Healthline

ABOUT 5 PERCENT of the U.S. population, equally divided between men and women, have tattoos. More people also are choosing to decorate their bodies with piercings and branding, according to Women's Health Care, a journal for nurse practitioners.

Body piercing, once primarily confined to ear lobes, now includes piercing of ear cartilage, tongue, lips, eyebrows, nipples, navel and genitals.

Branding is more controversial: The skin is cut to stimulate scar formation in patterns. Historically, it has been used to identify prisoners and slaves and as a form of worship.

To those contemplating "body art," here are some issues to consider:

-- Decide whether you will be happy in the future with your decision: Will it interfere with relationships or employment opportunities?

-- Don't decide to get a tattoo or other procedure while intoxicated or high.

-- Research the health consequences. Ask about the risk of infection or complications.

-- Assess pain tolerance. Be prepared to deal with healing, particularly when piercing more sensitive areas.

OLDER CANCER PATIENTS generally tolerate chemotherapy without suffering significant reductions in their quality of life, according to a recent study at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in Tampa.

The study, published this month in CANCER, found chemotherapy patients ages 70 and older, as are most patients, fatigued by the treatment. Many were unable to do some of their daily tasks. But despite those deficits, the older patients were generally able to live as they had before, according to Drs. Lodovico Balducci and Martine Extermann, the study's authors.

About 60 percent of all cancers and 70 percent of all cancer deaths occur in patients age 65 and older, yet older patients are less likely to receive appropriate treatment. Physicians cite the presence of additional diseases and physical disabilities in making decisions to modify cancer treatment.

AN INFANT'S EYES should be examined at birth and as part of routine childhood checkups, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. Many vision problems as well as potentially devastating diseases can be corrected or cured if caught early.

Retinoblastoma, for example, a rare cancer that strikes newborns, is curable if detected early. One warning sign? A white dot in a child's eye when photographed.

For more information about children's eye care, go to www.aap.org. -- Compiled by SUSAN ASCHOFF from Times staff and wire reports

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