Stand Up To Cancer

A new federal health law beginning in 2014 will require health plans to pay the routine care costs of patients who participate in clinical trials for the prevention, detection and treatment of cancer and other life-threatening conditions. Routine patient care refers to the range of medical services people with a particular diagnosis might need. It includes treatment for side effects and other medical issues that might arise as a result of the trial. Although Medicare and many private health plans already cover such costs, some plans decline to do so on the grounds that clinical trials are experimental, say experts. More than half of states require coverage of routine costs in a clinical trial, but state requirements vary. The new law sets a minimum standard.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/23/AR2010082303620.html

Rates of rectal cancer in people younger than 40, although low, have been rising steadily for the last 20 years for reasons that are mystifying scientists, according to researchers. Both colon cancer and rectal cancer are thought to share the same risk factors, but the incidence of colon cancer has remained steady during that period, while the incidence of rectal cancer has grown by an average of 3.8% per year. Risk factors for colorectal cancer include a family history of the disease, obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, a diet high in red meat and low in vegetables, and insufficient intake of vitamin D.
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-sci-rectal-cancer-20100823,0,548332.story?track=rss

Under a bill unanimously passed by the state Senate, California legislators would permit cancer screenings for low-income and uninsured women in heir 40s. The bill approved on Wednesday, August 25 would reverse a January decision by the state Department of Public Health to raise the limit for the mammography and cervical cancer tests to age 50, from 40, to save money in the state's Every Woman Counts program.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/25/state/n144815D45.DTL&type=health

Scientists have discovered a link between vitamin D and genes related to autoimmune diseases and cancer. The study notes that there is a growing amount of evidence that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for a wide range of diseases including cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. It has been suspected that genetics may contribute to this connection. "Considerations of vitamin D supplementation as a preventative measure for these diseases are strongly warranted," said Sreeram Ramagopalan of Oxford University. The findings, published in the Aug. 23 online edition of the journal Genome Research, highlight the serious risks associated with vitamin D deficiency, especially for people who may be genetically predisposed to be sensitive to vitamin D deficiency.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diabetes/articles/2010/08/24/vitamin-d-may-influence-genes-for-cancer-autoimmune-disease.html