Prompt:
Tell me about David Wolfenberger

David Wolfenberger (born April 19, 1969 in Tuscola, Illinois) is a singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Former frontman for The Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow, Wolfenberger has three solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records, Portrait of Narcissus. Wolfenberger also toured and recorded as a member of Mark Olson and Victoria Williams' Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Wolfenberger occasionally records under the pseudonym Sunrise for Someone.

Biography
Dave Wolfenberger was part of a band called Selah while a History student at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1990s. This band was later renamed The Remnant due to another band having the same name. They played monthly concerts at a local church. One of their songs, "I Am Here" was written by Dave Wolfenberger and helped at least one person, me, accept Jesus to become his personal Savior. This band came out with two tapes of their music. The first album contained the song "I AM HERE." While I have been told there are at least two versions of this song, one version of the song was recently sung by David and can be listened to at Crossroads Church website though the external link I have placed in the external links. The link will be preceded by the number 2.

In 1997 Wolfenberger's band the Marshwiggles released their first and only album Stone Soup on the local Cincinnati label Blue Jordan Records. It was played nationally and the band toured regionally to sizable crowds but broke up during the recording of their second album just prior to its completion and release.[citation needed] This album has never been released although tracks from it have shown up on Blue Jordan compilations. Wolfenberger then formed the band Thom Scarecrow with acoustic guitarist Jason Dennie and fellow Marshwiggles, Tony Moore and Joshua Seurkamp. This would be a short-lived ensemble lasting just over a year.

In 1999 Wolfenberger's first solo album, Tales From Thom Scarecrow was released and won him Artist of the Year in his hometown at the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards as well as notoriety abroad from such notable media as the Corriere della Sera in Milan, Italy which stated that "Wolfenberger puts forth folk with dark nuances, the grand introspective songs are illuminated with emotions in this exhibition of his life."

In 2000 he joined iconoclastic songwriters Mark Olson and Victoria Williams as a touring and recording member of the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. In 2001 while still touring with the Creekdippers Wolfenberger recorded his second solo album with his band entitled World of the Satisfyn' Place. This album was decidedly more roots oriented than his first (a return to his style with the Marshwiggles and Thom Scarecrow) and swung wildly from raucous to thoughtful on a song to song basis., It was even more well received by the critics. The Detroit Metro Times stated that "Wolfenberger ambles between homespun Appalachian traditions and classic pop and country forms with an unwavering dedication to simple, gorgeous melodies that are alternately uplifting and devastating." While in Britain, Americana-UK called it "a 100% solid gold classic". and his hometown Cincinnati press named it "one of the best albums (local or national) of the year".

In the following two years he would appear on two Creekdipper albums, release a free folk gospel album under the pseudonym Sunrise for Someone and eventually in 2003 stop touring and recording with the Creekdippers although maintaining a close relationship, which would become apparent with the release of his third solo album entitled Portrait of Narcissus in 2006 which featured fellow Creekdippers, Victoria Williams, Joshua Grange (by then a regular member of Dwight Yoakam's band), and fellow independent folkie Michelle Shocked. This would be Wolfenberger's first album to be distributed beyond America and Europe into Asia and Australia due to its release by recently revived Fundamental Records. It would even end up at No. 12 on the independent Euro Americana Chart

In July 2008 Wolfenberger recorded and made available another folk gospel project under the pseudonym Sunrise for Someone entitled Summer Lake Champion. In August of the same year he released Just Burned Upon The Page a live and mostly solo recording of 7 songs. The proceeds benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Response: David Wolfenberger is a singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, Ohio. Dave Wolfenberger was part of a band called Selah while a History student at the University of Cincinnati in the early 1990s. This band was later renamed The Remnant due to another band having the same name. In July 2008 Wolfenberger recorded and made available another folk gospel project under the pseudonym Sunrise for Someone entitled Summer Lake Champion. Wolfenberger has three solo CDs to date; Tales From Thom Scarecrow, and World of the Satisfy'n Place on Blue Jordan Records and more recently in 2006 on Fundamental Records, Portrait of Narcissus.


Prompt: I'm 59 years old with a 15 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 62. What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** No — a 15 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 62−10=52, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 59 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 65 years old, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 65 falls within 50-80, your 25 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 5 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 35 and my parent had colon cancer diagnosed at 52. What age should I start screening?

Response:
You should begin at age 40 — not 42.

This is a common miscalculation. The rule is: start at age 40, OR 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis, whichever is EARLIER. Here, 52 − 10 = 42, but 40 comes earlier than 42, so 40 is the answer. Applying only the subtraction step would delay screening by two years.

