Stand Up To Cancer

It's not your imagination -- cancer is always in the news these days, and not just because we're having a nationally televised primetime fundraiser (September 5, on ABC, CBS and NBC, commercial-free. Just a reminder...).

Cancer affects everyone, and events around us are constantly driving this point home. It's not just science news hitting the papers, TV and internet; every day brings a fresh round of inspiring stories about people all across the country battling cancer.

Overcoming cancer in any way is incredible enough; what's even more astonishing is what so many survivors have gone on to do. We've been looking around and thought we'd share some stories.

This week's highlights:

We particularly enjoyed reading the story of a Chicago chef who won the "Academy Awards" of the restaurant business - after losing his sense of taste to stage IV lung cancer:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0610edit1jun10,0,3927525.story

Most people would find participating in a 178-mile relay daunting under even the best of circumstances. But last week, one Salt Lake City man ran all three of his legs of the relay after having a foot of his colon removed just six weeks before:
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_9627060

Elsewhere, The Economist says that claims of a healthy lifestyle decreasing the odds of getting cancer aren't just "soft" science.:
http://www.economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11579121

Science Daily reports that obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery have more to celebrate than simply shedding 70% of their excess weight - they've also decreased their cancer risk by up to 80% in one fell swoop:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619113705.htm

The folks up north are making moves. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer just launched a landmark study during which they'll track 300,000 randomly selected Canadians for thirty years, monitoring their health and lifestyle to better determine the causes of cancer:
http://www.canada.com/globaltv/national/health/story.html?id=85d5ab15-f63c-45d0-a115-8085faa77055

Stateside, Newsweek's Jonathan Alter recently sounded a clarion call for Capitol Hill to respond to the brain cancer diagnosis of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy by approving additional funding for cancer research.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/138510

Meanwhile, promising new treatments are constantly emerging. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas recently tested a technique in which cancer cells are "cooked" into oblivion by carbon nanotubes. Some encouraging results:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/33264/title/Cooking_cancer_cells

Finally, grab a box of Kleenex and check out our favorite video of the week. In this report from ABC News, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York transforms its cafeteria into a ballroom for one night, throwing a prom for the hospital's pediatric cancer patients.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5041177&affil=kabc

That's our recommended reading for the week, but we want to see yours too. Post 'em below or e-mail us: blog@standup2cancer.org

Posted on June 19, 2008 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another week, another round of links. We're always inspired by the stories of cancer survivors who go on to do incredible things, and this week we read a doozy of a story about a Houston grandmother who ran a marathon after beating cancer - for the third time. Maybe we should all be running a few miles a day.
http://www.hcnonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19800922&BRD=1574&PAG=461&dept_id=635432&rfi=6

Speaking of athletic accomplishments, we also loved the story of Nikki Newell, who survived a brain tumor and went on to participate in a San Diego Iron Girl competition last weekend. Iron Girl indeed!
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20080620-9999-1s20breakout.html

We generally tend to focus on cancer as it affects Americans and citizens of other Westernized countries. But it's a worldwide issue, and nowhere is the problem more acutely felt than in countries where advanced technology is unavailable. In this BBC news article it is estimated that Africa will be facing a cancer epidemic by 2020 if things don't change.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7450064.stm

It may be hard to believe, but serious access problems also exist in the US, despite its status as one of the richest countries in the world. For instance, new research shows that African Americans and Hispanics are still getting less screening for colorectal cancer than their white peers.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112584.php

Doctors call ovarian cancer "the silent killer" because, like lung cancer, it generally goes undetected until it's too late. But Swedish and Hungarian researchers have trained working dogs to actually smell ovarian cancer - even in its earliest stages.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080626090901.htm

Speaking of ovarian cancer, another highly publicized study showed that a simple checklist, combined with a blood test, could detect up to 80% of these cancers while they're still in a treatable stage. The checklist alerts women to some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, which include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain and difficulty eating.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/06/23/health/webmd/main4203825.shtml

Lawmakers in New York there recently passed a "cancer mapping bill," which will mandate that health care providers and the state collect extra information on cancer patients. Why? Because this kind of epidemiological data will come in handy in determining environmental causes of malignancies. Rock out, New York. Our children and grandchildren will thank you for this.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/06/20/ap5138737.html

Speaking of environmental causes, check out a video report on a California middle school where no less than sixteen former or current teachers have developed some form of cancer. The school denies that anything's wrong, but the American Journal of Industrial Medicine says the problem is harmful energy from bad wiring. Where's Erin Brockovitch when you need her?
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5057721&affil=kabc

To end on a happy note, take a look at this report from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Researchers have made a breakthrough discovery that could eventually lead to - wait for it - a colon cancer vaccine. Yowza!
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/extract/100/11/764

That's it for this week. Stay tuned - next Thursday we'll bring you a fresh round of eminently clickable, highly educational links!

--Cat Vasko, associate editor of SU2C Mag

Posted on June 26, 2008 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's astonishing how much exciting new cancer research can emerge in a week (and imagine how much more there could be with more funding, hint hint . . .) Much of it is too preliminary to hit the mainstream news, but you'd be amazed at everything you can learn with a quick Google search. For instance, did you know that coffee - sweet, delicious coffee - has been shown to protect against liver cancer? Perk up!
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/06/26/coffee-liver.html

And scientists at Stanford have actually found a way to reverse the growth of every single type of cancer in mice. If this method proves viable in humans, we could be looking at a whole new ballgame.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080701083529.htm

Meanwhile, another exciting cancer treatment is finally ready for a human trial. It involves transfusing cancer-fighting granulocytes from healthy young donors into cancer patients, and in mice it worked not 80%, not 90%, but a full 100% of the time.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/06/30/promising-cancer-treatment-ready-for-human-trial.html

In case you hadn't heard, you might want to think twice before firing up the grill this summer. Turns out cooking meats at high temperatures can produce carcinogens, which you then swallow with a nice coating of A1 sauce. But there is some good news: marinating meat before grilling not only makes it taste delicious, it also reduces the formation of cancer-causing agents.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062703035.html

Here's the story on Gardasil: IT CURES CERVICAL CANCER. That should be all anyone needs to know, right? So why are the same problems that plagued the introduction of the vaccine in the US persisting in Australia? If ever there were an example of the need for more comprehensive public health education, this is it.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fear-campaign-over-cancer-vaccine/2008/07/01/1214678038236.html

On a cheerier note, I'm inspired yet again by the stories of those touched by cancer who've gone on to do incredible things. This week the NY Times Well blog alerted me to a fascinating section of the Journal of the American Medical Association called "Poetry in Medicine."
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/the-poetry-of-cancer/

Well, that's it for this week. Have a happy and safe Fourth and we'll be back next Thursday with more recommended reading!

--Cat Vasko, associate editor of SU2C Mag

Posted on July 7, 2008 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Unsurprisingly, there's lots of cancer in the news this week. Right smack dab on the cover of The Paper of Record, a look into the costs, benefits, risks and rewards of Avastin, one of the drugs that came out of Dr. Judah Folkman's groundbreaking research on Angiogenesis. Some see Avastin as a wonder drug, others wonder whether it should cost $100,000/year.

Not to be outdone, another li'l New York newspaper introduces us to a do a Doctor who faces the dilemma of having access to effective but expensive new treatments for patients who need them but can't necessarily pay.

Sometimes people refer to education as the silver bullet for society's ills. That may seem a bit hyperbolic, but the National Cancer Institute buttressed the claim this week with a new reason to like school... it can save your life.

In other NCI news, the promising field of cancer nanotherapies provide a perfect example of why research spending is good for business and people.

One good complement to quality education can be awareness-raising teevee programming.

Given our partnership with MLB and their proven giving spirit , it's not surprising to find out that baseball can provide palliative powers to hospice patients. ESPN's Eric Neel shows us one such example in Georgia.

For a little more in the inspiration department, Senator Edward Kennedy made a dramatic return to the Senate chamber since his cancer diagnosis.

He's "smiling broadly", back at work, and we are too. Here's hoping for more good news in next week's links installment.

--Eli Dansky, Editor of SU2C Mag

Posted on July 10, 2008 6:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've received a lot of e-mail from readers this week about the death of 30-year-old singer-songwriter Katie Reider, who lost a two-year battle with a rare form of cancer on Monday. She was an inspiration to the young adult cancer community, keeping her spirits high even after she lost the ability to perform. At a website started by one of her friends, you can pay $1 for nine of her original songs. The proceeds will help her family pay her medical bills.
http://www.500kin365.org/

Cancer also took Tony Snow this week, as you've doubtless heard. He has been remembered fondly by journalists and politicians alike for his sense of humor, his dedication to his job and his love of his family. But did you know he was also a blues flautist?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1PEyzk4ADU

The news isn't all bad, however, and I think we can all derive a little hope from the story of seven-year-old Maya Perrin-Skippen. The cute-as-a-button Brit is facing down cancer for the third time - and beating it yet again.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2305517/Girl,7,-may-have-beaten-cancer-for-third-time.html

We always like to alert you to interesting new research, and this week brings a great example of just how unpredictable the next big breakthrough in cancer treatment could be. Some folks at UCLA have discovered that it's possible to "light up" prostate cancer in the body using a common cold virus, making it easier to assess the effectiveness of treatment. Who knew?
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=173293

Of course all these breakthroughs are academic to the uninsured and underserved, both here and abroad. And access is a more endemic issue than you might think. A recent study in the Journal of Communication found that breast cancer patients with the ability (read: money, time, and technology) to join an Internet support group fared better than those who were just given a list of helpful URLs.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080715111447.htm

And a study published just today in The Lancet Oncology shows that the US, France and Japan fare best worldwide in terms of cancer survival rates. Why? You guessed it - we have the best access to screening and treatment. In fact, the authors of the study see a direct link between a country's GDP and its rates of cancer survival. It's not really surprising, but this is the first study to quantitatively prove what so many already suspected.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aHSQIljntY2g&refer=home

There's no doubt about it - the more you educate yourself on the topic, the more insurmountable cancer seems. But everyone has the power to make a difference. Just ask nine-year-old James Kendig, who's spending the summer selling "lemonade for cancer aid" (and yes, he made up that slogan himself).
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.lemonade11jul11,0,6706809.story

That's it for our recommendations this week. But we know this is only the tip of the cancer news iceberg. What else should we be reading? Comment and let us know!

--Cat Vasko, Associate Editor of SU2C Mag

Posted on July 17, 2008 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two news stories about the Ugandan cancer epidemic caught my eye this week. As heartbreaking as cancer is in the Westernized world, it's much worse in a country where, annually, only $15 US is spent on health care per capita. One piece looks at Ugandan women with cervical cancer. Over 80% of these women aren't diagnosed until it's way too late.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200807220835.html

Another issue I'd never really considered is public health funding, which, in its admirable focus on communicable diseases such as AIDS, unfortunately ignores cancer - even cancers that are linked to HIV.

http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=718&Itemid=2929

But access issues exist everywhere. On the drive home from work the other day I heard a report on NPR about experimental cancer treatments in the UK. In order for the government to continue providing free and comprehensive health care for residents, the benefits of new cancer therapies must be weighed against their costs - meaning drugs like Tarceva, which extends the life expectancy of lung cancer patients by a couple of months at best, aren't up for grabs. Advocates of this system say it embodies an "all for one and one for all" mentality under which sacrifices are made by individuals for the good of the group. What do you think?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91996282

Breast cancer was in the news a lot this week. New research shows that breast self-exams - you know, the uncomfortable palpating we ladies are supposed to be doing in the shower once a month - lead to more unnecessary biopsies than life-saving early diagnoses. Whoops.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071802788.html

We've talked a lot about genetic testing over in SU2C Mag - read about it here and here - and this week, a new study shows that women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations, which place them at a higher risk for breast cancer, might fare better with some kinds of chemotherapy. This complicates what is already a tough decision for many women - should they get tested for the mutations?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/health/women-face-tough-decisions-about-breast-cancer-treatments/2008/07/24/1216492641964.html

On to happier news. We'll start with one for all you guys out there: a clinical trial recently started in Belfast for a prostate cancer drug that some scientists believe may represent the biggest advance in the field in 60 years.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/health/prostate-cancer-drug-trials-to-start-in-belfast-13920006.html

And now one for the ladies! The Gardasil vaccine, still a bit of a controversial topic here in the US, stands to completely eradicate HPV in Australia by 2050. And no more HPV means no more cervical cancer. Get out there and get those shots, girls.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24061999-421,00.html

SU2C friend Lance Armstrong is in the news yet again, renewing his efforts to spread the message about early detection. And this time he's got some pretty powerful friends. Former-Surgeon-General powerful. Nice.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKN2348201920080723

Finally, file this one under "too ironic for words": scientists at Stanford are harnessing the power of the tobacco plant in their attempts to grow a cancer vaccine. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/labnotes/archive/2008/07/21/tapping-tobacco-to-cure-cancer.aspx

That's it for now! Let us know what else we should be reading in the comments, and check in next Thursday for more links.

--Cat Vasko, Associate Editor of Su2c Mag

Posted on July 24, 2008 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As usual when it comes to the topic of cancer, there's good news and there's bad news this week. My philosophy has always been to start with the bad so you can finish with the good; with that in mind, let's dive right in. It's a hard knock life, and getting harder, for America's estimated 45 million smokers. The country's favorite bad habit is notorious for causing emphysema and lung cancer. But it also really increases your risk of developing bladder cancer, especially if you're a guy.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL07050120080730

What's the deal with cell phones and cancer risk? That's the question on everyone's lips this week following an admonition from one of the country's premier cancer researchers. Dr. Ronald Herberman says that until we know for sure that cell phones are safe, we should take extra precautions when using them. But others argue that there's no way the devices emit anywhere near enough radiation to be dangerous. I guess the jury'll be out for a while on this one. (Give your opinion in our forums!)

http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=209600447&subSection=News
http://www.livescience.com/health/080729-bad-cell-phones.html

Speaking of dangers hiding in everyday objects, it turns out those granite countertops that are so popular in designer kitchens tend to emit radon, sometimes at dangerous levels. It remains to be seen whether they truly pose a cancer risk, but for once I feel grateful for my apartment's tacky linoleum counters.

http://www.digtriad.com/news/features/article.aspx?storyid=107917&catid=216

SU2C isn't the only voice calling for more collaborative cancer research. The folks down under want the same thing. That's why cancer surgeon - and brain tumor patient - Chris O'Brien is issuing a dramatic call for a system of integrated cancer centers spread across the Australian continent.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24104642-23289,00.html

Today marks day one of the first annual National Latino Cancer Summit in San Francisco. The conference will bring the Latino community and cancer experts together in hopes of spreading the message about early detection. "It gets out there on television, but who really hears it and how much do they hear, and how do they understand it?" points out organizer Ysabel Duron. Good question.

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_10052828?nclick_check=1&forced=true

I was deeply saddened to learn that dirty dancer Patrick Swayze had developed pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of the disease. But this week brought some happier news -- looks like Bodhi's going to be one of the 4% who kick pancreatic cancer's ass. I'd expect nothing less from the toughest bouncer in Jasper, Missouri.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2470497/Patrick-Swayze-back-to-work-after-%27miracle%27-cancer-recovery.html

Last but not least, here's a story that's just plain nice. A new organization called Hope in Bloom is helping breast cancer patients plant gardens by donating the greenery. "The patients I've had who have had such a garden planted have found it comforting, healing, and truly pleasing," said a doc involved with the project. Know of any other nonprofits helping out cancer patients in unexpected ways? Share 'em with others in the forums.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/07/31/planted_with_love_gardens_help_cancer_patients_heal/

That's it for this week, but if you find yourself missing our super-cool news updates between now and next Thursday, why not get involved in a discussion over in the forums? Have I mentioned the forums enough yet? Forums, forums, forums, forums. Forums! Okay, I'm done now. (Forums.)

--Cat Vasko, Associate Editor of SU2C Mag

Posted on July 31, 2008 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Ruh-roh. Right off the bat we've got some controversial news: a South African businessman thinks his cell phone is the cause of a newfound tumor near his right ear. He says at one point a few years ago his job required him to use his cell more than 50 times a day, adding that "the growth developed precisely where the middle of my phone is positioned when I talk on my cell phone." Yowza. (Share your thoughts on the cell phone issue over in the forums.)

http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2371374,00.html

In other creepy news, a Harper's article from April (we were slow on the uptake on this one) reports on the phenomenon of "contagious cancer," which is apparently spreading like crazy among Tasmanian devils in - where else? - Tasmania. "Cancers, like species, evolve," the article says. "And one way they can evolve is toward the capacity to be transmitted between individuals."

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/04/0081988

Can positive thinking improve cancer patients' odds of survival? Nope, says a real downer of a study in this month's issue of Cancer. Contrary to what many believe, the researchers found that a patient's outlook had no impact on his or her cancer. I guess that's good news for pessimists?

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977414211&grpId=3659174697246155&nav=Groupspace

On a demi-related note, Cancer also has an article this month about complementary methods of treating cancer - CMs, to those in the know. New research shows that the vast majority of cancer patients use some form of CM; the most common were prayer/spiritual practice, relaxation, faith/spiritual healing, and nutritional supplements/vitamins. No word yet on whether the use of CMs improves survivorship, but one of the researchers did note that acupuncture has been shown to work, while vitamins are basically a total crock. What are some CMs you or your loved ones have tried? Did they seem to work? Share your experiences in the forums.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSCOL56315920080805

Popping vitamins in pill form may not have any impact on cancer, but new research does show that intravenous vitamin C shrinks tumors in mice. More research is definitely needed, but one day vitamin C might be a common supplement to more conventional, drug-based therapies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/05/AR2008080501297.html

If you've ever spent a week commuting between your bed and the bathroom thanks to salmonella poisoning, you're probably not interested in getting anywhere near that nasty little bacteria again. But salmonella could have uses beyond giving you a permanent aversion to Alouette cheese. (Fall of 2004 . . . I'll never forget that horrible week as long as I live.) Turns out tumors are one of salmonella's favorite treats. Oh, and don't worry - the version used by the researchers behind this study is totally non-toxic.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121807520302719319.html

You know how much I love ending on a nice note, so here's your happy thought for the day. It's easy for adults to steel themselves for the misery of cancer treatment, but kids have a harder time processing the connection between today's pain and tomorrow's recovery. So a few hard-working folks at the University of Texas Health Science Center developed Re-Mission, which calls itself "an epic battle raging deep in the realms of the human body." Adorable and clever. Know of some other fun resources for kids with cancer? Share them with others over in the forums.

http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=&article=4051451

That's it for this week, but comment with anything exciting or informative that we missed, and we'll see you next Thursday!

