Prostate Cancer

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Michigan have discovered an inherited mutation linked to significantly higher risk of prostate cancer development at a younger age. The discovery, after two decades of looking, provides insight into the disease development. And though those with the mutation comprise just a fraction of the 240,000 new cases diagnosed annually, the discovery could also help doctors determine who needs earlier screening. The discovery is the first major genetic variant found for inherited prostate cancer, said Dr. Kathleen A. Cooney, professor of internal medicine and urology at the Michigan Medical School and a senior author of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine . The study found that those with a family history of prostate cancer were much more likely to have the mutation, and that gave them a 10-20 higher risk of developing the disease themselves.

Anthony O'Neill "Tony" Miller, a retired reporter and foreign correspondent, died Nov. 23 of prostate cancer at his home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The former Ellicott City resident was 68. Born in Baltimore and raised in Catonsville, Mr. Miller was a 1961 graduate of Loyola High School and earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1965 from what is now Loyola University Maryland. After working as a social worker for the city Department of Social Services and studying psychology, Mr. Miller left Baltimore in the early 1970s and went to California, where he began reporting for the San Jose Mercury and later the Sacramento Bee. He became the primary researcher for authors George Klineman, Sherman Butler and David Conn, whose book, "The Cult That Died: The Tragedy of Jim Jones and the People's Temple," published in 1990, told the story of the 1978 Jonestown Massacre in Guyana.

The devastation of losing a house to foreclosure can lead to depression and a host of other conditions, according to the authors of new study who warn of a looming national health crisis. They are advocating for a new unified approach by financial and mental health advisers to provide homeowners with aid. The study, led by a University of Maryland researcher, found that one in five people in default on their mortgages have serious symptoms of depression. About one-third have seen their finances so crimped that they cannot afford to fill prescriptions and get enough to eat, which worsen health problems.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent advisory panel, recently recommended that healthy men not be given PSA blood tests to detect prostate cancer. But that won't mean the end of diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death in American men. Dr. E. James Wright, associate professor and director of the Division of Reconstructive and Neurological Urology and chief of urology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, answers questions about diagnosis and the latest treatments, including measures to mitigate side effects such as incontinence and impotence.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendation against routine use of a blood test that can offer early detection of prostate cancer has led to puzzlement and anger. The reaction has been similar to that following the group's suggestion two years ago that routine mammograms be sharply curtailed. As with mammograms and breast cancer , many of those who received treatment for prostate cancer after a blood test showed elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen - a marker for prostate cancer - are convinced that the screening saved their lives.

Six faculty members at Gilman School are participating in Swim Across America's "open swim" Sept. 18 to raise money for cancer research and to honor family members who are fighting or died of cancer. The faculty members are Carl Ahlgren, director of college counseling and a history teacher; his wife, Kristin Ahlgren, a lower school library assistant; Ned Harris, academic dean and a history teacher; Patrick Hastings, an upper school English teacher; Rob Heubeck, an upper school history teacher and technology coordinator; and Jim Morrison, an upper school science teacher, according to Gilman spokeswoman Jodi Pluznik.

Baseball Ex-O's pitcher Jefferson dead at 62 of cancer Former Orioles right-hander Jesse Jefferson died Thursday at age 62 of prostate cancer. He pitched for five major league teams, including the Orioles from 1973 to 1975. He was 7-7 with a 4.13 ERA in 42 games with Baltimore. He was a resident of Midlothian, Va. -- Dan Connolly Colleges No. 2 Maryland routs No. 8 BC in men's soccer, 4-0 The No. 2 Maryland men's soccer team passed its first conference test Friday night with a 4-0 rout of No. 8 Boston College at Ludwig Field.

Kevin Doxzen Jr. applied last summer for a Fulbright scholarship to do cancer research in Singapore, and by December he was told he was a finalist. For about five months, he heard nothing, even as many of his classmates were notified of their status. The Johns Hopkins University graduate put together a backup plan that on the surface sounded equally enticing: working at a lab at Yale University studying cancer genes. In May, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board notified him that he had been awarded the nine-month study grant, and Doxzen was relieved he didn't have to resort to Plan B. "The pay [to study at Yale]

Care for cancer patients The Wellness House of Annapolis offers services and programs for those living with cancer and for their relatives, including children. Walk-in hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. All classes and services are free for cancer patients, caregivers and families. Pre-registration is required. The Wellness House is at 2625 Mas-Que Farm Road. Appointments: 410-990-0941 or wellnesshouse@comcast.net . Guide to school health The Department of Health's website, http://www.aahealth.org offers information on school health services for the 2011-2012 school year.