A study which aimed to examine sexual function in long-term female survivors of genital-tract cancer found that these women were pleased with their cancer care, but less satisfied with the emotional support they received regarding the effect of the disease and of the treatments on their sexuality. The study was performed at the University of Chicago and led by Stacy Lindau, MD.

While 74 percent of women in the survey believed that their doctor should have initiated discussion on their sexuality in relation to their cancer care, 62 percent of women said that their doctors never brought up a discussion of the effects of their treatment on their sexuality. Women who did not have such a discussion were three times as likely to suffer from multiple sexual problems.

"It seems unbelievable to me," said one respondent, "that a surgeon would remove one's sexual organs and never talk about sex."

The cancer survivors were just as likely to be married and in sexual relationships, but were four times as likely to have problems that interfered with sex, including pain, difficulty lubricating, surgical scars, bladder infections and incontinence after sex

Diehl Martin of Guntersville, Alabama, has been battling pancreatic cancer since 2004 and shares his experience on his blog, DiehlMartin.com . Martin was diagnosed in 2004 and underwent a Whipple procedure that year, followed by radiation and chemotherapy treatments. At the end of 2006, he experienced a turnaround as his energy level returned, his pain was eliminated and his tumor marker level was back to normal. Recently, his cancer has rebounded and he shares his experience with increasingly aggressive chemotherapy.

In addition to his daily experiences with pancreatic cancer, Martin offers medical information from a patient's perspective, including details regarding the side effects of painkillers, what a typical chemotherapy infusion looks like and what is involved in a Whipple procedure.

Martin infuses his blog with a strong sense of his faith and cautions that his story is not the typical pancreatic cancer story, as his cancer was caught very early. Martin's generosity of spirit pours out through his words and his ability to see the silver lining in every cloud is inspirational.

For fitness, the practice of yoga promotes balance, flexibility and strength. America loves yoga, according to a survey conducted by the Yoga Journal. The top four reasons given for the interest in yoga were: flexibility, stress reduction, strength, fitness and conditioning. As yoga grows in popularity, it is also becoming Americanized, and there are a number of hybrid yoga practices springing up like: Acu-yoga, Yogilates, Disco Yoga, Hip-Hop Yoga, Punk Rock Yoga, Aqua Yoga, Doga (with your dog), Yoganetics, Soul FlowYoga, Freestyle Vinyasa Flow, Sonic Yoga, Yogic Arts (yoga combined with martial arts) and Nude Yoga -- which is a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on who you are asking.

Of the survey participants who were asked , these were the top four good/bad statements made to the increasing popularity of yoga in this country:

• "Americans need to recognize that practicing yoga doesn't conflict with mainstream religious values."
• "The commercialization of yoga is a good thing. It attracts many more people to the practice who otherwise wouldn't know about it."
• "Innovation is good for yoga. The many different styles that are evolving make the practice accessible to everyone."
• "Yoga in America is becoming too commercialized."
  

Is yoga the current fitness fad? Maybe. Will it fade in popularity? I suspect it will for those who flitter from one new trend to the next new trend. But, for example, there have been years of research into the potential benefit of yoga in improving the quality of life for cancer patients and survivors, and the National Cancer Institute has recently awarded M. D. Anderson a $2.4 million dollar grant to study the benefits of Tibetan yoga for cancer patients and survivors.

According to M. D. Anderson researchers, cancer and its treatment are associated with considerable distress, impaired quality of life, poor mental health and reduced physical function. For thousands of years, Tibetans have been practicing a form of yoga that might help reduce treatment-related side effects that accumulate over time for cancer patients. As research continues, yoga may become an accepted alternative and complementary therapy incorporated into mainstream medical practice for the treatment of disease and improving health.

Realistically, I am not certain that some of the trendy hybrid forms of yoga will endure over time, but the yoga that has been around for thousands of years is here to stay.