--Cat Vasko

Posted on August 7, 2008 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Earlier this week Eric Shanteau swam in his last Olympic race before heading home, where he'll be treated for the testicular cancer he was diagnosed with two months ago. Though Shanteau didn't bring home any medals, he showed the world that cancer doesn't mean you can't chase your dreams. Good luck, Eric! Get better so we can see you kick butt in London in 2012.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080813.OLYCANCER13/TPStory/Sports

This week cancer took another valiant athlete, although she didn't grab nearly as many headlines. The San Francisco Chronicle carries the story of Deb Mosley, who raced a triathlon, hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon and climbed Half Dome three times - all after finding out she had breast cancer. Even as the disease metastasized through her body, Mosley was out living life to the fullest. She was an inspiring figure who "not only owned her disease, she almost celebrated it."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/13/BAQ5128VG1.DTL

There's been a lot of news recently about the risks and benefits of screening and treatment for various cancers. Patients and practitioners face a lot of tough decisions when the medicine is as brutal as the disease. This week, the NYT's Well blog on how early detection isn't always a good thing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/12/health/12well.html?ref=science

Meanwhile, MD Anderson Cancer Center has issued a study on the importance of risk assessment in long-term treatment planning for breast cancer patients.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160637.htm

What do you think about the idea that patients shouldn't be screened or treated for cancer if, statistically, the odds of extending their life aren't that great? Is this smart policymaking for an already overburdened health system, or is it abandoning patients when they're at their most vulnerable? Sound off on the topic in the SU2C forums.

Speaking of the Grey Lady, I was shocked by yesterday's story about the lengths some couples have gone to in order to keep each other insured. It's not unheard of for people to marry for health insurance; I've got a friend who kids around about it all the time. But what if you had to get divorced in order to qualify for low-income coverage? Our health care system is driving couples to do just that. Talk about violating the sanctity of marriage . . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/us/13marriage.html?ref=us&adxnnlx=1218637863-60xqzc5jsKcP50ZJM7QoQQ&pagewanted=all

We know from past experience that promising new cancer treatments can come from unexpected places - like the tobacco plant. Well, here's another classic for the "WTF" files: Fred Hutchison researchers think scorpion venom may come in handy for treating brain cancer. I love a good underdog story.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4989304

That's it for this week. Check back in next Thursday for more news!

--Cat Vasco

Posted on August 14, 2008 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I hope that everyone involved in SU2C, from you to me, are unwavering in our optimism and in our belief in what can be achieved if all of us affected by cancer (that's everyone) work together toward one common goal. This is hard, but it's also what's right: we can make cancer history. But sometimes, some weeks--and this happens to be one of them--we look around the news and are reminded of just how hard a problem we face, just how cruel this disease can be, and just exactly why we must work as hard as we can.

Since last Thursday, cancer has taken journalist Leroy Sievers, NFL hall-of-famer Gene Upshaw and John Challis, a Pittsburgh teenager whose diagnosis with terminal cancer at the age of 16 inspired him to live his life to the fullest in the time he had left.

Sievers, an NPR commentator and author of the My Cancer blog, passed away on Friday, seven years after he was initially diagnosed with colon cancer. "I don't think that the cancer is ever quiet," he wrote just a few weeks ago. "It always seems to be probing or looking, trying to find a place it can cause trouble." He was 53.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-08-17-sievers-death_N.htm

Upshaw lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Thursday. Executive director of the NFL Players Association and a hall-of-famer thanks to his years playing with the Raiders, Upshaw was only 63.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/08/21/obit.upshaw/?iref=hpmostpop

In the two years following his cancer diagnosis, John Challis played for his high school's football and baseball teams, threw the first pitch at a Pirates game and spent a day with Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. "He was a very brave boy," A-Rod said. "Very smart. He had a huge heart. I was just proud that I got to spend a whole day with him . . . It's something that I'll be inspired by for the rest of my life."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2008125241_apobitchallis.html?syndication=rss

With so many people still dying from cancer at unbelievably young ages, it's more imperative than ever that we renew our focus on finding a cure.

In other news, integrative medicine continues to strengthen its status as a legitimate part of the medical arsenal against cancer. Indian pharmaceutical company IPCA Laboratories is shifting its focus to ayurvedic, or biological, medicines, in hopes of commercializing a new approach to cancer treatment.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=&id=587f3da2-0615-4636-bd9b-78121b923002&&Headline=IPCA+bets+on+ayurvedic%2c+biological+cancer+therapy&strParent=strParentID

And in other drug news, remember when we talked about how turmeric has been shown to fight cancer? Well, now scientists are taking the next step - creating synthetic molecules from compounds based on the spice.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080817223644.htm

There's been a lot of conflicting information about the HPV vaccine recently, which is why I was happy to read this Slate article by Sydney Spiesel, MD, that breaks down common misconceptions about Gardasil. "The vaccine seems quite safe and very effective--especially when compared with the risks of not immunizing," he says. "I wish it were a lot cheaper. I also wish it could be given to younger children and to both boys and girls (both would get some benefit, though girls more)." Here's an idea: call it the cervical cancer vaccine, not the HPV vaccine. Then everyone's happy!

http://www.slate.com/id/2198325/

Since I started out with bad news, I'll finish on a cheerier note. As you may have heard, comedienne Christina Applegate is officially cancer-free after a prophylactic double mastectomy. And now she's using her influence to educate women on the power of screening MRIs and genetic testing. (Sound familiar?) "I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90," she said. Way to keep your chin up!

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1937109820080819

That's it for this hot August week, but we'll be back next Thursday with more required reading. Until then, generate some heat of your own over in the forums!

--SU2C web crew

Posted on August 21, 2008 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With just a week to go before the big show, SU2C is in the news more than ever. (Have you heard our awesome single? Seen the latest list of stars who'll be answering our phones?) But the real newsmakers are the people working every day to fight cancer. That's why I was excited to read about the researchers who've identified the gene that causes genetic neuroblastoma in babies and children. Their discovery will lead to genetic testing for worried parents, and hopefully to targeted treatments that will fight one of the most deadly childhood cancers. Now that's making cancer history.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119435.php

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so here are two news items, good and bad, on the women's cancer sometimes called "the silent killer." First the good: turns out plant-based flavonoids - known to you, me and Oprah as "antioxidants" - have been shown to cut ovarian cancer risk. So have a nice salad and toast your own good health.

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSPAT26341320080822

Now the not-so-good news. A new blood test aimed at developing ovarian cancer early, while it's still treatable, has been available since June. But the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, no lightweight in the women's cancer field, says the test has yet to be validated enough for routine use and can lead to unnecessary surgeries. "You've got industry trying to capitalize on fear," Dr. Andrew Berchuck, director of gynecologic oncology at Duke University, says in this NY Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/26ovar.html?_r=2&8dpc&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Speaking of women's cancers, here's good news for people who like good news. A new study from Israel shows that a sunny outlook can actually decrease your risk of developing breast cancer. "The results showed a clear link between outlook and risk of breast cancer, with optimists 25 percent less likely to have developed the disease," said the study's author. Smile - it could save your life!

http://www.5tjt.com/news/read.asp?Id=2981

Here's some interesting news from down under: an Australian survey finds that people are overly concerned about environmental cancer risks and not concerned enough about behavioral risks. In other words, blame your smoking before you blame your city's smog.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24248808-38200,00.html

That's not to suggest that environmental factors can't play a major role, particularly when it comes to waste disposal sites, the likes of which abound throughout the United States. Two articles about Superfund sites on the East Coast caught my eye this week. Both areas were supposedly cleaned until they were safe, and both have proven deadly to residents. Really scary. (You can check to see if you live near a Superfund site here.)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0XeHFSCy-jmzYR3cSRyhBBlEXQgD92PME4G0

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/22/toxic.schools/index.html

Finally, let's turn our attention to a little meet-up in Colorado you may have been hearing about, the DNC. It's been all over the news this week, and I was really heartened to see Sen. Ted Kennedy back in action Monday night (even if it was against the advice of his doctors). "I pledge to you that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate," he told the cheering crowd. "The hope rises again, and the dream lives on. My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here. And nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering... "

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.kennedy26aug26,0,199245.story

When we check in next week it'll be just 24 hours to show time. Until then, though, there's plenty to read, watch and do all over su2c.org. Have a great time exploring and don't forget share your favorite stories of the week in the comments!

--Cat

Posted on August 28, 2008 5:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The countdown is on - just 24 hours to go until the big show! And this week's spate of cancer news is proof positive that now is the time to pull together for a cure. Of course, it ain't news to anyone that health in America is inextricably linked to race and class. But I was still surprised to read the results of a study showing that African American women are less likely to get follow-up treatments for breast cancer than their white peers. We've got even further to go than most people think.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN0332690620080903?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

On the plus side, have you heard about this new molecular imaging for breast cancer? It works better than mammography on dense breast tissue, and it's cheaper than an MRI. The technique still has years of validation ahead of it, but it's yet another step toward more accurate - and more comfortable - breast cancer screening.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26529277/

Yet another compelling reason to quit smoking - the CDC just announced that the tally of cancer cases caused by tobacco in the five years between 1999 and 2004 tops two million. Most surprising to me is the fact that only half those cancers were lung/bronchial. Other biggies include mouth, throat and bladder cancer. If ever you needed evidence that smoking takes a toll on your whole body, now you have it.
www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20080904/tobacco-tied-cancer-cases-top-2-million

SU2C is founded on the principle that we live in a time of earth-shattering discoveries in cancer research, so it's fitting that one such discovery would be announced the day before our show. Some docs at a little college called Yale have observed a molecular process normally restricted to cancer cells - in normal cells. "It seems that rather than scrambling chromosomes to invent new genes, cancers mimic normal cellular processes, but in an exaggerated and unregulated fashion. You might say that cancers are clever but not very original," said the study's lead author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080904145200.htm

Today's Time has a great rundown of some of the hurdles the cancer-fighting establishment currently faces. And guess who gets a shout-out on the first page? "A new and more radical approach is being taken by groups like the newly formed Stand Up to Cancer (SU2C), which plans to finance research designed to deliver big leaps and home runs rather than the incremental improvements that are more typical of mainstream science." Damn right!
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1838776,00.html

Okay, homework's over. You know what that means - now you can watch TV! Tune in tomorrow at 8/7 central. Time to stand up!

--Cat

Posted on September 4, 2008 8:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're baaaack! The big show may be over, but Stand Up To Cancer lives on here at su2c.org. Did you hear that, thanks to your contributions, we've raised over $100 million for translational cancer research? Pretty incredible.

Meanwhile, of course, the news marches on. This week, a New England Journal of Medicine study confirms what many in the medical field already believed - that virtual colonoscopy, a non-invasive, much more comfortable version of the colorectal cancer check we all know and love, is just as accurate as the original.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/health/20080918-9999-1n18colon.html

And in other research news, a new synthetic protein called CXCL12 could halt the spread of cancer. But no one would have realized its cancer-fighting potential if it weren't for - you guessed it - interdisciplinary collaboration. "Collaborations promote the exchange of ideas between scientists from different backgrounds and often lead in completely unanticipated directions," said one of the researchers. Amen!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174605.htm

From time to time, of course, research can also bring bad news. This week, scientists discovered that an enzyme previously thought to protect against cancer actually fuels a deadly form of leukemia.
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXGBy9nnmNs61RCRWHVfC80dKbbg

And Humira, a drug that literally changes the lives of people with rheumatoid arthritis, may cause certain kinds of cancer. As if having RA wasn't tough enough.
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/98959/rheumatoid_arthritis_drug_humira_linked_to_psoriasis,_herpes,_possibly_cancer/

Meanwhile, at a conference in Australia, a scientist draws a link between the declining rates of breast cancer in the US and Australia and the declining use of hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/18/2368523.htm

So how about some good news? There are loads of new options for post-breast-cancer breast reconstruction, and according to this CBS News article, clinicians just wish their patients knew what their choices are.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/18/health/webmd/main4457035.shtml

And a new drug shows promise for significantly extending the lives of those with pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal forms of the disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080916101032.htm

That's all for this week, but never fear - we'll be back again next Thursday with more news you can use!

--Cat

Posted on September 18, 2008 5:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

SU2C continues to raise big dollars for translational cancer research. It's too early to see the results, but leaps and bounds are still being made every day as we stand on the brink of a new era in cancer detection and treatment. This week, new research shows that young women with ductal carcinoma in situ are no more likely to experience recurrence than older women. Phew!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924151005.htm

Unfortunately, the occurrence of breast cancer is still on the rise in China, where researchers say the adoption of a Western lifestyle is the key factor contributing to the disease's ever-growing foothold. (What does that say about us?)
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE48O2A420080925

Can cookies fight cancer? Tragically, no - or at least, not directly. But walnuts can. So the next time you're baking up a batch of oatmeal-raisin goodness, throw a handful of walnuts in the batter. Their combination of omega-3s and antioxidants make them an anti-cancer heavyweight. (Other delicious omega-3-rich foods include almonds, avocados and fish.)
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/eating-walnuts-slows-cancer-growth/story.aspx?guid={7AE1F510-6549-4DA7-885E-5429908AACAA}&dist=hppr

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating forms of the disease. With a five-year survival rate of less than 5%, it's as lethal as lung cancer and much harder to prevent. But new research shows that the drug erlotinib (more commonly known as Tarceva) can inhibit the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Coincidentally, Tarceva is also used in lung cancer treatment. Maybe soon we'll see a day when two of the most dangerous cancers become two of the easiest to fight.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925094715.htm

The medical community is somewhat divided when it comes to recommendations for colorectal cancer screening. When should it start? How often should we be screened, and starting at what age? And who's at the highest risk for developing the disease? New research may have an answer to the last question. Scientists have found evidence that "one hit" - slang for failure to inherit a cancer-inhibiting gene from just one parent - is enough to put one at risk.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2008/09/25/Theory_of_colorectal_cancer_risk_revised/UPI-97151222361552/

Over at the Huffington Post, Janet Janjigian has a few words to say about SU2C -- and about her mom's struggle with stage four lung cancer.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janet-janjigian/courage-to-standup2cancer_b_123585.html

Finally, we've been covering the debate over whether cell phones cause cancer all summer long. This week, the National Cancer Institute has come forward to say that it sees no cause for concern.
http://www.twice.com/index.asp?layout=talkbackCommentsFull&talk_back_header_id=6557842&articleid=CA6599440

And, irony of ironies, new research has shown that holding a cell phone in your pants pocket in "talk" mode can lower your sperm count. Guys, don't start using a headset religiously just yet!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/18/cellphone.sperm/index.html

That's it for this week, but stay tuned for more cancer news you can use next Thursday!

--Cat

Posted on September 25, 2008 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October is here, and with it a fresh dose of cancer news. It's hard to believe it's already been a month since the big show! But time marches on, and so does the research that will hopefully one day lead to the end of cancer. Like the recent discovery at Northwestern of a gene variation that is linked with a decreased risk of colorectal cancer. Funnily enough, the mutation is also associated with obesity - usually a risk factor for developing the disease.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081002/cancer_gene_081002/20081002?hub=Health

Meanwhile, a new study indicates that more and more women are getting genetic testing for breast and ovarian cancer - twice as many as were getting it just a few years ago.
http://www.nbc6.net/news/17608407/detail.html

And researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research are in the process of developing a test that could better tailor treatments for men with aggressive forms of metastatic prostate cancer.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081001094340.htm

Breast cancer treatment often leads to early menopause and the nasty symptoms that come with it - hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings. Now research is beginning to show that alternative medicine can help. In one study, hypnosis was used to ease hot flashes; in another, acupuncture was seen to relieve similar symptoms.
http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE4915CZ20081002
http://astro.org/PressRoom/NewsReleases/2008NewReleases/documents/Walker.pdf

Access to screening and treatment is an ongoing issue in the US, and with the government in major financial trouble it's a problem that seems unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. That's why the Arizona Myeloma Network is reaching out to the state's Native American communities. "We have a responsibility," the network's founder said. "They have a high morbidity rate."
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/09/29/daily56.html

Avid readers of our Weekly Links series know how much I love it when a cure comes from an unlikely place. Like, say, scorpion venom. Radioactive scorpion venom. It's not just for comic books anymore!
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hdE5Tm0xs6ITxYvaGnhdL9bjGBMQ

And finally, the FDA just cleared Alimta - otherwise known as pemetrexed - for first-line treatment against lung cancer. Fingers crossed that this new drug can help where others have failed.
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/BUSINESS/809300333/1003/BUSINESS

Well, that's all we've got this week, but we'll see you next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on October 2, 2008 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this week brings a lot of news related to the disease, which will strike an estimated one in eight US women. First up: more news on the genetic testing front as an Icelandic company announces it has developed a screening test for some of the most common forms of breast cancer. The DNA test, which uses a blood sample or a cheek swab, costs $1,625 and looks for seven variations in the human genome that have been linked to the disease. But critics question the test's reliability - as well as the notion of genetic testing in general.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100702682.html

Meanwhile, new research indicates that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - known to you and me as painkillers - are associated with a reduced risk for breast cancer. But physicians warn that for the time being, the data should be viewed as an unexpected perk to the commonplace use of aspirin and ibuprofen, not a reason to start taking the over-the-counter drugs even more.

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/09/nsaids-might-lower-breast-cancer-risk.html

In other women's cancer news, federal health officials say that one in four US teenage girls have received the cervical cancer vaccine since its introduction. Supporters of the vaccine were hoping for much higher vaccination rates, but epidemiologists say that families are wary of new vaccines, doubting their long-term safety and efficacy. (The fact that the shots retail for around $400 doesn't help, either.)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hMjMMeVViJJInF9KTuuG_T23A4lwD93N4QMG0

Speaking of HPV, just the other day Harald zur Hausen, the German scientist credited with discovering the link between the common STD and cervical cancer, was recognized for his groundbreaking work with a little something called the Nobel Prize in medicine. Congrats, Harald!

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS07/810070373/1009

Good news for smokers! (How often do you hear that?) A new study shows that drinking red wine - and yes, it has to be red - can reduce the risk of lung cancer, especially among current and former smokers. "People who had ever smoked and who drank at least a glass of red wine daily were 60 percent less like to develop lung cancer than ever-smokers who didn't drink alcohol," the researchers found. Another point for resveratrol!

http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE4987L120081009

Unfortunately, the news this week isn't all sunny. Progress against cancer may be continuing apace here in the Western world, but the disease is set to become the next big epidemic in developing countries. Estimates show that the disease is responsible for taking 20 million lives in the developing world annually - and that number could easily rise to over 50 million new cases annually if something isn't done.

http://www.ghanaian-chronicle.com/thestory.asp?id=8775&title=%3Cb%3ECancer%20kills%2020%20million%20people%20in%20%20Africa%20annually%3C/b%3E

How about a little piece of breast cancer news from good old LA, which SU2C calls home, to round out this week's links? An upcoming benefit for breast cancer patients at the Lucky Strike Lanes in Hollywood could draw an unexpected crowd thanks to its title: "Bowling for Boobies." Hey, you gotta give us Angelenos credit for keeping it real.

http://blogs.courant.com/roger_catlin_tv_eye/2008/10/worst-name-for-a-cancer-event.html

That's it for this week. See you next Thursday!

