting and radiation therapy only, and may consider surgery to remove the prostate if young and healthy.

If the cancer has spread to other organs, as it does in later stage prostate cancers, patients may need hormone therapy, more extensive surgery and chemotherapy.

For more on prostate cancer, visit the National Institute of Health’s website.

Testosterone supplements may improve the quality of life for patients who have a certain heart condition, a new study says.

In the study, testosterone patches and injections improved the breathing and exercise abilities of people with heart failure, a chronic inability of the heart to pump enough blood to the rest of the body.

Although most of the study participants were men, the researchers said the results would likely apply to women as well, through much smaller doses of testosterone.

Some heart failure patients have symptoms even after standard therapies, such as drugs called beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, said study researcher Dr. Justin Ezekowitz. an inability to exercise is one of the hallmark symptoms of heart failure, Ezekowitz said.

“They physically cannot walk as far or as fast or as much as they could when they were healthy,” Ezekowitz said.

“Testosterone appears to be a promising therapy” to improve exercise ability in heart failure patients, the researchers said.

However, Ezekowitz said patients should not start using testosterone supplements based on these results. larger studies would be needed to confirm the findings and figure out which method of delivery is best and what doses are appropriate.

Testosterone and heart failure

Ezekowitz and colleagues analyzed data from four previous studies in which patients were randomly assigned to receive either testosterone therapy or a placebo for 12 to 52 weeks. About 200 patients in total participated; their average age was 67, and 84 percent were men. Patients were also taking standard medical treatments for heart failure.

During a six-minute walking test, patients taking testosterone therapy walked an average of 177 feet farther (54 meters) than those taking a placebo — a greater improvement than what has been achieved with current therapies alone, the researchers said.

Patients on testosterone therapy also saw an increase in the amount of oxygen the body used per minute of exercise, a measure known as VO2 max, which is a general indicator of a person’s fitness level.

No adverse effects on the heart were seen.

How it works

Testosterone may help these patients not because it directly affects the heart itself but because it may target the peripheral tissues, such as the skeletal muscles, Ezekowitz said.

The hormone has been shown to widen blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach peripheral tissues. It may also increase levels of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen. however, further work is needed to determine exactly how testosterone acts in heart failure patients.

An earlier study of testosterone in older men had to be halted due to increased risk of cardiovascular events, the researchers noted. however, that study did not include heart failure patients and used higher doses of testosterone, they said.

More studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of testosterone therapy. Previous studies have found an association between high doses of testosterone and an increase incidence of prostate cancer, Ezekowitz said.

In the new study, there was a small increase in levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) among men who took testosterone therapy. (High PSA levels are associated with prostate cancer.) Patients on testosterone therapy should be monitored for changes in PSA levels, Ezekowitz said.

The study was published April 17 in the journal Circulation Heart Failure.

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Thursday, April 19

Cancer support groups. the Wellness Community offers two ongoing groups at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. the group for adult cancer patients meets 5-7 p.m. every Thursday. the group for loved ones and/or family of cancer patients meets 5-7 p.m. every other Thursday. Both groups meet in the first floor Radiation-Oncology Department, 2801 Atlantic Ave. 310-376-3550, wellnessandcancer.org.

Friday, April 20

Macular degeneration lecture. Dr. Arthur Pazornik, optometrist with Pioneer Medical Group, discusses signs, symptoms and treatment options for macular degeneration, an eye condition that causes blurred or distorted central vision. Free. 11 a.m. Friday. Pioneer Medical Group, 2220 Clark Ave., Long Beach. 562-597-4181.

Hearing devices exhibit. Free hands-on display of devices that help with hearing difficulties; includes information on how they work and where they can be purchased. Presented by the Hearing Loss Association of Long Beach/Lakewood. 10 a.m.-noon Friday. Weingart Senior Center, 5220 Oliva Ave., Lakewood. 562-425-5651, hlalongbeachlakewood.org

ALS support group. For people with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), their families and friends. Sponsored by the ALS Association, Greater Los Angeles chapter. Noon-1:30 p.m. third Friday of the month. City of Long Beach Health and Human Services Family Health Education Center, 3820 Cherry Ave. 818-865-8067, Ext. 234.

Dental screening. For seniors age 50 and older. 10 a.m. third Friday of the month. Free. Norwalk Senior Center, 14040 San Antonio Drive. 562-929-5580.

