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Show CANCER Answeriline American Cancer Society A regular feature, prepared by the American Cancer Society, to help save your life from cancer. A manufacturer writes: "A business associate is to begin chemotherapy for cancer when he gets out of the hospital. I would like to t know how physicians monitor moni-tor these powerful drugs." ANSWER line: Chemotherapy is a form of treatment which is closely monitored because the drugs used are very potent and it is important to tailor the dosage to individual response and needs. This is accomplished by doing blood counts, x-ray tests, special isotope scans, analyses of general body function and special blood chemistry tests of liver or kidney function. A secretary asks: "Can you give me some concrete guidance guid-ance about whether or not a woman should have mammography? mammo-graphy? I read recently some frightening news stories that said that mammography can cause cancer. I then cancelled my appointment to have it done." ANSWERIine: Many women have "cancelled appointments" appoint-ments" because of understandable under-standable confusion resulting from a decision to limit routine mammographic screening of women without symptoms to those women over 50. This is because of the slight possibility that a younger woman might develop devel-op breast cancer 20 or 30 years after routine mammographic mammo-graphic x-rays are done. There is absolutely no ques- tion of the importance of routine mammography for women over 50. Mammography Mammo-graphy can find possible breast cancer in an extremely early stage when it is most easily and successfully treated. And breast cancer risk increases in-creases with age. Mammography Mammo-graphy is also important for women under 50 who have certain physical conditions or risk factors. The decision to have mammography must always reflect careful discussion discus-sion between a woman and her physician. A photographer writes: "Because "Be-cause I am a free-lance worker, work-er, I have some time to call my own. I would like to do volunteer work for the American Cancer Society, but I want to do something meaningful. What can you suggest?" ANSWERIine: The suggestions sugges-tions you request could fill many columns because your local ACS Unit has need of volunteers with different talents, interests and available time schedules. You might volunteer to drive cancer patients to treatment centers or you might run a quit-smoking clinic at a high school. You might use your photography photo-graphy skills to publicize ACS events or you might answer telephone calls from people in your community with cancer-related problems. You might organize a free Pap test clinic at a health fair, or you might run an employee education edu-cation program in a factory. The ACS needs you and will be happy to tailor a volunteer spot "just for you." |