Hot Mission News from A.C.S.

Hot Mission News From The American Cancer Society - March, 2008

World Health Organization Unveils Global Effort to Fight Smoking
One billion people may die of tobacco-related illnesses this century, almost all of them in developing countries, the World Health Organization warned as it rolled out an unprecedented global campaign to limit the spread of smoking.

The effort provides the first comprehensive look at tobacco use, as well as smoking control and taxation policies, in 179 countries. Tobacco use is a risk factor for six of the world's eight leading causes of death and causes about one in every 10 deaths of adults now. That toll is expected to rise steeply as tobacco companies target new customers, particularly women, in low-income countries, WHO officials said.

Co-Pays Seen as a Deterrent to Getting Mammograms
When it comes to medical fees, $12 may not seem much, but it is enough to deter many women from getting a mammogram, a new study finds. Researchers say that when insurance plans require patients to make co-payments of $12 to $35 for mammograms, many decide to take a pass. This finding was true even when factors like income and education were taken into account. What it means, the study said, is that more women may develop breast cancer that is not found until it is harder to treat. The researchers reviewed mammogram coverage by 174 Medicare managed-care plans affecting more than 350,000 women ages 65 to 69.

Walking an Hour a Week Cuts Colon Cancer Risk
A large new study confirms that physical activity reduces colon cancer risk.
While just an hour of walking a week seemed to protect against the disease, the more strenuously women exercised, the lower their risk, researchers found.
"Our findings suggest that participation in lower intensity activities may be sufficient to reduce risk though more vigorous activity provides comparable or perhaps additional risk reduction," they write in the International Journal of Cancer.