Saturday, April 21

Nutrition boot camp. Cheyana Van Dender, a nutritionist and certified personal trainer, conducts an interactive workshop offered by South Bay Fit Camp. 3 p.m. Saturday at a home in Long Beach; address and directions provided upon registration. $45-$50. Contact Emily Duval Ledger at 562-243-2221 or .

Monday, April 23 

Breast cancer support group. For women diagnosed or in treatment. 7-9 p.m. second and fourth Monday of the month. Los Alamitos Medical Center, 10861 Cherry St. 562-594-9977.

Nar-Anon. the Long Beach family group, Healing Hearts, offers support for family and friends of drug addicts. 7 p.m. every Monday. Community Grace Brethren Church, 5885 Downey Ave., Long Beach. 562-490-4689, 888-297-9560, nar-anon.org

Tuesday, April 24

Caring and Coping. Support group for cancer patients and their families. 2:30-4:30 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Los Alamitos Medical Center, 10861 Cherry St. 562-594-9977.

Autism Society of America, Long Beach/South Bay Parent Support Group. For parents and caregivers of those with autism. 7-9 p.m. fourth Tuesday of the month. Prisk Elementary School, Room 7, 2375 Fanwood Ave., Long Beach. Contact Joey Hayashi at 562-982-9129 or , or go to greaterlongbeach-asa.org

Prostate cancer support group. 6:30-8:30 p.m. last Tuesday of the month. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Houssels Forum, 2801 Atlantic Ave. 562-595-5977.

Recovery International. the group teaches participants skills for coping with anxiety, depression and anger. 1:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Burns Community Center, 5510 Clark St., Lakewood. Donations requested but not required. Call Bob at 562-343-5195, or go to lowselfhelpsystems.org

Wednesday, April 25

Ask the pharmacist. A pharmacist answers questions about medications. Blood pressure screening also available. 9-11 a.m. Wednesday. Cypress Senior Center, 9031 Grindlay St. 714-229-2005.

Newly diagnosed breast cancer support group. For women recently diagnosed or in treatment. 4:30-6 p.m. every Wednesday. Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Radiation Oncology Conference Room, 2801

La Leche League of Long Beach. Support group for mothers wishing to breast-feed; fathers are also welcome at this meeting. 7 p.m. fourth Wednesday of the month. 2271 Pepperwood Ave. 562-804-8725.

Send health calendar items at least two weeks in advance to .

In contrast to some recent research, a new study finds no evidence that men who use aspirin or ibuprofen are at any lower risk of an enlarged prostate.

The findings, reported in the British Journal of Urology International, conflict with an earlier study finding that benign prostatic hyperplasia — the medical term for an enlarged prostate — was less common in men who regularly used NSAIDs.

NSAIDs, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, include common painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), meanwhile, is thought to involve inflammation. So that raises the possibility that NSAIDs could help limit prostate enlargement, explained Siobhan Sutcliffe, the lead researcher on the new study.

That’s important because although it’s natural for a man’s prostate gland to enlarge with age, it can eventually lead to bothersome problems — like urine leakage or frequent trips to the bathroom at night.

In the U.S., men make about 4.5 million doctor visits each year due to BPH symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health.

A 2006 study had hinted that NSAIDs could offer some protection. Researchers found that of nearly 2,500 men they followed for a dozen years, those who used an NSAID everyday were less likely to develop BPH.

But that type of study can only show there’s a correlation between NSAID use and BPH risk — and not that the painkillers actually prevent prostate enlargement.

So Sutcliffe’s team tried to confirm the connection in another study group: 4,771 men ages 55 to 74 who were part of a cancer-screening trial. At the start of that study, the men were asked about their use of aspirin and ibuprofen over the past year.

Over the next nine years, 31 percent were newly diagnosed with BPH. but there was no evidence that the risk was any lower for men who’d been regular NSAID users at the study’s start.

Still, it’s not the end of the story for NSAIDs and the risk of prostate enlargement, said Sutcliffe, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

“This is really still in the early stages of investigation,” she told Reuters Health.

One limit with the current study, Sutcliffe said, is that it looked only at men’s NSAID use in the year before entering the trial. It’s possible that longer-term use has different effects.

And then there’s the 2006 study that did find a lower BPH risk among NSAID users. It’s not clear why the current study came to different conclusions, according to Sutcliffe.

