SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2017
3 B
Mail carriers collect Us TOO Flor ence
canned goods Saturday Behind the headlines
Join with neighbors and the
local community on Saturday,
May 13, during the annual
Letter Carrier’s Food Drive.
To participate, leave non-
perishable food at your mail-
box that morning. Letter carri-
ers will pick up the food for
Florence Food Share.
Florence Food Share specif-
ically needs the following
canned good items: Beef stew,
tuna, diced and stewed toma-
toes, spaghetti sauce, refried
beans, black beans, green
beans, fruit, breakfast cereal,
chicken noodle soup and fresh
carrots.
$500 REWARD FOR SAFE RETURN.
MOLLY is Missing
Blonde long-haired
dachshund, white on face.
She’s deaf and usually
responds to clapping hands. She
has on a red collar with ID tag.
We live on Davis Way just off
Clear Lake Rd. in Dunes City.
Missing since Fri., 2/10.
If you find her please call
541-997-3134(hm)
or 541-999-5885(cell).
INDOOR / OUTDOOR
USLAW
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SIGNS & BANNERS
VEHICLE GRAPHICS
VINYL LETTERING
STICKERS & CLINGS
WINDOW GRAPHICS
YARD SIGNS
997-8148
LOCATED AT: 7KH6KLSSLQ·6KDFN
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(541) 997-6977
(541) 999-0896
P.O. Box 31,000
P.O. Box 31,000 • Florence, OR 97439
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ars
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Ex
MODEL TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS
CLEANING UP AFTER THE HOLIDAYS?
SPRING CLEANING AROUND THE CORNER?…
I’M LOCATED HERE IN FLORENCE.
CALL ME TO BUY, SELL OR TRADE!
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landl316@live.com
www.TheSiuslawNews.com
B Y B OB H ORNEY
CANCER SURVIVOR
U S TOO CHAPTER LEADER
O
n April 11, the U.S.
Preventive
Services
Task Force (USPSTF)
presented a draft of its new
prostate cancer screening recom-
mendation. This new recom-
mendation is only a slight revi-
sion of its 2012 version.
The beneficiaries of this new
recommendation are men ages 55
through 69. These men benefit by
receiving a “C” recommendation
for prostate-specific antigen
(PSA)-based screening for
prostate cancer. This rating, con-
trary to the previous “D” rating,
which discouraged all PSA test-
ing in asymptomatic men, now
says men within this age range
may discuss the benefits and
harms of PSA screening with
their doctors.
Then they may individually
decide what they want to do
based on their own values and
preferences.
What about men younger than
55 or older than 69? According to
this recommendation, they
remain faced with the “D” rating
(from the 2012 USPSTF recom-
mendation) which means no PSA
testing unless symptomatic
although they may ask (or
demand) to be tested.
To get an idea of what the
USPSTF is recommending, the
following quotes are from its
Recommendation Statement.
“This recommendation applies
to adult men in the general U.S.
population without symptoms or
a previous diagnosis of prostate
cancer. It also applies to men at
increased risk of death from
prostate cancer due to race or
family history of prostate can-
cer.”
It is not good news when the
USPSTF limits “men at
increased risk of death from
prostate cancer” to the same start
and stop screening schedule as
the general male population.
Here’s the rationale the USP-
STF uses to justify the inclusion
of these increased risk groups in
its general U.S. population rec-
ommendation:
“Based on the available evi-
dence, the USPSTF is not able to
make a separate, specific recom-
mendation on PSA-based screen-
ing for prostate cancer in African
American men.”
Later in this same draft recom-
mendation, we find the exact
same statement for men with a
family history of prostate cancer.
“Based on the available evi-
dence” simply means there have
been no prospective, randomized
clinical trials (studies) specific to
either of those increased risk
groups.
After noting that, the USPSTF
seems to admit there are already
“known” burdens of prostate
cancer in both increased risk
groups that might benefit from
some tweaks to their recommen-
dation… like earlier screening.
“In the United States, African
American men are more likely to
develop prostate cancer than
white men (203.5 vs. 121.9 cases
per 100,000 men). African
American men are also more
than twice as likely as white men
to die of prostate cancer (44.1 vs.
19.1 deaths per 100,000).
“The higher death rate is due
in part to an earlier age at cancer
onset, more advanced cancer
stage at diagnosis, and higher
rates of more aggressive cancer.
“The disparity in death from
prostate cancer may also reflect
that African American men have
lower rates of receiving high-
quality care.
“Decision analysis models
suggest that given the higher
rates of aggressive cancer in
African American men, PSA-
based screening may provide
greater benefit to African
American men than the general
population. These models also
suggest a potential mortality ben-
efit for African American men
when beginning screening before
age 55 years.
“It is generally accepted that
men with a family history of
prostate cancer are more likely to
develop prostate cancer. A study
of twins in Scandinavia estimat-
ed that genetic factors may
account for up to 42 percent of
prostate cancer risk. An analysis
from the Finnish site of the
ERSPC trial concluded that men
with at least one first-degree rel-
ative with prostate cancer were
30 percent more likely to be
diagnosed with prostate cancer
than men without a family histo-
ry.”
