CSUN community members now have the opportunity to learn about cancer through a class taught by a CSUN professor.

Dr. Steven Oppenheimer will teach “Biology of Cancer” every Monday during the Fall semester from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., in Eucalyptus Hall 2132.

“There’s a tremendous importance for public awareness about cancer,” Oppenheimer said. “The topic of radon is especially relevant for cancer prevention. Everyone should test their homes for radon.”

Oppenheimer said some homes in the U.S. have so much radon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas, that it is estimated in posing a cancer risk equivalent to smoking 50 packs of cigarettes a day.

Alexander Tishbi, a radon expert for Indoor Safety, Inc.will present in Oppenheimer’s class on Nov. 29 and will discuss the hidden dangers of radon throughout U.S. households.

Oppenheimer said CSUN students can register for his class and if space permits, the public audit the class.

Cancer is the world's top "economic killer" as well as its likely leading cause of death, the American Cancer Society contends in a new report it will present at a global cancer conference in China this week.

Cancer costs more in productivity and lost life than AIDS, malaria, the flu and other diseases that spread person-to-person, the report concludes.

Chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes account for more than 60 percent of deaths worldwide but less than 3 percent of public and private funding for global health, said Rachel Nugent of the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based policy research group.
Money shouldn't be taken away from fighting diseases that spread person-to-person, but the amount devoted to cancer is way out of whack with the impact it has, said Otis Brawley, the cancer society's chief medical officer.

Q - After 14 years of using our finished basement rec room on a daily basis, I have discovered the presence of radon gas. The level ranges between 6 and 7. To disassemble the room is far too costly on our retirement income. Recent lung X-rays are OK, so what is our risk of cancer after all these years of daily exposure?

A - Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium. It is found in almost all soils and permeates the air we breathe.

It moves through the ground and into buildings and water supplies through cracks or holes in foundations and solid floors, through gaps in suspended flooring, around service pipes and through walls.

It can enter through well water. Once inside a building, the radon is trapped and builds up to unhealthy levels. It can be found in schools, offices, homes and public buildings.

Radon can't be seen, tasted or smelled, yet reports indicate it causes lung cancer, killing thousands of people every year.

Radon is a widely present, radioactive gas that results from the decay of natural uranium in our soil and water. It is odorless and tasteless, so it can only be detected with special kits made for this purpose. If you detect unsafe radon levels in your home, take steps to eliminate the problem and limit further contamination. Continued radon exposure can lead to serious health consequences.

Lung Cancer
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States. The agency cites two studies that show conclusively that breathing low levels of radon can produce cancer in the lungs, and urges testing. The risk increases dramatically for smokers as opposed to non-smokers. Exposure to radon also increases the lower in the earth you are, meaning that basements and first story rooms will have greater levels of radon exposure than higher floors.

Genetic Damage

ORIGINAL POST

Overview
Mineral crystals form the colors, mottling and striations that make granite an attractive choice for countertops, but those crystals can contain radioactive elements like uranium. Over time, uranium breaks down into a gas called radon. Radon is radioactive and you can't detect it by sight, smell or taste, which leaves consumers wondering about the safety of granite countertops.

Risk

DETROIT, June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, in cooperation with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), is introducing the Environmental Cancer Program to physicians statewide July 1.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071106/KARMANOSLOGO)

The program trains primary care physicians to accurately identify and diagnose cancers and other serious illnesses resulting from exposure to arsenic, radon and asbestos, three of the state's most frequently encountered carcinogens.

Michael Harbut, M.D., MPH, FCCP, of Karmanos is director and author of the program. Dr. Harbut is an occupational and environmental medical expert.

Assembling the right team in a real estate transaction can often make the difference between getting your dream home and watching it slip through your fingers. Much like a well orchestrated team in the operating room, each of whom has a discrete role and executes it – hopefully – with precision, the right players in your real estate transaction can have a huge impact on success.

So who are the players and what do they do? Here’s a primer on the team that will help you pick a winning lineup in your next transaction.

FULL STORY

Direct link to the report

About one of every three Americans will develop some form of malignancy during his or her lifetime. This year alone, about 1,437,000 new cases will be diagnosed, and more than 565,000 people will die of the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, and as deaths from heart disease decline, it's poised to assume the dubious distinction of becoming our leading killer.

You don't have to be an international scientist to understand how you can try to protect yourself and your family.

The 10 commandments of cancer prevention are:

The Post and Courier
Friday, December 5, 2008

Ten experts presented their lives' work to the President's Cancer Panel on Thursday in Charleston, the third of four such public meetings held across the country.

Environmental factors in cancer was this year's panel topic. Presenters strode broadly among pollutants found in the ground, air, water and products we use daily.

Panelists, who listened to the presenters and asked questions, are appointed by and report to the president. Several presenters spoke on radon, a cancer-causing radioactive gas that has largely slipped out of the public's awareness.

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that occurs naturally in the earth and can be trapped in structures. When people breathe radon, the radioactive gas decays in their lungs, shedding particles that can trigger cancer.