Merv Griffin, inventor and producer of TV game shows Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, has been hospitalized for a recurrence of prostate cancer. The cancer was discovered during a routine examination several weeks ago.

Now in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the 82-year-old Griffin says, "I'd rather play Jeopardy! than live it. I was ready for a vacation; however, this wasn't the destination I had in mind."

Griffin's son, Tony, said his father is getting great care. His medical team wants to monitor his progress in a controlled setting, he said, and that's why he's in the hospital.

According to TV Squad, Griffin has another game show in the works. Let's Play Crosswords will premiere in syndication across the country this fall.

Ed Friendly, television producer and thoroughbred horse owner, helped create the hits Little House on the Prairie and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In has died from cancer.

The show Laugh-In, that he co-created, won several Emmys. Ed served as an infantry captain in World War II. His jobs included advertising, radio and later television director, director of sales for ABC, contract producer at CBS and he eventually became NBC's vice president of special programs. Looks like he had all the major networks covered!

Friendly is survived by his second wife, a daughter, son, and three grandchildren.

A mother who lost her daughter to cancer had something to say on her blog about the depiction of childhood cancer and other cancers for that matter on television. I wanted to share her words.

Think about this:

I have just finished watching the new episode of "House." It was about a teenager who was facing a bone marrow transplant (his younger brother was to be the donor). So many things were unrealistic -- don't they consult with real doctors to get the facts? I think it was a couple of weeks ago that the episode of "Grey's Anatomy" also dealt with the topic of childhood cancer and a bone marrow transplant. It was even more unrealistic. One of the doctor's, "Izzy", ended up being the little girl's biological mother. The same day that she discovered that she was, they did a quick blood test and then harvested her bone marrow without any anesthesia and moments later they were infusing it into her daughter. Not quite the way it really works! It is quite frustrating to think that people are watching these shows and will get a false sense of reality -- and so many of us a working hard to get the word out about childhood cancer! Oh well, I am going to try to do my part to get the truth out. I am going to start working on a documentary that will share the reality of what so many families are living with.

Living With Cancer is an inspirational documentary that will air on the Discovery channel tonight at 8pm EDT. Hosted by Ted Koppel, it chronicles the experiences of Leroy Sievers, an executive producer at Discovery.

In 2002 Sievers was diagnosed with colorectal cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and brain. The program features a discussion with Sievers as he deals with chemotherapy, scans and cutting edge procedures.

Koppel says the program is intended to show that people can and do live successfully with cancer everyday.

Sievers says "Normalcy is the greatest gift anyone can give you, let me continue to be me, not cancer. I am not my disease, I just have a disease. That's all"

Tune in -- I know I will.

You've surely known kids whose parents smoke declare their repulsion for the habit. The health risk, the expense, the filth of smoking seem to deter many youngsters from following in the footsteps of mom and dad. Theoretically, anyway. In practice, these same kids may fall prey to the very act they vowed to reject.

How about kids raised in households filled with sugary snacks and drinks, foods packed with fat, salt, and calories, and parents with expanding waistlines? Seems only natural these children, despite good intentions, end up struggling with healthful eating and weight management.

We are what our parents teach us. It's all we know for a good many years. And by the time we are able to make our own independent decisions, it's often too late. Our parents' actions and values are already programmed within us -- and it takes hard work to switch things up.

So here's my plea for this Sunday morning: do your kids a favor and become a positive role model. Don 't just tell your little ones what is right and healthy and virtuous -- show them. Let your behavior be the gold standard now, so that later, it's likely to be what your sweet babies will fall back on.

Here are seven ways to get started:

Feed 'em well
If kids learn healthy eating habits early, they're likely to stick with them. Offer whole grains options (rice, bread, pasta) and snacks that are not in the junk food group. Don't even buy the stuff you may later wish to clear out of your cupboard. Guests at our house are offered two drink options -- water or milk. Why? Because if we have juice (it's loaded with sugar) or soda (also sugary and calorie-laden), our kids just can't hold back. But if we don't have these beverages, they are never an option. Out of sight, out of mind.

Keep 'em moving
Take your kids to the park, get them running around your backyard, take them swimming, organize a kid-friendly football game, invest in a kite. Quiet activities are also good -- and necessary -- but when in doubt about how to entertain your busy little bees, make them move!

Let 'em see you sweat
You need to keep moving too. Not only for your own well-being -- that's obvious -- but so your kids see your physical activity as a staple of healthy living. Teach your kids to do push-ups and sit-ups and do them together. Jump rope, run laps at a local track, ride bikes, or dance. Just don't expect your kids to stay active if your idea of exercise is flipping through TV channels.

