This is one of those weeks where every time I sit down to write, something plops into my lap. So forgive my catching up, but these are the things that have been on my mind:

On Monday, President Obama lifted the ban on stem cell research.  This was a very important move, especially to the scientists who are focusing their careers on unlocking the mysteries of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Stem cell research may also help in the treatment of heart disease and some day even cancer. Regenerating damaged knees and shoulders may also find sources of treatment in the generation of stem cells into specific soft tissue.

Most doctors and researchers have always considered the ban on this research stupid. It has been a case where politics imposed its will on science. That isn't to say that we shouldn't talk about embryos, IVF, guidelines, and research goals, but we should talk about them as a society and in the arena of moving credible science forward so we can help people.

On another note, there is a new breast cancer report just out that I covered on Today. It adds breast density to the risk factors for post-menopausal women who are at risk for getting breast cancer.  We all know the risks: age, family history, obesity, alcohol consumption, and even race and socioeconomic status to some extent. But you can tell by the list that the factors are old. That's the problem. We're recycling the same old ideas and not thinking outside the box.

That's why I'm making a blatant plug for Dr. Susan Love's Army of Women. Susan is dedicating her life to finding the cause of cancer at the cellular level. She is recruiting healthy women as a way of finding out what happens inside the ducts of the breast.  Let's turn the model upside down...and instead of regurgitating the same old facts, start looking for new risks than can lead to a cure.

Editor’s Note: To learn more about the link between breast density and breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women, read Dr. Susan Love’s blog.