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• FEMA Trailers Making Children Very Sick

  Tens of thousands of children may face a lifetime of health problems due to living in FEMA trailers in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Formaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance, has been found in FEMA trailers at levels five times what is considered safe.           Months after Katrina I remember... Read More... Posted Jun 03 2008, 11:31 AM by Cole Gamble with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children, kids, health, Cancer, tragedy, new orleans, asthma, hurricane katrina, FEMA, sick, formaldehyde

• The Poison Bottle: Canada and Walmart Take BPA Off Market

  Thanks to Canada’s proposed ban on plastic baby bottles with the chemical BPA, Walmart stores have announced they look to have such bottles free from their stores by next year.   Playtex, manufacturer of baby bottles, has also jumped aboard the anti-BPA bandwagon, announcing the company will discontinue BPA products by years end.   BPA, or bisphenol A, is a common plastic component  found in dental sealants, baby bottles, the liners of food cans, CDs and DVDs, eyeglasses, water bottles and hundreds of household goods. If you are not familiar with the possible dangers of BPA... Read More... Posted Apr 23 2008, 09:00 AM by Cole Gamble with | with 16 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, Canada, puberty, toxic, baby bottles, DVDs, BPA, plastic, bisphenol A, water bottles, prostate, health scare, household items

• Health Agency: Um, Oops! Some Plastics Might Be Dangerous

  The federal government has reversed its stance on the risks of certain plastics. The agency in charge is now saying that BPAs actually might be harmful, especially to the very young. Bisphenol A (BPA) is used in everything from dental fillings to sports water bottles. It's also found in most baby bottles and is also used to line the inside of formula cans.  Breastfeeders, you're not off the hook either.   Read More... Posted Apr 15 2008, 04:34 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: research study, Cancer, plastics, baby bottles, formula, BPA, federal regulation of chemicals, bisphenol A, BPA-free bottles, harmful chemicals, early puberty, chemicals in toys, harmful substances

• Kylie to Doctors: Get it right

  During an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres Show, the 39-year-old singer and cancer survivor said that when she visited her doctor in 2005, she was told that everything was fine and that she should go back out on tour. A few weeks later, she found a lump in her breast during a self-examination, and then spent a year in treatment. Although Kylie is fine now, she might not be if she hadn't taken charge of her own health care. Ellen said that she too found a lump in her breast recently and had it removed -- two weeks after getting a mammogram and being told there was nothing there. Read More... Posted Apr 14 2008, 03:30 PM by Brett Singer with | with no comments Filed under: Celebrities, news, Cancer, Ellen Degeneres, kylie minogue, doctors, Brett Singer, statements

• Teen Organ Donor Passes On Cancer-Ridden Organs

  This is one of the saddest stories I ever heard. Fifteen-year-old New Yorker Alex Koehne died suddenly last year of what doctors initially suspected was meningitis.  His parents, knowing how strongly Alex believed in organ donation, donated his liver to a 52-year-old man and his pancreas to a 36-year-old woman.  His kidneys went to two men, one 46 and the other in his sixties.   Read More... Posted Apr 02 2008, 01:30 PM by asflutz with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, organ donation, Alex Koehne, lymphoma, organ transplant

• Cell Phones More Dangerous Than Cigarettes

  Thank God for cell phones.  Now, I don't have to be afraid of breaking down along the most rural, deserted stretches of the Pennsylvania Turnpike with no one to turn to for help besides the red-eyed, wild-haired, six-fingered truck driver who pulled over to offer me a ride.  I don't have to worry that one of my daughters might break her nose on the playground and the hospital won't be able to reach me to give consent for the immediately necessary reconstructive surgery that would prevent her from looking like Karl Malden for the rest of her life. Most importantly, I no longer fear long, boring car rides with no one to gab to.    Now, a British cancer expert is trying to rain on my parade . . .   Read More... Posted Mar 31 2008, 08:29 AM by asflutz with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, cell phones, safety, radiation, Vini Khurana, brain tumors

• Pregnant With Possibilities

  For anyone who thought only women in episodes of "Lost" can get pregnant after battling cancer, here is some encouraging news. A story on CNN.com says that more cancer survivors are not only overcoming the disease, but conceiving and having children. The ability to get pregnant while in remission depends on several factors, including the type of cancer one has, sensitivity to hormones and other issues. But if you have successfully beaten the disease, or know someone who has, this is proof that mommyhood is definitely still an option. Read More... Posted Mar 25 2008, 05:32 PM by Jen Chaney with | with no comments Filed under: health, pregnancy, Cancer

