Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
Tough questions from our usual correspondent: Are childhood
cancers related to pollution? The answer is they could be,
but more likely is that pollution causes only breathing
difficulties such as asthma and allergies.
We have mentioned in the past that kids are more sensitive to
smoke from smokers. Otherwise, childhood cancers are still
not well understood. Some are definitely related to viruses,
or environmental factors.
One cancer that occurs in kids is Hodgkin's, a lymphoma
characterized by swelling of the lymph nodes. When treated in
time, it has a 99 percent cure rate. ALL — acute lymphocytic
leukemia — has a 77 percent cure rate in kids only. Usually
the acute leukemias are deadly in adults and in kids, with
this being the only exception.
Some cancers can be hereditary and offspring should be
checked for them. I would not let this put off a shidduch
necessarily, as heart disease and stroke can also be
hereditary. One has to die of something, so we can all be
carrying some disease.
Cell phones? They can cause more incidence of brain cancer,
but only if they are used often and close to the head. We
discourage the needless ranting on a cell phone that is
common by our neighbors and thereby we may be saving lives as
well. Living near high power electrical lines is also a risk
for cancer.
Diabetes — What can be done to arrest the disease if you are
borderline or pre-diabetic? Diabetes is usually diagnosed if
one shows a higher than 120 fasting blood sugar. Pre-diabetes
is higher than 100.
First, lose weight and exercise. Keep a close watch on the
sugar level. Blood tests for sugars are always more accurate
than the urine tests.
I am asked about elderly eating habits. Elderly people cannot
easily change eating habits, and I am not sure they have to.
I want my father to enjoy eating chocolate-covered raisins
all his life. Those who must reduce their salt or sugar
intake find it very difficult. Salt substitutes are not the
same and many foods that are sugar-free trade sugar for fat.
The first lesson is get your children into good eating habits
early. I tell my children, "Eating well is a recipe for
Life." Second, try using recipes that are tailored for
special diets. There are many books. Write me in care of the
Yated or at jbleibmd@yahoo.com.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this column.
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will not effect long-term immunity.
