Health & Wellness - October 2012 Archives

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 4, 2012.  October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States and ranks second as a cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer. About 1 in 8 women and 1 in 1,000 men will develop breast cancer. Although treatment advances have improved survival rates, a cure for breast cancer remains elusive. Assessing risk, understanding the disease, navigating treatment options, managing the side effects of treatment and coping with a cancer diagnosis are just some of the issues patients may face. The following Mayo Clinic Cancer Center experts are available to discuss those and other topics: Lynn Hartmann, M.D.: Researching breast cancer risk. Dr. Hartmann is working to develop a new way to identify breast cancer risk based on the makeup of breast tissue. She is co-editor of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book. James Ingle, M.D.: Breast cancer is not one disease. In a recent study in the journal Nature, researchers identified four genetically distinct forms of breast cancer and within those subtypes; they found characteristics of other types of cancers. The hope is that current treatments for other forms of cancer may also work for these breast cancer subtypes. Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.: Helping patients navigate treatment options. Dr. Pruthi developed an interactive multimedia breast cancer decision tool to help patients learn about treatment options. Charles Loprinzi, M.D.: Managing the side effects of cancer therapy. Dr. Loprinzi has conducted research on ways to lessen the impact of treatment side effects such as peripheral neuropathy, nausea, vomiting and hot flashes. He is also co-editor of the Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book. Amit Sood, M.D.: Coping with a cancer diagnosis. Ongoing stress among cancer patients and survivors negatively affects health, happiness, relationships and quality of life. Dr. Sood specializes in mind-body approaches to decrease stress and enhance resilience, well-being and coping skills.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Breast Cancer Awareness: Mayo Clinic Experts Available for Interviews  Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States. About 1 in 8 women, and 1 in 1,000 men, will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Assessing risk, understanding the disease, navigating treatment options and managing the side effects of treatment, and coping with a cancer diagnosis are just some of the issues people may face. A reporter pkg."The Risk of Breast Cancer' is available in the downloads above with script and b-roll. Medical Edge pkgs. can be edited into vo/sots and incorporated into your local reporting. To interview any of the following Mayo Clinic Cancer Center experts:  Lynn Hartmann, M.D.   James Ingle, M.D.  Sandhya Pruthi, M.D.  Charles Loprinzi, M.D.  Amit Sood, M.D. Please contact: Joe Dangor 507-284-5005  newsbureau@mayo.edu   

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 3, 2012.  The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book, available online and in retail outlets nationwide starting in October, helps women and their families better understand the disease, make informed decisions regarding treatments, and cope with the emotional and physical effects of breast cancer. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: A video interview with Dr. Hartmann is available for journalists to download on the Mayo Clinic News Network. "We wrote The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book to take the mystery out of breast cancer and give women guidance and tools for what to do if they are diagnosed," says Charles Loprinzi, M.D., a breast cancer expert at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center and the book's medical co-editor. "The good news is that deaths from breast cancer are declining, due in large part to ongoing research and advances in diagnosis and treatment. We are seeing the cancer as a longer-term, manageable condition, such as heart disease or diabetes." This straightforward yet approachable resource from Mayo Clinic, one of the most respected names in medicine, will empower all who are, or might be, affected by breast cancer. "Thanks to new research discoveries about how breast cancer develops and how to block it, we have a much better chance of treating it and, one day, preventing it," explains Lynn Hartmann, M.D., medical co-editor of The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book and another breast cancer expert at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. "It's also important to understand your risk of getting the disease. Then you can decide what steps to take, if any, to reduce your risk." The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book offers solid tools for coping with the uncertainties and decisions that must be made after a breast cancer diagnosis. Janet Vittone, M.D., is an internist and specialist at Mayo Clinic and a breast cancer survivor. She says, "Even though I was lucky enough to have world-renowned colleagues just down the hall, I wish I had a book like this for myself, and to give to my family, after my mother, two sisters and I all received a breast cancer diagnosis within the same year." The book guides women and their families through every available option in supportive, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand language. Along with the cutting-edge medical information, The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book addresses questions such as: How do stress, obesity, and alcohol intake impact the likelihood of getting breast cancer? Are ovarian or uterine cancers related to breast cancer?<'li> Am I at high risk for breast cancer? Does my having breast cancer mean my daughter will get it too? How do I sort through treatment options? What options are available? Each chapter in The Mayo Clinic Breast Cancer Book was reviewed by multiple experts at Mayo Clinic. The book, which also has a Glossary of Terms and Additional Resources sections, is divided into three parts: Part 1: Cancer Basics — What to do when cancer strikes, and understanding cancer. Part 2: Breast Cancer — A complete overview, including making sense of risk statistics, preventing breast cancer, the latest on screening, different types of breast cancer, treating invasive breast cancer, breast reconstruction, what if the cancer comes back, and ovarian and uterine cancer. Part 3: Life After a Cancer Diagnosis — Feelings and emotions, treatment side effects, complementary therapies, survivorship, and advice for partners.

