For those at average risk of breast and cervical cancer, it has been a busy week! Last week new, more lenient mammography guidelines were recommended, stirring up controversy among cancer organizations and political cynics. Today, we see changes in cervical cancer screening guidelines, issued by The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). Like the updated mammography guidelines, ACOG is recommending less Pap smear tests for women of average risk of cervical cancer. Women who have had abnormal cervical screenings should continue to follow their doctors recommendations as the new guidelines only apply to women of average risk.

New Guidelines Suggest:

• Women should have their first Pap smear at age 21. Old guidelines recommended women have their first Pap three years after become sexually active or at age 21 -- whichever came first.
• Women in their 20's should have a Pap smear every two years, instead of annually.
• Women in their 30's and have had three consecutive normal Pap smears should have undergo screening every three years.
• Women 65-70, who have have three normal Pap smear results consecutive and no abnormal findings in 10 years, can discontinue screenings altogether if they choose.
• Women who have undergone a total hysterectomy due to a noncancerous condition and have not had previously abnormal Pap smears can also discontinue screenings.

Shouldn't We Be Screening More Often?

Unlike a lot of cancers, cervical cancer is very slow growing. It can take up to 8-10 years for cervical cancer to develop. New guidelines give ample time to catch any cases of cervical pre-cancer before it progresses into cancer. Conspiracy theorists argue that these new guidelines for cancer screenings are among a grand plan by the Obama administration to cut costs for healthcare reform. I completely disagree. There have been talks of updating guidelines for years now. Medically, it makes perfect sense to increase the time between Pap smears and there isn't a huge debate among cancer organizations about the new changes. Now, the breast cancer screening debate is a whole different ballgame. Check out About.com's Breast Cancer site's heated discussion about the new changes.

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar has revealed that he has battled and managed a cancer diagnosis for almost a year. The 62 year old suffers from Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a rare form of the disease. His leukemia is currently in remission.

What I find admirable is that while many celebrities choose not to discuss their health in public, Kareem Abdul Jabbar is doing the total opposite. He has become a full fledged advocate for the disease, devoting a Facebook page to it and also Twitters about it regularly. He has discussed in detail his symptoms and treatment in hopes that it may help others seek medical attention if they are experiencing the same. To help spread the word about leukemia, Abdul Jabbar has upped the ante by giving Lakers tix to his 1,000,000th Twitter follower - which should happen today!

Hollywood actor Dennis Hopper has announced that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The 73 year old screen legend has cancelled his upcoming engagements to concentrate on treatment. He is being treated at the University of Southern California. Sam Maydew, Hopper's manager and the person who announced the diagnosis, did not reveal the star's prognosis, only saying "We're hoping for the best."

The American Cancer Society estimates that 192,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year. For more information about prostate cancer, please visit About.com's prostate cancer site.

The use of medicinal marijuana has always been a controversial topic, but when the U.S. Attorney General set forth guidelines urging more states to be more lenient of medicinal users, it has become a hot political topic. Despite it's strong support from the medical oncologic community, some people strongly oppose medicinal marijuana. They claim it is highly addictive and a gateway drug

I certainly believe that marijuana is addictive and can be a gateway drug for those who use the drug recreationally. People with cancer, however, do not use marijuana to get high. The goal is to control the pain, relieve the nausea, and hopefully stimulate the appetite.  It is certainly difficult to completely understand the stress, frustration, and decline of the quality of life that people with cancer endure without experiencing it for yourself  or witnessing a loved one go through it. I have known several cancer patients who used medicinal marijuana legally and have found immense, immediate relief. They only required one medication (medicinal marijuana) to combat treatment side effects instead of 4-5 pharmaceutical drugs.

With that being said, how do you feel about medicinal marijuana?

Poll: Do you think it is acceptable to smoke marijuana for medicinal purposes?

• Absolutely
• No. A drug is a drug, regardless of how it is used.
• View Results

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