• Some 'Natural' Soaps Contain Cancer-Causing Ingredient

  Better check the labels of your body and dishsoaps, especially the ones you bought specifically because they were labeled "natural" or "organic." A group that represents consumers and manufacturers of natural and organic products conducted an independent lab test of more than 100 such items from natural-food stores (including Whole Foods). They found trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane in 46 diffrent products.  Here's what they found (from washingtonpost.com):   Read More... Posted Mar 15 2008, 01:31 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, organic, personal care, cancer-causing ingredients, organic labels, Dr. Hauschka, natural soaps, burt's bees, mislabled

• More Reasons To Put Down That Muffin

  Just when I thought it was impossible for obesity to be blamed for any more health problems, new studies have come out practically guaranteeing a premature, painful, incontinent death from cancer for people who are at least thirty pounds overweight. Read More... Posted Feb 20 2008, 05:33 PM by asflutz with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, obesity, University of Manchester, self-control, Fred Hutchison Cancer Center

• Thirty Ways of Looking at The Pill

  The Pill raises your risk of breast cancer. Ditto heart disease. And bloodclots. The Pill is a tool of the patriarchy. Oh, and it makes you frigid, which makes you wonder why you're taking it in the first place. Unless, of course, it's a wonder drug that protects against ovarian cancer. And reduces your risk of heart disease. The Pill is what made modern feminism possible. Oh, and it boosts your sex drive because you no longer have to worry about getting pregnant. Read More... Posted Jan 31 2008, 10:30 AM by Adrienne Martini with | with no comments Filed under: Cancer, birth control, science, heart disease, libido, cultural baggage, The Pill

• When Mama Has Cancer

  As if having cancer weren't enough of a kick in the head, parents who are also patients then have to explain to their kids what having cancer means. It's hard to know which would be worse -- facing your own potentially close-by mortality or figuring out how to drive that information home to your kids without breaking them. How do you tell someone whose entire world wrapped up with yours that you might not be around forever? Read More... Posted Jan 28 2008, 03:30 PM by Adrienne Martini with | with no comments Filed under: kids, doll, Cancer, atlanta, sick parents, Cindy Hurst, kimmie cares

• Paying Kids Not To Smoke, Eh?

  It was my freshman year in college when I finally tried my first cigarette and got to feel that euphoric rush of nicotine to my brain that made me lightheaded and the choking cloud of smoke that filled my lungs that caused me to hack and gasp for air for around 10 minutes. In high school I had my opportunities to light up (see: actually talking to high school crush Kristi Ralyea in the mall parking lot after her shift at Wilson’s Suede and Leather) but being a cross country and track team nerd I figured interval training with a Marlboro dangling from the corner of my mouth just wasn’t a good look. For me being anchor leg our school’s 4x800 meter relay team was enough to discourage me from smoking, but some kids need more incentive than that and leave it up to our neighbors to the north to come up with an incentive that any teenager can relate to: Cold. Hard. Cash. Read More... Posted Jan 23 2008, 01:00 PM by makeitadouble with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, cigarettes, Canada, kids and smoking, rewards, emphysema

• Mix Your Own Cancer Cocktails, Save Your Child's Life

  Of course I don’t want to be too melodramatic here. But, I’m not alone, right? You’d do absolutely anything – whatever it takes – to save your child’s life. A father in San Diego, whose seven-year-old son, Sam, has been fighting a rare and deadly form of nerve cancer, was understandably devastated when the last available standard treatments didn’t help the boy and doctors told them there was nothing else they could do. The father, who has a degree in chemical engineering, decided there was something he could do – or at least would try. So he turned his son into a lab rat.   Read More... Posted Dec 17 2007, 09:39 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, prescription medications, doctors, treatment, childhood cancers, alternative therapy

• Fewer Kids Dying From Cancer

  There’s never been a better time to have a kid with cancer. Wait, that doesn’t sound quite right. What I’m trying to say is that deaths from childhood cancer are declining rapidly. The chances of surviving a number of cancers that strike young children fell 20 percent from 1990 to 2004. The big fall is mostly attributed to improvements in the treatment for leukemia. Death from cancer is the fourth-leading cause of death for children, that’s behind ... Read More... Posted Dec 10 2007, 08:27 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: research study, brain tumor, Cancer, suicide, childhood cancers, leukemia, homicide

• David Beckham Snubs Cancer Survivor Kids?