The AnxietyCoach is a new Apple app to help people conquer fears and worries by guiding them through a series of confidence-building exercises. It also ...

Fall is a great time to run a marathon ... temperatures are cooler and the foliage is a bonus. But even if you've been preparing ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 3, 2012.  Melanoma is on the rise nationally, and transplant recipients and lymphoma patients are far likelier than the average person ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 3, 2012.  Mayo Clinic is releasing an app this week for Apple iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch called Anxiety Coach, a self-help tool that assists people in reducing a variety of fears and worries ranging from extreme shyness to obsessions and compulsions. Unlike other self-help apps, Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach helps people conquer their fears by guiding them through a series of confidence-building exercises while simultaneously tracking anxiety levels in real time and gauging their progress. Journalists: For multimedia resources including audio, video and b-roll of the app, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. The app is designed for people with any level of anxiety. It can help someone overcome a common fear such as public speaking, or guide someone who has more severe symptoms in tracking and fighting anxiety between sessions with their health care provider. The strategies used in Anxiety Coach are based on cognitive behavioral therapy, the most effective psychotherapy for fears and worries. In cognitive behavioral therapy, people increase their confidence by gradually confronting situations that they have avoided out of fear. Research has demonstrated that cognitive behavioral therapy is more effective for anxiety than other approaches that rely on teaching people to relax. Anxiety Coach was developed by two clinical psychologists who are recognized as experts in the treatment of anxiety disorders — Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., director of the Pediatric Anxiety Disorders Program at Mayo Clinic, and Jonathan Abramowitz, Ph.D., an adult anxiety disorders specialist at the University of North Carolina. "The app is based on a long history of clinical research of what is helpful in conquering anxiety," Dr. Whiteside says. "It really challenges people to face their fears, as opposed to other apps that focus on relaxation strategy but don't get to the core of what is helpful in the long term." Features of the Mayo Clinic Anxiety Coach: Short self-test to measure the severity of fears and worries Ability to design a personal plan to target individual fears and worries Library of more than 500 activities that people have found to help master a variety of fears and worries including social anxiety, obsessions and compulsions, specific fears, separation anxiety, panic attacks, trauma-related anxiety, and general worries Track anxiety while challenging fears and worries in real-life situations Record and view progress Tools to learn about when anxiety becomes a problem and how to seek treatment

Melanoma is on the rise, and a Mayo Clinic review has found that transplant recipients and lymphoma patients are more likely to get that form of skin cancer ...

Smartphones can be used to evaluate stroke patients in remote locations. A Mayo Clinic study is the first to test the effectiveness of smartphone applications in a ...

