University of North Carolina football coach Butch Davis recently received a shocking cancer diagnosis after a routine dental visit turned up a suspicious growth in his mouth. Pathology reports identify the cancer as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Davis, 55, has had the growth removed from his gum and while he received his first chemotherapy treatment last week, he's been told there is no indication the cancer has spread to other parts of his body.

Chemotherapy for Davis began at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio -- Davis coached the National Football League's Cleveland Browns from 2001-2004 -- but will continue at the University of North Carolina Hospital in Chapel Hill.

Davis says he is doing well, that his general health has never been better. And while fighting off cancer, he will work hard at preparing for the 2007 season.

"My family, my health and coaching this football team are my top priorities,'' Davis said. "I would appreciate and expect the focus to remain on the North Carolina football team."

The team opens the season on September 1 against James Madison University.

In April, I'm headed to Canyon Ranch, the world's most renowned health and wellness destination. In addition to day spas and residential communities in various U.S. cities, there are two resort locations -- one in Tucson, Arizona and one in Lenox, Massachusetts. This is the one I will visit.

My several-day stay at Canyon Ranch comes with a bit of a breast cancer twist, and I'll tell you all about it in a future post.

But right now, I want to offer up a few healthy living tips offered by the professionals at these luxurious getaways. Featured on the company's website, these tips might just get you motivated in a healthful direction.

Breathe

Proper, natural breathing can improve relaxation. When breathing deeply, imagine the new supply of oxygen flowing through your body. Remember to exhale slowly. This can help relax your body further. Breathing should never feel forced or unnatural.

Just Ducky

If you're looking for a quick lunchtime workout that leaves you office-ready or a convenient exercise routine that allows you to be good to go at a moment's notice, jump into the nearest swimming pool. Carolyn Collman, M.S., exercise physiologist and aquatic therapist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, says you can get in the swim without getting soaked. "Water exercises are the perfect solution for a high-efficiency, no-hassle workout for almost everyone. An older adult new to exercise or a sedentary person can benefit from it as much as an Olympic athlete and everyone in between," she says.

Fat-Free Isn't Sugar-Free

Many foods marketed as fat-free and low-fat are loaded with sugar. Learn to read food labels to determine whether the fat-free choice is really a healthy choice. Many products are replacing partially hydrogenated oils with sugar to compensate for lost flavor. The average person consumes twenty teaspoons of added sugar a day – that's 156 pounds a year!

You Are How Much You Eat

A recent study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has confirmed what Canyon Ranch has espoused for years: portion size directly impacts your weight. Using scales, measuring cups and spoons is a useful way of learning what a proper portion looks like. You can also use these common objects to help you visualize healthy portion sizes:

• Palm of your hand or deck of cards for a portion of lean meat, chicken, or fish
• One-inch cube (dice) for the portion of cheese
• D-cell battery for a portion of dried fruit or salad dressing
• Tennis ball for rice or potatoes
• Large marshmallow for salad dressing
• Ping-pong ball for the serving of nuts or nut butter

There's more where these came from. Go see for yourself. Or stop back here -- I promise to share more.

North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow is still in the game, despite her difficult match-up with a fierce opponent -- breast cancer.

Yow is fighting for the third time a disease that has been spreading throughout her body since last fall. She has sores in her mouth, hasn't been able to eat, and receives regular doses of pain medication, antibiotics, and nutrients to combat the effects of three chemotherapy drugs that are cycling through her tired body.

Still, Yow is never far from the sidelines.

She was right there in the mix the day NC State named its women's basketball court in her honor. Shortly after, she was wheeled off the court on a stretcher, headed for the hospital so she could be pumped full of drugs. She was at work the next day. And at the unveiling of the Kay Yow Court. And at her game that same night. And at the end of the night, with an oncologist and nurse, she was accompanied to her office where she was once again hooked up to an IV so drugs could once again drip into Yow's exhausted body.

Yow, 65, is tough and determined.

"I know people are saying I'm doing too much," Yow says. "I know I have to take care of myself. But it's not like I have a cold or pneumonia and if I rest it will get better. Rest is not going to cure cancer. If rest were just the answer, that's what I would do."

"But if someone can be involved with something that is a passion for them, then I don't think there's anything wrong in trying to do that. Coaching lifts me up. Once the ball is tossed up, I forget pretty much about everything and just focus on the game. If I just do nothing, I feel like I'm giving in to the disease."

