Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 19 May 2000 — Page 27

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2000

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE

4

Answer to Super Crossword

Life-saving advicefrom a big league survivor FRESH

By ERIC DAVIS

COMMENTARY

In early June 1997, my whole world changed. At age 35, playing baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I knew almost nothing about the disease that suddenly threatened to cut my career - and my life - short. But I soon learned how lucky I was to discover the cancer when I did. Many people, particularly African Americans, aren’t as fortunate. Colon cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the United States, causing about 55,000deaths each year. This year, more than 130,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with the disease. And while colon cancer strikes people of all races at similar rates, a disproportionate number of those who die from the disease are African Americans. It doesn’t have to be this way. Colon cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer. When it’s detected before it spreads to other parts of the body, the survival rate is nearly 90 percent. But only 32 percent of colon cancer cases in African Americans are detected before they spread. With regular screenings, African Americans can change this situation. Colon cancer screening is a simple test that could mean the difference between life and death. Don’t let the old adage “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” k£ep you from getting screened. In this

case, what you don’t know can kill

you.

I know that I was blessed. Since

my cancer was detected early, win ning the battle was a matter of “when,” not “if.” Shortly after I was diagnosed, doctors removed a tumor the size of an orange from my abdomen. I immediately started a regimen of chemotherapy treatments to completely rid my body of the cancer. And just a little more than a month later, with the support of my family; friends and fans across the country, I returned to the

Orioles starting lineup.

Today, I enjoy a healthy life doing the things I love, like spending time with my children and playing right field for the St. Louis Cardinals. But my work is far from over. As an African American, a professional athlete and a cancer survivor. I’ve vowed to use my experience to teach others about the importance of early detection. I don’t want fear, embarrassment or anything else to stop anyone from getting screened for colon cancer. To help with my mission, I recently launched a public education campaign called “Score Against Colon Cancer.” The campaign urges all men and women over 50 to schedule regular screenings with their physicians. Screenings are vital because people with colon cancer don’t always have symp-

toms. When symptoms do appear, such as diarrhea, constipation or a bloated feeling, they are often mistaken for less serious problems. People who are at high risk for developing colon cancer may need screenings at an earlier age or more frequently than others. Talk to your doctor. Some of the factors that lead to high risk include a personal history of colon cancer or colon polyps (the tumor-like growths on the colon lining), a strong family history of the disease, or certain chronic digestive conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease. You can help guard against colon cancerby maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a diet high in fiber, vegetables, fruits and calcium-rich foods. Doctors also advise drink-

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ing alcohol only in moderation, abstaining from tobacco use and exercising regularly. Not even the most physically fit person can afford to neglect regular screenings. I’m living proof that colon cancer can strike anyone at any time, regardless of age, race, sex, or major league batting average. But more important. I’m living proof that early detection can save lives. And that’s a message I hope you will take to heart*

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For more information about colorectal cancer or the "Score Against Colon Cancer ” campaign, visit www.scorecrc.com, or call 1-877-SCORE-123.

for Success WP

Dealing with anger By HERBERT HARRIS

Cancer researchers agree: New colon cancer studies send wrong message

By MARILYN JOHNSON KONDWANI

Despite recent confusing reports, colon cancer remains one of our most preventable cancers. Although fat and fiber consumption continue to get most of the limelight, the most effective plan to lower your cancer risk also in volves plenty of fruits and vegetables and a healthy amount of exercise. New research is bolstering the initial findings that linked low-fat, high-fiber diets with reduced risk of colon cancer. According to these new studies, the contradictory results that were seen in some research findings were likely a reflection of small differences in the “healthy” diets that were studied. For many years, both laboratory work and studies comparing different populations have linked high-fiber diets with lowered risk of colon cancer. Yet clinical trials, which compare small groups of individuals, didn’t always show fiber to have a protective effect. But a recent review in the journal Anticancer Research notes the fiber in wheat bran shows greater cancer-fighting effects than some other types of fiber. It’s not clear how much of these benefits come from the fiber itself, and how much from a phytochemical called phytate that is found in wheat bran

fiber. Animal studies suggest that phytate inhibits early stages of cancer development. It seems to do so by acting as an antioxidant (helping to prevent or repair damage to cells than can lead to cancer) and by improving the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. Similarly, early laboratory teste^nd population studies clearly showed that high-fat diets increased colon cancer. Yet studies comparing individuals with high- or low-fat intake have not always supported a link with colon cancer. Now a report in Carcinogenesis suggests fats differ in their effects. Research shows that the composition of the body’s cells actually changes with changes in dietary fat. Polyunsaturated oils create unstable cells that are more vulnerable to the kind of damage that can begin the cancer process. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish) and monounsaturated fats (like olive and canola oils) don’t seem to promote damage. Risk may be more than a question of fat and fiber. Several studies have found substantial increases in risk related to frequency of eating red meat, but this is not supported consistently. Other studies suggest that it may not be a matter of red meat versus white, but.of how it is cooked. When meat, fish or poultry is cooked at high tem-

peratures (grilling, broiling, frying) substances form that can damage our genes in a way that allows cancer to begin developing. Cooking at lower temperatures, or marinating before grilling or broiling helps reduce formation of these substances.

