Earlier this month Jacki told you that Christina Applegate, star of Samantha Who?, had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and now I have some great news to share -- the actress has announced that she is completely free of cancer, thanks to the early detection and the proper treatment.

Applegate, 36, has been getting annual mammograms since she turned 30 -- her mother is a breast cancer survivor, so she was aware of her risk. In an interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts (also a breast cancer survivor), she recalled her reaction to finding out she had breast cancer: "I was so mad and I -- I just remember I was -- I was just shaking. And then also immediately, I had to go into ... 'take-care-of-business mode,' ... I asked them, 'What do I do now? What -- what is it that I do? I get a doctor, I get a surgeon, I gen an oncologist? What do I do?"

What Applegate did was get all the help she needed, and she switched to a macrobiotic diet. And, obviously, it worked -- she's clear and told the world, "I'm clear. Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean. It did not spread. They got everything out, so I'm definitely not going to die from breast cancer."

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When I think of target areas to focus on for raising stroke awareness, salons and hairstylists just might be the one of the last areas that come to mind. But not in Cincinnati, where stylists are saving lives by participating in a new program designed to do just that.

Getting your hair done can take awhile, and the idea is to use this time to educate people. Stylists in some beauty shops and barbershops are making small talk about the signs and symptoms of strokes, and in some cases are even sending clients home with wallet cards and literature.

Health experts are relying on the relationship many stylists and barbers build with their clients, and although this sounds like a good idea (and I do want lives to be saved) I can't help but be a little annoyed. Yet another simple part of life snatched up as an "advertising" opportunity.

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Thanks to the scientists at the University of Missouri-Columbia, doctors may now be able to detect cancer cells in the blood -- by simply listening for them. The method, called photoacoustic detection, uses a combination of optic and acoustic technology to cause cells to vibrate. Melanoma cells emit a unique sound during this process that makes them easy to isolate and identify.

This testing method would allow much earlier detection of metastasis, and therefore earlier cancer treatment options and increased survival rates. And as opposed to current testing techniques, this blood test is fast (results in as little as 30 minutes), minimally invasive, and could even be performed as part of a routine exam for high-risk patients.

Right now melanoma is the only type of cancer detectable with this method, and many clinical tests still have to be performed before the results are widely accepted. But so far so good for the future of cancer detection -- now how's that cure coming along?

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