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June is peak road race season, and two of the events raise money for cancer research and bring community together to fight their respective diseases. The Alaska Run for Women, held on the first Saturday in June every year, had a big turnout thanks to good weather. "This was our thirty-fourth annual run," said Alaska Run for Women board member Nance Larsen, a public relations professional. "It definitely exceeded expectations." The 2026 run had 5,175 registered entrants; 1,100 participated...
New tools for combatting breast cancer Immunotherapy has become a standard of care in treating high-risk, early-stage breast cancers, yet it has had limited success in shrinking tumors, so new biomarkers that can improve outcomes for patients are urgently needed. Now, researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tennessee, have found that repeated blood sampling (liquid biopsy) can assess and predict the evolving antitumor immune response to therapy. This minimally invasive...
June 1 Nationwide National Cancer Survivors Day. June 1-30 Nationwide Gun Violence Awareness Month. June 1-30 Nationwide Men's Health Month. Anchorage has a Men's Run on June 13, which proceeds going toward prostate and testicular cancer research and awareness. There is also a virtual option. June 14 National Flag Day June 19 Nationwide Juneteenth. Commemorates the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned of their freedom. It is celebrated as a day of freedom, resilience,...
New research is showing that adults who engage in lifelong learning such as reading, writing and learning languages have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and slower cognitive decline. The study does not prove that lifelong learning decreases the risk of Alzheimer's. It only shows an association. The study looked at 1,939 adults and examined cognitive enrichment including access to newspapers as children and having library cards in middle age. People in the top 10% of lifetime cognitive...
Editor's Note: National Centenarian's Day is Sept. 22. The day honors those who've celebrated 100 birthdays or more. We're publishing profiles of people who have hit this milestone. The Alaska Commission on Aging is working with the Governor's Office, Pioneer Homes and Long Term Care Ombudsman to celebrate Alaska's centenarians. This interview was made possible thanks to the Alaska Commission on Aging. Forgive Shirley Gordon if she doesn't tell you she's fine if you ask. "All my life people...
Alaska has 139 active clinical trials looking for those willing to sign up for research studies in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Bethel. Not only do you earn money for participation, but you also learn about your own state of health. Over the past few years, I've been found to have Stage 1 fatty liver disease, which the earliest and mildest form where fat accumulates up to 33% in liver cells and usually causes no noticeable symptoms. But it is crucial to address because it can progress to...
Statistics published by the American Cancer Society in 2025 suggest that one of every eight men (12.5%) will experience prostate cancer during their lifetime. And the incidence rate has increased by 3% each year since 2014. Men who are 65 and older are experiencing the highest rates of prostate cancer. Yet with intervention, the survival rates for prostate cancer are high at 97.7%. Since cancer goes into remission and never really goes away, the question “What future can I expect when living with prostate cancer?” has many answers. The pro...
June is packed with events as Alaskans get the most amount of sunshine of the year this month. The summer solstice is June 20 at 6:41 p.m. Alaska time.. https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/anchorage?month=6 You can get out and enjoy the summer through a variety of activities. … An event to bring metaphorical sunshine into your life takes place June 6. The Forget-me-not Chorus, a program of Alzheimer’s Resource of Alaska, is performing its spring concert at the Anchorage Senior Activity Center Ballroom. Complimentary refreshments will be ser...
Thomas McCarty, a 71-year-old audiologist, celebrated two milestones in April. He entered his 14th Boston Marathon and raised more than $15,000 for cancer research in the process. McCarty is part of a program in which participants in the famous 26.2-mile race can raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in lieu of qualifying with a speedy time. The Boston Marathon is known for having a high barrier to entry and elite runners rubbing shoulders with more mortal athletes. McCarty started...
Older adults are expressing their discontent with medication barriers. A large majority of older Americans feel that health insurance, including Medicare, should cover anti-obesity medications, according to a new University of Michigan study. More than half of older adults who meet criteria for obesity said they were interested in trying one of these drugs to manage their weight. Current law prevents Medicare from covering medications to treat obesity, and most private plans don’t cover the m...
At-home urine test for prostate cancer Researchers at Vanderbilt and the University of Michigan are now reporting that they have come up with a simple at-home urine test for prostate cancer screening. Traditional prostate cancer screening with PSA testing and biopsy has been shown to lead to unnecessary procedures and overdiagnosis of low-grade cancers, according to researchers Dr. Jeffrey Tosoian, an assistant professor of Urology and director of Translational Cancer Research at Vanderbilt...
Alaska Health Fair, Inc. (AHF) is excited to announce the return of our health fairs and affordable blood tests. The schedule will be published on www.alaskahealthfair.org around the first week of January. You are welcome to make your appointment online or walk in at any of our events. Please consider signing up for our electronic newsletter to be notified of important updates, resources, and more. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to prioritize your health in the new year. This season, we will add new blood tests to...
