Flu season is here again. Even though the Swine flu (H1N1) is no longer in the headlines, the flu, which can be caused by any of several strains of influenza virus, continues to be a threat. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 36,000 flu-related deaths occur every year in the United States (with a range from 3,000 and 49,000 per year). Last year, the most common strain of flu was the H1N1 or Swine flu, which particularly threatened children, younger adults, and pregnant women. More than 10,000 proven cases of H1N1 occurred in the U.S. last year.

To Screen or Not To Screen

Despite advancing diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, controversy remains as to whether and when to screen healthy men for prostate cancer. The FDA approval in 2000 of the da Vinci Robotic Surgery System for prostate and other surgeries promised better surgical outcomes. Other therapeutic options, including cryotherapy, hormonal therapy, and new radiation techniques also promise better outcomes with less complications. Yet, just this year, Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, stated he has chosen not to be screened for prostate cancer. With so many amazing technological advances and treatment options, why wouldn't all men submit to routine screening for prostate cancer? As is often the case in medicine, the answer to this question depends on the answers to other questions.

In May, the President's Cancer Panel released the 2008-2009 Annual Report on Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk.* The report brought good and bad news, along with recommendations for how to reduce our cancer risks both as a nation and as individuals. The panel gathered opinions from a wide range of governmental, industrial, and academic experts. They noted that while the overall incidence and death rate from cancer have decreased, about 1.5 million Americans developed cancer last year and over half a million died from it. And in certain populations, cancer rates are rising. Unfortunately, cancer can strike anyone at any time--however, reducing your risk factors is a great way to bring down the odds of it happening to you or your family.

In February, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article* that highlighted salt as one of the major contributing factors to heart disease in the United States. The authors estimated that a 3g reduction in salt (or 2300mg reduction in sodium) intake per day per person would reduce annual new cases of coronary heart disease by 60,000-120,000 and heart attack by 54,000-99,000, thus saving $10-24 billion in healthcare costs each year. That's a lot of saved lives and a lot of saved money! In fact, the authors suggested that as a nation, the U.S. population would receive a benefit from reducing salt intake that is about equal to all the various anti-high blood pressure therapies combined.