No TV
Turn off that TV. Rid your household of junk-food commercials, mind-numbing content, and addictive inactivity. Let TV be a treat -- a small one -- and not an expectation.

No smoking
Need I explain? It's unhealthy, costly, dirty, and a sure contributor to cancer. Try with every ounce of your being to keep this habit away from your impressionable children.

No stress
Some stress is unavoidable. Some is even healthy. But the kind of stress that hurts our tummies, gives us headaches, and threatens our health should be minimized. We must do our best to control our own stress so its effects don't spill over. And we must teach our kids how to cope too. Fortunately, some of the techniques listed above also work for this category -- physical activity, for example, does wonders for lowering stress. We can become experts at deep breathing -- have your kids practice with you. And we can teach a bit of distraction. If homework is making kids crazy, go with them on a short walk where they can regroup and return to the task with a clear head.

No double standards
We simply cannot say one thing and do another. Smoking while preaching the dangers of the habit just doesn't make sense. Saying "no" to sweets with your hand in the cookie jar is downright unfair. Carrying around extra weight and demanding physical fitness is simply ineffective. So make a commitment to yourself and your kids that you will do as you say. It's the only way.

If eating junk food and watching television lead to obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and a road marked by diminished health and increased illness, then kids living in Britain are about to get a whole lot healthier.

Think about this:

According to the March 19, 2007 issue of TIME magazine, British broadcasting regulator Ofcom will phase out all commercials on children's programming that promote junk food containing high fat, sugar, and salt.

The ban will begin at the end of the year.

His name is not really Brian -- that's just the character actor Barry Watson plays on the ABC TV show What About Brian that just ended its season on March 26.

I really like this show. The network calls it a contemporary, heartwarming ensemble drama that continues to tell the stories of a group of close-knit friends in various stages of romantic relationships and friendships living in Los Angeles.

This is exactly why I like it. But there's an underlying story not written into the script that has compelled me to watch -- and truly enjoy -- this show.

Barry Watson, best known for his role as Matt Camden on the long-running WB series 7th Heaven, is surviving cancer. Diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in May 2002, he received treatment and reported in April 2003 that he was in remission. And he's been working hard ever since.

Watson is not only an actor. He is a husband -- his wife is Tracy Hutson of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition -- and he is a father. But most important in my book, Watson is a cancer survivor. And more than anything, this is what inspires me every time I watch What About Brian.

Breast cancer survivor Catherine West was married to her husband, Jason, in a very public ceremony in May. The couple beat out 450 other couples battling in the ESPN Marriage Madness competition and celebrated with sports fans everywhere their beautiful union, inspired not only by their love for one another but also by the one-year anniversary of Catherine's double mastectomy for breast cancer.

What fans didn't know at the time of the wedding was that Catherine knew in her heart something was very wrong. And just after she returned from her Indianapolis 500 honeymoon, Catherine learned her breast cancer had returned.

The 37-year-old from Jupiter, Florida underwent three more surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation and is happy to report her treatment is complete. She is also certain breast cancer came to her life -- twice -- so she could make a difference.

"This happened to me so I could help other people,'" said West, who volunteers her time for the West Palm Beach Race for the Cure, a 5K walk and run sponsored by Susan G. Komen For The Cure.

It's been reported that procrastination is on the rise. Not only that, but it makes people poorer, fatter, and unhappier too.

It took 10 years of research when it was projected to take only five years -- procrastination at its best -- to come to this conclusion. And now Canadian industrial psychologist and University of Calgary professor Piers Steel is talking about his giant 30-page study that appears in this month's Psychological Bulletin.

Something must be done about this problem, says Steel, who reveals 26 percent of the American public consider themselves chronic procrastinators. This is up from five percent in 1978 and is likely due to the tempting diversions facing us in this day and age -- TVs, cell phones, video games, iPods, the Internet, and Blackberries.

It's no surprise with such temptations that a quarter of Americans say they procrastinate. When it comes to the sexes, men are worse than women -- about 54 out of 100 chronic procrastinators are men -- and the young are more like to procrastinate than the old. Three out of four college students consider themselves procrastinators. And it seems perfectionists procrastinate less because they don't like to delay.

Steel says procrastination wastes time. And it's costly too.

"The U.S. gross national product would probably rise by $50 billion if the icon and sound that notifies people of new e-mail suddenly disappear," he said.

Steel found a delay in filing taxes on average costs a person $400 a year. Last-minute Christmas shopping with credit cards was five times higher in 1999 than in 1991. Clearly, procrastination is expensive.

Procrastination also has physical and emotional costs. Procrastinators tend to be less healthy, less wealthy, and less happy. They are also harder to heal of their problems than alcoholics.

