Genetics speaker
By · Comments
CECILE SKYRZNIA, a genetics counselor at UNC Linebarger Cancer Center, spoke to a Lunch and Learn group March 12 about genetics and cancer.
Genetic risk Lunch and Learn topic
By · CommentsCecile Skyrznia, a genetics counselor with UNC Linebarger Cancer Center, spoke on the genetic risk of getting cancer at the bi-weekly Lunch and Learn held in the Cancer Resource Center in Nags Head.
Ninety percent of cancer is unrelated to genetics, she said, with 67 being the average age for a diagnosis of cancer in the United States . Cancer that occurs in the forties is considered an early diagosis. For a genetic link a family history of a first- or second-degree relative having cancer must have the disease. A first degree relative is mother, father, sibling or child; second-degree is aunts or uncles. Doctors don’t usually consider cousins because the genetic make-up is extremely varied by then. In addition to a close relative being diagnosed with nonsmoking-related cancer at a young age, another red flag is seeing the same type of cancer on the same side of a family.
Other risks to consider are having more than one type of cancer and a two-sided cancer (such as both breasts), cancers occurring in small group intermarriage situations, such as those of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry or people on a small island who have had little contact outside that small area. Sudden unexplained death and syncope (losing consciousness more than one time without a clear reason) can be an indication of cancer. To determine if there is a genetic risk a patient needs to produce medical records of an affected relative, pathology and surgical reports, death certificates, autopsy reports and witness accounts of a sudden death.
Factors that should be considered when dealing with cancer are gender, age, family history, child bearing history, hormones taken, benign breast disease, lifestyle and radiation exposure. Having children at a young age seems to protect women from ovarian cancer, she said, as does use of oral contraceptives, but using hormone replacement therapy after menopause can be a contributing factor to having gynecological cancers. Lifestyle is also a factors, and being obese in your forties is not good. The BRCA -1 gene is responsible for 52 percent of breast and ovarian cancers and the BRCA-2 gene, 32 percent, Skyrznia said. Early menarche (under the age of 12) is an indicator of increased risk of gynecological cancers, and a first pregnancy after the age of 30 also indicates a high risk.
In the case of colon cancer, a history of polyps, especially more that five or six, a family history of that cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and lifestyle factors all put a person at risk. About 5 percent of the population will have colon cancer, Skyrznia said. If a close relative had colon cancer, then a patient should have a colonoscopy at an age 10 years before the age of that relative when he or she was diagnosed. There are few effective tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer, she said in response to a question from the audience, but having pancreatitis is a risk indicator Johns Hopkins is the hospital with the most advanced work on pancreatic cancer.
The next Lunch and Learn will be Friday, March 26 when Dr. Justin Yopp, PhD will speak on “Helping Family and Friends support a Cancer Diagnosis.“
Right recipe for respite program
By · Comments 
CHEF SCoTT FOSTER of Coastal Provisions Market led participants at the Gourmet Seafood Cooking Demonstration and Wine Pairing event held in February, through a hands-on demonstration that they willbe able to use for cooking seafood like the professionals, but at home for their families. The event was held to raise funds for Dare Respite, which is affiliated with Dare County Department of Public Health. This program provides high quality in-home respite services to families providing care for a loved one due to age, frailty or illness. For more information about Dare Respite Care or upcoming events and fundraisers, contact Stephanie Bowers at 475-5057 or stephenieb@darenc.com.
Ready to walk
By · Comments
MONARCH BEACH CLUB members are ready to Walk For Autism. (Courtesy photo)
Monarch walks for autism
By · CommentsMembers of the Monarch each Club will walk together to raise funds for the local chapter of the Autism Society Saturday, April 10. The club will participate in the Walk for Autism sponsored by The Dare County Center. This fundraising event marks one of many philanthropic efforts that the club has taken on since ts start less than one year ago.
While many young people have embraced the concept of “giving back,“ what makes the Beach Club so special is that they are not your average group of young people. They are special in their own right. The club is comprised of young adults with developmental disabilities living in Dare and Currituck counties. Monarch’s Beach Club provides opportunities for young people with disabilities to interact in their communities, meet new friends, volunteer, learn about the arts, cooking, gardening and more. The club is a collaborative effort of Monarch staff, community partners and club members who work together to create interesting events, outings, activities and projects.
