SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2017
Police offer tips to prevent
theft during holidays
The
Florence
Police
Department has taken 11
reports of stolen vehicles with-
in the city limits of Florence
since late August. In seven of
those incidents, the keys were
left inside the vehicles, mak-
ing the vehicle an easy oppor-
tunity for theft.
Florence police remind resi-
dents to protect themselves
and their property by never
leaving a running vehicle unat-
tended and to always lock
Us TOO Flor ence
Behind the headlines
vehicle doors.
“With the holiday season
upon us it is also important to
not leave packages or other
items of value in your car that
can be seen from outside your
car, and again always lock
your doors,” said Commander
John Pitcher. “ A lot of crimes
that are committed are ‘crimes
of opportunity,’ where if we
take away the opportunity or
make ourselves a harder target
the thief will likely move on.”
B Y B OB H ORNEY
U S TOO F LORENCE FACILITATOR
P ROSTATE CANCER SURVIVOR
Let Paul show you a new car or truck.
Stop by today!
2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence
(541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475
Holiday Open House
for the
Chicken Coop
Fri., Dec. 15, 4-7
Sat., Dec. 16, 12-5
The Chicken Coop
129 Maple Street
Florence
541-991-7739
Refreshments, drawings, and fun for everyone!
Lots of Christmas gift giving ideas!
Last month, the good news was
that a 2017 re-analysis of the
Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and
Ovarian trial (PLCO) showed that
PSA screening does, in fact,
reduce prostate cancer mortality
by 25-32 percent. Unfortunately,
we’ve had about six years of the
U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force (USPSTF) holding firmly to
the exact opposite, i.e., PSA
screening results in more harms
than benefits.
The USPSTF makes “evidence-
based” recommendations about
clinical preventive services
(including PSA screenings), and
these recommendations then guide
the practice of primary care physi-
cians.
“Discourage the use of this
service,” is what the USPSTF told
our primary care physicians when
it gave PSA screening a “D” grade
in 2012. The phrase used in the
Annals of Internal Medicine was
even more blunt: “Do not use
prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-
based screening for prostate can-
cer.”
So, what happened when the
USPSTF recommended doctors
eliminate routine PSA testing for
all men? We learn from the
Chicago Prostate Cancer Center
(CPCC) that it had an immediate
effect of fewer men being offered
periodic PSA testing — and digi-
tal rectal examination (DRE) —
even at annual physicals.
With fewer PSA tests, DREs,
biopsies and diagnoses, what has
been the experience at the CPCC?
Exactly what was feared.
“With less screening, there has
been a significant rise in the rate
of men who are now requiring
treatment for more advanced
prostate cancers, men who missed
early stage detection and treat-
ment,” the CPCC report said.
Naturally, with less screening
and fewer DREs, urologists (who
perform biopsies, make prostate
cancer diagnoses and treat
prostate cancer patients) seldom
see the patient with no symptoms.
In short: No test results, no
referral.
The urologists will see the men
if or when they develop advanced
symptomatic prostate cancer, at a
point that is often beyond the win-
dow of curability.
Here’s more: A 2015 study led
by Vanderbilt University Medical
Center investigators found new
diagnoses of prostate cancer in the
U.S. declined 28 percent in the
year following the USPSTF rec-
ommendation against routine PSA
screening for men. Twelve months
after the USPSTF guidelines were
published, diagnoses of new low-
risk prostate cancers had fallen by
37.9 percent.
The study also identified a drop
of 28.1 percent in diagnoses of
intermediate-risk disease and 23.1
percent in high-risk prostate can-
cer one year after the draft guide-
line.
Nationwide, about 33,519
fewer men age 50 and older
received a diagnosis of prostate
cancer in 2012 than in 2011, drop-
ping from 213,562 to 180,043.
Tragically, too many of those men,
plus others in subsequent years,
only delayed their diagnosis from
curable to incurable.
Using a simulation model,
Roman Gulati and colleagues pre-
dicted that compared with contin-
uing screening, completely dis-
continuing screening in the United
States would increase prostate
cancer mortality by 13 to 20 per-
cent.
That should cause serious con-
cern for the years ahead as we deal
with the effects of six years of
USPSTF discouraging use of the
PSA test.
The big question now is: Will
PSA testing pick up again with the
re-analysis of the PLCO along
with the USPSTF “C” recommen-
dation that men should discuss the
benefits and harms of PSA testing
with their doctor and then decide
what they want to do?