--Cat

Posted on October 9, 2008 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's not always easy to contribute to charitable causes like SU2C - especially when the economy's on a downturn. That's why movies like "Living Proof," which profiles SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon, are so helpful - because they remind us of how even the smallest contributions can make a big difference for researching fighting cancer. "Living Proof" tells the story of the development of Herceptin and airs Saturday at 9 EDT on Lifetime.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/10/16/entertainment/e085255D01.DTL

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the opportunities to help out in the battle against breast cancer have never been more plentiful. If you use Clinique moisturizer, buy a bottle this month and $10 of your purchase will go to cancer research - and that's just one example of the many "pink products" available this month. The below article details more.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2008274402_zliv16pinkproducts.html

Some research in the past has suggested that caffeine intake could be linked to breast cancer risk. But a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine clears up any confusion on the topic. While caffeine may affect breast cancer progression, researchers say, there is no reason to suggest that it ups breast cancer risk.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/10/caffeine-probab.html

The same cannot be said for cigarettes, of course, and new research indicates that the risk is greater than we previously believed. It's not just cigarette smoke but nicotine in general that spurs the growth of breast cancer - meaning both secondhand smoke and nicotine replacement therapies should be avoided.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/16/nicotine_found_to_spur_breast_cancer_growth/

On to more heartwarming news. Just yesterday, Annette Bloch, the widow of an H&R Block founder and a breast cancer survivor, donated $20 million to the University of Kansas, where she was successfully treated earlier this year. "I feel so lucky and so blessed that I can do this," Bloch said. "I know that if my husband were alive, he would be just thrilled that I am."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jBv4kzoraDAXSY5_t1jOthg-dQbQD93QJPDO0

And finally, more news on this year's most controversial cancer topic, the link between cell phones and brain cancer. A new study from the International Agency for Research on Cancer takes a hard line on mobile phone use, finding that the chances of developing a malignant tumor are "significantly increased" in those who've used a cell phone for ten years. "To underestimate the risk would be a complete disaster," said the professor in charge of the study.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/3208416/Mobile-phones-increase-risk-of-cancer-study-says.html

Got an opinion on cell phones or anything else? Share it in our forums!

That's all for this week, but we'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use . . .

--Cat

Posted on October 16, 2008 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Big news this week as the President's Cancer Panel - including SU2C friend Lance Armstrong - releases a report stating that the US has become complacent in its war on cancer. The report calls for a three-pronged approach that includes "comprehensive health care reform." And yes, both Senator Obama and Senator McCain got a copy.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102301209.html

This article from US News & World Report envisions a very different future when it comes to cancer diagnosis and therapy, a world where cancers are treated with a simple, noninvasive outpatient procedure and destroyed at the first hint of recurrence. "Sound like pure fantasy?" the author asks. "It isn't."
health.usnews.com/articles/health/cancer/2008/10/23/breaking-cancers-gene-code.html

Meanwhile, a column in the LA Times looks at just how little we still understand about the disease by telling the incredible story of a patient who survived after undergoing alternative treatment. "Just when I think I can predict a disease's deadly outcome, along comes someone to remind me how little we truly know about cancer," writes Dr. Marc Siegel. "Sometimes, a patient survives against all probability, and I am left not knowing why."
www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-practice20-2008oct20,0,7897777.column

This first-person account of one patient's Relay For Life experience and the lesson he learned as a result is a hilarious and beautiful read. "My father is a southern gentleman of the old school," writes Steve Tuttle. "He is a man of few words, and if he had his druthers, one of those words would not be 'testicular.'"
www.newsweek.com/id/164630

In 1980, black women and white women in Chicago were equally likely to die of breast cancer. In the intervening 28 years, however, the mortality gap grew and grew. Now research shows that twice as many black women in the city are dying of breast cancer. If there were ever a convincing argument for the importance of health care reform, I'd say this is it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-breast-cancer-mainoct22,0,3616297.story

Finally, this week brought yet another update on Gardasil, the sometimes-controversial cervical cancer vaccine - and this time the news is good. After an extensive evaluation, the CDC has concluded that Gardasil is perfectly safe, and that the few deaths previously associated with the vaccination were actually unrelated. With over 4,000 US women dying annually of cervical cancer, that's definitely something to be excited about.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/22/AR2008102203058.html

Well, that's all for this week, but check in next Thursday for more up-to-the-minute cancer news!

--Cat

Posted on October 23, 2008 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's hard to believe October is almost over. As people all over the country put the finishing touches on their Halloween costumes and Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close, I thought this article was particularly timely. It's about an "art bra contest" designed to raise awareness of breast cancer. Sixty-three decorated bras were entered in the competition. And yes, there are pictures!
http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-ar.braart30oct30,0,2127349.story

Meanwhile, the incredible Patrick Swayze, already back to work just a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, shares his story with the NYT. "I'm still fine to work, I haven't changed -- oh, I have changed, what am I saying?" he told the paper. "It's a battle zone I go through. Chemo, no matter how you cut it, is hell on wheels."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/arts/television/29sway.html

You've probably heard that a healthy diet can help prevent cancer - good, but vague, advice. But it's not just a matter of eating healthy to be healthy. New research indicates that a complex carbohydrate called pectin, present in fruits and vegetables, is what specifically lowers cancer risk. It seems that pectin binds to (and therefore maybe inhibits) a protein that helps cancer spread. I guess an apple a day really will keep the doctor away!
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE49S78720081029

Anyone with allergies knows what a pain they can be. Just sleeping with the windows open can be enough to have you sneezing and rubbing your eyes for hours the next day. But now a Cornell study shows that allergies can help protect against certain types of cancer. Not only do they help expel foreign particles from the body, they also let the body know when there are substances in the air to be avoided. Nice!
http://www.local6.com/health/17846500/detail.html

The debate about the power of alternative treatments in fighting cancer is ongoing. Now designer Donna Karan is putting her money where her mouth is in backing a project to bring yoga, meditation and aromatherapy to Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan. The eastern therapies will be used in conjunction with chemo and radiation for the next year in hopes of showing that they really can bolster modern medicine.
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/designer-backs-yoga-project-at-us-hospital-cancer-ward_100113265.html

Finally, I really enjoyed this article from US News and World Report. It's an excellent, comprehensive overview of the most promising new areas in cancer research - you know, the ones SU2C supports. "We now know the enemy far better than ever before," the article states. "And that promises much more precise targets."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/cancer/2008/10/23/lung-cancer-gene-discovery-a-sign-of-cancers-future.html

Well, that's all for this week. Have a great Halloween and we'll see you next Thursday!

--Cat

Posted on October 31, 2008 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As we near the end of an inspiring and historic week in America, I can't help but be excited about all the change and progress our country has seen in the past forty years - and hope that soon we'll see some change in the way our country tackles the issue of healthcare in general and cancer specifically. President-Elect Obama has spoken in the past of his mother's battle against cancer. Sadly, he also lost his grandmother to cancer this week, one day before becoming the country's first black president.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/6095465.html

We launched a star in Madelyn Dunham's honor. You can view and add to it here:
http://www.standup2cancer.org/constellation-launch?starId=14977

Earlier this week, the University of California San Francisco launched BreastCancerTrials.org, a free online service that allows women diagnosed with or at risk for breast cancer to find clinical trials. "Every advance in our understanding and treatment of breast cancer has come from clinical trial results," said one of the docs involved with the project. "The more we can empower our patients to find out about and participate in trials, the faster we will be able to complete trials, and the sooner this new knowledge will translate into better care and outcomes for all patients."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/11/06/free-web-site-lists-breast-cancer-clinical-trials.html

There's actually some good news for migraine sufferers this week. New research indicates that women who get migraines may have a much lower risk of developing breast cancer than their headache-free peers. Turns out most migraine triggers in women are hormone-related, same way breast cancer can be hormone-related.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20081105/migraines-may-cut-breast-cancer-risk

And now some not so cheery news. The LA Times reports that new research out of Harvard shows that B vitamins and folic acid, while useful in many ways, don't cut cancer risk. Because these supplements help with DNA synthesis and repair, some had theorized that they might be natural cancer-fighters. No cigar this time, though.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/11/folic-acid-and.html

Did you know that worldwide, stomach cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death? Researchers had previously identified risk factors including a high-sodium diet, smoking and H. pylori bacterial infection (seen mostly in underdeveloped nations). Now Columbia scientists have identified elevated levels of a single immune system protein as a major contributor to the disease, proving that chronic inflammation really does significantly raise risk.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081105135126.htm

Finally, this week Michael Crichton, bestselling author of Jurassic Park and many many other novels, died of cancer after a long, private battle with the disease. As anyone who's ever spent an entire day lost in the underseas world of Sphere can attest, we just lost a fantastic imagination. (Seriously, read it.) He was 66.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aYJs56Zfe_X0&refer=muse

To end on a light note, see Christina Applegate on the set of Samatha Who?
http://www.imnotobsessed.com/2008/11/06/christina-applegate-on-the-set-of-samantha-who

That's it for this week - see you next Thursday . . .

--Cat

Posted on November 6, 2008 7:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, things are finally settling down again in America. The election's over, so now all eyes are on President-elect Obama - including the eyes of the cancer community. In this commentary from SU2C friend Lance Armstrong, Obama is urged to redouble the government's commitment to fighting cancer now.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/09/armstrong.cancer/

Meanwhile, scientists at Washu St. Louis have successfully decoded the complete DNA of a cancer patient for the first time. "This is the first time that we've been able to look at the entire set of genes from a cancer patient," said one of the clinicians involved in the study. "And that's key because that's going to help us understand what goes wrong."
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-11-10-voa31.cfm

In other research news, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have developed a method for viewing individual breast cancer cells for several days at a time. The technique has yielded new information on how cancer cells invade tissues and reach blood vessels in the early stages of metastasis.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/546378/

Speaking of breast cancer, here's a new way to raise awareness: through a film festival. Next week Toronto will play host to the Breast Fest Film Festival (great name, right?), which aims to use the expressive power of film to educate audiences. And what's the opening night feature? Living Proof, of course, the Lifetime movie about SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon.
http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/November2008/11/c7242.html

There are plenty of ideas from Canada we should be stealing down here in the good ol' US of A. Here's another one: stricter bans on farm pesticides, which have been shown to pose a cancer risk to farmers, rural residents and possibly even the general eating public.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081112.wpesticides12/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20081112.wpesticides12

We don't see a lot of news about brain cancer, but here's an exciting development: researchers at Tel Aviv University have determined that some people are genetically predisposed to the disease, just like some people are more susceptible to breast, colon and prostate cancers. Scientists now hope to find genes associated with brain tumors to better determine who is at risk.
http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=45362654

Finally, did you know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month? The campaign centers on raising awareness and education the American public about the causes of the most lethal form of cancer. To learn more about Lung Cancer Awareness Month, visit the Lung Cancer Alliance online. And to read about this year's Great American Smokeout on November 20th, click here.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20081110/LOCAL1803/811100391/1267/LOCAL01

A side-note: Glam.com has featured SU2C holiday gift items on their blog, including photos of celebrities sporting our star necklaces. Read the Glam.com article: Holiday Gifts That Stand Up To Cancer.

That's it for now. Check back with us Thursday to learn more!

--Cat

Posted on November 13, 2008 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

With just a week to go until Thanksgiving, I thought maybe this time around it would be nice to focus on positive news in the world of cancer research and care. Life isn't easy for women with an inherited BRCA mutation, but researchers at Cedars-Sinai here in LA are working on targeted therapies to help repair their DNA damage - potentially staving off cancer. "I am sure that this is just the beginning of a long list of targeted therapies that will do the same thing," said one of the docs involved in the study. Now there's something to be thankful for.
http://www.wftv.com/health/18024762/detail.html#-

Meanwhile, a new study out of Texas shows that older cancer survivors can benefit from "home-based programs" aimed at helping them eat better and exercise more. The study's participants lost weight and body mass and improved their physical strength - and all that was needed was a few mailings on diet and exercise and some phone calls from counselors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802113.html

According to research presented Tuesday at the AACR's annual meeting, Canadian docs may have found a genetic trait that can predict which former smokers will develop lung cancer and which won't. The researchers looked at former smokers who had had lung cancer and former smokers who hadn't and found differences in the levels of DNA damage between the two, suggesting that one group was more susceptible to damage than the other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/18/AR2008111802114.html

And that's not the only lung cancer news to come out this week. Looks like cruciferous veggies (such as broccoli) are loaded with a protective nutrient that helps protect smokers against cancer. Smokers who ate these veggies (also on the list: cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) cut their lung cancer risk by as much as 55%. Of course, the best way to cut your lung cancer risk is still to quit smoking.
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/local/health_wtnh_broccoli_reduces_smokers_risk_lung_cancer_2008111915153_rev1

Chemotherapy may be the best way to fight a host of cancers, but it takes its toll on the patient's body. That's why I was happy to read about new research showing that the enzyme super oxide dismutase can help relieve the side effects of chemo. The enzyme is a powerful antioxidant shown in 19 different studies to increase cancer patients' survival time and their response to treatment.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Photos-Peptides-Discovered-Alleviate-Chemotherapy/story.aspx?guid={6A6CDAB6-F36E-4C17-A80C-78218B5E1D54}

Finally, the same Australian scientist who developed the cervical cancer vaccine believes he may have developed a similar skin cancer vaccine. It works the same way - by targeting papillomavirus, this time in the form of a very common skin infection that can linger in the body, eventually leading to cancer. Already shown to work in animals, the vaccine starts human trials next year and could hit the market as early as 2014.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,453009,00.html

Okey doke - that's all for this week! See you next time and happy Thanksgiving!

--Cat

Note: Cat will be taking a break from Weekly Links next week due to Thanksgiving. Please look for her next installment on December 4th!

Posted on November 20, 2008 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

The National Cancer Institute's annual report is out, and there's some good news just in time for the holiday season. Rates of new cancer diagnoses and deaths for both men and women in the US have fallen - for the first time since reporting began in 1998. The most common cancers in both genders have seen drops in both incidence and mortality, including colorectal, prostate and breast. But lung cancer incidence and mortality is still on the rise in 18 states - mostly those that have yet to pass anti-smoking laws.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/11/25/cancer.deaths.decline/index.html

This NY Times editorial the NCI report helps break down the data, highlighting both the encouraging decline in death rates and a few disturbing countertrends. "If the decline means that fewer people are contracting cancer, then that is great news," says the piece. "But if it simply means that fewer cases are being diagnosed because fewer people are getting screened for breast and prostate cancer or can afford to visit a doctor, then that is bad news."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/opinion/03wed3.html

Elsewhere, the Grey Lady reports on new research showing that some cancers may just go away on their own. This phenomenon has been observed rarely in melanomas, kidney cancers and neuroblastoma, but a new Norwegian study indicates that even invasive cancers can disappear on their own. However, the ACS warns that this information should be taken with a grain of salt. "Their simplification of a complicated issue is both overreaching and alarming," said the ACS' director of breast cancer screening.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/health/25breast.html?_r=2&em&oref=slogin

SU2C friend Patrick Swayze is speaking out against some reports that his pancreatic cancer has spread. Hard at work on a new series called "The Beast," Swayze says he's still winning the fight against the often fatal disease: "Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease and from the moment I was diagnosed, I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It's a battle, and so far, I've been winning. I'm one of the lucky few that responds well to treatment."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460527,00.html

A fresh round of research indicates that the cervical cancer vaccine is indeed safe and well-tolerated by the vast majority of young women. A new Australian study looked at data resulting from over 380,000 doses of Gardasil and found that only 35 of the girls experienced "hypersensitivity" reactions and seventeen of those tolerated further doses very well.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120402156.html

Here's a great Washington Post piece on breast cancer "previvors," women like Christina Applegate who undergo prophylactic mastectomies in order to better their odds of beating the disease. "The previvor is the patient that takes action against this and tries to counter this by having the operation before the cells start acting," says Dr. Ricardo Meade, a reconstructive surgeon. "She is potentially avoiding chemotherapy and radiation therapy, and those are two of the hardest things that a human has to go through."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120300958.html

Finally, this week brings the news that Olympian Eric Shanteau is back in the pool after undergoing surgery to remove testicular cancer. "I don't condone putting off surgery," he said in reference to his decision to swim in the Olympics before being treated. "It's an aggressive disease. I'm the poster child for early detection."
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/12/04/shanteau.html

That's all for this week. Check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on December 4, 2008 3:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Last week's big news, as you'll recall, was that cancer incidence and mortality are both on the decline in the US. This week's big news is a little more sobering. Global health experts now anticipate that cancer will surpass heart disease as the number one killer of people worldwide by 2010. "The global cancer burden doubled in the last 30 years of the 20th century, and it is estimated that this will double again between 2000 and 2020 and nearly triple by 2030," says a new WHO report. What's the primary culprit? You guessed it: smoking.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081209/ts_nm/us_cancer_world_5

Speaking of the worldwide cancer epidemic, there's big trouble in little China, where the provincial village of Liukuaizhuang, overrun by factories making rubber, chemical and paints, now has a cancer diagnosis rate of one in fifty. One spokesman for the county says the problem has been exaggerated and there is not yet an answer as to whether the heavy industrial presence is causing the epidemic, but environmentalists beg to differ. "Pollutants including heavy metals like mercury and lead have already got into the food chain and all these chemicals will affect the normal function of cells," said one.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081211/wl_nm/us_china_reforms_cancer_3

New research on the lifestyles of pediatric cancer survivors confirms what most already knew: that childhood cancer survivors experience more depression and anxiety in their adolescent years than other teenagers and may even experience problems with cognitive abilities thanks to radiation and chemotherapy.
http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-health-cancer1202,0,6194905.story

Meanwhile, a coalition of pediatric cancer physicians and researchers is calling for the implementation of a global evaluation system for neuroblastoma, one of the most common childhood cancers. Because research criteria haven't been standardized in the past, it is exceedingly difficult to compare clinical trial results and determine the best treatment strategies. Researchers hope their new classification system will change all that. "By working together, physicians will be able to ask questions about treatment approaches that would otherwise not be possible to ask in a single cooperative group or country because of the small numbers of patients," said task force co-chair Susan Cohn.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/547208/