So, the USPSTF, based on its
information presented above,
quietly suggests that these
increased risk men “might” ben-
efit from earlier screening than
the general population at age 55.
It states that a reasonable
approach is for clinicians to talk
with these men about their
increased risk of developing
prostate cancer so they can make
an informed, personal decision
about whether to be screened.
Healthcare could soon be on endangered list
“America has the most expensive
healthcare system in the world,” said
Samuel Metz, retired anesthesiologist
from Portland, Ore.
Many countries, even a small coun-
try like Rwanda, offer healthcare to all
its citizens. America, one of the richest
countries in the world, is still strug-
gling with the idea of healthcare for
all.
In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt pro-
posed national healthcare.
Presidents Truman and Kennedy advo-
cated for health insurance for older peo-
ple, but it wasn’t until 1965 that Lyndon
B. Johnson signed HR 6675 into law, mak-
ing Medicare available to seniors and
extending Medicaid to low-income peo-
ple. Later, Richard Nixon expanded bene-
fits to people under 65 with long-term dis-
abilities.
National statistics (2015) indicate that
today, 46 million people age 65 and older,
receive Medicare benefits.
Compared to other wealthy countries,
the quality of American healthcare lags
behind, while the nation’s child mortality
rates are appallingly high.
One of the greatest obstacles to passing
a bill granting healthcare to all is the ethic
of “profits over people.” Drug companies
mark up their medicines as much as 3,000
percent while exceedingly powerful phar-
maceutical lobbyists often block proposed
bills.
The House Republicans’ latest version
of the American Health Care Act offers
tax breaks and savings to high-income
Americans while repealing taxes on
insurance, drug and medical device
companies.
The way the bill stands, those with
chronic health issues would bear unaf-
fordable costs.
“I don't know what I would have done
without the Affordable Health Care Act,”
said P.W., a Florence woman diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis in 2002.
At age 62, she had to stop working and
apply for disability, but Medicare has a
two-year waiting period.
P.W. joined through the Affordable Care
Act and her medication costs, which were
$6,000 a month, required an out-of-pock-
et expense of $100 per month the first year
and $200 per month the second.
P.W. said she is extremely grateful that
the ACA was available.
For more information, visit Health Care
for All Oregon at www.hcao.org. —
Submitted by FOR, Florence ORganizes
May is National Stroke Prevention month
Annually, paramedics and
EMTs respond to dozens of
ambulance district patients suf-
fering the potential health
effects of a stroke.
A stroke is either described
as sudden bleeding in the brain,
or a clot in a blood vessel of the
brain which is cutting off vital
blood flow to critical regions of
the brain that require blood
flow for brain tissue survival.
Either condition can prove
dangerous, or even fatal to that
patient.
Western Lane Ambulance
District (WLAD) will provide
vital public service messages to
get this critical information out
to members of the community.
In this series, WLAD will
discuss the importance of the
American Heart Association's
(AHA)
FAST
Quick
Recognition Program for
Strokes.
The AHA has developed the
“FAST” public information
campaign in order to education
citizens to quickly spot stroke
signs and know when to call
911.
F — Face drooping. When
one side of the face is numb,
and upon asking a person to
smile; one side of their smile is
uneven or lopsided.
A — Arm Weakness. Is one
arm weak or numb? Ask the
person to raise both arms. Does
one arm drift downward?
S — Speech slurred. Is the
person unable to speak or hard
to understand? Ask the person
to repeat a simple sentence
like, you can’t teach an old dog
new tricks.
T — Time to call 911.
If someone shows any of
these symptoms, even if the
symptoms go away, call 911
and say, “I think this is a
stroke,” to help get the person
to the hospital immediately.
In addition to above signs
and symptoms of stroke, there
are several other’s that may
indication stroke: sudden trou-
ble seeing in one or both eyes,
sudden trouble walking, dizzi-
ness, or loss of balance and
coordination; and a sudden
severe headache with no cause.
In addition to conducting
public
service
messages
through the media, WLAD will
conduct presentations to inter-
ested civic groups, organiza-
tions, assisted living centers
and other community organiza-
tions.
Call WLAD at 541-997-
9614 for more information on
these programs.
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541-997-3441
BRADLEY
BERG
ATTORNEY
Wills - Trusts
Probate
1932 Pine St.
Suite B-3
Florence, OR
997-8114
SPRUCE POINT
Spruce
Point
ASSISTED LIVING
Assisted
Living
375 9th Street • Florence
997-6111
541-997-6111
Best For
Hearing
2285 Hwy. 101, Florence
997-8866
Here to serve your denture needs:
Dentures
Partial Dentures
Immediate Dentures
Implant Dentures
Relines & Repairs Same Day
Monday-Thursday
10am - 2 pm
524 Laurel St.
541-997-6054
William Foster LD
Sherry, Offi ce Manager
“As a denture wearer myself,
I can answer your
questions and address
your denture concerns.”
~ William Foster, LD
Financing: Citi Health Card
12 Month no Interest