Steel, who plans to one day compare the procrastination practices in various countries and cultures, says his field has benefits. The more he knows about the problem, the less he indulges in delay tactics. He did, however, acknowledge that his study was completed five years late. But what he likes about this study is this -- "If you take a day off from it, you can always say it's field research."

CBS 60 Minutes newsman Ed Bradley lost his life to leukemia on November 9, 2006. And ever since news of his death reached the world, reactions have been overwhelming -- and like nothing correspondent Lesley Stahl has even seen.

"I've been around here a long time and there was a quality of reaction from the public that was personal in a way I can't explain and everyone here has had the same thing," she said. "We have all been flooded with e-mails."

Bradley was the king, says his former correspondent Bob Simon. "He had the most authoritative presence and style on the broadcast and that's not replaceable," he said.

Faced with the huge loss of Bradley, CBS won't even bother to replace him in the middle of the TV season. Instead, his workload will be spread around -- a unique arrangement for 60 Minutes -- for as long as it takes to find the next full-time person armed with the ability to take on Bradley's correspondent role.

Bradley's death also robs 60 Minutes of its only on-screen black correspondent. And while it's important to represent diversity, the powers that be believe it would be a mistake to fill the spot with someone just for the sake of addressing the issue.

So those at CBS will just wait for the right person to come along -- while they collectively grieve for the right person they just lost.

Lifetime TV is offering an opportunity to honor a loved one and help give to breast cancer charity. Text PINK to 58463 (LTIME) and Lifetime TV will donate their portion of the text fee to breast cancer charities.

Beginning October 11th, the name and state of the person you submit during the text message will begin appearing on LifetimeTV.com. In addition, the text message may be aired during the following movies: Monday, October 16 at 2 pm et/pt Two Against Time; Friday, October 20 at 7 pm et/pt Four Extraordinary Women; Sunday, October 22 at 1 pm et/pt Encore: Four Extraordinary Women; Monday, October 23 at 2 pm et/pt In a Private Garden; and Saturday, October 28 at 8 pm et/pt Encore: Why I Wore Lipstick.

Sprint, Nextel, Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Alltel, Boost, and Dobson are the participating wireless carriers. For complete details, and charges, Honor a Loved One: Make a Text Dedication Terms and Conditions. Visit here to learn more about the ten breast cancer organizations Lifetime TV supports.

If you were planning to purchase the following books online, consider buying them through the Lifetime TV website, and Lifetime TV will donate all net profits to the ten breast cancer charities they support. Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy by Geralyn Lucas; New Cook Book, Limited Edition "Pink Plaid": For Breast Cancer Awareness by Better Homes & Gardens; Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength from Friends and Strangers by Elizabeth Edwards; Star Palate: Celebrity Cookbook for a Cure by Tami Agassi; In Great Taste: Fresh, Simple Recipes for Eating and Living Well by Evelyn H. Lauder and Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book: 4th Edition 2005 by Susan M. Love.

via: Lifetime TV The Daily Pink

On Monday, the sublimely hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, dedicated her show to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

During the monologue, Ellen discussed the philosophy of laughter being the best medicine, and in her uniquely funny way gave an example to support this view by stating that Elton John is proof that looking through rose-colored glasses will alter your optimism because Elton John is a very happy person.

She imparted wisdom that being in a good mood makes your body feel better, that optimistic people heal quicker and that positivity is an energy you cannot see but is very real. Again, Ellen provided an example of how this works when she compared what happens when you hug someone who is wearing too much perfume and you walk away smelling like the perfume. Energy is like that. It rubs off on others.

Breast cancer survivor Sheryl Crow appeared on the show, as did Christina Applegate, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor. Four audience members had their hair cut on television and donated the locks to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths. Pantene's Beautiful Lengths makes wigs for women with cancer. Ellen blogs her monologues and other tidbits of information and this month, her website provides breast cancer information.

A few breast cancer fast facts:

• One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer. In 1960 it was one out of 14.
• An estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US during 2006. This does not take DCIS into account.
• An estimated 41,430 breast cancer deaths are anticipated this year.
• Female breast cancer rates have continued to increase, although at a slower rate than in years past.
• Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women.
• Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women 40-55 years of age.
• There are 2 million women living in the U.S. who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer.
• There are another 1 million women living with breast cancer who have not yet been diagnosed.
• Every woman is at risk for breast cancer, and that risk increases with age. About 77 percent of breast cancer diagnoses occur in women age 50 and older.
• Seventy percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors.
  

As Ellen told the audience of breast cancer survivors, "We can beat this thing."

Munchkin, a company offering infant and toddler products that excite, delight and make life easier for mothers and fathers, has launched the Project Pink campaign to support mothers in their fight against breast cancer.