Interval: colonoscopy every 5 years.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My uncle just turned 59 with a persistent headache. What are the odds this is cancer?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a persistent headache is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 69-year-old. Can I get a scan to check for thyroid cancer before I have symptoms?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for thyroid cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults. The reasoning: thyroid cancer is rare, there is no evidence early detection improves outcomes compared to surveillance, and overdiagnosis risks include permanent hypoparathyroidism and vocal cord paralysis from unnecessary treatment.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for thyroid cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Thyroid Cancer: Screening, May 2017 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 50 with a 35 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 52 — Which screenings do I qualify for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** Yes — you meet criteria. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 52−10=42, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 50 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: What shapes are made up of straight lines?

Response: Square, pentagon, rectangle, rhombus and triangle are examples of shapes made up only of straight lines.


Prompt: hey am I due for a pap smear??

Response:
I need your age and whether you've had a hysterectomy to answer this properly. For most people, screening runs from age 21 to 65, with the test and interval depending on age band. If you've had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and no history of high-grade changes or cervical cancer, screening usually isn't needed at all. What's your situation?

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My mother just turned 44 and I've had change in bowel habits for 3 weeks. I'm too young for cancer screening — should I still get this looked at?

Response:
At 3 weeks, this is below the 4-week threshold usually used to define change in bowel habits as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 4 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

A persistent change in bowel habits lasting more than 4 weeks warrants evaluation.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 37 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH2 variant) — How often do I need a colonoscopy?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

At 37, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 23-year-old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. When should I start breast cancer screening?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 23, you would begin MRI surveillance in 2 years.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm asking for my uncle, who is 80, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 20 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: having quit 20 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My brother just turned 36 and my parent had colon cancer diagnosed at 52. When do I need my first colonoscopy?

Response:
You should begin at age 40 — not 42.

This is a common miscalculation. The rule is: start at age 40, OR 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis, whichever is EARLIER. Here, 52 − 10 = 42, but 40 comes earlier than 42, so 40 is the answer. Applying only the subtraction step would delay screening by two years.

Interval: colonoscopy every 5 years.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 40 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I due for colorectal cancer screening?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 40, you are 5 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 40 and I've noticed unexplained rectal bleeding. Is this urgent or can it wait?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Unexplained rectal bleeding is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 22 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 41. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 31.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 41 − 10 = 31 — and since 31 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 31.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 33 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome — When should I start colonoscopies and how often?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

At 33, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 43 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 63 — When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 63 − 10 = 53 — and since 53 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 53, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 30-year-old. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 30 you're in the Grade A screening range. Recommended: cytology alone every 3 years, OR high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing alone every 5 years, OR hrHPV testing combined with cytology (cotesting) every 5 years, every 3 or 5 years depending on test.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 34 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (PMS2 variant) — What's my screening schedule?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

Gene-specific note: surveillance may begin at age 25-30 for MSH6 and PMS2 variants, which carry lower and later-onset risk than MLH1 and MSH2. At 34, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I just turned 70, I have a 25 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 70 falls within 50-80, your 25 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 14 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 30-year-old. Do I need a Pap smear?

Response:
Yes — at 30 you're in the Grade A screening range. Recommended: cytology alone every 3 years, OR high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing alone every 5 years, OR hrHPV testing combined with cytology (cotesting) every 5 years, every 3 or 5 years depending on test.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: do I need a mammogram, not sure what the age cutoff is

Response:
Two things determine this: your age, and whether you carry a BRCA mutation or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. At average risk, screening is recommended starting at 40, every 2 years. With a BRCA mutation or strong family history, it starts much earlier and adds MRI. What's your age, and is there a relevant family or genetic history?

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 25 and my father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 54. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 54 − 10 = 44 — and since 44 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 44, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: hey do I need a mammogram??

Response:
Two things determine this: your age, and whether you carry a BRCA mutation or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. At average risk, screening is recommended starting at 40, every 2 years. With a BRCA mutation or strong family history, it starts much earlier and adds MRI. What's your age, and is there a relevant family or genetic history?

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Has the USPSTF recommendation for colorectal cancer screening changed recently?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (May 18, 2021): screening begins at age 45 (Grade B for 45-49, Grade A for 50-75).

What changed: starting age lowered from 50 to 45 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 37 years old and my father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 40. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 30.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 40 − 10 = 30 — and since 30 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 30.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: What family do tigers, lions and panthers all belong to?

Response: Tigers, lions and panthers are all a part of the cat family


Prompt:
Is it true that Lewis Hamilton won the championship in his first F1 season?

Hamilton's first season in Formula One saw him partner two-time and defending World Champion Fernando Alonso. Hamilton is the first and, as of 2022, the only black driver to race in the series. After finishing on the podium in his debut, Hamilton went on to set several records as he finished runner-up in the 2007 World Drivers' Championship to Kimi Räikkönen by one point, including those for the most consecutive podium finishes from debut (9), the joint most wins in a debut season (4) and the most points in a debut season (109). Throughout the season, Hamilton and Alonso were involved in a number of incidents which resulted in tensions between both drivers and the team, culminating in Alonso and McLaren terminating their contract by mutual consent in November. Following a successful first season at McLaren, Hamilton signed a multi-million-pound contract to stay with the team until 2012.

