The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently joined together to sponsor a conference of health experts. The goal: To figure out how to increase rates of colon cancer screening among Americans.

According to Donald Steinwachs, PhD, a professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, colon cancer screening rates are consistently lower than screening rates for other cancers. Dr. Steinwachs stated that the colon cancer screening rates are "poor" compared to other cancer screening rates.

According to the latest data, about 55% of Americans 50 years and older have been screened for colon cancer. By comparison, screening rates are 70% to 80% for many other cancers.

The expert conference concluded that at least five things need to be done to increase the number of people who get colon cancer screening:

• Using existing technologies that are effective, such as patient-reminder systems, to get people in to screening appointments.
• Figuring out which screening tests are preferred by which groups of people and then offering the preferred tests.
• Making sure that when there is a positive result - when a possible cancer or precancerous growths are found - there is follow up with the patient.
• Getting rid of financial barriers that prevent people from getting screened and following up with their doctor after screening. This might be accomplished through low- or no-cost screening programs, especially for people who don't have health insurance.
• Making sure high-quality colon cancer screening programs are available to all.

If you need to be screened for colon cancer, but you are afraid or embarrassed about the test, you don't need to be!

There are lots of ways to help yourself not fear and dread colon cancer screening.

Knowing what to expect before, during, and after colon cancer screening, will go a long way to easing your anxiety.

If you're due for colon cancer screening, talk to your doctor today about this. Colon cancer screening saves lives.

The National Cancer Institute recently shared information about exciting new research that may lead to blood tests for many different types of cancer. This type of blood test would be a very important advance in the way cancers are detected.

An easy, simple blood test to find cancer early would be so important in the fight against this disease. It would allow doctors to find cancers early, when they are most treatable.

There are two big barriers to detecting cancer early, when it is more easily treatable:

1. There is a lack of technology to detect certain cancers. As an example, ovarian cancer is difficult to detect, the symptoms are vague and easy to miss, and there are no good screening tests to catch this cancer early. Pancreatic cancer also is difficult to detect. No standard screening tests are available to find pancreatic cancer before it has spread. Survival rates for these cancers are lower than for many other cancers - the cancers for which good screening tests do exist.
2. Technology to detect the cancer exists, but it is invasive or uncomfortable, so people don't do it. As an example, colonoscopy to detect colon cancer is reasonably good at finding the disease. However, preparation for the test involves completely emptying (cleansing) the colon. Many people find this unpleasant, though not painful. Due to the discomfort preparing for a colonoscopy, as well as fear and embarrassment about the test itself, many people do not get a colonoscopy as often as recommended by their doctor, or ever!

In the new research, scientists from Denmark found that the body may produce something called an antibody in response to cancer. An antibody is a protein made by the immune system when harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites enter the body.

The Danish researchers discovered that in some people with cancer, the body produces antibodies against their own cancer. The goal is to use these auto- or self- antibodies to create a blood test to detect cancer very early, before the tumor is able to spread.

We'll keep you posted as more studies on cancer autoantibodies are published. And the minute a reliable, good-quality blood test is available to detect colon cancer, you can read about it here!

New research on 823 people receiving chemotherapy reveals that far more experience insomnia than previously thought. The study was published in the January 10th issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The researchers found that insomnia was at least twice as common in people receiving chemotherapy as compared with the general population. About 80% of those receiving chemotherapy had symptoms of insomnia or had insomnia syndrome at some point during treatment. Younger people, those less than 58 years old, had a higher risk of insomnia compared with people over 58.

Getting Your Shut Eye

The researchers noted that insomnia is common and under-treated among patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy. If you are in cancer treatment and this is affecting your sleep, getting more shut eye should be a priority. It may seem impossible to improve your sleep, but a few steps can help.

Don't ignore it. If cancer treatment is affecting your sleep, talk to your doctor. Getting enough sleep is an important part of helping your body heal and tolerate treatment. Lack of sleep even can decrease immune function. Poor immune function, as measured by white blood cell count can make it harder to recover after each cycle of chemotherapy.

Your doctor can help you decide if temporary use of a sleep medication will be helpful. Many people worry about becoming addicted to sleep medication, but short term use is safe for most people. And sleep aids can help "reset the clock". In a sense, these medications, when used occasionally, may help your body "remember how to sleep."

Help yourself. Even if you decide not to take any sleep medications, you can do a lot to help yourself sleep better. Try cutting back on caffeine. For a start, don't have caffeine after noon. Also, if possible, keep yourself to 1-2 caffeinated beverages per day total. This includes coffee, colas, some teas, and energy drinks.

Set up a relaxing ritual to signal "bedtime". For many people, following the same, soothing routine at night helps their brain and body wind down and sleep better.

The routine might be reading a bit, having a cup of non-caffeinated tea such as chamomile, praying, or meditating. Just be sure whatever you read won't wind you up. When reading before bed, avoid upsetting topics like politics, war, and disaster. It's OK to want to learn about these things, but just save that reading for earlier in the day or evening.

Cut down on TV and computer time. Researchers have found that light from electronic equipment can suppress melatonin, a hormone your body needs to produce for good quality sleep. Go TV and computer free for at least an hour before bed.

A newly-published European study on vitamin D adds to the large and growing body of research that this nutrient is important for preventing colon cancer. This is welcome news, given that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women in the United States.

The study followed more than half a million people for more than a decade. People with the highest blood levels of vitamin D at the start of the study had an approximate 40% decrease in colorectal cancer risk compared with those who had the lowest vitamin D levels.

Your Dose of D

I wrote about vitamin D in a January 14th blog. I touched on the fact that many health experts feel the recommended intake for vitamin D is set too low for good health. If you want to make sure you're getting enough vitamin D, the following steps will help.

• Eat more foods that provide vitamin D. This includes fatty fish, such as wild-caught salmon and some mushrooms. Also try fortified foods such as cereals, orange juice, and low-fat dairy.
• Supplement if needed. It it is safe to take up to 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day based on government guidelines. If you don't regularly eat foods that provide vitamin D, consider a supplement.
• Get tested. A blood test is the best way to know for certain whether you do or do not need a vitamin D supplement.
• If your vitamin D levels are low, ask your doctor how much vitamin D you should take. Set up a plan for when your blood should be rechecked to see if the supplements are working.