For anyone keeping score on the battle between Yow and cancer, it's clear Yow is a winner.

Previous posts about Kay Yow are as follows:
NC State coach takes leave to fight breast cancer
NC State basketball coach Kay Yow back in the game

Former NASCAR champion Benny Parsons, hospitalized on December 26 due to complications from lung cancer, died today in Charlotte, North Carolina after a short battle with the disease. He was 65.

Parsons, who had not smoked since 1978, was diagnosed with cancer in his left lung in July 2006. He underwent aggressive chemotherapy and radiation and announced in October that he was in remission. But the intensive treatment rendered his left lung useless and then a blood clot appeared in his right lung, prompting his admission to the hospital where he spent his remaining days in an induced coma.

Parsons was confident he could survive with one lung and compared his condition to that of John Wayne.

"John Wayne lived and had a great career with one lung," he said. "There is no reason why I can't do the same. It will take a little while for the right lung to pull the weight for the left lung so until then I will still need to use oxygen when I walk. I won't need it sitting or commentating races and to me that is the main thing. If given a choice between cancer or losing a lung I would say that I got the right end of the deal."

Parson's intense spirit was his trademark. It motivated him to rise from a poor childhood, leave behind a taxi driving job, and head straight to the top of NASCAR. His success is marked by his 1994 induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and his 1995 induction into the National Motorsports Press Association's Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.

One of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers and the 1973 champion, Parsons retired from racing in 1988 and headed straight into a broadcasting career. He spent the past six years as a commentator for NBC and TNT and even continued to call races from the booth during his treatment. He hosted a weekly radio program and kept fans updated on his condition on his very own blog.

Judging by the comments left for Parsons on a January 8th post about his hospitalization, there was an abundance of love for this man, nicknamed BP by the NASCAR community.

"He was a great driver and a terrific broadcaster, but above anything else he was a kind and generous human being," said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports. "His character and spirit will define how he is remembered by all of us. Benny will be sorely missed."

Parson's death comes eight days after the death of NASCAR driver and Truck Series Champion Bobby Hamilton.

Cancer patients receiving treatment at the Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson will walk through the doors of a new building -- the Fasseas Cancer Center-- beginning tomorrow morning.

The new center, named after major donors Peter and Paula Fasseas, is built on the skeleton of a defunct Tucson hospital. It took 16 months to build and cost an estimated $30 million. And now the comprehensive cancer center is ready for use.

More than 800 cancer patients have appointments during the first week, and 110 medical staff will relocate to the new clinic that has been called the crown jewel of new University Medical Center North Campus and one of the most modern cancer treatment centers in the United States.

The new two-story clinic -- to be joined later by facilities for radiation oncology, ambulatory surgery, imaging services, and a Ronald McDonald House for pediatric patients and their families -- will feature patient support groups, counseling, therapeutic massage, a healing garden, a resource center, and a salon to help patients cope with hair loss and other side effects of cancer treatment.

A formal grand opening for the new clinic is planned for February 18.

Miss Rodeo North Dakota Ashley Andrews is proud to have won the 52nd annual Miss Rodeo America Pagent in Las Vegas on Saturday. Her victory is even sweeter because she is also winning her battle against cancer.

Andrews, 21, has beaten competitors from 28 states in categories such as horsemanship, personality, and appearance.

And she has beaten cancer after months of chemotherapy. Remission began on August 9 when she received a clean bill of health.

Feeling stronger than ever -- both mentally and physically -- Andrews believes everything in life happens for a reason. "Something good always comes from every bad situation," she said. And something good has happened.

As winner of the pageant, Andrews will receive a $10,000 scholarship, western apparel, and other prizes. She also becomes the new ambassador of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and will attend more than 100 rodeos during this year. A junior majoring in public relations and communications at the University of Mary in Bismarck, she will put college on hold during her reign as Miss Rodeo America.

