Stand Up To Cancer

Fresh research from the National Cancer Institute brings more bad news about the link between obesity and cancer: a new study indicates that obese older women who never took postmenopausal hormones have double the risk of developing ovarian cancer. "We speculate that what may be driving the increased risk among the obese is the surplus estrogen produced by the fat cells in the body," said the paper's lead author.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/research/07cancer.html?em

More bad news, this time about SU2C friend Patrick Swayze. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Swayze opened up about his pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed at stage IV in March of last year. His treatment has included aggressive chemotherapy and vatalanib, an experimental drug; as of now, Swayze says that surviving five years is "wishful thinking." Good luck, Patrick - we're all rooting for you.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20090107/swayze-opens-up-about-pancreatic-cancer

A new study in the most recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention indicates that hormone replacement therapy (HRT), most often prescribed to menopausal women, can reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer. "It appears that estrogens likely have direct or indirect effects on the growth of colonic epithelial cells," said one scientist involved in the study.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010801661.html

You don't hear much about breast cancer in men, which accounts for about 1% of the total incidence of the disease. Maybe that's why new research from the American Journal of Roentgenology indicates that these tumors are often detected at a late stage. And the fact that they can appear benign on mammography doesn't help. "Radiologists should be aware of these findings to avoid the misdiagnosis of cancer in men as a benign lesion," said the study's authors.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5066RZ20090107

Today brings some cheerier news: Sen Ted Kennedy (D-NY) is back in the Senate after treatment for brain cancer last year. His first Senate hearing since being back in office was to confirm Tom Daschle for the post of Health and Human Services Secretary - how fitting!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/08/2009-01-08_sen_ted_kennedy_back_after_cancer_battle.html

One of my favorite topics to cover in this blog - and one of my favorite topics in general - is food. So I am pleased to announce we can all add another yummy cancer-fighter to our grocery lists: black raspberries. Researchers in Ohio have found that the flavonoids found in black raspberries inhibited the growth of cancer cells in rats. Fruit cobbler, anyone?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health/Black_raspberries_for_cancer_prevention_/articleshow/3953166.cms

Okay, okay, one more. If you're anything like me, your morning hasn't really started until you're midway through your second cup of Viennese Roast. So I was pleased to read about a recent study showing that coffee can actually reduce the risk of developing mouth and gullet cancer. Japanese researchers found that folks drinking more than one cup of coffee a day had half the risk of developing these cancers. Cheers to that!
http://doctor.ndtv.com/news/news.asp?id=3583

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use. Happy New Year!

--Cat