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UK hosts national meeting to raise immunization rate for vaccine against cervical and other HPV cancers, in which Kentucky leads U.S.
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Kentucky leads the nation in the rate of cases of and deaths from cervical cancer, a disease that is largely preventable by a vaccine. The vaccine targets the human papillomavirus, which can cause cancers of the cervix, genitals, anus, neck and head. Kentucky also leads the nation in cancers…
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UK study estimates more than 134,000 cases of cancer went undiagnosed in the first 10 months of the pandemic
BY ELIZABETH CHAPIN UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY More than 134,000 cancer cases went undiagnosed in the U.S. during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center study. The report, published in JAMA Oncology Feb. 22, provides the first estimates of missed cancer diagnoses in 2020 using…
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Lt. Gov. Coleman reflects on her preventive double mastectomy
BY SARAH LADD KENTUCKY LANTERN Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman knew for a long time that one day she might learn cancer was at her door. Her family history put her on heightened alert; her mother, aunt and cousin all had breast cancer. So she “wasn’t shocked” when, in September, a routine mammogram — her…
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Test your home for invisible radon gas
BY STACY STANIFER UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY January is National Radon Action Month, making it a great time to prioritize the health of those in your household by testing for the presence of radon gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and the leading cause of lung cancer among never-smokers.…
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UK doctor debunks myths about lung cancer screening, which can find cancer before it spreads or causes symptoms, and save lives
BY DR. TIMOTHY MULLETT UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., claiming more lives than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer combined. However, it can be a curable disease if detected early through screening, which can often identify cancer before it spreads or causes symptoms. The…
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‘In this family no one fights alone’
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County employees and officials are rallying behind one of their own: Sheriff John Kirk who is battling pancreatic cancer. About 50 people will wear t-shirts saying, “In this family no one fights alone.” Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Billy Patrick said the idea for the t-shirts came from…
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UK brings Appalachian students into cancer study
The nation’s highest cancer rates are in Appalachia, especially in Appalachian Kentucky. But the state is also home to an effort to get young people from the region involved in research to prevent and cure cancer. It’s at the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center, where college and high-school students from Appalachian Kentucky can explore…
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Free skin cancer screenings
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and King’s Daughters is offering free skin cancer screenings May 20 in Prestonsburg. The screenings will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. by dermatology nurse practitioner Elisha Porter, APRN. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S., and 1 in 5 Americans will develop…