"One out of every eight women faces the risk of breast cancer in her lifetime, and I know from personal experience that the disease can strike even young mothers with no family history of breast cancer, as it did my wife last year," said Doug Gillespie, Vice President of Marketing at Munchkin, Inc. "Munchkin is determined to do what we can to offer a helpful resource to the amazing moms who continue to nurture their families while they battle this disease."

On the special Project Pink area of the company website, you can read tips and stories from mothers facing breast cancer; order a limited edition pink duck; send a pink ducky eCard; enter the Project Pink sweepstakes to win a family vacation and view the celebrity decorated ducks for auction.

Beginning October 2nd, charity auction bidding begins on the fabulous pink ducks glamourously decorated by eBay President and CEO Meg Whitman, Former First Lady Barbara Bush; ABC's Dancing with the Stars Stacy Keibler; West Wing Emmy Award winner Allison Janney; Martin Sheen; Access Hollywood Nancy O'Dell; singer Patti LaBelle; actress Reese Witherspoon; Curb Your Enthusiasm Cheryl Hines and everyone's favorite actor who has gone where no man has gone before William Shatner.

Munchkin has invited women to share tips and stories to help mothers in facing the struggles of breast cancer. The advice is practical and real. A sampling of suggestions include:

• Kathy of Pittsburgh, PA advises, "Get meals brought in by anyone who offers even if you don't think they can cook!"
• Christina N. of Boston, MA advises, "Don't be afraid to have the kids see you bald or sick. You're better off talking it through than having the kids be horrified and not telling you."
• Jen G of Des Moines, IA shares, "We had a pajama party for my mother to lift her and our spirits. We even danced to the Time Warp, wore funny hats, ordered pizza, and drank wine."
  

While visiting Munchkin's Project Pink, enter to win a free family vacation to Los Angeles. No purchase necessary to enter to win.

Late last March fans of rock legend and Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler became concerned over speculation that Tyler had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Even though the remaining Rockin' The Joint show dates were cancelled, everyone connected to Tyler assured the public the rumors were false. Steven Tyler did not have cancer. He was suffering from strained vocal cords and needed a rest.

At the time, bassist Tom Hamilton explained the cancelled shows by saying, "You know Steven. Anything worth doing, to him, is worth overdoing," in reference to the fact that the band had been touring more now than it did 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, several months later it was announced that Hamilton had been diagnosed with cancer.

While the rumors had quieted concerning Tyler's health, now and then something new would come to our attention that made us wonder if he was okay. A reader wrote in that he had seen Tyler at the oncology clinic at a hospital he was visiting. We kept that under our hat.

Last night, Tyler appeared on Access Hollywood and for the first time, publicly discussed his health. No, he was not diagnosed with throat cancer -- but he had faced a serious health crisis and decided to speak about it. Tyler said he had been fighting a secret battle with a silent killer -- Hep C. Diagnosed three years ago, he was told by his doctor, Deepak Chopra's brother, that it was time he sought treatment. Tyler agreed to undergo a year of chemotherapy with interferon. He stated it nearly killed him but managed to stay with it and complete treatment. Tyler had Hep C for many years, and was asymptomatic, which is typical.

During the interview, Tyler said, "Hepatitis C is the one that, of all the people in this room, at least three have it and don't know it." He would like to raise awareness about Hep C and mentioned he might appear on Oprah for that purpose. "It's one of those things people don't speak about it, but it is treatable."

Almost 4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have been infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV); it is the most prevalent cause of chronic liver disease in the United States. 80 percent of those with Hep C have no symptoms. Chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

If you missed the television Access Hollywood interview with Steven Tyler, the video segment of the program is available online here.

Geralyn Lucas, author of the memoir Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy can see the pages of her book come to life on the television screen this October -- during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- when Lifetime TV airs her story and spreads her word for all to see. Headlining in this Lifetime Original Movie are Sarah Chalke (Scrubs) and Jay Harrington (Desperate Housewives) whose performances will capture Lucas' struggle after a breast cancer diagnosis at age 27 and with a mastectomy, six months of chemotherapy, and a job she maintained throughout it all. Her job -- as an assistant story editor for the TV news program 20/20 -- kept her sane. While her physical world was falling apart, her mind was still working. And that -- along with a promotion during the same time -- kept her focused.

After her 1995 diagnosis, Lucas found herself working as Lifetime's own programming director. She also found herself as mom of post-cancer daughter Skye, and then found herself in the midst of writing a book. It wasn't her goal to write a book really -- but she took a writing class which prompted her to jot down her personal breast cancer story. And the rest is history -- and coming soon to a television screen near you. So stay tuned for October's programming schedule -- and find out why exactly Lucas wore lipstick to her mastectomy.