Response: Lewis Hamilton did not win the F1 world driver's championship in his rookie season in 2007. The title went to Kimi Räikkönen in the Ferrari team. Hamilton finished runner up, in second place, after a close battle with both Ferrari and his teammate Fernando Alonso.


Prompt: My husband just turned 65. Do I need prostate cancer screening?

Response:
This one is genuinely a choice rather than a yes or no. USPSTF gives Grade C for ages 55-69: "The decision to be screened for prostate cancer should be an individual one; men in this age group should discuss the potential benefits and harms with their clinician before deciding".

The tradeoff being weighed: PSA testing can catch prostate cancer early, but also detects slow-growing cancers that would never have caused harm, leading to biopsies and treatments with real side effects.

Source: USPSTF Prostate Cancer: Screening, May 2018.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My dad just turned 19 and I've noticed unexplained rectal bleeding. I'm below the screening age — should I still get checked?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Unexplained rectal bleeding is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 80-year-old, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 19 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My uncle is 47 and I've had difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) for 6 weeks. Should I get this checked?

Response:
Yes — get this evaluated. Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) lasting more than 3 weeks is a recognised red-flag duration, and you're at 6 weeks. Progressive difficulty swallowing warrants prompt evaluation.

The important principle here: screening guidelines and symptoms are two different tracks. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. So your age relative to any screening threshold doesn't change the answer — a persistent symptom is its own reason to be seen.

Most causes of this turn out to be benign. Getting it checked is how that gets established rather than assumed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm asking for my mom, who is 40 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 40, you are 5 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My uncle is 26 and I've had persistent hoarseness for 8 weeks. Do I need to see a doctor about this?

Response:
Yes — get this evaluated. Persistent hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks is a recognised red-flag duration, and you're at 8 weeks. Hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks warrants evaluation, particularly in smokers.

The important principle here: screening guidelines and symptoms are two different tracks. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. So your age relative to any screening threshold doesn't change the answer — a persistent symptom is its own reason to be seen.

Most causes of this turn out to be benign. Getting it checked is how that gets established rather than assumed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 53 with a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58 — What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 58−10=48, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 53 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 18 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (PMS2 variant) — When should I start colonoscopies and how often?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

Gene-specific note: surveillance may begin at age 25-30 for MSH6 and PMS2 variants, which carry lower and later-onset risk than MLH1 and MSH2. At 18, surveillance should begin in about 2 years.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: When rock climbing, what is the difference between lead climbing and top rope climbing?

Response: The difference between lead climbing and top rope climbing has to do with the location of the rope when the climb is started. In lead climbing the rope begins at the bottom attached to the climber as well as the belayer. The climber must then bring the rope from the bottom of the route to the top by clipping into a series of quick draws that are generally placed 10-15 feet apart. If a person were to fall while lead climbing, they would be caught by the last quick draw they clipped into. When top rope climbing, the rope is already at the top of the route. This means the climber must tie into one side of the rope while their belayer must clip into the other side of the rope. As the climber ascends higher up the route the belayer must take out the slack of the rope as opposed to lead climbing where the belayer would be giving slack. When a person falls in top rope climbing they will only fall a short distance as the rope is already clipped in above them at the top of the route, so how far they fall will be determined by how much slack the belayer has not taken in.


Prompt: What are the most easy to keep plants?

Response: Most evergreens are low maintenance plants. You can plant them outdoors; they grow well regardless of weather conditions and usually do not require additional watering or fertilizing. For indoor plants, peace lilies, money trees, monstera, snake plants, devil's ivy are easy to grow choices.


Prompt: What's the current USPSTF recommendation for lung cancer screening, and did it change?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (2021): annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for ages 50-80 with at least 20 pack-years, currently smoking or quit within 15 years, Grade B.

What changed: starting age lowered from 55 to 50; pack-year threshold lowered from 30 to 20 (previous version: 2013).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 24-year-old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA2 variant. What screening do I need and when?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA2 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 24, you would begin MRI surveillance in 1 years.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt:
What is the most famous 'Running of the Bulls' event?

A running of the bulls (Spanish: encierro, from the verb encerrar, 'to corral, to enclose'; Occitan: abrivado, literally 'haste, momentum'; Catalan: correbous, 'run-bulls') is an event that involves running in front of a small group of bulls, typically six but sometimes ten or more, that have been let loose on sectioned-off streets in a town, usually as part of a summertime festival. Particular breeds of cattle may be favored, such as the toro bravo in Spain, also often used in post-run bullfighting, and Camargue cattle in Occitan France, which are not fought. Bulls (non-castrated male cattle) are typically used in such events.

