Strategic Planning meeting details at the next Health Council meeting, August 4th, 10:00 am at the Health Council Office in Reserve. Come and get involved in our community.

Northern County Health Council next regular meeting August 28th, Pie Town Community Center, 6:30pm   Don't let the upcoming opportunities and activities pass you by!

Click here to download the updated 2008 Cancer Resource Brochure in PDF format.

July, 2008

National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information

I have been receiving a publication via email that is a wealth of information on Cancer. If interested, you can subscribe to it at the address listed below. I will include an article from the publication each month.  This month's information is on prevention.

Ann Menges

• CIS specialists provide the latest, most accurate information about cancer by telephone, TTY, instant messaging, and e-mail.

• The CIS operates the NCI's Smoking Quitline (1-877-44U-QUIT).

• Through its Partnership Program, the CIS works with established national, regional, and state organizations to reach those most in need of cancer information.

• The CIS takes part in health communications research to find new and better ways to educate people about health.

For information and publications, call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or visit http://www.cancer.gov/.

Prevention

 Cancer can be caused by a variety of different factors and may develop over a number of years. Some risk factors can be controlled. Choosing the right health behaviors and preventing exposure to certain environmental risk factors can help prevent the development of cancer. For this reason, it is important to follow national trends data to monitor the reduction of these risk factors. This section focuses on national trends data from two major groups of risk factors: Behavioral and Environmental.

Behavioral Factors
Scientists estimate that as many as 50-75 percent of cancer deaths in the United States are caused by human behaviors such as smoking, physical inactivity, and poor dietary choices. The first part of the Prevention section describes trends in the following behaviors that can help to prevent cancer.

Tobacco Use
Smoking causes about 30 percent of all U.S. deaths from cancer. Avoiding tobacco use is the single most important step Americans can take to reduce the cancer burden in this country. Diet
maintaining a healthy weight and eating a moderate-fat diet and enough fruits and vegetables while limiting consumption of red meat and avoiding too much alcohol is also an important step in reducing cancer risk.

• Eating fruits and vegetables
• Limiting red meat consumption
• Eating a moderate-fat diet
• Not drinking too much alcohol

Physical Activity
Obesity and physical inactivity cause about 25-30 percent of several of the major cancers in the U.S., including colon, breast, endometrial, kidney, and esophageal cancers. Obesity is estimated to cause 14 percent of cancer deaths in men and 20 percent of cancer deaths in women.

• Maintaining or reaching a healthy weight
• Being physically active

Sun Protection
The number of new cases of melanoma skin cancer has increased between 1975 and 2004, with an estimated number of 60,000 new cases in 2007.

Protecting skin from sunlight

Sun Protection and Cancer

The number of new cases of melanoma skin cancer has increased between 1975 and 2004, with an estimated number of 60,000 new cases in 2007. More than one million people are diagnosed with basal cell and squamous cell (non-melanoma) skin cancer in the United States every year. Basal and squamous cell cancers are the two most common types of skin cancers in the country. Although forty to fifty percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have these two types of skin cancer at least once, most of these cancers and melanoma skin cancers can be prevented... Studies suggest that reducing unprotected exposure to the sun and to artificial light from tanning beds, tanning booths, and sun lamps can lower the risk of skin cancer. Avoiding sunburns, intermittent high intensity exposure, and other damage from these sources-especially in children and teens-reduces the chances of getting melanoma skin cancer. All of these types of skin cancers are most common in light-skinned people, although they also occur in people with darker skin

Environmental Factors
Certain chemicals, biological agents, toxins, etc. are associated with cancer development. In this section, national trends data associated with environmental exposures and their relationship to cancer are reported.

Secondhand Smoke

• Secondhand tobacco smoke (also known as environmental tobacco smoke)

Chemical Exposures

• Pesticides
• Dioxins

The environmental measures highlighted in this report were chosen based on the availability of national trends data and their inclusion in the Healthy People 2010 Report. Because national trends data were unavailable for other environmental exposures that cause cancer, they were excluded from this report.

*Note: Updated data on pesticides and dioxins will be provided in late 2008. The updated data on these environmental factors is based on the release of the Centers for Disease Control's Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, expected to be published in summer 2008. For more information, please see: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/results_reporting_process.ht

7 Ways To Prevent Cancer

50% OF ALL CANCERS CAN BE PREVENTED by things you can do. Take control of your health, and improve the health of your family, by following these seven recommendations. Doing so will help you and your family lower risk not only for cancer but also heart disease, stroke and diabetes

Don't smoke.

Tobacco use (including cigarettes, pipes, cigars and chewing tobacco) is linked to cancers of the mouth, throat, larynx, lung, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix and one type of leukemia.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight lowers the risk of cancers of the breast (post-menopausal), colon, kidney,

Esophagus and endometrial (lining of the uterus).

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Drink less than one alcoholic drink a day.

One drink is a glass of wine, a bottle of beer or a shot of hard liquor. Limiting alcohol

lowers the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, rectum, mouth, throat and esophagus.

Eat a healthy diet.

A healthy diet lowers the risk of cancers of

The prostate, breast, lung, colon, rectum, stomach and pancreas.

Tips for eating a healthy diet:

• Make fruits and vegetables part of every meal. Put fruit

Protect yourself from the sun.

Sunlight is linked to skin cancer.

Tips for protecting yourself from the sun:

• Stay out of direct sunlight between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm

Protect yourself and your partner(s) from sexually transmitted infections.

Some sexually transmitted infections are linked to cancers of the cervix, vagina, anus and liver.

Tests for Cancer

Screening tests can catch cancer early, when it is most treatable. In some cases, a test

Can even help prevent cancer from developing in the first place. Talk to a health care professional about tests for: • Colon and rectal cancer• Breast cancer• Cervical cancer.

Description:

The Northern Catron County Health Council (NCCHC) was formed in 2007. It is a branch of the Catron County Health Council, that serves to increase the opportunity for participation in Health Council activities in the northern area of Catron County. The northern branch of the Health Council conducts monthly meetings on a rotational schedule between the communities of Quemado, Pie Town and Datil. Meetings in the communities of Quemado and Pie Town are usually held in that town's community center, and meetings in Datil are usually held at the Datil Firehouse. The NCCHC consists of interested members and a set of officers that operate in close cooperation with the members and officers of the CCHC. Although distinctive in its make up and specific interests and activities, the northern branch holds to the Health Council's mission and commitment to be a Community-based forum for assessment, promotion, and improvement of the health and well being of county residents.

Help our community welcome dentist Anna Fuller and her family at a "Welcome Luncheon", JULY 25,2008 at NOON, Reserve Community Center. Bring a salad or dessert, and a big smile!! See you there!

The Catron County Commission enacted a gross receipts tax on July 6th 2008 to fund a county health care fund.  The fund will be used to pay the emergency medical bills of indigent patients from Catron County.