People’s Pharmacy: Safety concerns put the FDA on the hot seat. 2D
T U E S D A Y , M A R C H 22, 2005
-TALK PLANNING FOR PARENTS’ CARE Discussing with your parents
what will happen in case they
become unable to care for them-
selves can be extremely difficult. “The Parent Care Solution: A
Legacy of Love” (1st Books;
$27.95), by Dan Taylor, will help
you get through the conversation. Inspired by the author’s experi-
ence facing his father’s
Alzheimer’s disease, the book
offers tips on difficult discussions
about money, the home, property
and care options. Also included
Today Common STD can lead to CANCER SECTION D
WWW.TUSCALOOSANEWS.COM
A sexually transmitted disease, human papillomavirus can lead to cervical cancer in women
are charts to help you remember
the essentials, including ques-
By Markeshia Ricks
tions to ask financial advisers, a
document directory checklist, a
timeline for keeping documents, a
home-repair checklist and critical
questions to ask at a care facility.
CHILDREN’S PAIN If your child suffers from
chronic pain, a new book,
“Relieve Your Child’s Chronic
Pain” (Fireside Books; $14), by Dr.
Elliot J. Krane with Deborah
Mitchell, will give you advice
about how to ease it. Children experience pain differ-
ently than adults and may not be
able to articulate it as well. This
book helps you look for symp-
toms, understand what your child
is experiencing and find a pro-
gram for treatment.
ROGUE BRACELETS BOOMING From subways to schools, bar-
rios to bars, yellow “LiveStrong”
wristbands popularized by cyclist
Lance Armstrong are everywhere
in Mexico City. Many of the wearers are
unaware that legitimate sales of
the bracelets are intended to
support those with cancer. For
rich and poor alike, the bands are
an example of hot Americana, a
status symbol, the latest rage. As stores sell the real thing for
as much 12 times the Lance
Armstrong Foundation’s asking
price of $1, cheaper counterfeits
have poured into sidewalk mar-
kets notorious for pirated com-
pact discs and counterfeit-label
clothing. The fakes start at about $1 and
often sell for $2 or $3.
Staff Writer
A
t the close of the winter season, the only viruses most people are thinking about are those that cause cold and flu. But you could be carrying around a virus that is far more serious than either of those two. And chances arem you got it from someone close to you. The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is a sexually transmitted disease that at best doesn’t cause any complications and at worst could cause cervical cancer in women. Marsha Hightower, a nurse practitioner with the Southeast Cancer Network Cancer Care Center in Tuscaloosa, said HPV is a common virus, and most people are carriers but don’t know it. “It’s one of those viruses that gets passed around a lot. But unless it’s kicked up some kind of problem, you would never know you had it,” she said. Dr. Dwight Hooper, a physician of obstetrics and gynecology at University Medical Center on the University of Alabama campus, said there are as many as 100 known sub-types of HPV. “There are many different types, and they do different things,” he said. “Some cause a benign condition called genital warts. But there are about four different sub-types that can cause cervical cancer.” Outside of the potential for developing genital warts, men with HPV typically do not develop any forms of cancer from the virus. Until the 1950s, when doctors started using the Pap test, cervical cancer was the leading cause of death from cancer in U.S. women, according to the National Cervical Cancer Public Education Program. But Hooper said the Pap test is so effective that it can detect precancerous conditions such as cervical dysplasia, or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), which are basically abnormal cell growth in the cervix. “That’s why we do Pap smears,” Hooper said. “It is such a useful tool in eradicating cancer of the cervix, because we can find these conditions and treat them.” Hooper said if the results of a Pap test are abnormal, a more definitive screening called a colposcopy is performed. If the colposcopy confirms abnormal cell growth, Hooper said there are several treatment options that can remove those cells from the cer vix, including cr yotherapy, or freezing of the cervix, laser surgery, which vaporizes the abnormal cells, or shaving those cells off the cervix through the Loop Electrosurgical Excision procedure. “There is a greater than 90 percent chance to eradicate the CIN and prevent cervical cancer,” he said. Despite the effectiveness of the Pap test, Hightower said many women still feel uneasy about having the test done because it involves someone who is not their significant other looking at their genitals. “You need to take care of the health of the female organs,” she said. “And you can’t let the idea of someone looking down there stand in the way of your ability to seek and maintain good medical care. “You have to grit your teeth and get it done. If everything is OK, you don’t have to worry about doing it for another year.” Hooper said women who discover they have cervical cancer typically are in their 40s and 50s and have let their Pap tests lapse because they’ve had children and taken measures to ensure that they don’t have anymore. SEE HPV | 3D STAFF ILLUSTRATION | ANTHONY BRATINA
MULTITASKING MAKEUP For women who want more from their makeup, Revlon is respond-
Exercise touted as part of depression treatment
ing with its new Age Defying Makeup with Botafirm, which claims to have anti-aging properties. Botafirm is a mixture of botani-
cals and hexapeptide that, at
By Amy Forliti
The Associated Press
least in clinical testing, reduces
the appearance of lines and wrin-
kles, with noticeable changes in
two weeks. The makeup, available in liquid
foundations, concealers and pow-
ders, also contains vitamins.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Diane Strand, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, works out at the Midwest Athletic Club on March 14 in Cedar Rapids. Strand has been battling depression for some time and uses exercise as a way to clear her head.
MINNEAPOLIS | Life changed for Reed Steele five years ago when a series of injuries kept him from competing for his college cross country and track teams. Unable to run, he got depressed. He turned to drugs and alcohol, hoping they could provide the escape that running had. Before long, his depression deepened until he was hospitalized and suicidal.
Today, the 25-year-old feels better, thanks to a combination of antidepressants, therapy — and exercise, a combination of swimming, cycling and moderate running. “Exercise is extremely important for mental health,” said Steele, of Roseville, a Twin Cities suburb. “When I was really depressed, I wasn’t exercising. I didn’t have any desire to do anything.” SEE EXERCISE | 3D