Here's some disturbing news. New research suggests that Clomid, one of the most common fertility drugs used today, could cause uterine cancer. The study followed women who've had fertility treatment for 30 years, looking at their lifetime risk of developing various cancers, and found a much higher occurrence of uterine cancer. But previous studies have not found a similar link, so experts that more research be done.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/11/earlyshow/health/main4661991.shtml

Finally, I loved the story of these six women's cancer doctors who've formed a band called N.E.D.--"No Evidence of Disease." Songs with titles like "Rhythm Heals" and "False Pretenses" aim to both inspire and educate patients. Though the oncologists earned their medical degrees over the course of eleven years, on average, it only took a few months for them to land a record deal. You can look for their album in November of next year.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/12/07/2008-12-07_all_hail_the_rock_docs.html

That's all I've got for you this week, but check in next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on December 11, 2008 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

This week's round of cancer news brings a fresh update on the dangers of smoking. According to a recent analysis of several studies, there is a "significant" link between the bad habit and an increased risk for developing colorectal cancer. The meta-analysis, published in the most recent issue of JAMA, notes, "We believe that smoking represents an important factor to consider when deciding on the age at which CRC screening should begin, either by lowering the age in smokers or increasing the age in non-smokers."
http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/4393

The holidays are all about nifty new toys, so how about a cool gizmo that helps detect skin cancer? The portable, handheld device uses a light technique to reveal inflamed scar tissue and non-melanoma skin cancers. "Today, people can check their blood pressure at monitors available in every drugstore," said one of the scientists behind the device. "If people could check for skin cancer just as readily, I think more skin cancers would be detected in their earliest and most treatable stages."
http://www.skininc.com/skinscience/physiology/36373984.html

A team of German researchers have identified the molecular mechanism cancer cells use to defend themselves against chemo. It's a complex physiological process involving both nitrogen monoxide and surviving, a protein that prevents the programmed death of cancerous cells. What does all of this mean? "This allows us to quickly and effectively identify mechanisms that are not restricted to a specific indication," said one of the professors involved in the study." This ultimately benefits patients, as the results of the initial research benefit them sooner."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095600.htm

A new study out of the Yale School of Public Health indicates that many girls aren't getting the cervical cancer vaccine because of both public concerns that it encourages promiscuity and because of its high price tag. Most of the 326 adults surveyed believed that adolescent sexual activity would nearly double among girls receiving the vaccine.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217190441.htm

Just this morning on CNN.com I saw this piece, which profiles the parents of children with cancer and cites the experts on how to break the news to children of varying ages. Though telling the truth is recommended for every age group, Lawrence Wolfe, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, notes, "I don't think that future-predicting truth telling is necessary -- the kind where you're looking into a crystal ball. "If the child is sophisticated to say, 'Am I going to die of this?' you can answer that it's a possibility, but we're embarking on a plan now to try to keep that from happening."
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/18/ep.children.bad.diagnosis/index.html

I loved this story: the Austin, Texas branch of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is teaming up with the American Housing Foundation to provide free housing for breast cancer patients who are having trouble holding down work while undergoing treatment. In the next few weeks, 25 families will be moved into units in local apartment buildings thanks to the program.
http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/topnews/story/Austin-offering-free-housing-for-some-breast/ZstjcH6cl0GtCUEchouwAw.cspx

Finally, September 5th Special Participant Pearce Quesenberry and her mom recently posted on our blog, celebrating Pearce's declaration of being N.E.D! (Click here to read this post.)

Katie Couric has written of her personal encounter with inspirational young Pearce, which you can read and watch here:
The Girl Who Stood Up To Cancer: www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/12/18/couricandco/entry4675613.shtml

That's all I've got for this week. Your humble Weekly Links narrator will be on Christmas break until January 8, but check back in with us then for more news you can use, and in the meantime, happy holidays!

--Cat

Posted on December 18, 2008 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fresh research from the National Cancer Institute brings more bad news about the link between obesity and cancer: a new study indicates that obese older women who never took postmenopausal hormones have double the risk of developing ovarian cancer. "We speculate that what may be driving the increased risk among the obese is the surplus estrogen produced by the fat cells in the body," said the paper's lead author.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/health/research/07cancer.html?em

More bad news, this time about SU2C friend Patrick Swayze. In an interview with Barbara Walters, Swayze opened up about his pancreatic cancer, which was diagnosed at stage IV in March of last year. His treatment has included aggressive chemotherapy and vatalanib, an experimental drug; as of now, Swayze says that surviving five years is "wishful thinking." Good luck, Patrick - we're all rooting for you.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20090107/swayze-opens-up-about-pancreatic-cancer

A new study in the most recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention indicates that hormone replacement therapy (HRT), most often prescribed to menopausal women, can reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer. "It appears that estrogens likely have direct or indirect effects on the growth of colonic epithelial cells," said one scientist involved in the study.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010801661.html

You don't hear much about breast cancer in men, which accounts for about 1% of the total incidence of the disease. Maybe that's why new research from the American Journal of Roentgenology indicates that these tumors are often detected at a late stage. And the fact that they can appear benign on mammography doesn't help. "Radiologists should be aware of these findings to avoid the misdiagnosis of cancer in men as a benign lesion," said the study's authors.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5066RZ20090107

Today brings some cheerier news: Sen Ted Kennedy (D-NY) is back in the Senate after treatment for brain cancer last year. His first Senate hearing since being back in office was to confirm Tom Daschle for the post of Health and Human Services Secretary - how fitting!
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/08/2009-01-08_sen_ted_kennedy_back_after_cancer_battle.html

One of my favorite topics to cover in this blog - and one of my favorite topics in general - is food. So I am pleased to announce we can all add another yummy cancer-fighter to our grocery lists: black raspberries. Researchers in Ohio have found that the flavonoids found in black raspberries inhibited the growth of cancer cells in rats. Fruit cobbler, anyone?
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health/Black_raspberries_for_cancer_prevention_/articleshow/3953166.cms

Okay, okay, one more. If you're anything like me, your morning hasn't really started until you're midway through your second cup of Viennese Roast. So I was pleased to read about a recent study showing that coffee can actually reduce the risk of developing mouth and gullet cancer. Japanese researchers found that folks drinking more than one cup of coffee a day had half the risk of developing these cancers. Cheers to that!
http://doctor.ndtv.com/news/news.asp?id=3583

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use. Happy New Year!

--Cat

Posted on January 8, 2009 1:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today's Washington Post features a piece on that perennial cancer topic, the importance of early detection. A new report from the American Cancer Society indicates that the rate of screening for breast and cervical cancers has stayed level since the year 2000, with rates hovering between 50% and 60% for most recommended populations. "More people need to get screened than are being screened, and they need to get screened regularly -- that's a big problem," said report author Robert Smith.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502355.html

The tech world was rocked earlier this week by news that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, is taking medical leave for five months. Today Bloomberg.com reports that the survivor of pancreatic cancer could be having his pancreas removed entirely, although the company and Jobs have remained pretty opaque. Whatever health problems he's facing, we hope he gets better soon.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aZIf9jXBqp0Y&refer=home

Here's a wonderful piece on breast cancer myths that's simultaneously reassuring and scary. At the top of the list is the idea that only women with a family history of breast cancer are at risk; the truth is that only about 30% of breast cancers occur in women with identifiable risk factors. More comforting is the news that caffeine, underwire bras and mammograms do not cause breast cancer.
http://www.kcautv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9057407&nav=menu110_10_2_2

Hesitant about getting that colonoscopy? Good news from the American Cancer Society: procedures performed by trained family doctors are safe, effective and meet quality guidelines. "Most people who finish medical school would be widely capable of doing any number of procedures in a high-quality fashion if they have the appropriate training," said Dr. Durado Brooks, director of colorectal cancer at ACS. "So that's the key. Training."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502796.html

I loved this story about The Yellow Umbrella, a non-profit founded by musician Christine Baze. Baze, a cervical cancer survivor, travels around the country playing music and giving presentations on cervical cancer prevention in schools and businesses. "When you speak to someone who's shared your experience, it's weird how you can bond over something so dark," she said. "It's this club you don't ever want to belong to, but once you're in it, you've got all these brothers and sisters."
http://www.tauntongazette.com/entertainment/x1943021785/Cancer-survivor-uses-music-to-deliver-a-message-abroad-and-at-home

Finally, some great food-related news, which you know is my favorite kind. Looks like Mexican food can actually fight cancer - not the Americanized, fried variety, but "native," vegetable-laden authentic Mexican. Otherwise known as the best kind. "Researchers compared our western diet to a low-fat diet and a Mediterranean diet. The western diet, high in sugar and fat, was associated with the greatest risk of breast cancer. Mediterranean and low fat had lower risks. Mexican can be cooked low fat. The native diet includes fresh fish as well as vegetables," said the lead doc on the study. Hello, fish tacos!
http://www.nbcwashington.com/health/diet_fitness/Mexican-Food-Can-Fight-Cancer.html

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

--Cat

Posted on January 15, 2009 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In case you haven't heard, we got a new president on Tuesday, and SU2C friend Lance Armstrong is excited about President Obama's stance on cancer issues."In my three or four meetings with him he's been delightful, smart, present, and he's given me hope," Armstrong said. "For the US and the world, this is a monumental moment. He brings a kind of hope and optimism not only to the US, but around the world."
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jHZiP8ewB7_ao3atcRFHv75-Atsg

Tuesday also brought some bad news: Sen Ted Kennedy (D-NY), who received treatment for brain cancer last year, collapsed at an inaugural luncheon. Fortunately, he seems to be doing all right.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/01/ted-kennedy.html

For those of us addicted to caffeine, there's fresh cause to celebrate: researchers in Florida have found that drinking three cups of tea a day could reduce the risk of breast cancer in women under the age of 50. (Green tea is best.) The health benefits of tea just keep building. Bottoms up!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481453,00.html

Elsewhere in the US, docs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital have reprogrammed the herpes virus to block tumor formation in mice. The repurposed virus targets and kills cancer stem cells that lead to neuroblastoma. The lead researcher on the study stressed the potential of targeted therapies: "We show that one promising approach for targeted treatment is biological therapy, such as an engineered oncolytic virus that seeks out and kills progenitor cells that could be the seeds of cancers," he said.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/01/22/Virus_made_to_kill_cancer_stem_cells/UPI-91941232638414/

Seasonal affective disorder is always in the news at this time of year, when most of the country is buried underneath snow and ice. But doctors warn that the solution isn't hopping into a tanning bed; while a few minutes under a sunlamp may lift some of those winter blues, artificial tanning still produces up to 12 times as much dangerous UV light as the sun.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481469,00.html

Early detection. Early detection. Early detection. It's the drumbeat behind cancer prevention, and an article in Wired this week does a great job of explaining why. "[The] cure-driven approach has dominated the research since Richard Nixon declared war on the disease in 1971," the article says. "But it has yielded meager results . . . More than a third of all Americans--some 120 million people--will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their lives. Their illness may be invisible now, but it's out there. And that presents a great, and largely unexamined, opportunity."
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/17-01/ff_cancer

Finally, here's a piece that looks at the other side of cancer statistics. While 120 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes, two out of three will not. In a new study, one Swedish researcher suggests taking a look at the people who don't get cancer to figure out what's behind their resistance to the disease. "Cancer resistance must be investigated on its own merits," he said. "It is possible and even likely that evolution has provided our species with highly efficient cancer resistance mechanisms." A dose of optimism - I like it!
http://www.physorg.com/news151840958.html

That's all for this week, but check in next Thursday for more recommended reading!

--Cat

Posted on January 22, 2009 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's some cheery news to kick off this week's roundup of links. An article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights the progress that has been made against breast cancer in the past 20 years. The piece notes that women today are generally diagnosed earlier and treated more effectively - and one of the key advances it cites is the development of Herceptin by SU2C friend Dr. Dennis Slamon.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/health/stories/2009/01/28/breast_cancer_developments.html

My favorite scientific breakthroughs are always the ones that come from unexpected places, and this week's unlikely hero is the tadpole. British researchers have found that there's a compound in tadpole pigment cells that blocks their movement, giving the baby frogs their distinctive markings. But this compound could theoretically also be used to curb the growth of skin cancer in humans: "It just goes to show that studying animals like tadpoles, which may seem unusual, could lead to potential cancer drugs in the future," said one of the researchers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7851932.stm

If you're interested in boning up on the history of cancer research, CNN.com has a great timeline of milestones in the battle against cancer. Did you know that the first mastectomy was performed way back in 1890? Or that the Pap smear was invented at the turn of the century by a Dr. Pap(anicolaou)? Further down the line, Tamoxifen, Avastin and Nexavar all made the list as key developments in the past decade.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/01/29/timeline.cancer/

If you've ever been to North Carolina, you probably noticed that smoking restrictions are a little more lax there than in the rest of the country. The tobacco-producing state still allows smoking in restaurants, workplaces and other public areas, including some stores. Now a cancer survivor - who happens to also be the state's House Majority Leader - is looking to change all that.
http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1386092.html

Some good news from Washington this week: Medicare has officially expanded its coverage for cancer drugs, even including treatments that have yet to receive full FDA approval. This means the agency will now cover some novel treatments it wouldn't before, saving docs and patients alike the trouble of dealing with payment. "Basically what this means is that there will be faster coverage of evidence-based and appropriate cancer medications for patients," said a spokesman for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "It will reduce the hassle factor."
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2009/01/29/ap/health/d95vn0c80.txt

Stanford scientists have identified a protein that helps cells replicate by repairing the ends of chromosomes. It's the first new protein component of telomerase to be discovered in 10 years and plays a role in the reproduction of cancer cells - meaning that blocking it can limit a cell's lifespan. "We've never really understood before how the enzyme gets to the telomeres; it's been a complete black box," said one of the docs. "Now we're starting to piece together how it happens, and that gives us more opportunities to interfere with its function."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129140847.htm

Finally, in the waning days of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, here's some timely news: more women are getting the HPV vaccine than ever before. Meanwhile, health officials report that incidence of cervical cancer is on the decline. Score one for modern medicine - and ladies, if you haven't already, get that vaccine!
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090128/GPG0101/901280709/1207/GPG01

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

--Cat

Posted on January 29, 2009 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This week Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent surgery for early stage pancreatic cancer, once again drawing attention to the highly lethal disease. Pancreatic cancer is usually asymptomatic until it has reached the metastatic stage; Ginsburg's tumor, which measures about 1 cm, was discovered last month during an annual exam. Good luck, Ruth!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,488626,00.html

A new study indicates that most breast cancers in Latino women are discovered by self-exam, while only 23% are detected via mammography. But the same study shows that around half the women who found abnormalities themselves waited longer than a month to seek medical help, generally because of worries about inability to pay for costly exams and treatment without health insurance.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/02/05/two-thirds-of-hispanic-women-discover-breast.html

But trouble paying for cancer care isn't limited to individuals without health insurance. According to a new report from the American Cancer Society, even people with insurance can be bankrupted by cancer. Among the 20 patients profiled in the report were people who lost their life savings or their jobs; some wound up filing for bankruptcy. "Two million cancer survivors today are forgoing care they need simply because that care is unavailable because they cannot afford it," said John Seffrin, CEO of ACS.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/OnCall/story?id=6811555&page=1

On to more upbeat news: the US FDA just approved a new drug for the treatment of prostate cancer. Degarelix suppresses testosterone in patients, creating an inhospitable environment for the disease. The drug will be used to treat late-stage prostate cancers, which don't respond as well to radiation and chemotherapy.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29021326/

British researchers have found that around 40% of folks in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and West Asia are unaware of the link between obesity and cancer. Their report, "Cancer Related Beliefs and Behaviour," essentially found that people with bad habits like overeating or smoking exist in a state of denial, pretending to themselves that these lifestyle factors don't contribute to cancer risk.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/04/cancer.riskfactors/

Finally, a little food news - my favorite kind. Extra virgin olive oil has lots of great uses around the kitchen, and it contains the coveted omega 3 fatty acids ("good" fats) we all keep hearing so much about. Now there's evidence to suggest that EVOO can also help combat breast cancer, inducing "tumoricid effects" against the HER2 oncogene. (Translation: it helps cause cancer cell death.) Score one for the Mediterranean diet!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090205113743.htm

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on February 5, 2009 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're anything like me, you're probably exhausted from trying to keep up with all the various permutations the economic stimulus package has been through in the past couple of weeks. But whether you support the stimulus or not, it does contain some good news - the NIH is getting $10 billion in funding, and 85% of that is earmarked for research!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/12/stimulus/index.html

File this one under "bizarre": Japanese researchers have created what they call a "living doll" made out of human liver cancer cells. It looks like something out of the Blair Witch Project, but it could one day allow new drugs to be tested in conditions much like those inside the human body - without putting any actual humans at risk.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126946.400-living-doll-made-of-human-cancer-cells.html

Bad news for pot smokers - well, male pot smokers, anyway. A new study indicates that smoking marijuana or hash once a week for an extended period doubles your chance of getting testicular cancer. And that's not all - the drug could also decrease sperm quality, decrease testosterone levels and cause impotency. Yikes!
http://blogs.usatoday.com/betterlife/2009/02/testicular-canc.html

Meanwhile, new research shows that a drug commonly used to treat bone loss has an unintended side effect - it can reduce the odds that some breast cancers will spread or recur by a third. Zoledronic acid reduced recurrences and metastases by 36% in a study of 1,800 premenopausal women, and researchers elsewhere are checking to see if it has a similar impact on patients with prostate and lung cancer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/health/research/12bone.html?ref=health

Someone deep in the bowels of the NCI screwed up this week. The agency launched a new, interactive online tool designed to help older Americans assess their colon cancer risk. Unfortunately, the tool only works for white folks; if you tell it you're not white, it tells you it can't help. Ironic, considering black people have a much higher risk of developing the disease.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/13/health/12cancer.html?ref=health

Most people have a jumbo-sized bottle of multivitamins in their medicine cabinets, and pop the oversized pills once a day in hopes of warding off everything from the common cold to cancer. But new research shows that multivitamins don't lower cancer risk in older women. And they don't do anything about heart attacks or strokes, either. "Population studies have shown that if you eat fruits and vegetables, your chances of cancers are relatively low compared to people with deficient diets," said Aditya Bardia, an oncology fellow at Johns Hopkins University. "But when they tried to convert those nutrients into tablets, that's where the failure has been."
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/10/multivitamins.cancer/

Finally, I loved this article in Forbes about "cancer miracles" - patients who miraculously recover from cancers that their doctors thought were terminal. One patient profiled was given two months to live in 2005, only to have his liver tumor vanish completely without treatment. Now scientists are focusing on what is different about "miracle patients" in hopes of finding new ways to tackle their research.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/074_cancer_miracles.html

