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Cancer Answers is hosted by Dr. Anees Chagpar, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and Dr. Francine Foss, Professor of Medical Oncology. The show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners questions. Myths, facts and advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed, with a different focus eachweek. Nationally acclaimed specialists in various types of cancer research, diagnosis, and treatment discuss common misconceptions about the disease and respond to questions from the community.Listeners can submit questions to be answered on the program at canceranswers@yale.edu or by leaving a message at (888) 234-4YCC. As a resource, archived programs from 2006 through the present are available in both audio and written versions on the Yale Cancer Center website.

With Surging Tick Populations In Connecticut, Grant Awarded To Enhance Research Efforts

The tick population and tick-borne diseases are steadily increasing in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast according to scientists. In response, Senator Richard Blumenthal announced a federal grant to enhance research efforts into mosquito and tick-borne diseases.

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said 38 percent of the ticks they’ve tested are positive for Lyme and there’s an abundance of them. Director Dr. Theodore Andreadis said in the last two seasons they’ve seen a 10-fold increase in the number of ticks coming into their laboratory. Andreadis said this month alone they’ve received about 500 ticks, with similar numbers last month -- compared with past years when they saw around 20 in the same time frame.

"I can honestly say there’s virtually no region of Connecticut that you can go into where you’re not going to potentially be exposing yourself to ticks," Andreadis said. "They are everywhere."

Blumenthal announced a $3.25 million grant recently received by the New Haven facility -- part of a $10 million federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to join with Cornell University, Columbia University, Fordham University, and the New York and Connecticut Departments of Health to establish a Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases.

The major award will enhance research efforts into mosquito and tick-borne diseases, including West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Lyme, Babesia, Powassan, and Zika.

Blumenthal said Lyme cases are routinely underreported, undertreated, and underdiagnosed.

"The reporting mechanism is so patchy and incomplete," Blumenthal said. "Doctors are treating Lyme, they don’t report it, and the Department of Public Health doesn’t hear about it."

The estimated number of Lyme cases in Connecticut is around 30,000.

Blumenthal also released a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price seeking an update on efforts to establish a tick-borne disease working group as required by the 21st Century Cures Act.

Lori Connecticut Public's Morning Edition host.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

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Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.