May 23, 2012

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Lawmakers pressed to create new tax break for radon prevention

January 12, 2012 By

A lung cancer survivor is urging state legislators to create a new tax break for Iowans who take steps to reduce or eliminate radon levels in their home. Gail Orcutt of Pleasant Hill was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

“I’ve never smoked a day in my life and none of my physicians even suggested that radon might be the culprit,” Orcutt says. “I was home recovering from a left (thoracotomy), which means I had my entire left lung removed, and came across an article in a magazine that was titled, ‘Non-smokers and lung cancer,’ and it was all about radon.”

Orcutt’s home was tested and the radon levels were way too high.

“I didn’t even know about mitigation at first. I just panicked when we got our test results and I thought: ‘Oh, no! We’ve got to get out of this house — but who’s going to want to buy it?’” she says. “And then I found out it can be fixed and our radon level now is less than 0.3 (picocuries per liter)…so we’re very safe.”

Her family spent $1400 to seal any cracks in their home and install a fan-and-vent system that pumps the radon gas outside. It costs about $500 to make a newly constructed home “radon resistant”.

“Seven out of 10 homes in Iowa have a dangerous level of radon and if you’re like me you don’t know about it and hopefully you find out before you have to go through what I did, or worse,” Orcutt says. “Most people do not survive lung cancer.”

She’d like to see legislators grant a tax credit to others who shell out the money to make their own homes radon proof.

“It’s a home improvement, just like getting new windows or putting in a new furnace and those (improvements) get tax credits,” Orcutt says.

Orcutt was part of a contingent of American Cancer Society advocates who met with state legislators early Wednesday morning. Peggy Huppert, the American Cancer Society’s state director, said last year about 400 Iowans died of cancer than could be traced to radon exposure.

“Which is more than are killed in traffic accidents, so we know all about it,” Huppert said. “We know how to test for it. We know how to fix it and we feel like it’s time to focus some public attention on it.”

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is caused by the natural decay of uranium in soil. Radon is now considered the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

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New U-I cancer facility incorporates patient design ideas

November 30, 2011 By

New cancer center a the U-I.

Cancer patients helped to design the new treatment facility that will open next week at University Hospitals in Iowa City. Patients were consulted on details down to the arrangement of chairs and the types of chairs they’ll sit in for chemotherapy and blood transfusions.

Dr. George Weiner, director of the University of Iowa’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, says the $12-million facility will provide more space, for starters.

“Some patients prefer to be in a more social environment where they have someone next to them where they can talk,” Dr. Weiner says.

“Some prefer to be more private and the new unit really allows us to do both.” The current clinic is always packed, he says, taking in 80 to 90 cancer patients a day for treatments.

Weiner says, “I think particularly exciting is the new infusion suite area which results in significant expansion so we can treat up to 40 patients at a time now, compared to 28 that we have in our current facility.” The 64,000-square-foot clinic will offer on-site pharmacy and laboratory services.

Weiner says it will also incorporate new lab areas for clinical researchers who are working on promising new cancer therapies. He says it should provide a quiet, family-focused environment that will enhance caregiving and promote healing.

“Every aspect of the clinic was designed to try to help patients who are going through what we know is an incredibly difficult time for them and their families,” Weiner says. “We designed the unit to try to make that as stress-free as we possibly can.”

The first patients will be seen in the new clinic on Monday.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News Tagged With: ,

Cancer Society sponsors Great American Smoke Out

November 17, 2011 By

A new federal study finds seven out of ten current cigarette smokers say they wish they could quit — and today is their latest opportunity. Chuck Reed, spokesman for the Iowa chapter of the American Cancer Society, says the number of smokers is continuing to fall in the state and nationwide.

Just in Iowa, the adult smoking rate has fallen from well over 20% to 14% in just a few years. “Many, many Iowans have quit smoking,” Reed says, “and the state is becoming healthier.” The Cancer Society is sponsoring today’s annual Great American Smoke Out which Reed says has been changed up a little this time around.

This is the 36th annual smokeout and instead of this just being a day to quit smoking, Reed says it’s been “tweaked” a little bit so today is also a day to make one’s plan to quit smoking — setting a date and specific goals. Studies have found that smokers who try to quit “cold turkey” are only successful about five-percent of the time. Reed says your odds are much better if you seek help.

“Call the QuitLine or call the American Cancer Society and get some coaching or just some support,” he says. “If you do that, along with nicotine replacement therapy, the gums and patches, if you combine those two, your success rate for quitting smoking is about 40%.”

Some Iowa restaurants are making special offers today to encourage smokers to quit, like giving free cold turkey sandwiches in exchange for packs of cigarettes. Learn more online at “www.cancer.org” or by calling 800-ACS-2345.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News Tagged With: ,

Cedar Rapids hospital uses new technology to treat cancer

October 26, 2011 By

Mobetron

An eastern Iowa hospital will become the first in the state to offer a new type of technology to cancer patients. It’s called intra-operative radiation therapy. Ted Townsend, president and C.E.O. of St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, says the one-point-three-million-dollar machine will be ready for use in a few months.

