Thursday March 18, 2010
Football legend Merlin Olsen has succumbed to his battle with mesothelioma. The 69 year old died in his Utah home after a short battle with the disease. Olsen publicly blamed his diagnosis on asbestos exposure through the workplace. He filed a lawsuit against NBC and other studios, saying they had negligently exposed him to asbestos. The lawsuit is still in litigation.
Mesothelioma is rare form of lung cancer that is caused primarily by exposure to asbestos. It can take decades to develop after exposure, so we are now diagnosing people who were exposed probably in the 60's and 70's -- before the building material was regulated. Luckily, the material is no longer used in the capacity as it once was in industrial building and other areas.
Wednesday March 10, 2010
It's that time of year again - tax season. Did you know that your cancer medical expenses may be tax deductible? By cancer medical expenses, this can mean child care while you received treatment, parking fees at hospitals, and even the cost of a wig if you lost your hair to chemotherapy. There are so many aspects of treatment that can be included in your tax deductions - many of which I was unaware of!
Don't forget that your entire family's medical expenses are deductible, including dental and optical care. Tax software programs like Turbotax can help you organize these deductions, or you may choose to see a tax accountant for help in filing your income taxes.
Can You Deduct Non-Prescription Drugs?
Tax Deductions for Cancer Medical Expenses
Monday March 8, 2010
As I was watching the 'In Memoriam' tribute segment of the Oscars last night, I noticed one name was absent from the slideshow: Farrah Fawcettt. As you know, Farrah died last summer, succumbing to her long battle with anal cancer. I have to wonder why the snub? Farrah remains a Hollywood icon and for her to be left out is unfortunate. She isn't the only one who was left out of the tribute, however. Bea Arthur, who died of cancer last year, was also noticeably absent from the segment.
According to several news sources, a spokesperson from the Oscars said that they simply cannot include everyone in the tribute. I found it a little odd that they chose to include Michael Jackson, who had little film contribution in his career. Don't get me wrong, MJ had immense talent that will never be replicated, but I believe a Grammy tribute would be much more fitting to pay homage than an awards ceremony for film. Share your thoughts in the 'Comments' section below.
Monday March 8, 2010
I came across an interesting interview with Sean Penn this morning at EntertainmentWeekly.com, where the controversial actor basically said that he hopes those who are cynical of him "die screaming of rectal cancer". Sean must really detest those who question his actions because advanced rectal cancer is truly no walk in the park - I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The actor's off-the-wall comment, however, has raised a little, much needed awareness of the disease and just in time for Colon Cancer Awareness Month!
In all seriousness, his insensitive comment greatly demeans rectal cancer patients and survivors. As another reader pointed out in the "Comments" section below, Penn would never have gotten away with saying he hoped people died of AIDS or breast cancer. Just because rectal cancer isn't a highly publicized disease doesn't mean it isn't as serious or the people it affects less tolerant.
Rectal Cancer Basics:
