Sunday, August 16, 2009

500 New Mexico Veteran Committed to Lung Cancer Testing

Full Article: Biomoda Study Screens 500 New Mexico Veterans For Lung Cancer
Fri. August 07, 2009; Posted: 04:06 AM

"The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (NM Tech) report that 500 New Mexico veterans have committed to participate in a state-funded program for the detection of early-stage lung cancer.

"John Cousins, Biomoda president and CEO, told the legislators that the $1.65 million appropriated for the screening program has raised awareness among New Mexico veterans of the U.S. armed forces about their increased risk for developing lung cancer and the importance of early detection. Of the 500 volunteers for the program, more than 100 have completed the screening.

Biomoda's diagnostic is based on a patented molecular marker originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory that preferentially binds to cancerous or aberrant cells and causes them to fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Under the guidance of a respiratory therapist, study volunteers provide a deep-lung sputum sample to be processed with Biomoda's CyPath(r) assay in the Biomoda lab. Results are compared to a CT scan and PAP stains read by cytopathologists to confirm accuracy."

Veterans Get Free Help at PA Legal Clinic

PA Free Clinic Assisting Veterans

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - August 14, 2009

"In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a free clinic at the Widener University School of Law is helping veterans who have a low or fixed income find a way to improve their lot in life. One veteran getting help from the clinic is former Navy sailor Joseph Rybnick. When he was 19, he was serving on a Navy cruiser. While cutting studs with a torch under a radio room desk, the desk collapsed on top of him. 30 years later, Rybnick says his injuries are still affecting his day-to-day life. "I can't do a day's work," he said. "Every time I move, I lose my breath."

Rybnick also suffers from damaged lungs, damage caused by asbestos exposure during his stint in the Navy. Asbestos was once commonly used in pipe insulation and other materials. Asbestos exposure is known to cause mesothelioma or lung cancer or other medical conditions. The issue of veteran asbestos exposure has long been a health and safety concern for members of the military community."