One reason, she speculated, could be that men in the studies tended to have different reasons for using NSAIDs. but there was no information on why men were using the painkillers, so that’s just a guess.

If future studies do find that NSAID users have a lower BPH risk, then what? for one, Sutcliffe said, it would suggest that low-dose aspirin — which many older adults already take for their heart health — may have an added benefit.

It would also raise the possibility that NSAIDs could help treat BPH symptoms.

There are already ways to manage urinary symptoms. some men find enough relief from lifestyle changes, like cutting down on caffeine and alcohol, and limiting fluids before bedtime.

Other men with bothersome BPH symptoms take medication. Most commonly, that means blood pressure drugs called alpha 1-blockers, which help relax the muscles of the bladder and prostate, and make urination easier. Two other drugs, finasteride and dutasteride, are sometimes prescribed; they work by lowering levels of a hormone that contributes to prostate enlargement.

First black policeman David Michael raises awareness of prostate cancer

7:10am Friday 23rd March 2012 in News by Alex Bellotti

in 1973, David Michael made history as a 19-year-old by becoming the first black officer to serve in the Met Police in Lewisham.

Now, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, the Lewisham 58-year-old is again trying to make a difference.

The retired Detective Chief Inspector has decided it is time to raise awareness about prostate cancer and, having also lost two close family members to the disease, it is a subject he is painfully aware of.

He said: “It seemed more difficult for the family.

“I was resigned to take one day at a time and was confident the medical team would do the best they could for me.

“I was 55 years old at the time and the consultant and his team recommended that the most appropriate treatment in my case was to remove the diseased prostate by keyhole surgery.

“My keyhole procedure went very well.

“I did not require any other form of medicine or treatment and have been cancer-free since January 2009.”

However, Mr Michael says the reason for his successful recovery is because he requested a test for prostate cancer before doctors even identified any symptoms.

Without this request, the outcome may not have been as positive, a fact which he is keen to pass on.

He said: “Since my diagnosis, treatment and recovery, I have been involved in prostate cancer awareness in the community.

“I started a Facebook group that now has over 3,000 members including health professionals, family members bereaved through prostate cancer and men living with prostate cancer through various stages.”

Mr Michael is now helping to promote the work of The Prostate Cancer Charity and has been working harder than ever during March – designated Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

He is also raising money for the organisation through his page on the Justgiving fundraising website.

for more information, visit prostate-cancer.org.uk and justgiving.com/David-Michael3

Facts about Prostate Cancer.

• all men over 50 years old are entitled to the blood test David requested on the NHS.

• The older men get, the greater incidence of prostate cancer there will be.

• The more members of a family who have prostate cancer, the greater the risk factors for other male members.

• Black men are three times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men.

• It is widely suggested that a good diet may play a crucial role as a preventative measure.

Know your risk factors and when to get a bone mineral density test as osteoporosis does not have any tell-tale symptoms in early stages.

Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by thinning and weakening of the bones. it initially has no symptoms, but it can lead to more easily broken bones, especially painful and debilitating fractures of the hips, wrists, and spine.

A bone mineral density test (BMD), which measures the strength of the bone, is used to screen for thinning bones and determine if osteoporosis is present. Initial screening is recommended for women at age 65 and men at age 70. the test results are reported as T-scores which compare the patient’s bone density with that of healthy young women. a T-score of -1.0 or higher is normal. a T-score between -1 and -2.49 indicates osteopenia (early thinning of bones) and is graded as mild, moderate, and advanced. T-scores of -2.5 or more indicate osteoporosis.

Younger men and women may be tested if they have certain risk factors which include a fragility fracture, some chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and kidney disease, premature menopause, hormone treatment for prostate and breast cancers, significant loss of height, smoking history, family history of osteoporosis, regular use of corticosteroids, and significant alcohol use.

But there has been no consensus about how frequently BMD screenings are needed in order to not miss opportunities to prevent fractures. some providers recommend repeat screenings every one to two years. a recent study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, investigated this issue.

The study followed almost 5,000 women for 15 years to determine how rapidly women with normal BMD or with osteopenia progressed to a stage where treatment to prevent fractures was indicated. They researchers wanted to determine how the BMD testing interval related to the timing of the transition from normal BMD or osteopenia to the development of osteoporosis before a hip or clinical vertebral fractures occurs.

