Health: A spirited discussion on cancer pain relief, breast cancer, unraveling confusion and exposing health care disparities were among the topics of a two-dayconference in Manhattan on health disparities in minority and medical underserved communities. Comment.

Health: Every seven minutes, someone in America will become blind or visually impaired. The Jewish Guild for the Blind, one of the nation’s foremost not-for-profit health care agencies, is encouraging New Yorkers to make a New Year’s resolution to get their eyes checked. Comment.

New York: Housing activists dressed as bagels chained themselves together and blocked traffic at Grand Army Plaza on World AIDS Day not far from the Brooklyn Library “Bagel Breakfast” held by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg for World AIDS Day. Comment.

Health: Many men, for whom TherMatrx microwave thermotherapy treatment has been suggested to relieve the annoying symptoms caused by their benign prostate enlargement, want to know whether or not such treatment, once done, would make them unable to have any other treatment, or use any drug, or undergo any surgery in the future. The answer is absolutely not. Comment.

New York: Monroe College President Stephen Jerome and other dignitaries cut the ribbon on the Human Patient Simulation Center that will put the college’s School of Nursing at the cutting edge of nursing training on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Comment.

Health: With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to let little things slip through the cracks. You forget to blow out a candle before heading to the Christmas pageant. You overload an outlet with too many holiday lights. You forget you just took that hot pan out of the oven and you end up with a nasty burn. Use these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center to help you avoid some of the most common holiday accidents, so you’ll have a safe and fun holiday season. Comment.

Health: Watching television these days, you can’t help but be exposed to a variety of advertisements about the wonderful effects of using one drug or another. After hearing the announcer tell all the good things about the particular drug being advertised in a clear and easily understood voice, the voiceover changes to a rapid but not alarming tone, softly but accurately listing all the FDA warnings about what might go wrong as a result of using the drug. Comment.

New York: The Queens Sickle Cell Advocacy Network Inc (QSCAN) will hold its 10th Annual Scholarship and Awards Banquet on Sunday Dec. 12 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Antun’s of Queens Village, 96-43 Springfield Boulevard, N.Y. Comment.

National: Collie Oudkerk and Wayne Sampson knew what to expect when they decided to volunteer for a medical mission 10 years ago in the deprived areas of Guyana. Comment.

Health: Men know that changes in the way they urinate are often related to prostate enlargement. Comment.

New York: “Dead Wrong: How Psychiatric Drugs Can Kill Your Child,” is the latest in a series of award-winning documentaries from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR, at www.cchr.org), a watchdog group founded by the Church of Scientology. Comment.

Health: Millions of people worldwide, both men and women suffer from overactive bladder and do not seek medical help because they are unaware that they have a treatable condition. Comment.