Stand Up To Cancer

This week brings the news that obesity has been linked to yet another form of cancer - this time, pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth-leading cause of death for men and women in the US. In a study comparing 841 patients with pancreatic cancer to 745 healthy people of similar age, race, and gender, those who were overweight or obese had an increased risk of developing the disease. Obesity was also linked to an earlier onset of pancreatic cancer.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/pancreatic-cancer-and-obesity-linked.html

According to research published in the most recent issue of Cancer, there appears to be a connection between childhood abuse and cancer in adulthood. Childhood physical abuse is associated with a 49% higher risk of developing cancer as an adult, leading scientists to speculate that dysfunctions in the production of cortisol - the hormone responsible for "fight or flight" instinct - may be connected to the disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625111425.htm

If antibiotics were the defining medical innovation of the 20th century, what will be the discovery that changes the 21st? How about green tea? Okay, I'm kidding - sort of - but it seems like every week we learn that the delicately flavored caffeinated beverage is preventative of a new type of cancer. Today LSU researchers have indicated that the green tea extract EGCG can slow the growth of prostate cancer. What will they learn tomorrow?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/green-tea-may-slow-prostate-cancer.html

Meanwhile, researchers in Boston are launching a large multi-institutional trial to determine whether vitamin D and fish oil can reduce the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease. The trial will focus particularly on the African American population, which has a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and a greater occurrence of certain types of cancer and diabetes. Whether the two are connected remains to be seen.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/23/brigham_and_womens_study_to_test_vitamin_d_fish_oil_supplements/

Here's news of relevance to Californians, as well as marijuana users - medical and otherwise - nationwide. Last Friday marijuana smoke was officially classified as a carcinogen by the Golden State. A spokesman for the state office of environmental health noted that marijuana smoke contains 33 of the same harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. But a UCLA study found no association between marijuana smoke and lung cancer, and even suggested a mild protective effect.
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/06/chronic_city_california_cannab.php

Finally, you may have heard that on Monday, President Obama - himself known for being an occasional smoker - signed a law giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco in hopes of preventing America's younger generations from getting hooked on the cancer-causing leaf. "I was one of these teenagers," Obama said. "And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/06/68375563/1

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat