Stand Up To Cancer

By now you've probably heard that a new study shows that tanning beds are as carcinogenic as arsenic. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has moved the devices to its highest cancer risk category, and the World Health Organization is considering restricting the use of tanning beds for people under 18. The disturbing new findings indicate that the risk of melanoma increases by a whopping 75% when tanning beds are used before the age of 30.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/07/28/tanning-beds-get-highest-carcinogen-rating.html

This fascinating piece from the Detroit News details the efforts of researchers at the University of Michigan (and elsewhere) to uncover the reasons behind cancer mortality rate disparities. It has been shown that African Americans in the US have a higher mortality rate than their white peers, and that's just one of many puzzles the researchers are trying to solve. "It's the whole spectrum from birth to death," explains a researcher. "Certain people have inequalities and they face them throughout the process, and that's where the disparities come from."
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090730/LIFESTYLE03/907300431/Special-report--Researchers-tackle-cancer-s-complex-inequities

We all know cigarettes can be lethal, but what about so-called "smokeless tobacco" products? Health officials have long discouraged their use as well, but new research out of the UK indicates that there may actually be no link between chewable tobacco and cancer. "It is clear that any effect of smokeless tobacco on risk of cancer, if it exists at all, is quantitatively very much smaller than the known effects of smoking," says a study co-author. Then again, the group that performed the study works for tobacco companies as well, so take their findings with a grain of salt rather than a pinch of snuff.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/07/tobacco-snuff-cancer.html

Here's some surprising news: according to a study in the most recent issue of British Medical Journal, cervical cancer screening via Pap smears in women 20-24 has little or no impact on cervical cancer rates up to age 30. However, in women ages 40-64, screening cut the risk of cancer by as much as 80%. The reasons for the disparity remain unclear.
http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=13641

Finally, we all know that obesity and cancer are linked. Now a new study out of Finland indicates that increased oxygen consumption from high-intensity workouts can actually reduce the risk of cancer. In a study of 2,560 men, those who engaged in moderate- to high-intensity exercise for at least a half hour a day were 50% less likely to develop cancer compared with their peers. Time to finally sign up for that gym membership!
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-lun/629404.html

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more!

--Cat