  Sigh. Yeah, I suppose it makes a good flashy news item, the idea that David Beckham would shine on a group of kids who also happened to be cancer survivors. Like next we'll get, "David Beckham kicks puppies" and "David Beckham is a holocaust denier." And the story goes that a group of children were waiting outside Beckham's hotel in Australia, wearing his jersey and holding stuffed kangaroos and he just turned his back on them and walked right past. There's footage of one little girl who made it through leukemia with two bone marrow transplants sobbing. Double ugh. Only, um, it sounds like the explanation is not that David Beckham doesn't care about kids... Read More... Posted Nov 26 2007, 04:04 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: kids, Cancer, parents, celebrity dads, david beckham, hero worship

• Bracelets For Child's Cancer Cure and Support

  Style Kid is mounting a campaign to help seven-year-old Dejah, diagnosed for the second time with cancer. Buy bracelets for $5 (Canadian) each, and for every one, $2 goes to Balding for Dollars, to fund research, education programs, and other efforts to combat childhood cancers. The other $3 goes directly to Dejah's family for support as they go through this rough time. Style Kid will also send you a $5 coupon good towards your next order. And there's no shipping costs on the bracelets. The bracelets are good for all ages and are adjustable. Talk about a good cause, if you can with a lump in your throat over what this kid has been through already. Buy bracelets!   Posted Jul 20 2007, 11:06 AM by Kelly Mills with | with no comments Filed under: Cancer, bracelets, illness, community efforts

• Weekly Check-Up: Don't Get Sick, Kids, Cuz You Aren't Covered For That

  Let's see: Democrats want to expand the State Children's Insurance Program with increased federal funding. Republicans don't want to. In fact, they are looking for some cuts. In particular, the White House opposes possible expansion of the program through an increase in the federal tobacco tax and cuts in Medicare payments to insurance companies. On the one hand, we have sick and injured children who receive medical care; on the other, we have those poor tobacco and insurance companies. Awww, it's a Sophie's Choice situation here. The White House opposes the Democratic plan for “philosophical and ideological” reasons, because it would steer us towards “a single-payer health care system with rationing and price controls.” Perhaps they'd like to deliver their ideological reasons to chronically ill children whose families can't afford treatment? But just to be safe, tell every kid you see to wash their hands, eat healthy, and try not to develop asthma from the polluted air or cancer from pesticide exposure. Because you know, there's some insurance executives who might end up having to get the basic Mercedes with the V-8 rather than the V-12 engine if this all goes through, and that would be a tragedy. Posted Jul 11 2007, 12:15 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Cancer, insurance, sick kids, Republican, illness, democrat

• Little Girls With Cancer May One Day Have Children

  Simultaneous to the news of a successful human birth from a previously-frozen egg, now it seems that if your daughter has cancer, it's not necessarily predictive of later infertility. Eggs have been successfully "harvested" (that word totally creeps me out, sorry) and matured, and as such are virtually indistinguishable from the eggs of adult women. Since chemotherapy in childhood often renders a girl infertile later on, this could be a way to ensure the potential of having children upon reaching adulthood. And since the cure rate for childhood cancer can be as high as 90 percent, it only follows that many of these girls will likely grow up to become healthy women, women who will one day want to have children. The true test will come in some ten years or so when the frozen eggs are thawed again and determined to be viable or not, and there are obviously some ethical questions here as well. It's one thing to agree to have your own eggs sucked out and frozen, but what prepubescent child can really understand the possible ramifications of such an invasive surgery? Which means it's the parents making those decisions. Still, with so much else going on with dealing with a cancer diagnosis, life or death stuff, it's nice to know that there may be options and that there may be one less thing to worry about.    Posted Jul 03 2007, 02:20 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: children, Cancer, infertility, girls, eggs