Four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher died Saturday of complications from a recent bone marrow transplant. Her health concerns began three years ago when she was diagnosed with polycythemia vera -- a rare disease that causes bone marrow to produce excess blood. Then last winter, she was diagnosed with leukemia. Her subsequent bone marrow transplant on May 16 cleared her system of cancer. But she developed graft-versus-host disease -- where transplanted cells start attacking the digestive system. A fever, a change in her potassium level, and a trip to intensive care prompted her husband to write on his blog Friday of her condition. He reported that if she remained stable, she would return to her previous hospital room and would work on recovering. But sadly, Butcher did not recover.

Butcher dominated the 1,100-mile sled-dog race from Anchorage to Nome in the late 1980s and brought national attention to the grueling competition. She won the 1986 race and became the second female champion -- and then won again in 1987, 1988, and 1990. She finished in the top four through 1993. Butcher also made headlines in 1979 when she helped drive the first sled-dog team to the 20,320-foot summit of Mount McKinley -- the highest peak in North America.

Butcher, who ran her last Iditarod in 1994, grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was married with two daughters -- ages 10 and five. Butcher was 51 years old.

Compared to cancer rates in England and other parts of Wales, young women under 50 years of age living in the vicinity of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in north Wales are diagnosed with breast cancer at a rate 15 times higher than the national averages.

For all other cancers, the rate is double was it is in other communities. The power plant is shut down but the effects from the radioactive waste are still being felt in cancer diagnosis.

One lucky couple was chosen -- from a pool of more than 450 couples who competed in ESPN's Marriage Madness competition -- as winner of the ultimate ESPN sports wedding. With listeners of the Mike & Mike in the Morning national TV and radio show as voters, Catherine and Jason West, now husband and wife, were married May 26, 2006 on ESPN. Noteworthy is the fact that both Catherine and Jason are die-hard University of Florida Gator fans -- they met at a Gator tailgating party and were engaged at Lake Alice, a popular outdoor spot on campus. The bride wore crystal Gator beadwork on her gown and the groom's tuxedo jacket was lined in Gator orange. The maid of honor wore a Gator blue dress and carried an orange bouquet. The wedding vows included the traditional messages of love, honor, and respect -- but some sports twists were sprinkled in too. The Wests took away a check for $20,000, compliments of hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, and they will soon head off on an all-expense paid sports-inspired honeymoon.

This wedding is inspired not just by sports.  It is also inspired by cancer survival. Catherine -- who became engaged on the one-year anniversary of her first breast cancer surgery -- is now in full cancer remission. And a $2,500 donation was made in the couple's name to the V Foundation, a cancer fund in memory of Jim Valvano, a former North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster. This is surely an event to remember.

Environment Canada meteorologists are warning people who enjoy spending time in the sun to do less so this year. As the ozone layer continues to thin, the danger for sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer continues to increase. The ozone layer is not protecting us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiation as much as it once did.

According to Environment Canada, the ozone layer across Canada has decreased by four to eight per cent over winter and spring, and the more sunny days there during the summer season, the more skin cancer risk to those who spend time outdoors.

Counting on sunscreen lotion to protect from the damaging rays of the bright day sun is no longer sufficient. Skin cancer experts insist, to be safe, stay out of the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. -- if you must be outside -- stay in the shade. Wear a wide-brimmed hat and quality sunglasses that offer protection from UVA and UVB radiation, and a long-sleeved shirt. Gone are the care-free days of walking out the door in shorts and a summer top, to spend the day enjoying the warmth and brightness of a summer day. Or, for sun worshippers, a day basking in the sun to achieve the golden tan.

On day three of the race now, friends Mike Dann, Simon Edmundson and Tim Tottenham, known as the ATP team, are into the 350 mile trek across the frozen Artic to the Magnetic North Pole as one of 15 teams taking part in the Sony Polar Challenge North Pole race. Temperatures can get to a frigid -50C. To add to the danger and drama, 80 percent of the world's Polar Bear population live there. Considered one of the world's toughest endurance tests, the teams are expected to reach the destination on April 27. Having just crossed Polar Bear Pass, ATP is one of five leading teams. If you are into extreme sports, and unique adventures, the Polar Challenge teams are keeping daily diaries online, as well as an overall summary of the day's events during the race. They provide an excellent photo gallery, live video and a map. The images are spectacular. The ATP team is raising funds for the Laura Crane Trust.

The Laura Crane Trust was founded in memory of Laura Crane, who died just two weeks after her seventeenth birthday from a complex mix of four types of cancer. The foundation serves teens and young adults living with cancer.