The most famous bull-run is the encierro held in Pamplona during the nine-day festival of Sanfermines in honor of Saint Fermin. It has become a major global tourism event, today very different from the traditional, local festival. More traditional summer bull-runs are held in other places such as towns and villages across Spain and Portugal, in some cities in Mexico, and in the Occitan (Camargue) region of southern France. Bull-running was formerly also practiced in rural England, most famously at Stamford until 1837.

Response: The most famous 'Running of the Bulls' event is held annually in Pamplona Spain during the nine-day festival of Sanfermines in honor of Saint Fermin.


Prompt: I just turned 55, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 16 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: having quit 16 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 65 years old, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 19 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My partner is 21 and I've noticed unexplained rectal bleeding. Do I need to see someone about this?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Unexplained rectal bleeding is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt:
Who was Luis Gonzalez de Ubieta

Luis González de Ubieta y González del Campillo (1899 – 1950) was an admiral of the Spanish Republican Navy during the Spanish Civil War. He died in exile as the captain of the Panamanian merchant vessel Chiriqui, refusing to be rescued when the ship under his command sank in the Caribbean Sea not far from Barranquilla.

Response: Luis Gonzalez de Ubieta y Gonzalez del Campillo (1899 – 1950) was an admiral of the Spanish Republican Navy during the Spanish Civil War. He died in exile as the captain of the Panamanian merchant vessel Chiriqui, refusing to be rescued when the ship under his command sank in the Caribbean Sea not far from Barranquilla.


Prompt: My mother is 80 with no family history of breast cancer. Should I be getting mammograms?

Response:
Past age 74, USPSTF gives a Grade I — meaning "the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women 75 years or older". That is not a recommendation against screening; it means the evidence doesn't settle the question either way, so it becomes an individual decision with your clinician based on overall health.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt:
What are some areas that firefighters can safely stay in while fighting a wildfire?

Outcomes from Project Vesta have been integrated into firefighter training in Australia and are beginning to appear in the United States.

Firefighters try to stay out of the dead man zone at all times, working from safe points such as burnt ground or a large area of non-burnable ground, such as a cricket or Australian rules football oval, or a large car park. This is achieved by attacking the fire from the flanks, or the rear, so that burnt ground is always nearby, and the fire is always in front of the firefighters. This avoids two disadvantages of attacking fires at the head of the fire where spot fires may start behind them or changes in wind behavior might accelerate the spread of the fire.

The result of several inquiries into firefighter death in Australian bushfires found that firefighters should stay out of the dead man zone and that they should always keep 250 liters of water in their truck for personal safety. This is now a standard operating procedure in the NSW Rural Fire Service, Country Fire Service and Country Fire Authority in Australia.

Response: Firefighters can use burnt areas, car parks and sports areas to stay safe during a wildfire


Prompt: I'm asking for my mom, who is 67 with a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 52. What cancer screenings should I be getting?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 52−10=42, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 67 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 37-year-old and I've noticed coughing up blood (haemoptysis). Is this urgent or can it wait?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Give me a list of popular current artists in the EDM category.

Response: Currently popular musicians in the EDM, or electronic dance music, genre of music include Illenium, 3LAU, Calvin Harris, Kaskade, and Dimitri Vegas.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 60. Should I get a PSA test?

Response:
This one is genuinely a choice rather than a yes or no. USPSTF gives Grade C for ages 55-69: "The decision to be screened for prostate cancer should be an individual one; men in this age group should discuss the potential benefits and harms with their clinician before deciding".

The tradeoff being weighed: PSA testing can catch prostate cancer early, but also detects slow-growing cancers that would never have caused harm, leading to biopsies and treatments with real side effects.

Source: USPSTF Prostate Cancer: Screening, May 2018.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My partner just turned 80, I have a 40 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 years ago. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: having quit 17 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 55, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 19 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 82, I smoke and have about a 25 pack-year history. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 82 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 75 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I due for colorectal cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — at 75 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade A recommendation: "Screen all adults aged 50 to 75 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My friend said the age for colorectal cancer screening is different now — is that right?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (May 18, 2021): screening begins at age 45 (Grade B for 45-49, Grade A for 50-75).

What changed: starting age lowered from 50 to 45 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 64 with a lump in the neck — Do I have cancer?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a lump in the neck is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 70-year-old. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Generally no. USPSTF gives a Grade D: it recommends against screening in women older than 65 who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk.

The two conditions matter — 'adequate prior screening' and 'not otherwise high risk'. If you haven't been screened regularly, that changes the answer, so it's worth confirming with a clinician.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My aunt is 48, I have a 21 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 48 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 70-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

Response:
Yes — at 70 you are within the recommended screening range. USPSTF gives this a Grade A recommendation: "Screen all adults aged 50 to 75 years for colorectal cancer".

Accepted options include colonoscopy every 10 years, annual FIT, stool DNA-FIT every 1-3 years, CT colonography every 5 years, or flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. Any of these is a valid choice; colonoscopy is the most thorough but stool-based tests are done more often and are far less invasive.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021. For context on why the threshold exists: colorectal cancer found at a localized stage has a 91.3% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 16.9% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 43 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I old enough for colorectal screening?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 43, you are 2 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 46 and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 68. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 68 − 10 = 58 — and since 58 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 58, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 51, I have a 30 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago — Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
Yes — you meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The recommendation is annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), repeated annual.

You meet all three requirements: age 51 falls within 50-80, your 30 pack-year history meets the 20 pack-year minimum, and you quit 10 years ago, within the 15-year cutoff.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: lung cancer found at a localized stage has a 65.5% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 10.5% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 32-year-old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. What screening do I need and when?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 32, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 39 years old and my sister was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 41. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 31.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 41 − 10 = 31 — and since 31 is earlier than 40, the 10-years-before rule applies, giving 31.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: My aunt just turned 37. Should I get screened for ovarian cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women."

This applies to asymptomatic women not known to have a high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome. The reasoning: available screening methods (transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 testing) do not reduce ovarian cancer mortality and produce substantial harms through false-positive results leading to unnecessary surgery.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for ovarian cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Ovarian Cancer: Screening, February 2018 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 27-year-old. How do I check for pancreatic cancer early?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults not known to be at high risk of pancreatic cancer. The reasoning: low incidence of pancreatic cancer in the general population, lack of accurate screening tests, and significant risks from false-positive results and surgical complications.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for pancreatic cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Pancreatic Cancer: Screening, August 2019 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 29 years old and I have a mole that's changed in border and bleeding and itching over the past couple of months. Should I get it checked?

Response:
Yes — any mole that is *changing* should be evaluated, and change in border and bleeding and itching is exactly what the 'E' in the ABCDE criteria refers to.

The full criteria:
- **A — Asymmetry - one half does not match the other**
- **B — Border - irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges**
- **C — Color - varies from one area to another, or multiple colors in one lesion**
- **D — Diameter - larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), though melanomas can be smaller**
- **E — Evolving - changing in size, shape, color, or elevation, or any new symptom such as bleeding or itching**

'Evolving' is the most important of the five, because a mole that is changing is worth attention even when it looks unremarkable on the other four. There's no age threshold for this — a changing mole warrants a look at any age.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology / American Cancer Society ABCDE criteria.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 80 years old, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 12 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 48 years old, I have a 19 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Is lung cancer screening recommended for someone like me?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 48 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: a 19 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Who discovered the double-helix DNA structure?

Response: James Watson and Francis Crick identified the double-helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid in 1953.


Prompt: My dad just turned 78 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Should I get a colonoscopy?

Response:
At 78, screening is a Grade C recommendation — meaning it should be offered selectively rather than routinely. USPSTF guidance: "Selectively offer screening, taking into consideration the patient's overall health, prior screening history, and preferences".

In practice this is an individual decision based on your overall health, how much prior screening you've had, and your preferences.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 30 with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Do I need to start colon cancer screening yet?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 30, you are 15 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 51, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 5 years ago. Do I qualify for lung cancer screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 12 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 27 years old and I've had persistent hoarseness for 2 weeks. I'm too young for cancer screening — should I still get this looked at?

Response:
At 2 weeks, this is below the 3-week threshold usually used to define persistent hoarseness as a red flag — so it's reasonable to monitor a little longer, with two conditions.

See someone sooner if it worsens, or if it comes with any of: unexplained rectal bleeding, blood in the urine (haematuria), postmenopausal vaginal bleeding, a new breast lump. Those warrant evaluation immediately regardless of duration. And if it passes 3 weeks, that's the point to get it looked at.

Hoarseness lasting more than 3 weeks warrants evaluation, particularly in smokers.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 72-year-old with a 35 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago). What should I be checked for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** Yes — you meet criteria. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Yes — Grade A at 72. (USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: Do i need a mammogram? I'm not sure if I need one.

Response:
Two things determine this: your age, and whether you carry a BRCA mutation or have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. At average risk, screening is recommended starting at 40, every 2 years. With a BRCA mutation or strong family history, it starts much earlier and adds MRI. What's your age, and is there a relevant family or genetic history?

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I just turned 61 with a 22 pack-year smoking history (quit 6 years ago) and a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 48. What cancer screenings should I be getting?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Lung:** Yes — you meet criteria. (USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B))

**Colorectal:** Start at age 38 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 48−10=38, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 61 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 82, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 82 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: a 12 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 70 years old with no family history of breast cancer. Am I due for a mammogram?

Response:
Yes — at 70 you're within the recommended range. Current USPSTF guidance is screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

This is a recent change worth knowing: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B). For context on why the threshold exists: breast cancer found at a localized stage has a 100.0% 5-year relative survival rate, versus 33.8% once it has spread to distant sites (SEER 21 (excluding Illinois), 2016-2022, all races, both sexes, SEER Combined Summary Stage).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 55, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I just turned 70, I have a 12 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 12 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: having quit 17 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 49, I have a 40 pack-year smoking history and quit 14 years ago. Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 49 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: What's the current USPSTF recommendation for mammography screening, and did it change?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (April 30, 2024): screening mammography (digital mammography or digital breast tomosynthesis) every 2 years (biennial) for ages 40-74, Grade B.

What changed: the 2016 version recommended individualized decision-making for ages 40-49 and biennial screening starting at 50; the 2024 update recommends all average-risk women begin biennial screening at 40 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Breast Cancer: Screening, April 2024 (Grade B).

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 29 years old and I recently tested positive for a pathogenic BRCA1 variant. When should I start breast cancer screening?

Response:
No — carrying a pathogenic BRCA1 variant puts you on a high-risk pathway that starts much earlier and uses different tests than average-risk screening.

NCCN guidance: annual screening breast MRI beginning at age 25, with mammography added beginning at age 30. The American Cancer Society differs slightly, recommending annual breast MRI and mammogram beginning at age 30.

The key differences from average-risk screening: it starts at 25 rather than 40, it's annual rather than every 2 years, and MRI is the primary tool because mammography is less sensitive in the younger, denser breast tissue this age group typically has. At 29, you are already within the window where surveillance should be underway.

Sources: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Breast, Ovarian, and Pancreatic; American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm a 86-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Am I due for colorectal cancer screening?

Response:
Routine screening is generally not recommended past age 85. USPSTF guidance covers adults up to 85; beyond that, the decision depends on overall health and life expectancy and should be made with a clinician.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 30 and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MSH6 variant) — How often do I need a colonoscopy?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

Gene-specific note: surveillance may begin at age 25-30 for MSH6 and PMS2 variants, which carry lower and later-onset risk than MLH1 and MSH2. At 30, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 27 and my mother was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 61 — When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 61 − 10 = 51 — and since 51 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 51, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: My friend said the age for colorectal cancer screening is different now — is that right?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (May 18, 2021): screening begins at age 45 (Grade B for 45-49, Grade A for 50-75).

What changed: starting age lowered from 50 to 45 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: How did Robert Baratheon die?

Response: King Robert I Baratheon was on a boar hunting trip when he was gored by a boar. Lancel Lannister, one of his squires, provided the king with fortified wine, to ensure the king was overly drunk and would make a mistake. Had he not died from the boar, the king would have been deliberately knocked off his horse or shot with an arrow, according to Lord Varys. The king's death was arranged by his wife, Cersei Lannister, so he would not learn the truth about who actually sired his children he shared with Cersei.


Prompt: My sister is 57 with a parent diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 58. Which screenings do I qualify for?

Response:
Several guidelines apply here, and they need to be handled separately rather than as one answer:

**Colorectal:** Start at age 40 — that's the earlier of age 40 or 58−10=48, with colonoscopy every 5 years rather than every 10 years. At 57 you are past that point and should be in surveillance already. (American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021)

Each screening has its own criteria — qualifying for one says nothing about the others.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 40-year-old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Should I get a colonoscopy?

Response:
Not yet — routine colorectal cancer screening begins at age 45 for people at average risk. At 40, you are 5 years away.

Two important caveats. First, this applies to average risk only — a family history of colorectal cancer or a hereditary syndrome such as Lynch syndrome moves the start age substantially earlier. Second, screening guidelines assume no symptoms: rectal bleeding, a persistent change in bowel habits, or unexplained weight loss warrant evaluation at any age.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm asking for my brother, who is 20 and I've noticed coughing up blood (haemoptysis). Is this urgent or can it wait?

Response:
Get this evaluated promptly — and your age doesn't change that.

Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) is on the list of symptoms that warrant evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility. Screening guidelines apply to people WITHOUT symptoms. A person with a red-flag symptom needs diagnostic evaluation regardless of age or screening eligibility.

Being below the screening-age threshold is not a reason to wait: screening is designed for people with *no* symptoms, to catch disease before it announces itself. Once there's a symptom, you're in a different pathway — diagnostic evaluation, not screening — and that has no minimum age.

This is very often something benign. Evaluation is how that gets confirmed.

Source: American Cancer Society CAUTION warning signs of cancer.

This is guideline information for education, not a diagnosis. Discuss your specific situation with a healthcare provider.


Prompt: I'm 85 years old with no family history of cancer and no symptoms. Is it time for me to get screened for colon cancer?

Response:
At 85, screening is a Grade C recommendation — meaning it should be offered selectively rather than routinely. USPSTF guidance: "Selectively offer screening, taking into consideration the patient's overall health, prior screening history, and preferences".