A key to it picking up will be
the primary care physicians hav-
ing meaningful discussions about
the benefits and harms of being
tested and acknowledging that
PSA screening has been clearly
proven to reduce prostate cancer
mortality.
Perhaps the big inhibitor of this
taking place now is the minimal
amount of time that doctors are
allotted for seeing patients.
For the men who really want to
have that discussion, they may
take their questions and concerns
directly to the experts who diag-
nose and treat prostate cancer
(urologists at Oregon Urology
Institute). There are two opportu-
nities each month to do that — and
without the cost of an office visit.
Attend an Us TOO Florence
meeting and talk with survivors as
well as a urologist. Meetings are
the second Tuesday of each
month, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the
Presbyterian Church of the
Siuslaw with Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff.
Or come to the meeting held on
the third Tuesday of each month,
from noon to 1 p.m., at Ichiban
Restaurant on Highway 101, with
Dr. Roger McKimmy.
Bring your questions and leave
with answers.
For more information, call Bob
Horney at 541-999-4239.
Citizens sought to fill county commission positions
The Lane County Board of
Commissioners is seeking
applications from citizens inter-
ested in serving on the commis-
sion listed below. This commis-
sion serves in an advisory
capacity to the Board of
Commissioners on a wide vari-
ety of topics and issues.
Details about the committee
and its meeting schedule and
specific duties:
• Lane County Planning
Commission: This Commission
makes recommendations to the
Board
of
County
Commissioners regarding com-
prehensive plan issues and
amendments.
The commission also advises
and cooperates with other plan-
ning agencies within the state
and may provide reports to local
government officials on issues
concerning county, regional or
metropolitan planning.
The commission serves as
the
Citizen
Involvement
Program Committee for Lane
County on matters relating to
land use and promotes public
interest in and understanding of
the comprehensive plan and of
planning and zoning in general.
The commission meets twice
a month, generally the first and
third Tuesday of every month
with occasional special meet-
ings on other evenings.
The board includes nine
members. Currently there is one
vacancy.
Let me Showcase your property.
Jan Jagoe
Broker
541 999-0879
Manzanita Drive #1100 – Corner lot with
room to build your dream home! Well and
septic are in so all you need are the plans!
$95,500. #2761-17458403
1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200
e
5 A
Nutcracker
A holiday adition for the entire family!
Tuesday, Dec 19 | 7:00 pm
Florence Events Center
eventcenter.org | 541-997-1994
Events Center Box Offi ce
State Farm Insurance
Customer Appreciation
Christmas Open House
Open
House
Wednesday, December 13
10am to 2pm
Stop by for some hot cider,
homemade goodies & Holiday cheer!
PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
@ the State Farm Offi ce: 1275 Rhododendron Drive
The board will make a rea-
sonable attempt to select voting
membership from different geo-
graphic areas of the County.
For other requirements, see
Lane Manual 3.575.
Among them, no more than
two voting members of each
Planning Commission will be
engaged principally in the buy-
ing, selling or developing of
real estate for profit as individu-
als, or be members of any part-
nership or officers or employees
of any corporation that is
engaged principally in the buy-
ing, selling or developing of
real estate for profit.
No more than two voting
members of each Planning
Commission will be engaged in
the same kind of occupation,
business, trade or profession.
Applications will be evaluat-
ed for consistency with mem-
bership criteria by Board sub-
committee.
The application deadline will
remain open until it is filled.
Applications are available at
the Lane County Public Works
Customer Service Center, 3050
N. Delta Highway. Hard copy
applications can be turned in at
the Lane County Public Works
Customer Service Center
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
For more information or
online applications, email Keir.
Miller@co.lane.or.us.
Friends of
the Library
meet Dec. 14
The Friends of the Siuslaw
Public Library (FOL) will
hold its annual meeting on
Thursday, Dec. 14, at 11 a.m.
in the Bromley Room at the
library, 1460 Ninth St.
Anyone interested in sup-
porting the library or learning
more about the FOL is invit-
ed to attend.
Officers and board mem-
bers for 2018 will be elected
at this meeting.
Light snacks and bever-
ages will be offered.
The group encourages peo-
ple to join and learn more
about FOL.
The Friends meet the
fourth Thursday of each
month, except for November
and December when they
meet on the third Thursday.
The group’s purpose is to
support the Siuslaw Public
Library District through
advocacy and fundraising.
For more information
about FOL, contact siuslaw
libraryfriends@gmail.com.