A major report on diet and cancer risk from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) found convincing evidence that eating an abundance of vegetables and fruits offers protection against colon cancer. While researchers puzzle over which vitamins, phytochemicals and fiber types might be most helpful, the bottom line is that boosting our intake to at least five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily could probably lower colon cancer risk by 30 to 50 percent. According to AICR, regular exercise is another strongly supported route to lower risk. Maintaining a healthy weight has also shown some relationship to lower colon cancer risk. It is unclear, however, whether this is due to actual effects of body fat or to differences in exercise or eating habits.

Send questions and comments to [email protected] or visit Web site: thenaturalnews.freelife.com

One of the main causes of loss of focus is the emotion called anger. When someone makes you angry, he or she has taken control of your mind. Being angry means somebody else is pulling your strings. Don’t give in to the feelings and thoughts of anger. Always be positive. It is difficult to be angry with a smile on your face. When people attempt to make you angry, smile, whistle and say, “Ain’t it great? Fantastic.” They may think you’re a little strange, but they wiU cany their negativity elsewhere. To be in control, you must always be positive. Stay as far away from all negativity as possible over the next six months, and watch the change this brings about in your life. Although you may not be able to control the acts of other people, you can control your own reactions to those acts. In fact, other people cannot take control of your life at all. You must give it to them. If you don’t give control of your mind to another person, letting them make you angry, they have no power over you. “He is a fool who cannot be angry; but he is a wise man who will not.” (Proverb) True wisdom comes only through self-understanding based on self-discipline. When you have self-discipline, discipline from outside is unnecessary. You are then your own boss, the captain of your ship. Your own initiative causes you to get a job done, or task completed. When you live without discipline, you die without dignity.

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National poetry contest promotes car safety

WASHINGTON (African-American Newswire)—Auto Industry Diversity Efforts, the nonprofit arm of On Wheels Inc., has announced a national poetry contest aimed at increasing awareness on the importance of using seat belts among African Americans. Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for African-American children through age 14 and the second leading cause of death forages 15-24, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Cars kill more of our youth than AIDS. If Blacks are excited about entering and winning this contest, they are forced to think about car safety when they sit down to write,” said Randi Payton, founder of Auto Industry Diversity

Efforts.

The contest will run until the end of June. First place receives $500 and publication of their work in African Americans On Wheels

(AAOW), a national autoifiotive magazine geared towards the Black community. There will be $300 and $200 prizes, respectively, for the runners-up. Poems will be judged by a committee of published poets, writers and college professors on creativity and how well they highlight the importance of buckling up (Use statistics below). All winners will receive a free year’s subscription to AAOW. Contestants must enter at AAOW’s award winning Web site:

www.automag.com. Auto Industry Diversity Efforts’ national safety campaign, “Why Can’t We All Just Buckle Up,” is jointly sponsored by NHTSA and Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America Inc. (MMSA). The contest continues the drive to increase African-American seat belt usage from 51 percent to 90 percent. Currently, seat belt usage among African Americans is more than 10 percent points below the national average of 70 percent. “Much of this is due to the fact that people really don’t believe they will be involved in a vehicular accident. We are much smarter than that We must take precautionary measures, not calculated risks,” says Kimatni Rawlins, the safety campaign director. For information about the campaign visit www.automag.com.

Safety facts and statistics • Seat belt use among African Americans is more than 10 percentage points below the national average of 70 percent. • Every hour a death occurs from a direct failure to fasten seat belts. • On average. African-American teens are 50 percent less likely to wear seat belts than white teens. • African-American and Hispanic teen-agers %

are twice as likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than white teens. • The risk of African-American children aged 5 to 12 dying in an auto crash is almost three times as great as that of white kids. • With a 90 percent seat belt usage across the country, the nation would save a total of $356 million per year in Medicare and Medicaid costs. • Black male teen-agers are five times as likely to die in motor vehicle crashes than Black females of the same age. • Among children 5-12 years old, occupant death rates per billion vehicle miles of travel were 14 for African Americans, 8 for Hispanics and 5 for whites. •Among teen-agers 13-19, the rates were 45 for Hispanics, 34 for African Americans, and 30 for whites. • Child safety seats, when properly installed, reduce the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. In 1998, neariy six out of every 10 children who died in crashes were unbelted. • Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for African-American children through the age of 14. They are the second leading cause of death, surpassed only by homicides, for ages 15-24. • Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of dM,hby45pm “ L V

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