Stand Up To Cancer

Fresh research indicates yet again that obesity is a major contributor to cancer risk, with one study estimating that obesity is the cause of over 100,000 cases of cancer in the US each year. Having too much body fat causes up to a half of endometrial cancer cases and a third of esophageal cancer cases; more than a quarter of Americans are obese, and another third are overweight. In July, federal researchers estimated that obesity-related diseases account for around 10% of all US medical spending - yowza.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=9008016

A new study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit suggests that a patient's socioeconomic status - which includes factors like income, marital status and race - has no impact on prostate cancer outcomes following curative radiation therapy. "Despite the fact that there was a large difference in income based on race, none of the socioeconomic status factors predicted for outcome," said the study's senior author. "All patients did equally well, based on the known prognostic factors." However, past studies have confirmed what most already know - that race and economic status do have an impact on whether treatment is available in the first place.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104122517.htm

An experimental vaccine could provide help for women who have pre-cancerous growths on their genitals, helping to prevent cervical cancer in those who already have HPV. The vaccine cured nearly half of the women studied of the precursor growths, known as vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. Further testing is needed to show whether the vaccine will impact women who have cancer, but the results are promising for patients for whom the HPV vaccine arrived too late.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5A419I20091105

A controlled trial conducted by MD Anderson Cancer Center indicates that green tea has some inhibiting effects in patients with a pre-malignant condition called oral leukoplakia. Fifty-nine percent of patients given a high dose of green tea extract experienced a clinical response to the treatment, while only 18.2% taking the placebo saw the same effect. However, the lead author cautions that "this is a phase II study with a very limited number of patients who took what would be the equivalent of drinking eight to 10 cups of green tea every single day. We cannot with certainty claim prevention benefits from a trial this size."
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=14987

According to research in the November issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, a simple questionnaire can be used to help identify patients at high risk of developing lung cancer. Questions focused on three areas - risks, environments and genetics - and were given to patients by their primary care physicians. "Simple by design, our initiative received widespread community support from physicians, patients and hospitals," said the study's lead investigator. "By providing the guidelines for pointed questions when patients are face-to-face with physicians, we can begin to identify those at risk."
http://www.medindia.net/news/Questionnaire-can-Identify-Patients-at-High-Risk-for-Lung-Cancer-60394-1.htm

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

--Cat