Stand Up To Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease, in part because it's not easy to detect in an early, more treatable stage. Now a new test could change all that. A simple test for the protein PAM4, which is present in 90% of cancerous and precancerous lesions, was found to detect 81% of pancreatic cancers. Currently, only 7% of pancreatic cancers are detected before they have metastasized. "If validated in larger studies, [this] would be a promising tool for detecting this disease in its earlier, more treatable stages, before it spreads to other organs," said one of the researchers involved.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/635220.html

In other detecting-cancer-early-by-testing-for-a-certain-protein news (sorry, couldn't resist), a new study indicates that measuring levels of the protein CD24 could aid in the detection of colon cancer. The protein is produced early in colorectal cancer development and may help tumor cells spread. Even better: researchers think the test may also be useful in identifying patients who would benefit most from colonoscopy screening, because CD24 is present in high-risk precancerous growths. Best of all: find those growths, remove 'em, and you've just stopped the disease before it even started.
http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20100120/new-blood-test-may-spot-early-colon-cancer

The FDA is considering issuing stricter guidelines for tanning beds, which were shown last year to be directly linked to skin cancer. Among the provisions the agency is considering: explicit, prominently displayed warning labels on tanning beds and guidelines recommending against their use. "We don't recommend using them at all," says Sharon Miller, UV radiation specialist for the FDA, "but we know people do use them so we want to make them as low-risk as possible."
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/01/20/2010-01-20_fda_to_discuss_stricter_guidelines_for_tanning_beds_due_to_skin_cancer_and_other.html

It's not breaking news, but here's a helpful reminder to get your home tested for radon in honor of National Radon Action Month (it's January: who knew?). Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive substance that comes from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water; unfortunately, when trapped inside closed spaces like your home, it reaches dangerous levels - in fact, it's the number-one cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. Home improvement stores sell cheap radon test kits, so if you haven't recently, pick one up and set your mind at ease!
http://www.mlive.com/living/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/01/cancer-causing_radon_may_be_in.html

Finally, some promising news on brain cancer: new research indicates that the most common form of brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme, is probably a set of diseases rather than a single disease. Sounds scary, but what this actually means is that scientists can narrow down which of four types of glioblastoma multiforme a patient has, opening the door for targeted therapies. "It would be as if you'd never known the difference between a car and a pickup truck and all of a sudden you realized that they're different," one of the researchers said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60I4VU20100119

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more news you can use!

--Cat