As we near the end of October, I am issuing a challenge to the women of Idaho, who are notorious for not getting their mammograms: If you are over the age of 40, please talk to your healthcare provider about when you should start getting screened, and if you are over 50, just schedule it. One in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, so there is a good chance this disease will affect you or someone you love. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
Why is breast cancer screening important?
Getting a mammogram at the appropriate time in your life is important because the earlier cancer is found, the earlier you can get treatment for it. If breast cancer is discovered before it spreads, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent on the national level. But for late-stage cases, the five-year survival rate drops to 24 percent. That’s why early detection is important. Continue reading
Today we’re talking about food poisoning, and a serious increase in STEC cases in Southwest Idaho – What the heck is STEC? 
If you’re a parent with a new kindergartener, pre-schooler or child care pupil this fall, you may not be ready for the shock and “Ewww!” that comes with the first time you receive a letter from the school or day care advising you that a child in your kid’s class has head lice. Or worse, a call from the school nurse advising that your child is being sent home due to a case of head lice. After you recover from the mortification, it’s important to remember head lice are not a health risk. 