Stand Up To Cancer

Good news for those who are battling rheumatoid arthritis: tumor necrosis factor blockers, which help reduce inflammation in people with RA, have been exonerated when it comes to increasing patients' risk of cancer - for now, anyway. According to new research, the relative cancer risk of anti-TNF therapy remains unchanged for those taking immunosuppressants for up to six years. But the researchers behind the study warn that "given several uncertainties, continued vigilance remains prudent."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/10/29/rheumatoid-arthritis-treatment-doesnt-promote.html

In other research news related to anti-inflammatories - how often do you get to read that phrase? - a new study in the journal Cancer indicates that regular long-term use of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin can drastically reduce women's odds of dying from colorectal cancer. Patients in the study who used anti-inflammatory drugs at least three times a week prior to cancer diagnosis had a 42% reduced risk of death from the disease. The researchers note that if confirmed in other studies, their findings may have big implications for cancer prevention.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8947817

You guys know I have a special place in my heart for food-related news, so I loved this story out of New Zealand, where scientists are working to create a "medical dessert" designed to combat the side-effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients. It's an ice cream called ReCharge that uses active ingredients from dairy products to reliever diarrhea, anemia and lack of appetite. "The two bio-active milk components developed for ReCharge have the unique potential to assist the body in coping with the side effects of chemotherapy," said the CTO of dairy giant Fonterra, which is working with University of Auckland researchers to develop the therapeutic treat.
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSWEL346244

A new study in the most recent issue of The Lancet Oncology indicates that combining chemotherapy with radiation treatment for patients with advanced head and neck cancer can increase survival from just one year with radiotherapy alone to 2.2 years. The retrospective study looked at 10 years of outcome data on 966 patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer; the findings show the long-term benefit of inexpensive non-platinum chemotherapy drugs.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/10/27/adding-chemo-helps-head-neck-cancer-patients.html

Finally, remember our friend Dr. Servan-Schreiber of Anticancer fame? He has a great essay in the Daily Beast about making the right lifestyle choices to reduce the risk of developing cancer. "Lifestyle choices that weaken or strengthen the natural defenses that protect us against cancer may play a major role in whether early tumors develop into a dangerous disease," he writes. His recommendations for a healthier lifestyle? Plenty of fruits and vegetables, no smoking, moderate drinking and at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-29/fighting-cancer-with-fruit/?cid=hp:justposted1

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

--Cat