I SCREEN, YOU SCREEN...l By Judith Hurley

When it comes to fighting cancer, nothing beats early detection.
   The latest statistics on cancer are out, and the news is mostly good. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. death rate from cancer has dropped 25 percent since 1991. That translates to 2.1 million fewer cancer deaths a year. The decrease can be attributed to early detection efforts (such as colon cancer screenings and mammograms) and a drop in smoking rates.
   Yet cancer remains the second-leading cause of death among Americans, so if you haven't thought about undergoing recommended cancer screenings, you should. In the United States, 41 out of every 100 men and 38 out of every 100 women will develop cancer in their lifetimes, and the risk for cancer increases with age. The top three cancers in men are prostate, lung and colorectal. In women, they are breast, lung and colorectal.
   Accurate early-detection exams aren't available for all cancers, but they are for several of the biggies: colorectal, cervical, breast and lung. Nationally, however, screening rates lag behind their targets. In 2013, for example, only 58 percent of adults ages 50 to 75 were up to date on colorectal cancer screenings. The rates for cervical and breast cancer screenings were somewhat better
- 81 and 73 percent, respectively
-but still not optimal.
   While many cancer screening trends are positive, Blacks, Latinos and low-income Americans are less likely to be screened. Not surprisingly, they are also more likely to have cancer diagnosed at a later, less treatable stage and to die of it. Fear of the procedure, busy schedules, lack of health insurance and a high co-pay for expensive procedures such as colonoscopies are all barriers to screening.
Types Of Screenings:
   Depending on your age and risk factors, the guidelines for cancer screenings vary. Here is a roundup of the early cancer detection exams recommended by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, an independent panel of experts that advises the medical community:
BREAST CANCER: Women 50-74 should get a mammogram every two years. For women 40-49, mammogram decisions should be individualized.
CERVICAL CANCER: Woman 21 to 65 who have not had a hysterectomy should have a Pap test every three years.
COLORECTAL CANCER: Men and women 50-75 should have either a fecal occult blood test (FOBT) annually, a sigmoidoscopy every five years plus an FOBT every three years, or a colonoscopy every 10 years. An FOBT detects cancer that is already present. A sigmoidoscopy examines the rectum and lower portion of the colon, while a colonoscopy examines the entire colon. In both procedures, polyps can be detected and removed before they become cancerous.

Story 85: Da'vid Spares The Life Of Saul ll

   He then went on to say, "The skirt of your robe which I hold in my hand is proof that I bear no ill-will against you, although you wickedly seek my life." Referring to his own feeling of unworthiness to meet the armies of Is'ra-el in battle, he added, "I am as harmless as a flea, and as insignificant as a dead dog, and should be regarded as beneath the dignity of your pursuit." Appealing to GOD'S Justice, Da'vid ended his sublime words of defense by saying, "May the LORD judge between me and you, observe the injustice of your pursuit upon my life, and deliver me out of your hand."
   Saul was overcome by these words of Da'vid and by the mercy shown by one whose life he had sought. His cruel, hardened heart was melted by the forgiving spirit of the noble exile, and for a moment his sense of justice was awakened. When he realized that his life had been spared by Da'vid's mercy to a bitter foe, he said, "You are a better man than I, for you have returnt me good when I had done you evil. When the LORD placed me within your power, you did not kill me; and may GOD give you a good recompense for your kindness. I know that you are to be king of Is'ra-el, and I beg that you give me an oath that you will not cut off my sons after me, and that you will not destroy my name in the annals of Is'ra-el's history."
   Saul then gave up the war against Da'vid and he and his men went home. Sad to say, however, his confession of guilt and shame were not sincere, for he soon renewed his determination to kill Da'vid and all who befriended him.