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Rainsville Pharmacy News
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Types of Childhood Cancer
Most childhood cancers fall into one of several specific types, as listed in the navigation links to the left. Common adult cancers (lung, breast, colon, and others) rarely occur in children or adolescents. Childhood cancers tend to be more aggressive than adult cancers.
Childhood cancers are rare, and only specially-trained doctors have the knowledge and experience to properly treat them. In fact, your child needs to be treated by a multidisciplinary team of pediatric oncology physicians and specialists. The team includes the primary care
physician, pediatric surgical sub-specialists, radiation oncologists, pediatric medical oncologists/hematologists, rehabilitation specialists, pediatric nurse specialists, social workers, and others. This approach ensures that your child will receive the treatment, supportive care, and rehabilitation therapies that will give him or her, the best chance at not only survival, but a good quality of life.
Childhood cancer multidisciplinary teams are found at specific institutions, most of which are listed at the bottom of this page. Your primary care physician should refer you to one of these institutions. At these pediatric cancer centers, clinical trials are available for most types of cancer that occur in children and adolescents. For information on available clinical trials, these can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov
Additional Websites on Types of Childhood Cancers
The following web sites are recommended because they have good descriptions of the different types of childhood cancers and of their treatments.
National Cancer Institute (NCI): The NCI's web site lists the treatment summaries, know as PDQs, for childhood cancers at the page below. Treatment summaries describe in detail each childhood cancer and its treatment in patient, health professional, and Spanish versions. These summaries are updated regularly and are arguably the standard source of information for cancer in the U.S.
- NCI childhood cancer treatment summaries (PDQs)
- About PDQs
- St. Jude Research Hospital: Disease descriptions and treatment options.
- Children’s Oncology Group (COG): COG's public web site; information about childhood cancers and treatment.
Childhood Cancer Statistics
Each year in the U.S. there are approximately 12,400 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer. About one in 300 boys and one in 333 girls will develop cancer before their 20th birthday. In 1998, about 2500 died of cancer, thus making cancer the most common cause of death by disease for children and adolescents in America.
September is National Cholesterol Education Month
National Cholesterol Education Month a good time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help you reach personal cholesterol goals.
High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. You can have high cholesterol and not know it. Lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens your risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources to use during National Cholesterol Education Month.
Understanding Cholesterol Numbers
Cholesterol levels should be measured at least once every five years by everyone over the age of 20. The screening test that is usually performed is a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. Experts recommend that men aged 35 and older and women age 45 and older be routinely screened for lipid disorders. The lipoprotein profile includes:
- LDL (low density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called "bad" cholesterol)
- HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called "good" cholesterol)
- Triglycerides (fats carried in the blood from the food we eat. Excess calories, alcohol, or sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells throughout the body.)
Results of your blood test will come in the forms of numbers. Here is how to interpret your cholesterol numbers:
LDL Cholesterol
LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. That is why LDL cholesterol is referred to as "bad" cholesterol. The lower your LDL cholesterol number, the better it is for your health. The table below explains what the numbers mean.
| LDL Cholesterol | LDL-Cholesterol Category |
| Less than 100 | Optimal |
| 100 - 129 | Near optimal/above optimal |
| 130 - 159 | Borderline high |
| 160 - 189 | High |
| 190 and above | Very high |
If you have heart disease or blood vessel disease, some experts recommend that you should try to get your LDL cholesterol below 70. For people with diabetes or other multiple risk factors for heart disease, the treatment goal is to reach an LDL of less than 100.
HDL Cholesterol
When it comes to HDL cholesterol -- "good" cholesterol -- the higher the number, the better it is for your health. This is because HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease by taking the "bad" cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries. The table below explains what the numbers mean.
| HDL Cholesterol | HDL-Cholesterol Category |
| 60 and above | High; Optimal; helps to lower risk of heart disease |
| Less than 40 in men and less than 50 in women | Low; considered a risk factor for heart disease |
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food and the body. A high triglyceride level has been linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease in some people. Here's the breakdown.
| Triglycerides | Triglyceride Category |
| Less than 150 | Normal |
| 150 - 199 | Borderline high |
| 200 - 499 | High |
| 500 or higher | Very high |
Total Cholesterol
Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and other lipid components. Doctors recommend total cholesterol levels below 200
| Total Cholesterol | Category |
| Less than 200 | Desirable |
| 200 - 239 | Borderline High |
| 240 and above | High |