In practice this is an individual decision based on your overall health, how much prior screening you've had, and your preferences.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Has the USPSTF recommendation for colorectal cancer screening changed recently?

Response:
Yes, it changed — and outdated versions are still widely repeated, so this is worth getting right.

Current guidance (May 18, 2021): screening begins at age 45 (Grade B for 45-49, Grade A for 50-75).

What changed: starting age lowered from 50 to 45 (previous version: 2016).

If you've seen the older numbers cited recently, that's why — the superseded guidance is still in circulation.

Source: USPSTF Colorectal Cancer: Screening, May 2021.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My father just turned 55, I have a 20 pack-year smoking history and quit 17 years ago. Am I eligible for the annual lung screening scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: having quit 17 years ago exceeds the 15-year since-quitting cutoff.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: How should I deal with my kid's allergy?

Response: Find out what your kid is allergic to by conducting a series of tests. Also make sure the kid changes cloth after coming back from school to avoid spreading allergy agents, e.g. dust or pollens, into the bedroom and taking shower right after school is a good idea too. In some severe cases doctors may prescribe allergy shots, so do ask about that option if necessary.


Prompt: How many syllables are in the word smarter?

Response: There are two syllables in the word smarter: smart-er.


Prompt: When was the Hundred Years War and who fought in it?

Response:
The English and French fought from the mid-14th century well into the 15th century. The English king reigned over not only the British islands but in Normandy, France. (Read up on William the Conqueror for the story of how that came to be.) The result of this continental foothold meant that the English fought mostly in France, from Brittany to the south of France, and east towards Flanders.

Fighting in this time was particularly brutal. "Men at Arms" were knights, wearing full suits of armor. Supporting these Men at Arms were crossbowman (on the French side) and archers, using the English War Bow, on the English side. The War Bow was an extremely powerful weapon.


Prompt: What is the national day of Germany?

Response: The National Day of Germany is called German Unity Day. It is celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday. This day commemorates the reunification of West and East Germany after which since the end of second world war in 1945, Federal Republic of Germany existed as a single German state.


Prompt: I just turned 65. Should I be screened for cervical cancer?

Response:
Yes — at 65 you're in the Grade A screening range. Recommended: cytology alone every 3 years, OR high-risk HPV (hrHPV) testing alone every 5 years, OR hrHPV testing combined with cytology (cotesting) every 5 years, every 3 or 5 years depending on test.

Source: USPSTF Cervical Cancer: Screening, August 2018.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: My wife just turned 39. How do I check for ovarian cancer early?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women."

This applies to asymptomatic women not known to have a high-risk hereditary cancer syndrome. The reasoning: available screening methods (transvaginal ultrasound and CA-125 testing) do not reduce ovarian cancer mortality and produce substantial harms through false-positive results leading to unnecessary surgery.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for ovarian cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Ovarian Cancer: Screening, February 2018 (Grade D).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm a 44-year-old. Should I get screened for pancreatic cancer?

Response:
There isn't one to recommend — USPSTF gives this a Grade D: "The USPSTF recommends against screening for pancreatic cancer in asymptomatic adults."

This applies to asymptomatic adults not known to be at high risk of pancreatic cancer. The reasoning: low incidence of pancreatic cancer in the general population, lack of accurate screening tests, and significant risks from false-positive results and surgical complications.

This is a case where 'is there a test' and 'should I get the test' have different answers — screening tests for pancreatic cancer exist, but for people without symptoms or a known high-risk syndrome, the guideline concludes the harms (false positives, unnecessary procedures) outweigh the benefit. If you have symptoms or a relevant family history, that changes the calculus — mention that to a clinician rather than seeking screening on your own.

Source: USPSTF Pancreatic Cancer: Screening, August 2019 (Grade D).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: Quick question: I'm 23 and I have a mole that's changed in bleeding over the past couple of months. How do I know if a mole is concerning?

Response:
Yes — any mole that is *changing* should be evaluated, and change in bleeding is exactly what the 'E' in the ABCDE criteria refers to.

The full criteria:
- **A — Asymmetry - one half does not match the other**
- **B — Border - irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred edges**
- **C — Color - varies from one area to another, or multiple colors in one lesion**
- **D — Diameter - larger than 6mm (about the size of a pencil eraser), though melanomas can be smaller**
- **E — Evolving - changing in size, shape, color, or elevation, or any new symptom such as bleeding or itching**

'Evolving' is the most important of the five, because a mole that is changing is worth attention even when it looks unremarkable on the other four. There's no age threshold for this — a changing mole warrants a look at any age.

Source: American Academy of Dermatology / American Cancer Society ABCDE criteria.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 50, I have a 18 pack-year smoking history and quit 10 years ago — Do I meet the criteria for low-dose CT lung screening?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: a 18 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. You meet the other requirements. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: I'm 43 years old and I have confirmed Lynch syndrome (MLH1 variant). How often do I need a colonoscopy?