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

--Cat

Posted on February 12, 2009 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I thought I'd start off this week's roundup with a piece of wacky news from Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology. According to one researcher, there's a "cuddle chemical" generated by the body that helps fight off deadly diseases, including cancer and dementia. But without enough of the cuddle chemical (known to science as the hormone oxytocin), our body's chemistry is out of whack. Dr. Sigman says the solution is less time on the internet. I think the solution might be more hugs.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10167352-71.html

On a serious note, new research confirms what many in the cancer community already knew - that cancer survivors often have a hard time finding work. Many wind up quitting their jobs or being fired during treatment, only to face an employment market that's harsh on those who might require extra time off for recovery. "This issue is so important to patients, because they often regard returning to work as indicative of complete recovery," said the study's chief author. "Employment is associated with a higher quality of life, and encouraging survivors to return to work also benefits aging societies economically."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/health/18cancer.html?ref=health

Researchers have identified not one but two genetic mutations that play a role in the development of deadly brain tumors, according to the February issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Thanks to these findings, one day physicians may be better able to distinguish between the different types of brain tumors and refine treatments. "You could use these genes to distinguish a subtype of glioma," said one of the study's authors. "Two tumors may look like a duck and walk like a duck, but the two tumors may be quite different."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/02/18/genetic-mutations-linked-to-deadly-brain-cancer.html

Meanwhile, down in Cuba they're extending the lives of terminal lung cancer patients with the world's first lung cancer "vaccine." The drug does not cure or prevent lung cancer; rather, it stimulates the patient's body to make an antibody that prevents cancer cell growth. On average, the drug extends the lives of terminal patients by a few months - and in some cases, by a few years.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/19/cuba.cancer.vaccine/

Stateside cancer research got a big boost this past week when $10 billion in new funding for the NIH was approved as part of the economic stimulus bill. So Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of MD Anderson Cancer Center, has taken it upon himself to outline how the folks on Capitol Hill can continue fighting cancer in this country with a new bill to be co-sponsored by Sens Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Ted Kennedy (D-NY).
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-cancer_19nat.ART.State.Edition1.4bfe315.html

Finally, you guys know how much I love to eat, so I thought you'd enjoy this interview with SU2C friend Dr. David Servan-Schreiber on cancer and the American diet. Covered are the cancer-fighting properties of such yummy treats as yellow curry and green tea - and the cancer-promoting properties of white sugar and white flour. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm cool with cane sugar in my coffee. Meanwhile, pass the Thai food, please!
http://www.kpic.com/news/health/39853997.html

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on February 19, 2009 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I always enjoy stories of cancer treatments that come from unexpected places, so I thought I'd start this week's round-up off with this article from American Scientist in which scientists discuss using bacterial extracts to fight cancer. Their theory is that fever-inducing infections get the immune system working harder than it normally would - and in the process of fighting off infection, it can also fight off cancer.
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/id.5439,y.2009,no.1,content.true,page.2,css.print/issue.aspx

This article from CNN.com offers a dose of pragmatism in the face of President Obama's strong stance on cancer research. While it's great to finally get support from high places, the article points out that the President's goal to "cure" cancer may not be realistic. Instead, some experts say we should be focused on making cancer a manageable chronic illness, like diabetes or heart disease.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/03/cure.cancer.obama/index.html

The medical community has always enjoyed a conflicted relationship with America's drug of choice, alcohol. One day they're telling us that a glass of red wine every day can stave off heart disease; the next they're telling us to avoid the stuff like it's poison. This week brings another black mark for alcohol's record: new research suggests that two alcoholic drinks a day boost your risk of developing dangerous pancreatic cancer by 22%.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/pancreatic-cancer/news/20090303/drink-up-boost-pancreatic-cancer-risk

And elsewhere, alcohol gets a fresh gold star, with a new study indicating that wine drinkers have a lower risk for esophageal cancer - another deadly, fast-growing variation of the disease.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090302/wine-may-cut-risk-of-esophageal-cancer

Here's a useful resource for folks battling cancer, as well as their friends and families: 1-800-ACS-2345. It's the American Cancer Society's National Cancer Information Center hotline; the call center takes around a million calls a year, answering questions on everything from issues with paying for treatment to finding cheap transportation to chemo appointments.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1883161,00.html

Prostate cancer is slow to spread and, in this day and age, often treatable. Sounds like good news all around, but these unique characteristics of the disease open up a world of questions. This week, the NYT's Well Blog gets some of those tough questions answered by an expert. Check it out.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/more-answers-about-prostate-health/

There's currently a lot of controversy in the medical world about advanced imaging, like MRI and CT. The procedures are expensive and, in some cases, difficult to justify. But now researchers have shown that using MRI and PET/CT when planning cervical cancer treatment is a definitely plus, sparing some women with the disease long-term morbidity and unpleasant complications from surgery.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090304091233.htm

Finally, I loved this article on the healing power of one's home environment. As a person who's pretty finicky about her apartment, it intuitively makes sense to me that the right décor, to use a fussy word, can help revitalize the spirit. In this piece, patients turn to music, artwork and even lighting around the home to make a healing retreat out of their homes. "We have an innate awareness of our environment, and we seek out certain qualities that make us feel safe and physically comfortable as well as psychologically comfortable," said one proponent of the philosophy.
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/genevasun/lifestyles/1460041,2_5_AU05_HEALING_S1.article

That's all for this week, but check in next Thursday for a fresh round of news you can use!

--Cat

Posted on March 5, 2009 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll open this week with an article on that perennial question in the medical world: does cancer screening do more harm than good? The piece looks at both breast cancer and prostate cancer screening, profiling patients who wound up undergoing unnecessary treatment because of the ambiguous results of screening exams. The article points out that screening tests often catch small, harmless cancers, but can miss fast-growing, deadly versions of the disease. But no one's arguing that screening isn't necessary, so it's just one more thing to worry about, I guess.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29642490/

Did you know March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month? Unfortunately, it seems like the folks on Capitol Hill didn't get the memo, as Medicare dealt a big blow to colorectal cancer screening in denying payment for virtual colonography. Virtual colonography is less invasive than optical colonoscopy and, according to many high-profile studies, more accurate. But it's also more expensive, utilizing pricy CT scans, and therein lies the problem.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/story?id=7050417&page=1

In cheery news, big pharma heavyweight Pfizer has halted a trial for a new cancer drug called Sutent after it showed "significant benefit" in patients with advanced pancreatic tumors. Pfizer halted the trial because with results like these, there's no need to evaluate further - Sutent's a winner. There's rarely any good news on pancreatic cancer, but maybe the tide is finally beginning to turn!
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/pfizer-halts-trial-cancer-drug/story.aspx?guid={A4E38323-30CD-488D-9429-21C5B5A4883A}&dist=msr_5

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that a decrease in the popularity of hormone replacement therapy has led to a drop in breast cancer rates. "This is very strong evidence that estrogen plus progestin causes breast cancer," said one of the researchers. "You start women on hormones and within five years their risk of breast cancer is clearly elevated. You stop the hormones and within one year their risk is essentially back to normal. It's reasonably convincing cause-and-effect data." I guess this means we ladies will have to suffer through menopause without estrogen and progesterone. Maybe with a strong martini?
http://www.naturalnews.com/025832.html

Meanwhile, there's a new treatment on the block for prostate cancer - the "male lumpectomy." The new technique involves freezing part of the prostate, destroying only the part of the gland that is cancerous and resulting in fewer side effects than surgery or radiation therapy. Good news for guys, since the side effects of prostate cancer treatment, including incontinence and impotence, can be pretty demoralizing.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/10/male-lumpectomy-may-help-some-with-prostate-cancer.html

Finally, I loved this article out of Arizona, where the classmates of nine-year-old cancer patient either shaved their heads or dyed their hair crazy colors in a show of support for their friend. "I wanted to support him and raise money for him,'' said the patient's best friend. "He's funny, and we always play soccer together. He can still play soccer in his wheelchair."
http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1101205

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

--Cat

Posted on March 12, 2009 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I always love it when a new cancer treatment comes from an unexpected place, so I thought I'd kick off this week's roundup with a study out of Oklahoma, where researchers have discovered that frankincense - you know, as in frankincense and myrrh - may be helpful in treating bladder cancer. For the curious, frankincense is a tree oil that smells great when you burn it. And, as it turns out, it suppresses cancer growth as well, differentiating between bladder cancer cells and healthy cells to induce cancer cell death.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,25209160-38200,00.html?from=public_rss

In other good news, it turns out Gleevec, a drug currently used to treat adult leukemia, is also effective at preventing the recurrence of gastrointestinal cancer. In a trial including over 700 patients, the drug was shown to be most potent when the tumor removed was larger than 10 cm. But doctors caution that more research is needed before Gleevec can be cleared for this use.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/19/gleevec-prevents-return-of-intestinal-cancer.html

USA Today has the results of a fascinating new study indicating that cancer patients of faith are three times more likely to wind up undergoing intensive medical procedures than their non-believing peers. Patients who used "positive" religious coping were more likely to encourage their doctors to do everything possible to keep them alive; on the opposite side of the coin, however, they also made fewer preparations for death.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-03-17-cancer-coping_N.htm

It seems like new genetic markers for cancer are identified every week - just one of the many reasons to be encouraged by the current scientific progress against the disease. This week, docs at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have found genetic markers that indicate poor outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. "Our next steps are to confirm these results in a new patient population and to find additional markers that would allow us to develop a reproducible and accurate prognostic test," said one of the researchers involved in the study.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318113608.htm

Well, it just wouldn't be the Weekly Links without an update on the latest news in cancer-fighting foods, and this week's hot tickets are green tea and mushrooms. A study out of China indicates that these foods may decrease the risk of developing breast cancer in both pre- and post-menopausal women. So put the kettle on and pass the portabellas, please!
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/hotnews/mushrooms--green-tea-lower-breast-cancer-risk.html

And according to a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vegetarians have a much lower risk of developing cancer than people who eat meat. (Don't panic quite yet: the study's results indicate that fish is OK.) In an analysis of 52,700 people on various diets, including meat eaters, fish eaters, vegans and vegetarians, the vegetarians and fish eaters fared best. However, one big surprise was that the vegetarians involved in the study did have higher rates of colorectal cancer than the meat eaters. The authors say further research is needed.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/2009/march/Eat-Only-Veggies-and-Avoid-Cancer--Says-New-Study.html

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

--Cat

Posted on March 19, 2009 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It seems like omega-3s are all over the news these days. And now we can add another health benefit to the "good fat" found in nuts and dark fish - new research indicates that a diet high in omega-3s can protect against advanced prostate cancer, even in men with a genetic predisposition to the disease. The study, which looked at 466 men with prostate cancer, found that an omega-3-rich diet reduced the risk of aggressive prostate cancer by a whopping 63%!
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE52O5XL20090325

Elsewhere, the results of a massive federal study on the long-term health impact of red meat are in, and unfortunately for steak lovers everywhere, the news ain't good. The ten-year analysis of 500,000 middle-aged and elderly Americans indicated that those who consumed the equivalent of a small hamburger every day were 30% more likely to die in the decade that followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. On the other hand, routine consumption of white meat decreased the risk of death by a small amount. Turkey burger, anyone?
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-na-red-meat24-2009mar24,0,6623810.story

A team of 24 researchers from all over the world (a dream team, if you will) has engineered a new anti-cancer agent that is around 200 times as powerful at killing tumor cells than most drugs currently under evaluation. The drug inhibits the enzymes that feed cancer, but also currently binds itself to bone, reducing its efficacy. Still - it's a step in the right direction!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132458.htm

There's a lot of back-and-forth in the medical community about the usefulness of cancer screening. There's no doubt that it saves lives, but in many cases it can also be an impediment to prompt diagnosis. It sounds counter-intuitive, but take the case of ovarian cancer. Early-stage ovarian cancers, the kind screening catches, tend to be slow-growing; meanwhile, aggressive forms of the disease are often not detected in time. "This highlights the potential challenges of developing a screening test for this disease, because earlier detection of aggressive cases is essential if screening is to reduce ovarian cancer deaths," noted the lead author of a new study on the disease.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/03/24/catching-ovarian-cancer-early-may-miss-aggressive.html

Early screening for prostate cancer also comes with risks. According to a recent New England Journal of Medicine study, screening has little to no effect on how many men die from the disease; instead, many men diagnosed with prostate cancer wind up getting tests and treatments they don't need, with side effects as severe as incontinence and impotence.
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-closer23-2009mar23,0,1042900.story

Finally, I loved this editorial by Sens Ted Kennedy and Kay Bailey Hutchison in the Houston Chronicle. The senators, who have both been strong advocates for increased federal funding for cancer research and other cancer-related programs, write, "The solution isn't easy, but there are steps we should take now if we hope to see the diagnosis rate decline substantially and the survival rate increase. To do so, we must identify and remove the numerous barriers that obstruct our progress in cancer research and treatment." Amen!
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6342313.html

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

--Cat

Posted on March 26, 2009 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'll start this week's roundup off with some good news on cervical cancer. A study out of India found that the mortality rate for the disease can be cut by a whopping 47% by screening for HPV and giving a simple treatment the same day as the virus is discovered. "The implications of the findings of this trial are immediate and global: international experts in cervical cancer prevention should now adopt HPV screening for widespread implementation," wrote two NCI scientists in an editorial accompanying the report. Let's do it!
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=asRUT4ihBQDw&refer=home

I always love when a new cancer treatment comes from an unexpected place. This week, researchers in Spain have discovered that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, can be used to fight brain cancer. THC causes brain cancer cells to undergo autophagy, a process whereby the cell basically eats itself. Best of all, the patients treated with THC did not have any toxic side effects.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/brain-cancer/news/20090401/marijuana-chemical-may-fight-brain-cancer

Some researchers are questioning the efficacy of breast cancer screening. In a study out of the University of Nebraska, scientists found that in women over 50 who are screened every year, breast cancer screening saves 1.8 lives per thousand woman screened - meaning there's around a 5% chance that breast cancer screening will save a woman's life. Takeaway? We're doing well, but we could definitely do better.
http://www.dbtechno.com/health/2009/04/02/researchers-question-benefits-of-breast-cancer-screenings/

I have a special weakness for food-related stories, which is why this one, on how cancer treatments can affect the taste of food, caught my eye. Because chemotherapy and radiotherapy can alter taste and odor perception, some cancer patients can find themselves without much of an appetite, resulting in malnutrition. Fortunately, a new study identifies ways to help. Cancer patients should eat less foods with a metallic or bitter taste, eat more high-protein foods, add plenty of seasonings and spices, and use saliva-stimulating agents like sugar-free gum.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/04/01/Cancer_treatment_affects_taste_of_food/UPI-51171238636698/

This piece from the Vancouver Sun looks at survivors of childhood cancer, who, according to new research out of Canada, often face unique obstacles later in life. Radiation treatment, which has helped improve childhood survival outcomes in a big way, can also lead to long-term damage, resulting in learning disabilities. The study underscores the need to find new ways to treat pediatric cancer patients - both while they have cancer and long after the cancer is gone.
http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Childhood+cancer+survivors+have+special+needs/1453809/story.html

Speaking of what happens to folks after their cancer treatment is over, this piece from NPR looks at "cancer debt" - the costs racked up by the insufficiently insured when undergoing cancer treatment. "It's not necessarily not having insurance -- it's not having adequate insurance," said John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society. "Our best data would indicate that roughly 1 in 5 people in this room today think they have health insurance that will cover them, but if they get a diagnosis of cancer, it's inadequate." Health care reform, anyone?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102593259

That's all I've got for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with a fresh round of links. See you then!

--Cat

Posted on April 2, 2009 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By now, you've probably heard that Farrah Fawcett is battling anal cancer, a rare and not-often-discussed type of the disease. In this CNN article, the author notes that the stigma associated with talking about anal cancer means most people aren't aware of the risk factors or warning signs - as used to be the case with colorectal and breast cancer before large public awareness campaigns. Fawcett is working on a documentary about her struggle with the disease. Get better soon, Farrah, and thanks for spreading the word!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/09/anal.cancer.fawcett/

New research indicates that more and more women with early-stage breast cancer are choosing to have both breasts surgically removed. In the years between 1998 and 2005, the rate of contralateral prophylactic mastectomy among US women with ductal carcinoma in situ increased by a whopping 188% -- even though the 10-year survival rate for this type of cancer is 98%.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409103354.htm

Elsewhere, scientists have proven that a common virus can effectively target and kill cancer stem cells in breast cancer tissue. Stem cells are ordinarily difficult to kill, as they don't respond well to chemotherapy or radiation. But the reovirus used in the study not only killed the stem cells, it also stimulated the anti-cancer immune system. "Refining this two-pronged approach to killing cancer is our next step," said one of the docs involved. "We are taking advantage of the natural characteristics of reovirus and the immune system itself to create a powerful virus-based anti-cancer therapy."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408192134.htm

While we're on the topic of breast cancer, the Huffington Post has a great "Dueling Docs" piece on whether drinking increases your risk of developing the disease. One doc breaks down the results of a recently published study indicating that one drink a day ups your risk; the other helps interpret the statistics, concluding that "the researchers in this study made a statistical model that spit something out, but when I look at the numbers, I don't agree with their results."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/janice-horowitz/dueling-docs---is-drinkin_b_184967.html

We ladies are all too familiar with the unpleasant, but necessary, annual routine of getting a Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer. Now some researchers are saying a simple blood test can do a better job - without any feet having to go up in any stirrups. The DNA test detects the HPV virus with more efficacy than a Pap, and may only be needed every few years instead of every twelve months. Score!
http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/womens-health/hpv-test-outperforms-pap-test-prevention-cervical-cancer-2928.html

I just couldn't resist wrapping up with a food-related story. This week's key ingredient is broccoli sprouts, the long and lean cousins to broccoli that taste so great in a salad or grilled with asparagus. New research out of Johns Hopkins indicates that these yummy greens can reduce the level of H. pylori bacteria living in your stomach, which in turn reduces your odds of developing stomach cancer, which is strongly linked to the germs. You're welcome!
http://www.naturalnews.com/026018.html

That's all I've got for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday, so check in then!