LA CROSSE, Wis. — October 1, 2012.  Errant gunshots are an obvious health risk during fall hunting season, but a range of other dangers also can send hunters to the hospital or worse: heart attacks, injured backs and broken bones are among the most common medical emergencies. Emergency medicine physician Eric Grube, D.O., of the Mayo Clinic Health System in La Crosse offers several tips for a safe hunting season. VIDEO ALERT: For B-roll of a hunter and news network membership, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network. Click here for a deer stand safety video on YouTube. "I am a hunter and always need to remind myself to lead by example when I'm in the woods," Dr. Grube says. "Hunting can be a fun sport for all to enjoy. But we need to make sure that fun isn't spoiled by some unfortunate accident." Hunters should make sure they are properly educated about their surroundings. They also should be diligent with safety precautions, wear clothing suitable for hunting and for the weather, stay level headed, and always alert other hunters to their presence, he says. Other tips from Dr. Grube: Watch for heart attack warning signs. One study of middle-aged male deer hunters found that the activities inherent to hunting — walking over rough terrain, shooting an animal and dragging its carcass, for example — sent their heart rates up significantly. Although opinion varies, many doctors caution that exercising at more than 85 percent of a person's maximum heart rate increases the risk of heart attack. Hunters unaccustomed to the strenuous hikes involved should take several breaks to rest, Dr. Grube says. Falls tend to be the most common cause of injuries, and often happen when a hunter is up a tree and startled by animals there. Pay attention to your surroundings at all times. Always check equipment and stands and use safety belts to prevent falls. Permanent tree stands are more likely to deteriorate and should be avoided. The average fall from a tree stand is about 15 feet. Injuries suffered from those heights can cause broken bones, paralysis, or even death. Avoid alcohol. Hunters are more susceptible to injuries, including frostbite and hypothermia, if they've been drinking. Let family members know where you'll be hunting and take two-way radios or loud whistles along in case help is needed. A surprisingly large number of hunting accidents occur between family members and friends who have gone out together, but do not remember or know where their party has gone, Dr. Grube says. Learn some basic first aid before heading to the woods, including how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or hands-only CPR, which consists of chest compressions, should a hunting partner have a heart attack. Dr. Grube notes four basic rules of firearm safety from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources known as TAB-K: Treat every firearm as if it is loaded, always point the muzzle in a safe direction, be certain of your target and what's beyond it, and keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 1, 2012.   Steven Rose, M.D., has been named dean of Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education at Mayo Clinic. He succeeds Mark Warner, M.D., who served as dean from 2006 until his appointment as executive dean for education in July 2012. Dr. Rose's appointment is effective immediately. He will be responsible for graduate medical education activities throughout Mayo Clinic. Dr. Rose began his career at Mayo as a physician in the Department of Anesthesiology in 1988. He was appointed vice dean of Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education in 2007 and became a professor in the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic last year. He has received several awards, including the Resident Education Award, the Distinguished Clinician Award and the Distinguished Service Award in the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Rose is an author, researcher and educator whose interests focus on orthopedic and thoracic anesthesia and medical education. He serves as an editor or reviewer for several journals.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — October 1, 2012.  No matter how long or diligently runners train before a marathon, they invariably cross the finish line with some mark of the endurance test they've just experienced. To help alleviate injuries and stay healthy on race day, Ed Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center, offers runners prerace tips for a rewarding marathon experience. Dehydration, sprains and "hitting the wall" are among some of the most common race-day problems However, some pain prior to race day doesn't mean runners need to stay at home. "Soreness of muscles and tissues as you progress through higher levels of training and increasing mileage is normal. If the soreness resolves as you continue to run and doesn't interfere with your running mechanics, you likely can continue," says Dr. Laskowski. But sometimes runners should have an injury professionally evaluated before continuing. "Pain associated with joint swelling or that causes the joint to feel unstable should be checked. You should also seek an evaluation for pain that persists or intensifies after rest from running or pain that causes you to compensate, change your running, or change your gait." Hydration and energy-boosting carbohydrates during the race also contribute to a healthy race with low risk of injury, Dr. Laskowski says. He advises that if you eat and drink sufficiently in the 8–12 hours prior to a long run, then you should be close to being well hydrated. On race day, water and milk, fruit juice and sports drinks can be consumed up to an hour prior to your run. During the run, sports drinks are a good source of energy, and the sodium they contain may help stimulate thirst and replace electrolytes lost through sweat. After the run, when you are in recovery mode, veggie juice, chocolate milk, smoothies and fruit juice are good choices for hydration. Dr. Laskowski offers the following tips for marathon runners just prior to the big race: The day before the marathon, consume extra calories, especially high-carbohydrate foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, and/or potatoes. To enable fluid absorption, start drinking fluids at least four hours before exercise. Most marathoners find they perform better if they consume carbohydrates during the race. Sports drinks, bars and gels are good options. To avoid runners' diarrhea, at least one day before running, limit or avoid sweeteners called sugar alcohols — most often found in sugar-free candies, gum and ice cream. For three to six hours before running, limit or avoid caffeine and high-fat foods. After-marathon food should include protein, preferably peanut butter or string cheese, which you should eat within two hours after stepping off the course.