“We do expect it to be a draw for patients outside the Cedar Rapids area,” Townsend says. He says a similar machine is now in use at a hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and people are driving five and six hours to take advantage of the technology. He says the familiar machine used in radiation therapy has been miniaturized and is on wheels.

Townsend says, “What this does is allow us to take a piece of equipment that can create radiation into the operating room so patients who are having cancer tumors removed can receive either all or a significant portion of their radiation while they are in the operating room.” He says it offers cancer patients in Iowa a new treatment alternative.

“What this does is make it so that a person who’s having cancer surgery can have the largest does of their radiation right in the operating room,” Townsend says. “It also means it’s incredibly accurate because we put the machine onto the site of the surgery where the tumor is removed, where roughly 90% of the tumors recur in later life.” He says the machine can provide a very concentrated dose of radiation, without exposing healthy organs.

“We can give a week’s worth of external beam radiation in one minute in the operating room,” Townsend says. “We think that’s going to be a significant convenience and a reduction in pain and suffering for patients and we know it’s going to save them significant dollars.”

He says this technique may decrease, and in some cases, eliminate the need for further radiation therapy, significantly improving the patient experience and reducing the cost of care. The equipment is scheduled to be operational in April of 2012.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October 3, 2011 By

It’s estimated more than 2,000 Iowa women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, while about 400 will die from it. Mike Lefler, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society, says October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and his agency is encouraging Iowa women to put their health first.

“Get your mammograms at age 40,” Lefler says. “Maintain a healthy lifestyle. We’re really big into nutrition and physical activity. Eat right and exercise five times a week for at least 30 minutes a day. All of these things will improve your risk factors for developing breast cancer.”

Lefler says one goal is to make sure women get the care they need once they’re diagnosed with breast cancer. He says they want women to take preventative steps, too. If you don’t know where to go to find that help, the charity can direct you. “The disparate populations maybe don’t have health insurance or are having trouble finding adequate health care or have trouble getting to and from treatment,” Lefler says.

“There are certainly programs that are available through the state or through patient services that the American Cancer Society can provide.” Only lung cancer causes more cancer deaths among Iowa women than breast cancer. Lefler says more than 2.5-million breast cancer survivors nationwide will celebrate a birthday this year thanks to early detection and improved treatment.

“We want women, and men alike, to celebrate more birthdays after a cancer diagnosis or not even be diagnosed with cancer,” he says. “If you hear the words ‘you have cancer,’ we’re going to be there through your cancer journey to make sure you’re getting every possible advantage in terms of treatment, in terms of patient services, in terms of support.”

Several breast cancer awareness events are planned across Iowa during the month. To learn more, call 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

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Effort underway to increase colorectal cancer screenings

September 19, 2011 By

An effort is underway to increase the rate of screenings for colorectal caner in Iowa to 80% by 2014. Officials from the American Cancer Society and University of Iowa Clinics recently held a discussion on the issue. Cancer Society spokesperson, Bobbie Bohnsack says they are working together on strategies to increase screening.

Bohnsack says the guidelines for colorectal cancer say you should be screened from age 50 on up. She says they’re finding colorectal cancer is the third leading cancer by diagnosis and the third leading cancer that causes deaths and “those are statistics that are very alarming.” She says they need to target the people who are not getting their screening.

She says there are “cancer disparities” in Iowa as African-American men have the highest rate of deaths for colorectal cancer. “So we know we have to introduce strategies that are going to help us get rid of those disparities,” Bohnsack says. One of the things they’ve discussed is putting together a way for health care providers and clinics to help keep people informed.

Bohnsack says they need to get a system in place to be able to track and follow patients who need and are due for screenings. And if they receive a positive screening, to make sure they have the resources available to get the treatment that they need. Individuals from throughout the state met Friday to talk about the issues and Bohnsack says the brainstormed some ideas and will continue working to move them forward.

For more information on colorectal cancer screening, you can go to the American Cancer Society website at: www.cancer.org.

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Childrens’ theatre group raises funds for cancer camp

August 25, 2011 By

Kids’ theatre groups usually put on plays like “The Music Man,” “Oklahoma” or “Hair Spray,” but young actors and actresses in a central Iowa town are tackling a much tougher subject — cancer. Katie Short, at the Webster City Community Theater, is directing a cast of 16 children in a dramatic production of “Zink,” opening in a few weeks.

“The play’s about Becky, a young girl who is struggling with leukemia,” Short says. “She goes through rough times but she has a guardian angel herd of zebras who help her and talk about the message of tolerance and acceptance of others no matter what we’re going through. They also talk about treating others with cancer as an equal.” She says it’s a difficult subject but the young cast is handling it like professionals.

“It’s a very tear-jerking kind of message,” Short says. “The profits we raise from this are going to the Children’s Cancer Connection which sends children with cancer in Iowa to camp.” The camp is located near Boone. “Zink” will run September 1-3 at the Webster City Community Theater.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Another benefit for the Children’s Cancer Connection is planned for September 11th in Des Moines, the Flapjack 5K and 10K.

Learn more at: www.childrenscancerconnection.org

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

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