Staying healthy at 35,000 feet If you are planning on flying and debating whether to wear a mask, it is best to know the facts. Infectious disease expert Dr. Clark Abraham, who is with the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, said some people may be surprised about the risk of germ spread on most airplanes. “Commercial airplanes contain high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter systems, which exchange the air rapidly. In general, the risk of spreading an a...
Osteoporosis is more common in women than in men, so it is often thought of as a women’s disease. Subsequently, it is underdiagnosed and undertreated in men, especially men age 65 and older, who are at risk for developing osteoporosis. In addition, the number of fractures caused by fragile bones in men has increased in recent years. A fracture after age 50 is an important signal that a person may have osteoporosis. Unfortunately, men are less likely than women to be evaluated for osteoporosis after a fracture. Men also are less likely to get o...
June is Men's Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique health issues men face and to encourage early detection, treatment and prevention. Alaska Health Fair offers a variety of blood screenings that can provide valuable information about your health. Take your blood test results to your doctor. Comprehensive Blood Chemistry panel. This test measures various components of your blood, providing insight into your kidney, liver, as well as glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test. Beginning at...
Q: When I see the doctor, I give them my symptoms over and over, but they are dismissive of my pains and concerns. What can I do? A: As adults age, it is crucial to take control of one’s health and wellness. By being consistent about preventive care, prioritizing medical issues, and actively engaging with healthcare providers to avoid ageism, one can optimize outcomes and quality of life. Prioritize healthcare First, stay informed about age-related health concerns, medications and treatment o...
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is dedicated to educating our community and supporting early detection and intervention. Here’s what you need to know. Understanding prostate cancer Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the United States. The cause is not entirely understood, but risk factors may include age, family history, and race. Early symptoms may include difficulty in urination, blood in the urine or semen, and pelvic discomfort. Early detection of prostate cancer g...
Alaskan Native men warned about lack of screening for prostate cancer Men in Alaska age 50 or older may want to discuss prostate cancer screening with their healthcare provider. A new study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine is suggesting that American Indian and Alaska Native men are less likely to be screened for prostate cancer compared to other racial/ethnic groups and it is coming with a high price tag. The study appears in the online journal called Cancer Causes & Control, and...
June is Men’s Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the unique health issues men face and to encourage early detection, treatment and prevention. Alaska Health Fair, Inc. is proud to support this important initiative, and we’re here to help you take control of your health. In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of men’s health and highlight the blood tests we offer that can help detect potential health problems. Men’s health issues can often go unnoticed or undiagnosed, which is why it’s crucial to prioritize regular checkups an...
March is National Kidney Month, and Alaska Health Fair, Inc. and the National Kidney Foundation are urging everyone to take healthy steps to protect their kidneys. An estimated 26 million American adults have kidney disease, though most don’t know it. To protect your kidneys, you should get tested for kidney disease, reduce the use of NSAIDs (over the counter pain medicines), cut down on processed foods, exercise regularly, and control your blood pressure and diabetes. High blood pressure and diabetes are major risk factors for developing k...
Everyone has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new study by researchers at the University of Groningen, Netherlands has found that some individuals weathered the stress of the pandemic better than others, in part, due to their genetics. How a person perceives their quality of life depends on a combination of factors that include the genes they inherited from their parents and their environment (a mix of nature and nurture). Studying genes related to quality of life can be complicated, but the COVID-19 pandemic allowed the...
The loyalty of many long time clients and the curiosity of many new ones has helped us at Alaska Health Fair to ride the crazy, wild waves of 2020-2022 and we didn’t go under water during the process. Our staff and volunteers will now take a short summer break, and dream of or take advantage of long weeks of camping or fishing as many of you might dream of. We use summer for personal leave, to rest and recover, write grants, do inventories, restock supplies, catch up on reports, book events and carefully prepare for the whirlwind of what we c...
Hidden brain benefits come with pet ownership Owning a pet, like a dog or cat, especially for five years or longer, may be linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults, according to a new study. In fact, having a dog for more than 10 years may have important brain benefits. “Prior studies have suggested that the human-animal bond may have health benefits like decreasing blood pressure and stress,” said study author Dr. Tiffany Braley with the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann...
Detecting cancer long before symptoms There may now be a way to find cancer before symptoms ever occur. A new blood test, which can detect more than 50 types of cancer, has been found to be accurate enough to be rolled out as a multi-cancer screening test among people at higher risk of the disease, including patients age 50 years or older. In a paper published in the journal Annals of Oncology, researchers report that the test accurately detected cancer, often before any symptoms arose, while ha...