• Is Sunscreen Adequate Protection For Kids? Probably Not

  When I was a kid, no one used sunscreen. Once in awhile we'd slather on some Coppertone (or worse yet, baby oil!), but that was at the pool or the beach, and it was strictly for better tanning, not for sun protection. Which makes me a prime candidate for melanoma mutations, since the highest risk for those is associated with high sun exposure up to age 20. Then along came sunscreen, and we've been slathering on the protection ever since. It'll prevent those nasty UV rays, right? Maybe not. For one thing, most of us don't use enough. Adults need a shotglassful (I can remember that amount), while kids need about a tablespoon. That's definitely more than I've been using. Plus, it doesn't even work for about 30 minutes after it's applied, so you need to think ahead. If you're already out in the sun and applying it, it's too late. What's even more worrying is that sunscreen really doesn't work all that well. For one thing, until recently sunscreen only filtered the UVB rays, the ones that cause sunburn, allowing the cancer-causing UVA rays to run rampant on our skin. There are sunscreens available now that filter UVA rays: look for the ingredient Helioplex. These sunscreens are more expensive but totally worth it. We're talking cancer here! Another ingredient, Mexoryl, is widely available in Europe (of course) but in the U.S. only appears in sunscreen-containing moisturizer. How twisted is that? But the very BEST protection, especially for the delicate skins of our kids, is shade. Check the daily UV index via your weather provider (what kind of phrase is that? "weather provider"? Wouldn't that be, like, God?) and if it's high, turn on the YouTube for the kiddoes and stay inside and make ice cream or something. Posted Jun 16 2007, 10:53 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: kids, Cancer, safety, sunscreen, UVA rays, melanoma, UVB rays

• Sun-Filled Family Vacations Give Kids Precancerous Moles

  Time to rethink that trip to Tuscany: a German study of close to 2200 kids found that the more often a child's family vacationed in sunny, southern climes, the more likely the child was to have multiple melanocytic nevi, moles that are a precursor to melanoma. Yikes. Trips to northern destinations did not seem to have an effect on the number of moles the kids had. It's important to note that moles are extremely common, particularly among light-skinned people, and the vast majority will never develop into melanoma. Typically, the number of moles a person has is based on genetic factors, but sun exposure also contributes, and researchers are particularly concerned about intense bouts of UV exposure that can occur closer to south, er, the Equator. (If you're in the southern hemisphere, just please bear with me and turn everything upside down.  So when I say south, for you it's north.  Or, uh, something like that.) Naturally, if you can't escape the siren call to the Carribbean or the Mediterranean, experts suggest that parents minimize their children's sun exposure by staying in the shade during the peak UV hours of 10a, - 4 pm (sounds like prime Nap Time to me!) and wear hats and sunscreen. Posted May 18 2007, 07:56 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: kids, health, Cancer, skin cancer, precancerous skin condition, moles

• So Your Kid is Fat. Now What?

  The media is great about telling us all the reasons why our kids are fat, but when it comes to giving parents and kids actual tools to use to help this problem, things fall a little short. Oh sure, there's vague talk about "playing outside more" and "eating better", obvious advice to those who are already leading a fairly healthy lifestyle, but what about the families who aren't? What about the families who truly don't know the Seven Ways to Hide Broccoli So Your Kid Will Eat It, or Things To Do Outside That Aren't Video Games. That's where the new website aimed at kids ages 4-7 comes in. The Great Grub Club promises to be a handy and fun site aimed at giving kids information about being healthy while having fun at the same time. The new site, the brainchild of the World Cancer Research Fund, is set to launch on May 21 in conjunction with National Cancer Awareness Week (U.K.).The site is aimed at preventing the up to 40% of cancers that could be prevented by diet and exercise. Whoa. (Since the site is for kids, cancer isn't actually mentioned, just lots about a healthy lifestyle). Although my kids don't do much with computers yet, I'm going to check out this site with them when it becomes available. I figure that I can use all the help I can get in giving them the message about healthy living. Posted May 16 2007, 10:06 AM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: kids, Cancer, obesity, fat kids, exercise, health and kids