--Cat

Posted on April 9, 2009 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week brings more news on controversial new prostate cancer vaccine Provenge. The company producing the vaccine said Tuesday that it "significantly" prolongs patient survival according to the results of a new clinical trial; this finding contradicts that of the FDA, which declined to approve the drug after a previous trial. Now patient advocates and three congressman are calling for a probe of the agency, claiming its decision may have been colored by conflicts of interest.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/04/prostate-cancer-vaccine-significantly-prolongs-survival.html

I loved this story out of Edgewater, Florida, where over 700 elementary school students and their parents held a "mini" Relay for Life to raise money for cancer research. During the one-hour event, the kids stood in formation on the school's athletic field to spell out the word "HOPE." In the end the school's team raised $700 for cancer research. "I'm very happy that they're trying to help all the sick kids in the world to not have pain anymore," said a student who had survived bone cancer the year before.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/EastVolusia/evlEAST04041609.htm

In this CBS News article, medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook urges readers to get routine screening for skin cancer. "Early detection is the name of the game when it comes to curing melanoma," LaPook writes. And he emphasizes that routine screening includes a complete head-to-toe inspection by a dermatologist: "This means looking from head to toe at every millimeter of your body, including where the sun doesn't shine."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/16/health/cbsdoc/main4949884.shtml

Fresh research out of Tennessee indicates that sleep problems can lead to increased pain in cancer patients. More than half the sample group studied had trouble sleeping, and one in four reported moderate to severe trouble sleeping; statistical analysis indicates that the sleep problems led to increased ratings of pain in these patients. "We believed we would find a bi-directional relationship between insomnia and pain, but instead found that trouble sleeping was more likely a cause, rather than a consequence, of pain in patients with cancer," said the study's lead author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090415075046.htm

Meanwhile, this New York Times article profiles a familiar issue in the cancer community: the high cost of cutting-edge treatment. One patient interviewed in the piece was prescribed oral medication - which free patients from having to go to a clinic to receive treatment - only to find his insurance wouldn't pay for it. The price tag on a 42-day supply of the pill? $5,500.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/business/15pill.html?hp

Regular Weekly Links readers know how much I love food-related stories, and this week's is a great one: a new study in the International Journal of Cancer has found that women who drink a few cups of coffee or tea each day have a lower risk of developing endometrial cancer. The reasons aren't exactly clear, but scientists hypothesize that it's either the antioxidant compounds present in both beverages, or simply the dose of caffeine.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=6765119

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

--Cat

Posted on April 16, 2009 3:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This week brings some interesting news about breast self-exams, which were once recommended for women on a monthly basis but were removed from screening recommendations when studies indicated they didn't impact mortality. Now new research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons indicates that breast-self exam is as effective as mammography and MRI at detecting breast cancer in young, high-risk women.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/BreastCancer/13868

Research from the same conference also brings surprising news about hormone replacement therapy, which was shown in the nineties to increase breast cancer risk in menopausal women. Now a USC researcher is hypothesizing that hormone replacement therapy in younger women - otherwise known as the birth control pill - could be harnessed to lower breast cancer risk. "I want to encourage people to realize that this really could work," the doc said. "Millions of women took the pill this morning. This could potentially be very, very protective against breast cancer."
http://www.breastsurgeons.org/presskit/Hormone%20Therapy%20ASBS.doc

The American Association for Cancer Research is also having its annual meeting this week. One of the most interesting revelations of the conference is a series of studies looking at the impact of genetic alterations on blood, bladder and ovarian cancers. US News and World Report has a great rundown of the studies' results.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/04/21/gene-studies-reveal-cancers-secrets.html

Well, raise your glass for a toast, because it looks like wine may help improve survival of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. Past research has indicated that the antioxidants present in grapes can inhibit the development of tumors; now a new study shows that consumption of wine slightly increases five-year survival in women with non-Hodgkin's. But researchers caution to take the results with a grain or two of salt, as excessive drinking can cause other problems in cancer patients.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=6776590

More news on the food front - my favorite kind. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medical Center have found that grapefruit juice can help make an anti-cancer medication more potent. In another study, docs found that the omega-three fatty acids present in walnuts can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. Sounds like a tasty summer salad in the making!
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/health&id=6774359

Finally, I was touched by this article from the San Francisco Chronicle, which comes bearing the surprising headline, "A few good things to say about cancer." Arthur Hoppe wrote about his experience with lung cancer just a couple of weeks before his death in 2000. He celebrated the "warm bath of sympathy and love" that accompanied his cancer treatment, and concluded that "Any serious illness brings home this ephemeral nature of time. I now do thank God each morning for another day. And while it's impossible to relish every moment, I manage to do it again and again - when I awake from a nap, when my tongue touches that first morsel of lemon cake, when I hug a loved one. Never before have I realized what a wonderful gift is life."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/22/EDRJ174DUN.DTL

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

--Cat

Posted on April 23, 2009 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'll start off this week's roundup with some alarming news out of the University of Texas: based on current demographic trends, researchers are predicting a 67% increase in the number of adults over 65 diagnosed with cancer by 2030 - 1.6 million by then as opposed to one million now. "In 2030, 70 percent of all cancers will be diagnosed in the elderly and 28 percent in minorities, and the number of older adults diagnosed with cancer will be the same as the total number of Americans diagnosed with cancer in 2010," said one of the docs involved in the research.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNewsMolt/idUKTRE53S7PL20090429

Elsewhere, some more encouraging news: new research indicates that women were ten times as likely to do breast self-exams if they took part in a counseling program that included one in-person session and two follow-up phone calls. The 600 women involved in the study were divided into two groups. One received dietary counseling and the other watched an education video about BSE and practiced the technique on a silicone model. One year later, 60% of the women in the BSE group were still performing adequate self-exams; only 12% from the other group were doing the same.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/04/30/hscout626563.html

And in other breast cancer news, Canadian researchers have found that breast cancer risk assessment can potentially start much earlier than it currently does: in a study of 400 women, ages 15 to 39, and their mothers, the docs found that breast tissue composition in young women may be correlated with cancer risk. "By identifying the environmental and genetic factors that influence breast tissue composition early in life, we may be able to develop safe and effective methods of prevention," the study's lead author said.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/age-/626562.html

Hey, remember CT colonography? It's the non-invasive, non-painful-and-humiliating way of finding colon polyps, and earlier this year Medicare decided not to reimburse for it, indicating that current research wasn't sufficient to justify using the more expensive technique over traditional colonoscopy. Now a fresh study out of the University of Wisconsin indicates that radiologists using CTC can predict with a very high degree of accuracy whether or not a polyp needs to be further evaluated or removed. CMS, are you reading this?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423132654.htm

Statins. Millions of people in the US take them to lower cholesterol; now a little facility you may have heard of called the Mayo Clinic has found that statin use is associated with a three-fold reduction in a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. "What's good for the heart is also good for the prostate," summarized the study's principal investigator.
http://www.cancerpage.com/news/article.asp?id=13366

Finally, I'll wrap up this week's links with - you guessed it - a food story. This week's super-food is the apple, which no fewer than six different studies have recently found to have anti-cancer properties. Fortunately for we Americans, apples are a national favorite, providing 33% of the cancer-fighting phenolics consumed by the average US resident annually. I guess the old adage is true, with a slight update: an apple a day keeps the oncologist away!
http://www.ajho.com/Numerous-Studies-Report-Multiple-Anti-Breast-Cancer-Properties-in-Apples/article/131451/

That's all I've got this time around, but I'll see you next Thursday for more links!

--Cat

Posted on April 30, 2009 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember a few weeks back when I mentioned that Farrah Fawcett is making a documentary about her experience battling anal cancer? Next week NBC will air the documentary as a two-hour special called "Farrah's Story." "This film is very personal," Fawcett said. "At the time, I didn't know if anybody would ever see it. But at some point, the footage took on a life of its own and dictated that it be seen." You can check it out May 15 at 9 p.m.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/05/06/2009-05-06_nbc_sets_farrah_fawcett_cancer_show.html

Roche's cancer drug Avastin has just been cleared by the FDA for use against with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. The FDA fast-tracked clearance after two studies published in March showed impressive responses in patients treated with the drug. Avastin is still being evaluated for effectiveness against ovarian and prostate cancer, so stay tuned.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSL644559520090506

In an Ohio-based study of 434 women, 3T MRI - which is MRI at a high magnetic field strength - was found to detect a significant number of breast lesions not found with either mammography or ultrasound. "Our study suggests an important role for 3T MRI in such high risk groups for an early diagnosis of breast cancer and better accuracy in evaluating the extent of disease--a crucial factor in appropriate therapy planning," said the study's lead author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505162448.htm

Here's a little much-needed good news about lung cancer, one of the most lethal forms of the disease. New research out of MGH indicates that exercise may be beneficial to lung cancer patients. The patients in the study were enrolled in an exercise program that included aerobics and weight training; over half experienced a significant reduction in lung cancer symptoms.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/05/06/Exercise-may-benefit-lung-cancer-patients/UPI-15671241590766/

In less hopeful lung cancer news, another new study shows that women may be more vulnerable than men to the cancer-causing agents in cigarettes. Researchers looked at 683 lung cancer patients and found that female patients tended to be younger when they developed the disease - in spite of smoking fewer cigarettes on average than their male counterparts. "Lung cancer is not only a man's disease, but women tend to be much more aware of other cancers, such as breast cancer," one of the docs involved with the study said. "Several case-control studies seem to suggest that women are more vulnerable to tobacco carcinogens than men."
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/05/04/hscout626607.html

Finally, I loved this piece from the New York Times in which Well Blog contributor Dana Jennings writes about his experience being treated for - and recovering from - prostate cancer. "The flowering trees in my neighborhood - magnolia and crab apple, dogwood and weeping cherry - are all billow and burst," he writes. "Meanwhile, the robins hold sunrise conclaves on the front lawn, and the night birds gab and gossip past midnight. I think I know how those birds feel . . . I, too, find myself giddy with the optimism of spring."
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/after-a-winter-of-cancer-the-optimism-of-spring/

See you next week.

--Cat

Posted on May 7, 2009 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In case you haven't already heard, SU2C had some exciting news of its own to announce this week. Our Scientific Advisory Committee has announced its first five Dream Teams, slated to receive over $70 million in funding over the next three years. You can read all about our 2009 Dream Teams and their projects here:
http://www.standup2cancer.org/meet_the_dream_teams.php

Using a cutting-edge gene scanning method, Harvard researchers have identified a gene mutation involved in as many as 30% of cancers, according to a study published in the journal Cell. The KRAS mutation has proved resistant to targeted cancer therapies so far, but there could be a way to "silence" them, thereby creating a drug with a better chance of fighting KRAS-mutation cancers like leukemia, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE54R5X420090528

Here's some good news from the American Cancer Society's annual report on "Cancer Facts and Figures": fewer people are getting cancer now, and fewer people are dying from it. A decrease in deaths from lung, prostate and colorectal cancer between 1990 and 2005 accounted for the change in men's death rates, and a similar decrease in colorectal and breast cancer accounted for the change in women's death rates. The incidence of cancer is also on the decline, falling 1.8% per year for men and 0.6% per year for women.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/05/27/2009-05-27_cancer_deaths_are_on_the_decline.html

A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute confirms what many already suspected: that survivors of pediatric cancer have a high risk of developing a second primary cancer later in life. The study is the first to look at childhood cancer survivors in the long-term, following a group of over 47,000 people who were diagnosed with pediatric cancer from 1943 to 2005. "This study quantified long-term temporal patterns of increased risk of cancer at specific sites in survivors of childhood cancer," the authors wrote. "The results may be useful in the screening and care of these individuals."\
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090526162840.htm

It's summertime again, and that means it's time for the beach, the pool, and the immersion in SPF 15 that comes with both. Except now some experts are saying sunscreen does little to reduce your risk of developing cancer. In fact, by blocking your skin's intake of vitamin D, it could be upping your chances of developing the disease. "Our reliance on sunscreen as protection against skin cancer is about as effective as the emperor's magic clothing," the author of this fascinating - and frightening - article says.
http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1195

Finally, the WaPo has a great article on the food-as-medicine trend. Daphne Miller often prescribes food instead of drugs to patients for whom medication isn't working or is causing untenable side effects. For instance, did you know that white button and shiitake mushrooms can boost your immune system - and that the best way to experience the boost is to eat the actual mushrooms, not take supplements? "A tasty dish made with inexpensive ingredients from the local market could sidestep many [patient] concerns," Miller writes. "After all, food is the one medicine that we seem quite willing to swallow -- at least three times a day."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/22/AR2009052202280.html

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

--Cat

Posted on May 28, 2009 1:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's lots of exciting news this week, so let's dive right in. Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have created a new, experimental class of drugs called PARP inhibitors. The drugs block the ability of damaged cells to repair themselves, making cancer cells more susceptible to chemotherapy. The drugs could help with two types of breast cancer that have traditionally been difficult to treat. "While preliminary, these are some of most exciting results we've seen in a long time," said Eric P. Winer, MD, director of the breast oncology center at Dana-Farber.
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090602/new-drug-for-hard-to-treat-breast-cancer

Meanwhile, another great research site, the Mayo Clinic, has developed a new test that will make it easier to diagnose pancreatic cancer, according to this month's issue of Gastroenterology. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal forms of the disease, largely owing to how long it usually remains undetected. Now, a new kind of endoscopic exam can more than double the detection rate both of this cancer and of cancer of the bile duct.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/hscout/2009/06/03/hscout627542.html

I really enjoyed this piece by Dr. Marc Siegel in which he talks about "a new approach to cancer" - the new approach being an emphasis on targeted therapies. Looking at news from this week's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting, including the introduction of three new potential targeted therapies, Siegel sees a lot of promise. "These treatments, which are less toxic and more focused, are generally better tolerated and cause less side effects," he writes. "Once you convince the body that cancer is foreign, you can then provoke the immune system to fight it."
http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/03/a-new-approach-to-cancer/

There's more bad news on red meat this week. Steak, burgers and other mainstays of the delicious, morbidly unhealthy American diet have already been shown to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Now Australian researchers have found that you can reduce your risk of developing prostate cancer via a low-fat diet with little red meat and lots of fresh produce. Specifically, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and green tea were all shown to have a positive effect; red meat, dairy products and fats didn't come off looking so good.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/06/04/Diet-may-help-reduce-prostate-cancer-risk/UPI-36321244095281/

Finally, I enjoyed this piece about how to prevent cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research has identified three things people can do to "dramatically affect" their chances of developing cancer. None of them will come as a shock to regular Weekly Links readers, and they're all pretty easy to implement: eat a mostly plant-based diet, maintain a healthy weight and exercise regularly. "The data is pretty clear that we can make a significant drop in the cancer rate with these three changes," said an AICR nutrition adviser. "We can prevent about one-third of cancers with these changes. And if you add tobacco prevention, which reduces about 30 percent of cancers, over half of today's cancers could be prevented."
http://health.yahoo.com/news/healthday/wanttostopcanceryoucanexpertssay.html

That's all I've got this week, but check in again next Thursday for more news you can use!

--Cat

Posted on June 4, 2009 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

On the heels of last week's good news - that US cancer rates are on the decline across the board - comes a less positive development. A new study indicates that the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased in 27 countries worldwide. Combined with previous studies linking a rise in colorectal cancer to economic transitions in developing nations, all the data seem to point to Westernization as the culprit. Steer clear of McDonald's!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609124608.htm

There's been a lot of hype surrounding antioxidants in recent years. Their cancer-fighting and general health-promoting properties have been extolled by everyone from top scientists in the field to Oprah. But new evidence indicates that antioxidant supplements might not be the healthiest choice for women battling breast cancer, as the pills may actually interfere with treatment. "The report is the latest to raise concerns about the large number of cancer patients turning to megadoses of vitamin and mineral supplements in hopes of boosting their health," notes Tara Parker-Pope of the NYT's Well Blog.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/worries-about-antioxidant-use-by-breast-cancer-patients/?hp

This piece in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlights a not-often-discussed issue: the lack of women enrolled in clinical trials for cancer treatments. In an analysis of 661 prospective studies encompassing over a million participants, women accounted for just 37% of participants. "It's so important that women are appropriately represented in research," said one of the docs involved in the report. "We know there are biological differences between the sexes, as well as social and cultural differences. Studies need to be able to assess whether there are differences in responses to treatment."

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-brn/627849.html

In the summertime, when the weather is hot, the news is full of articles on skin cancer risk. But this New York Times piece looks at an often neglected side of the issue. A reader writes in wondering whether people with dark skin should protect themselves differently. And a physician expert replies that skin cancer is on this rise among African-Americans, Latinos and Asians. "Because people with dark skin assume they are not at risk, these cancers frequently are not detected on self-exam," the doc cautions. "Nonetheless, dark skinned people should wear sun protection as part of their daily routine."

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/dark-skin-sun-dangers-and-self-exams/

Finally, this AP article reports that fully 60% of cancer patients in the US use "nontraditional medicine" either as their only treatment or as a supplement to conventional medical treatment. The piece reports that many hospitals now offer aromatherapy, message, meditation, yoga and acupuncture to cancer patients - but as an accompaniment to treatment, not a replacement for it. But it cautions that cancer patients are particularly susceptible to false "cures" because of a desire to exercise some control over their disease. "There are no herbal or vitamin supplements that we know of that will specifically boost the immune system," said a dietician at Moffett Cancer Center.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5RXjXRWlg4i8NXdjqeKl3xAb4YwD98MLRR01

That's it for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more news you can use!

