As complied by Forbe's HealthDay, half of the top ten health news of 2006 feature issues of interest to cancer patients and the cancer community in regard to cancer research, treatment and prevention. The top health story involves the concern over cost of medical care among those with health insurance and the continually growing numbers of uninsured. A recent study shows that one in six, or 50 million people, are struggling to afford medical treatment as they now spend more than ten percent of their income on medical expenses.

After much controversy regarding ethics and morality, this year saw the approval of the first cervical cancer vaccine. The federal government recommends that girls as young as nine-years-old be given the vaccine. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) re-approved the use of silicone breast implants. Although banned in 1992 because of concerns that silicone leakage might be linked to cancer, silicone implants were still offered to women undergoing breast reconstruction after breast cancer surgery. Supposedly the implants are now safe for all women. Some consumer advocacy groups still strongly disapprove of the FDA decision.

Another controversial issue being debated based on ethics and morality is stem cell research. According to Forbes, the majority of Americans are in favor of stem cell research and the promise it holds in the cure of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many other diseases.

Lastly, scandals swept throught the research community as fake research and researchers were exposed, as was conflict of interest over questionable financial ties in the research community.

Other health news stories that made Forbe's HealthDay top ten list included: Tainted-Food Scares Rattle Public; Drug-Eluting Stents May Stay; 'Morning-After' Pill Goes OTC; Antidepressants' Link to Suicide Debated; and More Progress Against Alzheimer's Disease. You can read the Forbe's top ten list in its entirety here.

Ah, the festive holiday parties and dinners were fun, but now we notice a few extra unwanted pounds. No surprise that diet and exercise top the list of traditional New Year's resolutions, and with good reason. Not only do we feel better when our clothes fit easily, but staying active, exercising and keeping fit are known lifestyle choices each of us can make that will offer an added measure of cancer prevention.

But, before we finish making our list of resolutions to a slimmer waistline and better health, the inner naysayer voice pipes up to point out all the reasons why we should not even bother. The Entrepreneur Diet comes to the rescue as it busts the more common myths standing in our way to getting and staying fit, and offers a reality check to the misconceptions.

As we read the reality checks to the following top ten myths -- I'm not athletic, so even if I wanted to become more active, I can't do it; it's too late for me to exercise; exercise isn't enjoyable; a woman will get too bulky if she lifts weights; exercise is dangerous; it takes too much time to eat right and exercise; I won't be able to enjoy my favorite foods; no pain, no gain; it's inevitable that I'll gain weight as I age, so it's not worth fighting it; and I have to join a gym or buy expensive equipment to get in shape -- we realize that keeping the resolutions we are about to make are more than doable.

To read the reality checks to these top ten fitness and diet myths, visit the Entrepreneur's Work & Life column here.

Who and what was the most googled in 2006? The Year-End Google Zeitgeist top ten lists for general and news searches on the Internet this year include Paris Hilton and Bebo -- and cancer.

Of the celebrities most searched for, Paris Hilton outranked Orlando Bloom and the social networking site Bebo outranked MySpace. In the news category, cancer ranked as the third most searched for topic, before podcasting, autism, Hurricane Katrina, and bankruptcy.

The top ten Google searches were, in this order: Bebo, MySpace, World Cup, Metacafe, Radioblog, Wikipedia, Video, Rebelde, Mininova and Wiki. The top ten Google news searches were, in this order: Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, cancer, podcasting, Hurricane Katrina, bankruptcy, Martina Hingis, autism, the 2006 NFL Draft and Celebrity Big Brother.

Surprised to see Paris Hilton topping the list of news searches? Sadly, me neither. Personally, I am not certain that she has ever done anything newsworthy, other than having proven a supreme talent for the uniquely cunning ability to stay in the headlines for no particularly meaningful reason.

It is substantially interesting that cancer was the third most searched for news topic this year. I know that those whose lives have been touched by cancer can feel very alone, and if this proves anything, we are certainly not alone in trying to sort through the many issues linked to cancer.

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) only makes up about one to four percent of all breast cancers diagnosed. It has been known to be the most aggressive and deadly breast cancer diagnosis to receive. A clinical trial, reported in the journal Cancer, tells of researchers from France who focused their study on women with IBC who were treated with a high dose chemotherapy regimen.

There are very few studies focusing on IBC that have a ten year follow up. Large clinical trials and long term results for this disease are unusual. The trial evaluated 120 women with IBC who were treated with induction therapy followed by surgery. The chemotherapy treatment regimen consisted of fluorouracil (5-FU), Ellence (epirubicin) and cytoxan (cyclophosphamide), with or without Granocyte (lenograstim).

At ten years follow up, cancer free survival was nearly 36 percent and overall survival was almost 42 percent. These numbers may still seem too low for my liking but they are encouraging because they show that improvements in treating this disease are working and more women are surviving. The prognosis is not as grim as it once was for inflammatory breast cancer. This is good news!

Today marks ten years since Lance was diagnosed with testicular cancer. As all of us affected by cancer know, cancer may leave your body, but it never leaves your life. Lance has done many things over the last ten year since his diagnoses. You can read some of his accomplishments here.

I read both of Lance Armstrong's books, Its Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts. I really loved the first one and I actually learned that his sport is much more interesting than a group of guys racing on their bikes.

I'm coming up on my five year cancer anniversary in December. Me and my friend Deb, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time, plan on celebrating this milestone together! We know it doesn't mean we are definitely cured but I remember the way we looked at each other when we first met...will we be here in five years? We were both in our early 30's and scared. Today we see ourselves as strong women who will keep going no matter what!

