How are children surviving cancer today? Better than ever before. Some childhood cancer patients, now in their young adult years, are expecting to reach milestones in their lives others before them never would have reached.

Today, 1 in 1,000 young adults in the United States is a childhood cancer survivor. In the 1970s, the chance a child would outlive leukemia or lymphoma was 25 percent. Today, it's 80 percent. That's better than most adult recovery rates.

As recovery rates rise, a new frontier is on the horizon -- follow-up for these young people as they age. You see, the very treatments that saved these individuals may cause them complications later in life. It's not yet clear what happens when kids live 20 to 30 years beyond diagnosis. But teams at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, plan to find out as they launch one of the most ambitious follow-up programs to date. Contacting 5,000 patients who have survived for more than 10 years, doctors hope they will recruit a group to receive free check-ups for life. They'll also receive blood tests, MRI scans, even fertility counseling. Their medical histories will serve as rich textbooks for medical professionals and future patients -- so the war on childhood cancer can continue.

As soon as I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I started reading, researching, and investigating. I hunted down every bit of information I could find about the disease that had somehow tunneled through my breast tissue. What I found kept me in the know. I felt informed and in control -- and a bit skittish too.

My doctor once told me to stop reading. It was causing me too much worry, too much unnecessary stress. And while I didn't stop reading altogether, I did cut down on my Internet research. Since anyone can post anything on the Internet, it can be an iffy source of information. So iffy that some doctors -- like mine -- have expressed concern.

Doctors may be able to breathe a sigh of relief, though. According to a study published in the April issue of the International Journal of Medical Informatics, using the internet generally convinces patients that their doctors are right on track with their medical opinions.

Source: MAMM magazine, May/June 2007

Health care is expensive, even for those with insurance. My treatment with the breast cancer drug Herceptin cost $5,000 every three weeks for 52 weeks. Insurance paid 80 percent; I was responsible for 20. That's $1,000 every three weeks. Not exactly affordable.

What many of us don't know is that we can play an active role in cutting our health care bills. We can shop around for everything, for example. Before filling a prescription, consider comparing prices offered at mail-order and online pharmacies with those of larger retailers. You may even find that mom and pop shops offer competitive rates since they can set their own pricing. Don't forget about generic drugs too. Ask your doctor if a generic version of your medication is just as good as a brand name drug. If so, go for the price break.

Did you know that lab work is more expensive if you get it at a hospital? Ask your doctor for other trustworthy locations and save a few bucks.

Until the 1990s, most medical studies used only men. Women are included now, but more research is needed on how diseases, like cancer, affect each sex. Women have unique needs, after all, and it's critical that all angles are represented in important research findings.

Think you might want to volunteer and help advance research on this female front? Just visit womancando.org and find out how you can do your part.

"The power of one can make a difference," reads this website. "You can make a powerful contribution to improving women's health by participating in medical research and becoming part of the effort to understand health and treat disease. Today, it is easy to take health advances for granted. We know a lot about how to treat and prevent disease, but much remains to be learned."

There are countless methods we can use for optimizing our health. Each of us can surely rattle off a bunch right now. Give it a try. Quick. Name three actions you can take to improve your body, your mind, your soul. Good. Now remember what you picked -- and make each one happen.

In a recent newspaper article, one journalist listed 25 ways to live a healthy life. They're all super ideas. But I only have space today for seven. Here they are. Stop back in two weeks, and I'll give you another seven.

Keep your weight in check

Make sure your weight is appropriate for your height, age, sex, and body frame. The American Institute for Cancer Research reports that having an ideal body mass, eating properly, and exercising can reduce the risk of cancer by 30 to 40 percent.

There are 100 lymph nodes in the neck region. That's what my radiation oncologist told me during my recent follow-up exam. At any given time, one or more of these nodes may be palpable. This isn't always bad news. A cold, allergies, even dental work can cause them to react. This is good news for me.

When I saw my medical oncologist eight weeks ago, he felt a swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck. He wasn't worried about it. I was. So we talked, and I learned that changes in lymph nodes are normal. He would know -- one of his primary diseases of study is lymphoma -- so I set my fears aside.

My enlarged lymph node slowly disappeared. At times, though, I'll feel it resurface. It's small when it presents itself, but it's still there. My radiation oncologist agreed: it's there. But it's elongated. It's not swollen in a round, tight, puffy way. These are the nodes that signal cancer.

On July 23, a milestone in presidential campaign history was delivered when Democratic presidential candidates fielded questions sent in via YouTube, a popular video sharing website where users can upload, view, and share video clips. On September 17, Republican candidates will take part in the second CNN-YouTube debate.

Aired live on CNN, this unusual debate featured 39 serious questions -- about immigration, climate change, the voting system, even cancer.

Thirty-six-year-old Kim of Long Island, who pulls off her wig mid-question, asks in her video clip about the millions of uninsured Americans who don't have access to preventative medical care.

Tomorrow I report for one of my six-month radiation follow-ups. My radiation oncologist will review how I've fared for the past two years since my left breast was zapped, day after day, week after week, in an aggressive attempt to keep cancer from returning to the same local area where it first reared its ugly head. How horrified I would be if I learned the machines used to treat my cancer were faulty, that they did not in fact do anything aggressive, that they were essentially ineffective.

Hundreds of brain cancer patients may be hearing this horrific news, now that malfunctioning machines have been ordered shut down following a manufacturer's warning.