• Ava Cipriani, RIP

  In January I blogged here about an auction to help offset the medical bills of Ava Cipriani, a three-year-old girl suffering from an aggressive form of cancer called neuroblastoma. I'm sorry to report that Ava passed away last month. I can't even begin to get my head around what her family must be feeling. To add insult to injury, the Ciprianis are still in the hole for massive medical costs relating to Ava's treatment. Don't even get me started on the state of healthcare in the United States; instead, I'd rather focus on how amazing some individuals are. I know nothing about Ally and Larry Cipriani, but I can guess that they must be incredibly cool people indeed because of the way their community has rallied around them in this darkest time. First the auction in January, and the latest example is a series of teeshirts being produced by 70 Star 7, an organization that screenprints shirts with unique and beautiful designs by various artists and donates a significant portion of the proceeds from each limited-edition run to the charity of the artist's choice. Several artists are on board to support A Wish For Ava (Henry "H" Lichtmann's already got a couple of designs up on the 70*7 site), and a special child-sized shirt and hoodie from Kathie Olivas will be available soon at LA's Monkeyhouse Toys. I can't really think of a better legacy than having people love you and your family so much that they're willing to put their hearts into doing whatever needs to be done to help you. (via boingboing)  Posted May 10 2007, 12:45 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: health, Cancer, ava cipriani, charity, death

• Kids Sell Their Toys To Save Their Dad From Cancer

  I'm all verklempt here from reading this article. Here, you do it, I can't. Okay, I'm better now. Stay-at-home dad Dave Hall has cancer and was given six months to live. He needs $10,000 to get from where he lives in the U.K. to the U.S. for treatment for his three-inch brain tumor, so his three kids have put their teddy bears and Legos up on eBay to help raise the money for him.  Eight-year-old Callum is even selling his treasured Robodog, because although he loves his toy he loves his dad more. He says, "I love Robodog – but I really want to raise money for my dad and Cancer Research." The kids Daniella, Callum, and Lucia are thirteen, eight, and three.  Their parents must be extremely proud and grateful. I hope they manage to raise the money they need. Me, I'm still verklempt. Posted Apr 19 2007, 11:25 AM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: kids, brain tumor, Cancer, ebay, selling toys

• Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Returns

  Presidential hopeful John Edwards held a press conference today to announce that his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, has cancer once more. Mrs. Edwards is a breast cancer survivor. Her cancer was thought to be in remission, but is has reappeared in her bone. The cancer is not cureable, but it is treatable. Edwards vowed that despite his wife's cancer, his campaign will go on. The Edwards' have four children, Cate, Emma Claire, and Jack. Oldest son Wade was killed in a car crash in 1996 when he was 16. Emma Claire and Jack were born following his death. This story is a very personal one for me. I had the extreme privilege of meeting Mrs. Edwards last year when she was on her book tour for Saving Graces (a book I highly recommend). She wanted to meet with "mom bloggers" to chat about issues that were important to mothers and I was invited along with other Silicon Valley Mom Bloggers. Yes, she was promoting her book, but there was no ulterior motive. We talked about politics, the state of the nation, medical issues, and health care—not about her book. Elizabeth Edwards is and will always be one of my heroes. I wish her the best and hope she lives a long life. We need her. [photo credit: Stefania Pomponi Butler]  Posted Mar 22 2007, 02:02 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with no comments Filed under: Cancer, authors, John Edwards, super mothers, Saving Graces, Elizabeth Edwards, breast cancer

• Prenatal Vitamins for Moms-to-be May Prevent Cancer in Babies

  Is it really this easy??  Apparently it is.  A new Canadian study strongly suggests that the three most common and very devastating childhood cancers, leukemia, neuroblastoma, and brain tumors, can be reduced by up to almost 47% by the simple and relatively inexpensive action of the mother taking prenatal vitamins before and during the first three months of pregnancy.  Although the study seems somewhat suspicious (it was funded in part by a prenatal vitamin manufacturer), I'm inclined to go with this one.  Although the results of the study did not define which element of the prenatal vitamins was the cause of the decrease in cancer incidence, it's suggested that it may be the folic acid, already known to help prevent neural-tube defects (spina bifida, etc.).  Whatever the cause, it seems that there's no downside to taking prenatal vitamins other than choking down those wretched ginormous horse pills every day.  Which seems a small price to pay for the very real possibility that it might prevent cancer or devastating disease in your unborn child. Posted Feb 22 2007, 04:12 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 6 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, Cancer, babies, prenatal vitamins