The study looked at 4,967 women who were 67 years or older and who did not have osteoporosis at the start. some of the women had normal bone densities and some had mild, moderate, or advanced osteopenia. They followed them for 15 years to determine how long it took each group to get to the point where they developed osteoporosis so significant as to be at enough risk for bone fracture that they would warrant treatment.

The investigators reasoned that information about the pace or progression of the stages of normal or early bone thinning to clinically significant osteoporosis could help inform decisions about the appropriate intervals for retesting patients.

Based on the rates of transition from osteopenia to osteoporosis in the four groups — normal BMD, mild, moderate, or severe osteopenia — the researchers recommended that women whose initial tests show normal BMD or mild osteopenia can wait 15 years for follow up. those with moderate osteopenia can wait five years, and those with advanced osteopenia should wait only one year between tests.

The researchers found that the women with the least osteopenia at the outset of the study took the longest to progress to clinically significant osteoporosis. They also found that within each category of osteopenia, the younger women progressed more slowly to osteoporosis than the older women. the transition time to osteoporosis was longer for women who were taking estrogen at the start of the study as compared with women who had taken estrogen before the study began or had never taken it at all.

The researchers maintain that the baseline T-score is the most important factor to consider when choosing how frequently to repeat the BMD test. but they note there may be compelling reasons to screen more often. Clinicians may elect to increase the frequency of screenings if there are additional risk factors that would suggest a faster progression of bone loss such as decreased activity or mobility, or significant weight loss.

They also note that the expected time to osteoporosis is less in the very elderly and that screening every three years instead of every five years might be considered for women who are older than 85 years and have moderate osteopenia.

Additionally, the researchers note that their study population was limited to women 67 years of older, 99 percent of whom were white. the study suggests that different results may have been obtained from analyses that include younger post-menopausal women or men.

Patients may wish to discuss their BMD results and screening recommendations with their physicians. Although this study offers some important new insights, patient care decisions must take multiple factors into account, including each patient’s unique medical history.

Image: Bartek Zyczynski/Shutterstock.

This article originally appeared on TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com, an Atlantic partner site.

Published: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at 3:15 a.m. last Modified: Monday, February 27, 2012 at 3:34 p.m.

African-American babies die more often than white babies. Black people in South Carolina have higher rates of HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and diabetes than white people.

The list could go on.

As Americans celebrate black history and the civil rights movement during this month, equity in health remains largely a concept rather than a reality in South Carolina, including Spartanburg.

So, why is one race healthier than another? And how does the community provide equitable health care for all of its members?

“If there’s a single reason, we would just target that and fix this,” said Matt Petrofes, director of the local branch of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. “It’s just an overwhelming group of circumstances that put us in the way we are.”

Experts explain health inequities with a combination of factors: income, education, employment, transportation, environment, housing, access to health care services, racism and culture.

Dawn DeLisa, outreach coordinator at the Gibbs Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional, encounters these inequities every day. It’s her job to erase them.

She often starts with education.

“Education is power, and once people know, it moves them to action,” she said.

In theory at least, knowledge translates into action. but there’s plenty of friction that keeps people from doing what they know is healthy.

While some people may be irresponsible, many others lack the health insurance, money and access to transportation that make it easier to address health concerns.

A woman working at Wal-Mart can’t leave for a few hours to see the doctor during normal business hours, and an insufficient bus system prevents many people from easily seeing a physician, said George Newby, CEO at ReGenesis healthcare, which provides health services on a sliding scale based on a patient’s income.

“Those are the kind of strategic issues that we’re going to be wrestling with to make good affordable primary care available to people,” he said.

Beyond education and barriers, health professionals also wrangle with history, culture and language.

“If you look back to under slavery, slave women typically would have to work almost up until the point of delivering, and they might have a little bit of time off, and then they would have to go back,” said Carmen Harris, a professor of history at USC Upstate, during an interview at an African-American history symposium at the Chapman Cultural Center earlier this month. “So there’s this kind of cultural sensitization that you’re not really sick unless you feel really down.”

DeLisa said that strong, historical ties to religion also keep people from seeking treatment.

“People will see signs and symptoms,” she said. “they will just pray over it and let it go.”

On another level, cultural folk remedies and old wives’ tales filter through generations and persist despite leaps in medicine and medical technology.