Brainlab of Munich, Germany claims a small targeting error occurred with their machines but that it is unlikely to cause problems for patients. If I were one of these patients, I would still be worried. Targeting the tumor bed area is crucial in any cancer treatment. I don't like the sound of "targeting error," regardless of how minor it may be.

I'm always skeptical about the connection between certain foods and cancer. There's just so much back and forth -- the lycopene found in tomatoes prevents cancer and then it doesn't, for example -- that I don't base any life decisions solely on so-called cancer prevention foods. I simply do what is best for my health. If it happens to keep cancer at bay, then I consider it a bonus.

I eat fruits and vegetables because I know they're good for me. It was nice, while it lasted, to think I was also cutting my risk of cancer recurrence but when it comes down to it, fruits and veggies are better than sweets and candies and junky carbohydrates. So they'll remain a staple in my life -- even though a large, seven-year study published in today's Journal of American Medical Association dashes all hopes that a diet low in fat and jam-packed with fruits and vegetables prevents the return of breast cancer.

Five daily servings of fruits and veggies are recommended in the United States. This is more than most Americans get yet still doesn't make a difference for those trying to minimize their chances of breast cancer recurrence.

It's believed by some experts that there's a safe, non-addictive, completely harmless way to kill cancer cells as well as many other illnesses. This magical drug? Well, it's not a drug. It's something you probably have in your home right now .... magnets.

Magnets have been shown to kill cancer cells in animals. What's more, a negative magnetic field can function much like an antibiotic when surrounding a tumor, and it can destroy bacterial, fungal and viral infections. The patient in this article reported that using magnetic fields during his battle with colon cancer reduced his discomfort by quite a bit. Ok, maybe this isn't the miracle treatment we've all been waiting for, but maybe it is, and shouldn't there be more hype about this?

Are pharmaceutical companies -- evil, money-hungry, paradoxically both the saviours and enemies of the health industry -- denying us magentic treatment, which could save millions, because they can't make a profit on it? What do you think?

Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell is a cancer survivor. And so she knows the pain and heartbreak associated with the disease. Still, she vetoed a bill that would have allowed people with serious illnesses to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. It's just too problematic and sends mixed messages to children, Rell said in a statement last Tuesday.

The decision was a struggle for the Republican Rell, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and underwent a mastectomy just after taking office. Had she not vetoed the bill, those older than 18 with medical conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS would have been permitted to grow and use medical marijuana plants with written permission from a doctor and after registering with the state.

Twelve states allow patients to use medical marijuana despite federal laws forbidding it. Connecticut, for now, will not be joininig these states.

Our bodies are good at telling us when something is wrong most of the time. It is important to listen to those messages and seek medical attention when specific symptoms arise. The June issue of the Mayo Health Letter covers symptoms that should not be ignored.

Seven symptoms not to ignore:

• Unexplained weight loss: This could be a symptom of such conditions as an overactive thyroid, depression, liver disease, cancer or other noncancerous disorders that interfere with how well your body absorbs nutrients.
• Fever: A fever can point to underlying infections. A fever accompanied by chills or one that is greater than 103 degrees should be evaluated immediately.
• Shortness of breath: Gasping for air or wheezing are medical emergencies. Shortness of breath can be caused by asthma, heart problems, anxiety, panic attacks, or a blood clot in the lungs.
• Severe headaches: A headache accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, rash, mental confusion, seizure, vision changes, weakness, numbness, speaking difficulties, scalp tenderness or pain when chewing are medical emergencies. Causes vary for headaches and may include stroke, blood vessel inflammation, meningitis, brain tumor, aneurysm or bleeding on the brain. Most headaches, are just that, headaches but it is important to know the warning signs for more serious underlying conditions.

You Can Beat Cancer! is a weblog written by a medical doctor specializing in public health and epidemiology.

The author tell us -- Cancer is certainly curable in the early stage, and in late stage, there are many available treatments to prolong their lives and also to let them have a good quality of life. Do not be despair. Ask your doctor for more information on the treatment options.

The blog is designed to teach readers the latest in cancer treatment. You can find articles about prevention, treatments, vaccines, new advances, insurance issues and much more.

A mother who lost her daughter to cancer had something to say on her blog about the depiction of childhood cancer and other cancers for that matter on television. I wanted to share her words.

Think about this:

I have just finished watching the new episode of "House." It was about a teenager who was facing a bone marrow transplant (his younger brother was to be the donor). So many things were unrealistic -- don't they consult with real doctors to get the facts? I think it was a couple of weeks ago that the episode of "Grey's Anatomy" also dealt with the topic of childhood cancer and a bone marrow transplant. It was even more unrealistic. One of the doctor's, "Izzy", ended up being the little girl's biological mother. The same day that she discovered that she was, they did a quick blood test and then harvested her bone marrow without any anesthesia and moments later they were infusing it into her daughter. Not quite the way it really works! It is quite frustrating to think that people are watching these shows and will get a false sense of reality -- and so many of us a working hard to get the word out about childhood cancer! Oh well, I am going to try to do my part to get the truth out. I am going to start working on a documentary that will share the reality of what so many families are living with.

New research may one one day help in the diagnosis and prognosis of the nation's number four cancer killer of men and number five cancer killer of women. The killer: pancreatic cancer.

Findings from an Ohio State University study show pancreatic cancer cells may leave signs in gene-related molecules called microRNAs.

Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, this study examined pancreatic tissue from 65 people with the disease and 42 people with chronic inflammation of the pancreas, called chronic pancreatitis.