• LinkLove, Emphasis On "Love": Ava Cipriani Benefit Auction

  Ava Cipriani is a three-year-old girl undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that is generally not diagnosed until it has already reached a critical stage. She was diagnosed in spring of 2006 and still has a year of treatment to undergo. Through January 31, Monkeyhouse Toys and Art Gallery in Los Angeles is hosting Wishing Well, a display of art toys, sketches, paintings, and other items donated to benefit Ava's rapidly accruing medical debt. When the show closes, the works will be placed on ten-day auction through eBay. If you're in the Los Angeles area, check out the crazy creatures and works of art at Monkeyhouse. And if you're not, consider placing a bid to help this little girl and her family get through a difficult and frightening time.   via BoingBoing  Posted Jan 24 2007, 01:53 PM by Patti with | with no comments Filed under: linklove, Cancer, los angeles, monkeyhouse, benefit auction, ava cipriani, neuroblastoma

• Kids Shave Heads In Show of Solidarity

  Yep, there's nothing that shows support for a cause like whipping a razor over your head, and nine friends and family members of 7-year-old Zach Nawas have the shorn locks to prove it.  Zach, a Louisiana second-grader, is losing his hair in treatments for Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer of the lymphatic system that is relatively rare in children Zach's age.  In addition, more friends have ordered rubber bracelets similar to those in Lance Armstrong's ubiquitous yellow LIVESTRONG campaign.  Zach's mom Jennifer is glad Zach has so many friends willing to make the sacrifice.  "I just think it's awesome that they were all so willing to do something that's so unselfish," she said. "It made shaving his head a fun thing instead of a sad thing."  And that's what it's all about.  Go, Zach.  And get better. Posted Jan 11 2007, 01:01 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: kids, health, Cancer, shaved heads

• Sophie's Choice: One Family's Journey to Hell and Beyond

  You know the moment when the world starts to spin the other way, things stand still, and you know that everything that happens to you ever after will never be the same as it was before?  Consider Vampdaddy. His world blew apart last June when his then-16-month-old son had a seizure and the resultant MRI showed a tumor.  In his brain.  And this happened on the most ironic of days, if the universe was listening and thinking about such things:  Father's Day. The posts that follow are a heart-wrenching assortment of descriptions of the rarefied world of Cancer: the treatments, the tubes, the endless hospitalizations, and the dizzying spiral descent into a bizarre world that had somehow day by day became, for the Vampfamily, the New Normal, as they tried to maintain their equilibrium in this ever-changing and removed-from-reality world.  Nothing was the same anymore, and yet, inside this, they found that everything was still there:  a little boy, his mom, and his dad. Until now.  Faced with the most incredible and heart-breaking Sophie's Choice dilemma, the Vampfamily must now choose between having a little boy who might end up with severe cognitive delays, affected in yet-unknown ways and to yet-unknown degrees, or having a little boy who will surely die.  In so doing, this courageous family, representative of so many families who daily face situations you and I can only imagine, examines destiny and choice, realizing that there simply are no choices.  There are only actions, only love. Posted Jan 09 2007, 04:03 PM by Karen Murphy with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: health, Cancer, hope, choice

• Younger Siblings May Give You A Brain Tumor. Which Is Nice.

  A gaggle of German scientists have reported that children with three or more younger siblings face up to four times the risk of developing a brain tumor by age 15 compared to children with no siblings. "The association with number of younger siblings, and not with number of older siblings, suggests that infections or re-infections in late childhood may play an important role in the development of pediatric nervous system tumors," said lead researcher Dr. Andrea Altieri, of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany. The findings are published in the Dec. 12 issue of Neurology, which I read for the articles and certainly not the nudie centerfold pics of cancer researchers. There are detractors who say the German study is unsatisfactory. Dr. Paul Graham Fisher of Stanford University says the study's suggestion that infections may play a role in brain-tumor development has been contradicted by other recent epidemiological research. Also, the study is based on a sample of 13,600 Swedish brain tumor cases, yah? "Maybe it's because Scandinavian people have more children after the first one is diagnosed with a brain tumor," he said. Or maybe it's because the horny scientists were so busy looking at the yoddeling, blonde-braided, large-breasted Swedish women that they weren't paying proper attention to the brain tumors.  Posted Dec 14 2006, 10:00 AM by Dad Gone Mad with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: research study, brain tumor, Cancer, German, sibling