Renate Macchirole, Beach Club program director, is excited about the Walk for Autism. “One of the club members’ favorite things to do is get out and help others. This is the perfect way for all of us to get some exercise, enjoy the spring weather nd help our community. the walk may be tough for some, but they are determined to try their best. These people truly inspire me.“
The Beach Club has a challenge for other clubs, groups, families and individuals - “Join us in the Walk for Autism to make this the biggest walk in our community yet.“ The Walk for Autism is an easily accessible track and is only two miles long. Those who participate will help raise community awareness of autism and support people with disabilities.
Interested in taking the beach Club challenge and joining the walk? Call Emily Karr at 475-9271 to register in advance. Teams, company groups, clubs, families, church groups and individuals are all welcome. If you’re not sure you can make it, feel free to show up and register the day of the event.
Monarch is a nonprofit and is an affiliated chapter of The Arc of North Carolina and The Arc of the United States. to learn more about Monarch, call 1-800-230-7525 or visit online at www.MonarchNC.org.
GOP convention March 13
By · CommentsDare County GOP will hold its annual convention Saturday, March 13 at the new Dare County Center in Manteo beginning at 10 a.m.
Meet some of the local candidates including Hood Richardson, who is challenging Marc Basnight for the NC-1 Senate seat, Bob Steinburg, challenger to Tim Spear for the NC-2 House seat, Bob Cavanaugh, who is challenging Walter Jones in the primary for the U.S. House seat from Nc-3 and sheriff candidate Doug Doughtie.
Corps of Engineers seeks comments
By · CommentsU.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wilmington District will hold a public scoping meeting on a proposal by Duke Energy Carloinas, LLC, to construct up to three power-generating wind turbines. Duke Energy proposes to construct the project within a three square-mile area west of Avon and 9.1 miles north of Frisco.
the purpose of the scoping meeting is to solicit comments from the public. Federal, state and local agencies and officials, and other interested parties, regarding the proposed project within jurisdictional waters of the United States, including wetlands, and to identify issues and concerns to be addressed in the EIS. this is not a public hearing.
The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., March 18, at the Dare County Justice Center in Manteo.
A notice of intent to prepare a draft environmental impct statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act was published in the Federal Register Feb. 23. The NOI and additional information can be found on the Wilmington Regulatory webisite: http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/WETLANDS/Projects/Duke Wind/index.html.
Written comments pertinent to the scoping meeting must be submitted by 4:15 p.m., April 2. Send them to David Lekson, Washington Regulatory Field Office, u.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 1000, Washington, N.C. 27889, or by email to david.m.lekson@usace.army.mil. Comments will be considered in the preparation of the draft environmental impact statement.
LWV announces spring calendar
By · CommentsThe Dare League of Women Voters announces the following spring calendar:
U.S. Women’s History lecture and film series, Monday, March 29, and Monday, April 26, 4-6 p.m. at First Flight High School’s media center.
2010 Census: We Count Here, led by Akilah Ensley of the U.S. Census Bureau, Thursday, March 25, Kill Devil Hills town hall, 7:30-9 p.m. Dinner at Mako Mikes at 5:30 p.m., respond by March 22.
Go-See tour, operational wind power facilities on the Outer Banks (Phillips Seafood Market in Columbia), Coquina Beach and The Outer Banks Brewing Station), Thursday, April 15.
Friday, May 14, annual meeting at 11:30 a.m., location to be announced.
Wesley House to close doors
By · CommentsElizabeth City’s Wesley Hospitality House will be officially closing its doors March 31.
Wesley Hospitality House is where families of patients have been able to stay affordably while their loved ones are treated at Albemarle Hospital.
A combination of the poor economy and declining need for Wesley House’s services prompted the decision to close the 11-year-old facility. Since the opening of Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head a few years ago, Outer Banks residents no longer have to drive to Elizabeth City for treatment. That in turn has dramatically decreased the need for family accommodations at Wesley House. Ninety percent of the people from Dare County don’t have to travel to Elizabeth City for medical attention.
Wesley Hospitality House opened in 1999 under the direction of Jim Huskins, a Methodist minister who wanted to create a place for the families of Albemarle Hospital patients to stay while they were in Elizabeth City. More than 6,000 families have stayed at Wesley House since it opened. (From www.obxcommongood.org)
Film series ongoing
By · CommentsOuter Banks Peace and Justice Interfaith Coalition sponsors a monthly film series held on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Holy Redeemer. Catholic Church in Kitty Hawk.
The coalition is planning film showings for the rest of this year. If you are interested in the documentary series, please participate in a survey. Review the selected films at the ComonGood BlogSite. The survey closes March 15. (From www.obxcommongood.org)