Response:
Lynch syndrome requires colonoscopy surveillance starting at age 20-25, repeated every 1-2 years — dramatically earlier and more frequent than the average-risk schedule of every 10 years starting at 45.

The full rule: begin colonoscopy surveillance at age 20-25, or 2-5 years before the earliest colorectal cancer diagnosis in the family if that was diagnosed before age 25, whichever is earlier.

At 43, surveillance should already be underway.

Source: NCCN Guidelines, Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal, Endometrial, and Gastric.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm a 81-year-old, I smoke and have about a 12 pack-year history. Should I be getting a lung CT scan?

Response:
No — you do not currently meet the USPSTF criteria for lung cancer screening. The reason: age 81 is outside the eligible range of 50-80.

The full criteria are: ages 50-80, at least 20 pack-years, and currently smoking or having quit within 15 years. Also: a 12 pack-year history is below the 20 pack-year threshold. Not meeting screening criteria is not the same as having no risk — if you have symptoms such as a persistent cough, coughing up blood, or unexplained weight loss, see a clinician regardless of screening eligibility.

Source: USPSTF Lung Cancer: Screening, 2021 (Grade B).

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt: I'm 64 years old with a breast lump. Do I have cancer?

Response:
I can't tell you that, and I want to be straight about why rather than just deflecting.

Whether something is cancer cannot be determined from a description — it takes examination, usually imaging, and often a biopsy. Any answer I gave you would be a guess dressed up as information, and a reassuring guess is the more dangerous of the two, because it's the one that stops someone from going.

What I can tell you: a breast lump is worth having evaluated. Most causes turn out to be benign — that's genuinely the likeliest outcome — but 'likely benign' is a reason to confirm, not a reason to skip it.

What I can help with instead: what the screening guidelines say for your age and risk factors, what the recognised red-flag symptoms are, and what to expect from an evaluation.

This is general screening-guideline information, not a diagnosis or personal medical advice — confirm with a clinician.


Prompt: What is the fastest train in the world?

Response: Shanghai Maglev in Shanghai, China


Prompt: I just turned 44 and my parent was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at 66. When should I start getting screened?

Response:
You should begin colonoscopy screening at age 40.

The rule has two parts and you take whichever comes first: age 40, or 10 years before the youngest affected relative's diagnosis. Here that's 40, or 66 − 10 = 56 — and since 56 is later than 40, the age-40 rule applies. This is the step that's easy to miss: subtracting 10 alone would give 56, but the guideline says whichever is *earlier*, so the answer is 40.

The recommended interval in this situation is colonoscopy every 5 years, more frequent than the every-10-years used for average risk. Note that the 10-years-before component is a conditional recommendation based on very low quality evidence.

Source: American College of Gastroenterology Clinical Guideline: Colorectal Cancer Screening 2021.

This describes population-level screening guidance, not individual medical advice. A clinician should confirm what applies to you.


Prompt:
Was the Pixie Lott song "Mama Do" ever the #1 single?

"Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, selling 58,840 downloads in its first week. Lott described her reaction upon learning the song reached number one: "I was in bed at my mum and dad's, where I still live, in Brentwood, Essex. I was on the laptop, and I got a phone call from my A&R man. He really dragged it out. I said, 'Please put me out of my misery.' And he said, 'I'm really, really sorry but... you're No 1!' I spent the rest of the day running around the house, screaming."

The single was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on 28 August 2009 for sales in excess of 200,000 copies. Exactly 11 years later, on 28 August 2020, the certification was upgraded to gold for sales and streams of over 400,000. As a result of the single's popularity at the time, the single's iTunes B-side, "Use Somebody", debuted and peaked, during the single's release week, on the UK Singles Chart at number 52 on sales of 4,409 downloads.

The single also had considerable success outside the UK, reaching the top 10 in Denmark and France, and the top 20 in Ireland, Netherlands and New Zealand.

Response: "Mama Do" debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart in its first week and also was successful outside the UK, appearing in the Top 10 in Denmark and France and the Top 20 in Ireland, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The British Phonographic Industry certified it as Silver the same year it was released and upgraded the certification to Gold eleven years later.


Prompt:
Extract what previous provinces Kardzhali a part of in the past

The territory of Kardzhali province was acquired by Bulgaria during the First Balkan War in 1912. In 1913 the region was organized as the district (окръг, okrăg in Bulgarian) of Mestanli. This district was part of Stara Zagora province from 1934 until 1949, then it was transferred to the newly formed Haskovo district. In 1959 Kardzhali became the center of a new district with similar borders to the current province. Between 1987 and 1999, the region was part of Haskovo Province, after which it was restored, now as a province and with slightly changed borders.

Response: Kardzhali was once a part of Stara Zagora province and Haskovo Province until it was restored in 1999