--Cat

Posted on June 11, 2009 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week brings some bad news when it comes to dietary supplements and cancer prevention. The Center for Science in the Public Interest is suing Bayer over the company's claims that its One A Day vitamins for men decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer. TV and radio ads claim that selenium, an ingredient in the vitamins, is preventative of the disease, but according to the Center, this claim is not backed up by sufficient scientific evidence. Sorry, guys.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hcxToIuY_kAPO4UwYhlNA9bnRhtAD98T5D2G0

This article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the South trails the rest of the country in childhood cancer rates. The highest rate was in the Northeast, where 179 cases per million children were reported; in the south, cancer only affects 166 children out of a million. The reasons for the geographical differences remain unclear, however; theories include exposure to nuclear plant emissions and radon gas, which are higher in densely populated areas that experience cold weather.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/06/02/kidcancer.html

More bad news on hormone replacement therapy: a new study indicates that the increased risk cancer persists for two years after women stop taking estrogen and progesterone to ease the symptoms of menopause. "The findings underscore the now-standard recommendation that women who take hormones to relieve hot flashes and other effects of menopause should use the lowest possible dose for the shortest time," the article notes.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2008/03/05/hormones0305.html

It's summer, and news on skin cancer is everywhere - appropriate given some of our tendencies to sunbathe a little too much during the hottest months of the year. A new study from the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons indicates that melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease, is on the rise among people ages 20 to 29. Combine that with a recent poll indicating that 31% of Americans never use sunscreen and you've got a pretty clear cause-and-effect scenario.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/stories.nsf/healthfitness/story/B8341FE702A630B2862575D8007446B5?OpenDocument

I have a special place in my heart for food-related health news, so here's a quick piece noting that cooking carrots whole boosts their anti-cancer properties.
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/health/090618_medical_headlines_with_dr_sapna_parikh

And here's one more to polish off this week's round of links: a new study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that meat, eggs and dairy products are not, I repeat not, consistently linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. So go ahead, enjoy that Denver omelet - for now, at least, its ingredients have been exonerated!
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/704525

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

--Cat

Posted on June 18, 2009 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week brings the news that obesity has been linked to yet another form of cancer - this time, pancreatic cancer, which is the fourth-leading cause of death for men and women in the US. In a study comparing 841 patients with pancreatic cancer to 745 healthy people of similar age, race, and gender, those who were overweight or obese had an increased risk of developing the disease. Obesity was also linked to an earlier onset of pancreatic cancer.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/pancreatic-cancer-and-obesity-linked.html

According to research published in the most recent issue of Cancer, there appears to be a connection between childhood abuse and cancer in adulthood. Childhood physical abuse is associated with a 49% higher risk of developing cancer as an adult, leading scientists to speculate that dysfunctions in the production of cortisol - the hormone responsible for "fight or flight" instinct - may be connected to the disease.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625111425.htm

If antibiotics were the defining medical innovation of the 20th century, what will be the discovery that changes the 21st? How about green tea? Okay, I'm kidding - sort of - but it seems like every week we learn that the delicately flavored caffeinated beverage is preventative of a new type of cancer. Today LSU researchers have indicated that the green tea extract EGCG can slow the growth of prostate cancer. What will they learn tomorrow?
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/06/green-tea-may-slow-prostate-cancer.html

Meanwhile, researchers in Boston are launching a large multi-institutional trial to determine whether vitamin D and fish oil can reduce the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease. The trial will focus particularly on the African American population, which has a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency and a greater occurrence of certain types of cancer and diabetes. Whether the two are connected remains to be seen.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/23/brigham_and_womens_study_to_test_vitamin_d_fish_oil_supplements/

Here's news of relevance to Californians, as well as marijuana users - medical and otherwise - nationwide. Last Friday marijuana smoke was officially classified as a carcinogen by the Golden State. A spokesman for the state office of environmental health noted that marijuana smoke contains 33 of the same harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. But a UCLA study found no association between marijuana smoke and lung cancer, and even suggested a mild protective effect.
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2009/06/chronic_city_california_cannab.php

Finally, you may have heard that on Monday, President Obama - himself known for being an occasional smoker - signed a law giving the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco in hopes of preventing America's younger generations from getting hooked on the cancer-causing leaf. "I was one of these teenagers," Obama said. "And so I know how difficult it can be to break this habit when it's been with you for a long time."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/06/68375563/1

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on June 25, 2009 1:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This excellent Wall Street Journal piece looks at the problems cancer poses for elderly patients. Because patients in their seventies and eighties often suffer from multiple health issues, it's a challenge for the clinicians treating them to determine the safest and most effective course of therapy. "We know that older, sicker people are at higher risk of harmful side effects from cancer treatments, but we don't know how best to vary those treatments to accommodate the wide range of health problems common in the elderly," the author writes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124647445003381775.html

You may have already heard that the diabetes drug Lantus has been linked with an increased risk of cancer according to several European studies. This Q&A helps answer some of the more pressing questions Lantus-takers may be asking themselves, including what may have caused the link and whether the evidence is conclusive enough to cease taking the medication.
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSLT70133920090629

The cost-effectiveness of cancer treatment, especially for patients with poor prognoses, is a topic of much debate. A recent Journal of the National Cancer Institute study reports, for instance, that a course of lung cancer therapy that costs $80,000 for an 18-week regimen only prolongs a patient's life by around 1.2 months. The piece notes that "some countries, like the United Kingdom, agree to pay for expensive drugs only if they meet a certain threshold of efficacy, but no such rationing exists in the U.S."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970203872404574258302761872972.html

Bad news for carnivores: yet again, the consumption of meat has been linked with an increase drisk of cancer. Looks like those who consume a high amount of animal fat are more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, one of the most deadly forms of the disease. "Most of the increased risk was associated with total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat from red meat and dairy food sources," the article notes.
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=21802

On a more hopeful note, a new method of attacking cancer cells has been proven to be surprisingly effective in animal testing. The journal Nature Biotechnology reports that Australian researchers implanted mice with a human uterine tumor that was highly aggressive and resistant to drugs; all of the treated animals were free of tumor cells 70 days after treatment. Researchers also obtained a similar outcome in dogs with advanced brain cancer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/health/research/29drug.html?ref=world

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more. In the meantime, have a great holiday weekend!

--Cat

Posted on July 2, 2009 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The World Health Organization has approved a second cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix, millions of doses of which will be employed in developing nations. Of the around 280,000 cervical cancer deaths worldwide every year, over 80% occur in developing countries. Health officials estimate that the new vaccine could save tens of thousands of lives per year. Though Cervarix is approved for use in 97 countries, the US FDA is still determining whether it will be available here.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/07/09/health-highlights-july-9--2009.html

Migraines are no fun, but they may come with an unexpected benefit. According to a new study out of the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, the brutal headaches may be associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. The reason? Low estrogen levels seem to increase the severity and frequency of women's migraines, but increased levels of the hormone up breast cancer risk.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5686YX20090709

This WebMD article poses an important question: does race impact cancer survival? Studies have shown that while black women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than white women, they are still more likely to die of the disease. But for the majority of cancers, when access to care is equal - a big assumption to begin with - there is no disparity between mortality rates. "Some biological and even genetic differences in populations are not inherent from birth and immutable," notes ACS chief medical officer Otis Brawley, MD. "They are influenced by environmental factors associated with socioeconomic status and culture."
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20090708/does-race-affect-cancer-survival

According to the results of a new survey, less than half of all Americans believe their health insurance plans will cover the full cost of treatment should they develop cancer. And they're right to think that way: according to the president of the Community Oncology Alliance, very few private insurance plans pay the full cost of treatment, which can add up to over $5,000 a month. Most alarmingly, 33% of those surveyed said they would stop cancer treatment if it became too expensive.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5670JX20090708

Finally, new research released by Stanford University School of Medicine makes a strong case for preventive prostate cancer treatment. For years now, clinicians have hesitated to give men at risk of developing the disease the drug finasteride; though it had been shown to prevent cancer in 25% or so of patients, those who did get prostate cancer were 25% more likely to get a more aggressive form of the disease. Now research shows that the drug did not actually cause the more aggressive type of prostate cancer - it merely made it easier to diagnose.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707161418.htm

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

--Cat

Posted on July 9, 2009 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Farrah Fawcett, who died just a few weeks ago after a three-year fight against cancer, has received a posthumous Emmy nomination for her documentary "Farrah's Story," which detailed her struggle with the disease. Her nomination is in the category "outstanding nonfiction special" and is the fourth of her career.
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/07/farrah-fawcett-receives-posthumous-emmy-award-nomination-for-farrahs-story-tv-news-1357986.html

This San Francisco Chronicle article outlines twelve ways to protect your skin from the sun this summer. Some you could probably predict, like that broad-spectrum sunscreen is best; others, including the correlation between caffeine and reduced skin cancer risk, may surprise you. The piece also advises that you get a great dermatologist, that you cut the tanning bed from your routine and that melanoma can hide under your toenails, where, if you're as addicted to pedicures as I am, you might not notice it until it's too late.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/07/16/hearstmagbeauty347799.DTL

Researchers at Northwestern University may have identified certain "landscape genes" that can help predict how long a patient with brain cancer will live - and could lead to better treatment for the disease. The complexity of the "landscape" model "helps explain the lack of therapeutic efficacy of strategies targeting single gene products," according to the researchers. Attacking the most important landscape genes could lead to a more guided approach to eradicating the cancer.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/Story?id=8082862&page=2

New research indicates that there could be a connection between heavy drinking and prostate cancer. According to a study in the journal Cancer, men who drank heavily - defined as four or more drinks per day at least five days out of the week - were twice as likely to develop aggressive prostate tumors as their teetotaling peers. Additionally, though the drug finasteride has been shown to be effective in cutting non-drinkers' and moderate drinkers' risk of developing the disease, it had no impact on the risk level for heavy drinkers.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56C5MA20090713

The most recent issue of Cancer also reports that the incidence of thyroid cancer in the US has been steadily increasing since 1980 - and scientists are still looking for an explanation. For a while now, experts have written off the uptick to better screening, but new research indicates that "you cannot simply explain this by increased screening, there's a real increased incidence," according to the study's lead author, Amy Chen. She proposes that environmental, dietary and genetic issues be further explored.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-gen/628934.html

Finally, I loved this article about a Lilly Oncology on Canvas, a travelling exhibition of art by cancer patients, survivors, friends, family and caregivers. Twenty-five pieces are on display at the new Community Cancer Center in Roseburg, Oregon. Said a cancer center volunteer who works in art therapy, "It just really gets to my heart. I've worked with people like this. They think nobody loves them, that nobody wants to touch them. I think when your mind is healing, your body can heal."
http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20090715/NEWS/907159976/1055

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

--Cat

Posted on July 16, 2009 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

You guys know I can't resist a good food story, and this week's is a humdinger: several major manufacturers of hot dogs are being sued by an offshoot of a vegetarian advocacy group. The Cancer Project wants hot dogs to carry warning labels cautioning that they increase the risk of cancer, citing an American Institute for Cancer Research report indicating that consumption of processed meats ups colorectal cancer risk.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g2VXQsB1U5blZHNw5KupjWVX-39QD99JORG00

When we hear the words "lung cancer," the image that most often comes to mind is that of a dedicated, pack-a-day smoker. But lung cancer also hits nonsmokers, and is just as lethal in those who've never touched a cigarette in their lives. Now a new NCI-sponsored study aims to examine the causes of lung cancer in those who have never smoked, looking for biomarkers and other risk indicators. "About 10 to 15 years after someone has stopped smoking, their cancer more closely resembles cancers from never-smokers than from smokers," the study's lead researcher notes. "As more and more people quit smoking, lung cancer will mainly become a disease of former smokers."
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/columnists/sburns/stories/DN-p2miller_23bus.ART.State.Edition1.3cf5983.html

A new study covered by the Army Times indicates that active-duty service members have higher rates of breast cancer and double the rates of prostate cancer of civilians. Researchers think early screening could be the culprit - the cancers are being caught earlier in the military population. But there could be other reasons. Military women are more likely to take birth control than the general population, and service members are more likely to be exposed to depleted uranium, which could up prostate cancer risk.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/military_cancerrates_072209w/

According to an article in the New York Times, doctors and pharmaceutical companies are moving toward a new cancer treatment approach involving longer chemotherapy. "Maintenance therapy" could help keep tumors under control longer and is increasingly common as newer, less toxic cancer drugs continue to emerge. But maintenance therapy remains controversial, both because some cancers cannot be controlled in the long-term and because of the burden it places on an already overloaded health care system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/health/21canc.html?_r=1&ref=health

Finally, fresh news on green tea, touted by some as the natural cure for all ills. A metastudy comparing the results of 51 previous studies performed over two decades finds no conclusive evidence that drinking green tea reduces cancer risk - and it may actually slightly increase the odds of developing bladder cancer. The authors did, however, note "limited moderate to strong evidence" that the beverage helps protect against lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancer.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/07/21/no-firm-evidence-green-tea-helps-prevent-cancer.html

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

--Cat

Posted on July 23, 2009 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Posted on July 30, 2009 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today's New York Times looks at Hispanics moving to the US, who, according to new research, face a 40% higher chance of developing certain cancers than if they had remained in their native countries. One potential explanation? Immigrants from many countries have been shown to rapidly develop new, less healthy dietary and lifestyle habits upon moving to the US (we are, after all, the proud birthplace of fast food). The higher rates could also be attributed to more aggressive diagnostic measures employed here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/health/07cancer.html

The Celera Corporation claims to have developed a blood test that could offer a safe way to diagnose early-stage lung cancer. The disease, which is one of the most lethal forms of cancer, often goes undetected until it has metastasized, making treatment difficult and recovery unlikely. Researchers found that the test, which uses a mass spectrometer to detect nine telling blood compounds, detected stage 1 lung cancer with over 90% accuracy.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSN0529409320090806

In this fascinating piece, the NYT looks at the phenomenon known as "chemo brain," the fogginess and memory loss that often accompany chemotherapy treatment. Though almost all chemo patients experience short-term issues with memory and concentration, around 15% suffer from long-term chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. "Some therapists have attributed the symptoms of chemo brain to anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue and fear rather than direct effects of chemotherapy on the brain and hormone balance," the article notes. "Yet when such factors dissipate, the symptoms may not."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/health/04brod.html?em

The FDA has issued a stronger version of its original black-box warning against TNF blockers, immune-disease drugs that, according to research, may cause lymphoma and other cancers in children and teens. An FDA study initiated last year found 48 cases of malignant cancers in children and teens and 147 cases of leukemia in all patients taking TNF blockers. Because immune disease is also associated with an increased risk of cancer, the FDA cannot definitely name TNF blockers as the cause, but the agency does warn doctors and patients to be aware of the risk.
http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20090804/child-teen-cancers-linked-to-tnf-blockers

Finally, a new study in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention indicates that more than half of Texas doctors are not recommending the HPV vaccine to their patients. The study focused on Texas because its governor's office issued a mandate two years ago that all girls be vaccinated for the virus. Results showed that 48.5% of Texas doctors always recommended the vaccine, 68.4% said they were likely to recommend it to boys and 41.7% agreed with the governor's mandate. Takeaway: if you want it, be sure to ask for it.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016017473?More%20Than%20Half%20Of%20Texas%20Doctors%20Not%20Recommending%20Cervical%20Cancer%20Vaccine

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

--Cat

Posted on August 6, 2009 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An article in today's edition of the New York Times looks at a new method for indentifying drugs that can specifically attack and destroy cancer stem cells. A team at the Broad Institute has developed a way to screen for drugs that can attack cancer stem cells while leaving ordinary cells unharmed, minimizing side effects and helping to determine which combinations of drugs could be most beneficial to patients. If the screening works in this way, one of the researchers says, "There is potential for a real renaissance in cancer therapeutics."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/health/research/14cancer.html?hp

Here's some more good news: according to a recent study in Cancer Research, rates of deaths caused by cancer have been on the decline for the past three decades, especially among those aged 35-45. These statistics reiterate those released by the American Cancer Society last May, but with a fresh twist, breaking down the improvements by age to show that every group has experienced at least some decline in mortality.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57C0LW20090813

Meanwhile, the results of a new study indicate that breastfeeding is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer among those with a family history of the disease. For women with an immediate relative who's had breast cancer, the study found their risk of premenopausal breast cancer was lowered by 59% by breastfeeding. "I was sort of stunned," the study's lead author said. "It's an impressive reduction in risk. Other studies either hadn't looked at this or didn't include enough women with a family history to find a statistically significant difference."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/health/research/11cancer.html

I always enjoy when an exciting new treatment comes from an unexpected place. This week, St. Louis researchers have found a way to treat tumors by attaching a toxin extracted from bee venom to nanoparticles. When mice were treated with the melettin-laced nanoparticles, their tumors shrunk, said the lead researcher. "Not only is it active, remains active in the bloodstream and gets to the site and does what it's supposed to do but it seems to cause absolutely no problems to any tissues or organs," he noted.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1542442/KWMU.News/Researchers.use.bee.venom..nanoparticles.to.kill.cancer.cells

Finally, new research out of Montreal indicates that heavy drinkers of beer and liquor have significantly higher risks of developing six different cancers: esophageal, stomach, colon, liver, pancreatic and lung. The link held up even when factors such as age, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, diet and smoking were considered. But no such link was found for non-drinkers, light and moderate drinkers and those who drank wine. In short: pour out your vodka and bring on the cabernet sauvignon!
http://www.vancouversun.com/Study+links+drinking+with+cancer/1857866/story.html

That's all for this week, but I'll be back next Thursday with more from the wide world of cancer news!