Harris said she remembers her great-grandmother, the daughter of slaves, using herbal tea for medicine.

She disavows her family’s folk medicine but, like many African-Americans, won’t register as an organ donor.

“That’s just the culture that I was raised in,” she said. “Many slaves believed that, when they died, their bodies went back to Africa, and if you don’t have all your parts, your people might not know you when you arrive on the other side.”

At the Gibbs Cancer Center at Spartanburg Regional, staff members were concerned that minorities — specifically black men — were dying of prostate cancer at high rates, and they were being diagnosed at late stages.

African-American men have a higher mortality rate from prostate cancer and need examinations earlier in life, said Lucy Gansauer, director of the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program at Gibbs.

Gansauer said the cancer center has been focused on reaching out to black men about this issue.

But it hasn’t been easy.

“they don’t like to have a digital rectal exam,” DeLisa said. “Well, I’m thinking, who does? a lot of guys don’t like the idea of a doctor being that personal with them.”

Gansauer said that their campaign has helped increase the numbers of black men who receive prostate screenings, which help diagnose cancer at an earlier and less lethal stage.

Like these targeted campaigns for prostate cancer screenings, making health equitable for all Americans takes a day-to-day commitment to reducing the historical gap in the types of health care that different groups of Americans receive, Petrofes said.

“The same opportunities were not afforded to everyone in the same way,” he said.

Professor Dr. Arthur Porter and Professor Karol Sikora made the uncomfortable and complicated topic of cancer interesting and digestible during what was the first in a series of informational seminars on cancer Feb. 27 at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Providenciales.

InterHealth Canada recently announced that Porter and Sikora would be heading up a newly opened Cancer Center at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in partnership with the government, the Ministry of Health and Human Services, the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) and the Cancer Centre of the Bahamas, where the two doctors are directors.

Cancer is the number two killer in most of the Caribbean after heart disease, but Porter says there are ways to ensure cancer is not a death sentence.Porter, who is considered an authority worldwide on the topic of cancer, told about 50 people gathered to hear the informational seminar that the most important thing in cancer treatment is early detection. “Individuals should not wait until they have symptoms, many patients don’t have any symptoms at all,” he said.

Cervical cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer are in the Turks and Caicos Islands, as in most other parts of the world, the most common cancers. However, all of these have early screening options which are covered by the NHIP. “Cancer can be identified well at early stages, where treatment is easily done and can lead to cures,” Porter said.

Treatment for cancer has improved in recent years, with less invasive procedures and fewer side effects, according to Sikora, who explained treatment options available.

“Surgery is the most important treatment of most cancers,” he explained. if caught early, cancer cells can be removed before they metastasize, or spread, to other areas of the body, at which stage treatment becomes more complex.

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the second stages generally used to treat cancer patients.

Chemotherapy services are now available on Providenciales using the hospital’s recently installed state of the art chemotherapeutic admixture unit.

Treatments are administered utilising the staff and skills of the Bahamas Cancer Centre, the only cancer centre in the Caribbean accredited by the American College of Radiation Oncology.

“Cancer is a human disease, every person needs a personal treatment,” Sikora said. This is the approach the two top doctors take towards helping patients they treat across the globe.

“Everybody deserves the best in cancer care,” said Porter, who describes the best care as not only utilizing the best medicine and know how, but also being close to home and culturally sensitive.

The two doctors who lead the Cancer Centre of the Bahamas have added the TCI to their expanding network of cancer treatment centers. while many Caribbean nations do not have a large enough population to support their own center, by leveraging staff and resources Porter says they can offer top cancer treatment in a number of Caribbean nations, including the TCI.

A fortunate concept for the residents of this country, and the approximately 30 new cancer patients anticipated per year will benefit from cancer care and expertise from some of the world’s best doctors in the field of oncology. the two will hold clinics once a month at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and are in regular contact with the physicians locally who are caring for and treating resident cancer patients.

Until now, cancer sufferers in the TCI have been forced to go off-island for both consults and treatment, which has been a traumatic burden for both patients and their family members. It has also proved an expensive and inconvenient process for all concerned.

They will also be holding regular open seminars hoping to educate and sensitize the population on the importance of early detection and treatment.

Photo: (from left) Professor Karol Sikora, Roger Cheesman and Dr. Arthur Porter

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