Thanks to Deb Kirkland who gave me the tip about Lance's cancer anniversary

Researchers are beginning to tell us that being overweight increases cancer risks for a number of cancers. But then being overweight increases our chances of developing a number of diseases. While there are all kinds of diets, and gurus who claim they know the way, the remedy for long-term weight loss isn't going to change -- it's all about moving more, and eating less.

But what if you are moving more and eating less and the pounds stubbornly refuse to fall away? Amy Paturel, an expert in nutrition and public health, recently reviewed the top ten reasons why when you do all the right things, you aren't getting the expected results. The ten reasons Paturel discusses that can prevent weight loss are lack of sleep, synthetic chemicals in the environment, weather effects in temperatures being too hot or too cold, not smoking, prescription medications, giving birth at an older age, natural selection and overweight parents having overweight children.

Of course, this doesn't mean you are doomed to weight gain or being overweight but it might mean that you will need to take a look at some of the possible causes of why you are experiencing weight gain and not experiencing weight loss.

Paturel goes into an explanation of each of these causes in Ten More Fat Factors: It's Not Just the Cupcakes.

As American consumers, I think we have been living with a false sense of security when it comes to the products  we buy at the store. For decades, we have been sold smells like the real thing but it's not household cleaners that make everything in our home cleaner-than-clean, and have gone on the assumption that if the product is on the store shelf it must be safe.

However, independent investigations into chemical industry practices, and the government's current regulatory practices to insuring consumer safety, have revealed we have not been nearly as safe as once thought.

According to former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., "Currently, about 95 percent of health care dollars in the United States are spent on treating diseases, with relatively little attention paid to preventing diseases, which should be a national priority."

As a result, Partnership for Prevention has released a report, Priorities for America's Health, that ranks the top 25 preventive health services that are most effective. Of the top 25, ten are related to cancer. Following is a list of the top ten ways to practice cancer prevention.

Shannon Harken wrote an essay to nominate her mother, Sue Myers of Pleasantville, Iowa, as the most amazing mother in the world because of her mother's zest for life and the positive example she set while battling breast cancer. Of the more than 14,000 Mom's the Word essay submissions, Kohl's unveiled the ten most amazing role model mom finalists of the contest and Harken's essay about her mother placed Myers in the top ten moms of the year. Ultimately, America will vote to decide who will be this year's number one amazing mom. All ten essays are featured at Kohl's, where you can vote for the essay and mother you feel best deserves to win.

The role model with the most votes will earn a $5,000 shopping spree, a style transformation, and will be escorted by Daisy Fuentes on a trip to Fashion Week in Los Angeles. In addition, Kohl's and Fuentes will honor the grand prize winner during a ceremony in her hometown on May 13. All mothers are amazing, but I went and voted for Myers. Knowing what she has been through by way of the fact I am a breast cancer survivor and I know what I went through -- I would like to see her win and enjoy a day of special recognition, pampering and fun. Voting ends May 8. Shannon's essay about her mother Sue is cute. It's number #2. Go here to vote.

That's what I am calling AOL's list of top ten green cities -- the top ten cancer prevention cities -- because when it comes to reducing environmental cancer risks and promoting a healthy lifestyle, a city that is known as a green city is also a cancer prevention city. AOL's criteria in choosing the top ten green cities they believe are creating a healthy and livable place for its residents are: clean air and clean water, renewable energy, reliable city buses, trams, streetcars and subways, a growing number of parks and greenbelts, and farmer’s markets.

Not to claim bragging rights, but my hometown of Portland, Oregon is on the list. Austin, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Boulder, Colorado; Burlington, Vermont; Madison, Wisconsin; San Francisco, California; Santa Monica, California; Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York made the list. New York City? Yes. According to AOL's reviewers, Central Park goes a long way in making New York City a green city. As does the fact that 80 percent of the residents use public transportation. New Yorkers use fossil fuels at the rate the U.S. did in the 1920s. To learn all the ways these cities made the green list, go read AOL's Top 10 Greenest Cities. Or as I like to think of it -- the top ten cities promoting a healthy lifestyle and maintaining clean livable areas resulting in the creation of a cancer prevention environment -- the top ten cancer prevention cities.

In a new report on environmental contaminants strong link to cancer by University of Liverpool researchers, infants and young children may be at risk of developing cancer through exposure to pesticides in food and from exposure to contaminants in the home environment. The cancer causing chemicals found in the meat and dairy products mothers consume can be transferred to infants through breast milk. 

The Cancer Prevention and Education Society is working to reduce the current epidemic levels of cancer by reducing human exposure to carcinogens, particularly those of man-made origin. Unlike other cancer charities, the primary purpose of the organization is to prevent people from getting cancer in the first place. Here are ten top tips for reducing cancer risks:

• Do eat fresh organic food or, failing that, food low in additives.
• Do drink filtered or mineral water.
• Don't use synthetic pesticides in your garden.
• Use water based paints or, if you must use solvent paints, ventilate your home very well.
• Don't use aerosols that can be breathed in or leave deposits on domestic surfaces - deodorants, air-fresheners, hair-spray, fly and mosquito repellents.
• Do use toiletries low in additives and avoid chlorinated items.
• Don't smoke, protect yourself from sun-burn and drink alcohol in moderation.
• Do eat fish from low pollution waters.
• Do read all product labels. Try to minimize your exposure to synthetic chemicals and pollution.
• Dispose of chemicals carefully.