--Cat

Posted on August 13, 2009 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new study looks at the risks and benefits of the cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. According to a government report, the vaccine's safety record is in line with that of other vaccines; though some serious complications have occurred, they cannot be proven to have been caused by Gardasil. "We feel confident recommending people get the vaccine; the benefits still outweigh the risks," said Dr. Barbara Slade, study author and a medical officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This is the most complete picture we have."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/health/research/19vaccine.html?em

This piece from Science Daily presents a new potential breakthrough in cancer prevention. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have found that the tail ends of cellular protein templates, which were previously thought to be relatively inconsequential, could play a role in preventing normal cells from becoming cancerous. "This end of the mRNA is often not considered that important because if you put the beginning and middle of the mRNA into a cell, you get the right protein," said one of the researchers. "But now we know that this end often has a protein production regulatory program and in some cases can play a role in cancer."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820123935.htm

Meanwhile, a new JAMA study indicates that when nurses reach out to those with advanced cancer, even if it's only via a quick phone call, the cancer patients' mood and quality of life improve by leaps and bounds. Nurses in the study talked patients through coping strategies, physician communication, ways to find support and managing their symptoms. "I can't think of anything more important than to be able to improve patients' self-assessed quality of life," one of the researchers noted. "This is the whole point of health care."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-18-palliative-cancer_N.htm

A study from the University of Michigan's Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates that racial disparities in cancer care are a reflection of hospital resources. Hospitals treating more black cancer patients have worse survival rates, on average, than other facilities. "Efforts aimed at increasing early detection through screening and decreasing incidence with preventative services are essential for decreasing racial disparities in mortality, but where a patient receives care after a cancer diagnosis may be equally important," said a study author.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-08/uomh-dic082009.php

Finally, fresh research indicates that popcorn is full of antioxidants. A chemist out of Pennsylvania has discovered that popcorn contains surprisingly high levels of polyphenols, antioxidants that help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. "We really were surprised by the levels of polyphenols we found in popcorn," said the researcher. "I guess it's because it's not processed. You get all the wonderful ingredients of the corn undiluted and protected by the skin. In my opinion it's a good health food." So next time you're at the movies, give the Raisinets a pass and opt for the popcorn - the more the better!
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/08/20/2009-08-20_popcorn_is_full_of_cancerfighting_antioxidants_study.html

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

--Cat

Posted on August 20, 2009 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

In encouraging news this week, it looks like prostate cancer is being diagnosed earlier these days, and the "race gap" between black and white stages of diagnosis has also narrowed. In the past, researchers had noted that black men tended to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at a later disease stage than white men, resulting in worse mortality rates. Study co-author Dr. Grace L. Lu-Yao says the change can be attributed in part to the more widespread use of prostate-specific antigen screening.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8429268

Meanwhile, a team of Swiss scientists have found a way to block the growth of human color cancer cells, preventing the disease from reaching advanced stages and mestasizing to the liver. The technique involves blocking the "Hedgehog-GLI" pathway, which is used by cells to communicate with one another to determine growth and survival. "This work firmly establishes the critical action of HH-GLI in human colon cancer cells, providing the platform for preclinical and future clinical work," said the lead researcher on the project.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826191839.htm

New research indicates that US teens and adults diagnosed with blood-related cancers are experiencing better survival rates than they did in the 80s. According to data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database, ten-year survival rates for blood-related cancers have improved by as much as 75% (in the case of chronic myelocetic leukemia). But the researchers also noted that with the exception of Hodgkin's lymphoma, young adult survival rates still lag behind those seen in children.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/08/27/steady-improvements-seen-for-young-blood-cancer.html

According to a study in the most recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Pathology, the much-heralded Gardasil vaccine could be useful in preventing penile cancer. Though penile cancer is uncommon in the US, accounting for less than 1% of adult male cancers, the disease constitutes as many as 10% of cancers in Africa and Asia. HPV causes around half of all penile cancer cases worldwide. "Although penile carcinoma is a rare disease, around 7,000 cases would be prevented annually by the eradication of HPV-16/18," the study's authors say.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/08/25/hpv-vaccine-could-prevent-many-penile-cancers.html

Finally, here's some interesting new research out of Indiana University. Researchers analyzed data from over three million cancer patients looking for tends in survival based on whether the patients were separated, divorced, widowed or never married. According to the study's results, the lowest cancer survival rates were to be found among those who were undergoing a separation at the time of diagnosis, followed by those who were widowed, those who were divorced and those who had never been married.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090824/marital-status-affects-cancer-survival

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

--Cat

Posted on August 27, 2009 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new University of Michigan study indicates that family and friends are influential in helping women make decisions related to breast cancer treatment. Women who had a friend or family member accompany them to their first appointment with a breast surgeon were found to be more likely to receive a mastectomy. "Family and friends have a potentially important role in treatment discussions. More than 70 percent of women brought someone with them to the appointment, providing a chance for surgeons to convey information to both the patient and her support person," said the study's lead author.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-brs/630492.html

Racial disparities in cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival are a huge problem in the US and worldwide. Now new research adds fuel to the fire. According to a study in the most recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, black people have a significantly higher risk of dying from pancreatic cancer than whites, even when controlling for factors like smoking and obesity. "Unfortunately, we were unable to explain these differences," noted one of the doctors involved in the study. "We still have a long way to go towards understanding pancreatic cancer disparities."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/09/02/pancreatic-cancer-deaths-higher-for-blacks.html

Disturbing news out of Seattle: research indicates that former employees of the Hanford nuclear reservation in Richland, Wash, and other similar facilities are 11 times more likely to develop mesothelioma and three times more likely to develop multiple myeloma than the general population. Ninety-four of the 266 Hanford workers who had died prior to the study had died of cancer. The other sites studied with Savannah River, South Carolina, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Amchitka, Alaska.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_hanford_cancer_study.html?source=mypi

In other epidemiological/environmental news, diesel fumes have been linked with cancer growth. New research out of Ohio State University shows that the tiny size of inhaled diesel particles enables them to penetrate the human circulatory system, organs and tissues, potentially inducing the growth of new blood vessels that supply tumors. "The message from our study is that exposure to diesel exhaust for just a short time period of two months could give even normal tissue the potential to develop a tumor," said the study's senior author.
http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/09/03/Diesel-fumes-linked-to-cancer-growth/UPI-13941251993485/

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on September 3, 2009 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The controversy over whether cell phones increase cancer risk continues. Conflicting reports make the issue a tough call, and at least one lawmaker is attempting to learn more. Sen Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) pledged on Monday to promote further research into whether the devices cause cancer, especially in kids. "I'm reminded of this nation's experience with cigarettes," Harkin said. "Decades passed between the first warnings about smoking tobacco and the final definitive conclusion that cigarettes cause lung cancer."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/14/AR2009091402952.html?hpid=sec-tech

New research in mice indicates that metformin, a commonly prescribed diabetes medication, may help shrink breast tumors when used in conjunction with doxorubicin chemotherapy - and could also prevent cancers from recurring as they become more and more resistant to treatment. In the October edition of Cancer Research, Harvard Medical School researchers note that the results could have big implications for cancer treatment, with mice remaining tumor-free for three months on the combined regimen.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203278404574413273870984920.html

This article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution looks at cancer rates for Hispanics living in the US. Though Hispanics are less likely to die from cancer than non-Hispanic whites, studies show they have higher rates of stomach, liver and cervix malignancies - all of which can be linked to infections, according to a new American Cancer Society report. "There's a real lack of support for culturally appropriate and linguistically appropriate services for them," said Hilary Waldman, a spokesperson for the Hispanic Health Council.
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/-brs/630957.html

Another study has emerged linking cancer outcomes to depression - this time a comprehensive meta-analysis of past studies on the relationship between survival and psychological state. According to the LA Times, the meta-study shows that those who suffer depressive symptoms following cancer diagnosis are 25% more likely to die of the disease than those who do not show signs of depression. Among those diagnosed with major or minor depression during the course of treatment, the risk of dying increased by 39%.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/09/depression-linked-to-earlier-death-when-cancer-is-diagnosed.html

Finally, this Washington Post article looks at whether trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection, could increase men's risk of developing advanced prostate cancer. New research out of the Harvard School of Public Health shows that men with the infection were twice as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer - and three times as likely to develop a lethal case of the disease - than a control group. Trichomoniasis infects nearly 174 million people worldwide each year, and 75% of men who have the infection don't know it.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2009/09/does_infection_boost_prostate.html?hpid=sec-health

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on September 17, 2009 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's hard to believe October's already here - and so is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So it seems fitting to kick off this week's round of links with the news that US breast cancer deaths continue to decline, according to the ACS. A recent report from the organization shows that breast cancer deaths have declined around 2% a year since 1990. But the news isn't all good. An estimated 192,000 women will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and around 40,000 will die from it; only lung cancer causes more cancer deaths in women.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/10/01/breast_cancer_deaths_falling/

In further breast cancer news, a recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study links a "prudent" diet with lower breast cancer risk. According to a study of more than 50,000 African-American women, a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, veggies and fish resulted in a decreased risk of developing the disease - though there was no evidence that healthier eating lowered the risk among overweight and post-menopausal women. The researchers note that past studies have also indicated that a healthy diet can lower breast cancer risk in normal-weight women, but not, unfortunately, those who are overweight.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WireStory?id=8724910&page=2

By now you've probably heard the news that President Obama recently announced $5 billion in new research grants. The funds come from the economic stimulus package and are designed to promote cutting-edge scientific research on several diseases, including cancer. (Sounds familiar!) The president noted that the 12,000 or so grants will lead to new jobs "conducting research, manufacturing and supplying medical equipment, and building and modernizing laboratories and research facilities."
http://www.examiner.com/x-8543-SF-Health-News-Examiner~y2009m10d1-Obamas-five-billion-dollar-cancer-research-push

Fresh research out of Duke University, published in the journal Urology, indicates that men who exercise at moderate levels experience a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer. Among 190 men who underwent biopsies to detect possible prostate cancer, those who exercised "moderately," which the researchers characterize as equivalent to three hours or more of brisk walking each week, were two-thirds less likely to have the disease. And among the men who did have cancer, those who did as little as an hour of walking a week were less likely to have aggressive, faster-growing tumors.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8704391

Finally, this article from the Baltimore Sun looks at a topic we don't hear much about: intimacy and cancer, which the piece calls the "2,000-pound elephant in the bedroom." The piece relates a few tips from the ACS on maintaining physical intimacy during cancer treatment, which can cause tough-to-cope-with changes to the body. No big surprises here: the ACS reminds couples to keep the lines of communication open, to research the impact treatment may have on sexuality, and above all else, to stay positive.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/family/sns-health-breast-cancer-intimacy,0,2855352.story

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

--Cat

Posted on October 1, 2009 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Canadian researchers have developed a hormone testing technique that could one day be part of a handheld device for the detection of breast cancer. The "lab on a chip" technique out of University of Toronto analyzes tiny samples of blood and breast tissue, identifying women at a risk for the disease by analyzing estrogen concentration. Now the research team is preparing for a clinical trial in 200 Canadian women to validate the promising method.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091008/hl_afp/healthuscanadacancer_20091008011944

According to new research by US and Chinese immunology experts, human stem cells could one day be used to create a vaccination for colon cancer. Human embryonic cells injected into mice produced a consistent immune system response against colon cancer cells, indicating that they may be able to produce the same effect in humans. One of the researchers involved added that the discovery may also have implications for other forms of cancers: "Although we have only tested the protection against colon cancer, we believe that stem cells might be useful for generating an immune response against a broad spectrum of cancers, thus serving as a universal cancer vaccine," he said.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/166696.php

A new study shows that exercise during breast cancer treatment can boost patients' feeling of well-being during a difficult and often frightening time. Among Chinese women diagnosed with the disease, those reporting even low levels of regular exercise reported better physical, mental and social well-being than those who did not exercise. Recommended levels of exercise include a brisk, 45-minute walk three days a week, yoga for 40 minutes three times a week or any aerobic exercise for a half hour three times a week.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=8783064

Elsewhere, researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute are using computer simulations to validate treatment targets for lung cancer. This "in silico" research helps identify lung cancer pathways to better match treatments to individual patients - an idea that may sound familiar to you if you know anything about SU2C's breast cancer Dream Team. "There is going to be a wealth of profiling data out there in the near future," said a doc involved in the study. "You can then apply techniques like this, and hopefully design smarter clinical trials to find the drugs that would work."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091007081353.htm

Finally, a new study adds to growing evidence that childhood cancer survivors go on to experience difficulties later in life that are not always addressed. According to fresh research out of Yale School of Medicine, childhood cancer survivors are 20 to 25% more likely to remain unmarried than the general population. "Many childhood cancer survivors still struggle to fully participate in our society because of the lasting cognitive and physical effects of their past cancer therapy," noted the study's lead researcher.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091008/cancer_survivors_091008/20091008?hub=TopStoriesV2

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on October 8, 2009 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Disturbing news from Forbes this week, reporting on an increasingly widespread form of tonsil cancer caused by a virus. The new form of the disease, which is different from that caused by smoking and problem drinking, is caused by HPV - the same virus that causes cervical cancer in women. The NCI estimates that 4,000 people, 75% of them men, develop the form of throat cancer annually. One solution could be to give kids of both genders the HPV vaccine, but the jury's still out.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1102/health-cancer-tonsils-virus-hpv-at-our-throats.html

New research shows that cancer patients going through chemotherapy experience less treatment-related fatigue when they exercise. A study from Denmark confirms what many already knew: that exercise boosts feelings of well-being during chemo, thereby helping with the fatigue problem. The exercise program should include both high- and low-intensity activities like aerobics and massage therapy.
http://in.reuters.com/article/health/idINTRE59E4J320091015

Meanwhile, research out of Japan indicates that it is possible for cancer cells to be passed from a pregnant woman to her unborn child, although the cases are very rare. Generally speaking, the placenta and the baby's immune system prevent cancer cells from being passed on, but in one case discovered by Japanese researchers, a woman passed leukemic cells to her unborn daughter. It is the first time that this link has been genetically proven.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2009/10/091013_cancer_child.shtml

According to a cell biologist at UC Berkeley, skin cells may be able to provide an early warning for cancer risk elsewhere in the body. By inexpensively culturing a few skin cells, Harry Rubin argues that increases in how densely cells grow can be measured, warning of cancer risks that could be ameliorated by behavioral changes. "This is the first step in cancer, though not yet cancer, and you can measure these changes quantitatively," Rubin said.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015163555.htm

Finally, new Norwegian research indicates that survivors of testicular cancer face an increased risk of long-term illness owing to the medical treatment they receive. A study published in the November issue of the Journal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons shows that almost 25% of testicular cancer survivors develop long-term neurological, hearing and circulation problems. Twenty percent of the men studied also faced infertility. The researchers recommend quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and increasing physical activity as ways to mitigate these long-term issues.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016701624?Testicular%20Cancer%20Surviors%20Face%20Long%20Term%20Health%20Risks%20From%20Treatments

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

--Cat

Posted on October 15, 2009 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New research out of Yale indicates that the right combination of estrogen and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) could relieve the symptoms of menopause while cutting breast cancer risk. Ever since hormone replacement therapy was shown in several studies to increase breast cancer risk, researchers have looked for a safe way to alleviate menopausal symptoms. The addition of the SERM to the therapy appears to block cell growth; now the results are being tested in large-scale clinical trials.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019172339.htm

A new treatment for renal cancer has been approved by the FDA. Votrient, otherwise known as pazopanib, was shown in a phase III trial to reduce the risk of advanced renal cell carcinoma progression by 54% compared with a placebo, irrespective of prior treatment. Advanced renal cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the kidney and is highly resistant to chemotherapy; around 13,000 Americans will die from the disease this year.
http://seekingalpha.com/article/167957-glaxosmithkline-receives-fda-approval-for-renal-cancer-treatment

A clinic in Reading, Massachusetts has been using a new form of breast cancer screening that eliminates the waiting period often associated with suspicious mammography results. Breast scintigraphy involves injecting a contrast agent into a patient, then using a gamma camera to look for "hot spots" in the breast that could indicate cancer. The Lahey Clinic is using the technique to provide patients with abnormal mammograms faster results than they would get from a six-month follow-up mammogram.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/reading/homepage/x927263244/New-brerast-cancer-test-at-Lahey-Clinic

Recent research from the Journal of General Internal Medicine indicates that cancer survivors who smoke may not be getting the support they need to quit. In fact, more than a quarter of cancer survivors who smoke didn't get any advice about quitting from their health care provider, according to the study. "While smoking cessation is difficult, it can play an important role in increasing cancer survivors' quality of life," said the study's lead author. "Time and again, studies have shown that people really do listen to what is said at the doctor's office in regards to smoking, so healthcare providers need to take advantage of this teachable moment."
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/10/cancer-survivors-are-often-inspired-to-live-more-healthfully-but-not-all-do-despite-a-desire-to-quit-cigarettes-some-conti.html

It's been a while since I threw any food-related news items into the mix, so here's a good one: a new Australian study indicates that selenium can dramatically cut the risk of developing bowel cancer. Selenium, which helps trigger apoptosis - otherwise known as cell death - is found in seafood, grain and eggs, among other common foods; in one study, mice who were fed extra selenium showed a 60% reduced incidence of bowel cancer. Cheers to that!
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26248632-12377,00.html

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

--Cat

Posted on October 22, 2009 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Posted on October 29, 2009 4:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Posted on November 5, 2009 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to new research, around half of women who undergo surgery for breast cancer still experience symptoms of pain and numbness up to three years later, with women under 40 who've received lumpectomies at the greatest risk of lingering side-effects. Though it's considered normal for women to experience pain or loss of sensation in the breast, armpit, arm or side, 40% of women experience pain in other parts of the body. Scientists say that in most cases the pain can be reduced with the help of a physical therapist.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/11/breast.cancer.survivors.pain/

A story in the New York Times' excellent Well Blog looks at the results of a disturbing new study that indicates that women with cancer and other serious illnesses are seven times more likely to become separated or divorced than men with similar health problems. "There clearly is an emotional attachment women have to spouse, family and home that in times of stress causes women to hunker down and deal with it, while men may want to flee," said the study's lead researcher, adding that more research on the topic is needed. The study also showed that couples who had been married longer were less likely to break up following a cancer diagnosis.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/men-more-likely-to-leave-spouse-with-cancer/

Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that the drug Sprycel, which is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, can also be effective in fighting ovarian cancer. Better still, when paired with a chemotherapy regimen, the drug was shown to be even more effective. "It is important to remember that this work is only on cancer cell lines, but it is significant enough that it should be used to justify clinical trials to confirm that women with this type of ovarian cancer could benefit," said the study's first author.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/11/12/Leukemia-med-may-also-fight-ovarian-cancer/UPI-40751258054895/

In this NYT feature called "Uncovered," six patients share their experiences with the current health care system. The first, Tasha Huebner, tells her story of battling breast cancer first, then the bills that came along with it. "There was $5,000 that they denied for my surgery, and they said it was because there was an extra nurse in the room," she says. "I didn't even know what to do with that . . . I'd be tired, not feeling well, and I'd have more bills. I'd be in tears because it was just too much."
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/02/health/INSURANCE_VOICES.html?ref=health

Finally, this piece from US News and World Report confirms that the declining use of hormone replacement therapy among menopausal women may be driving down the rates of a condition known as "atypical ductal hyperplasia," which is a known risk factor for breast cancer. If the link is confirmed by subsequent research, the relationship between HRT and breast cancer will be better understood, hopefully leading to superior treatments.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/12/less-hrt-fewer-cases-of-possible-breast-cancer.html

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on November 12, 2009 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the wake of this week's news that the US Preventative Services Task Force has revised its recommendations on screening mammography - more on that in a different entry to come - a new report indicates that only 25% of adults aged 50 to 64 in the US are getting their recommended cancer screenings. "This is really looking at untapped opportunities to improve the health of adults," said the report's co-author. "It really talks about broadening the use of these potentially lifesaving preventive services."
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/19/too-few-older-adults-get-recommended-screenings.html

Meanwhile, the debate over the new screening recommendations rages on. Though the USPSTF stresses that it is not telling women under 50 not to receive mammograms but rather encouraging them to talk to their doctors about it, groups like the ACS have been quick to speak out against the recommendations, which they say have the potential to impact Medicare reimbursement as well as reimbursement from private payors.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/19/earlyshow/health/main5710326.shtml

The parents of an 11-year-old girl who passed away from cancer in August have taken Capitol Hill by storm. Their daughter, who appears to have been a victim of a "cancer cluster" seen in their hometown of Clyde, Ohio, inspired them to fight to be sure the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Act receives its $30 million in annual funding. "It's been a long day, but it's been very worthwhile," said Warren Brown. "Has anyone committed to saying the $30 million will be there? No. Are there some intimations the money will be there? I would say yes."
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091119/NEWS16/911199971

According to fresh research from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, smoking-related bladder cancer is on the rise. You read that right: not lung, but bladder cancer. Dartmouth Medical School has observed that the risk of developing smoking-related bladder cancer has increased in New Hampshire since the 90s. An accompanying editorial points out that this could be the result of changes in the contents of cigarettes over the years.
http://professional.cancerconsultants.com/oncology_main_news.aspx?id=44306

Finally, an engineering researcher at University of Florida has designed a "micro-endoscope" to detect the early warning signs of cancer in the body. The device can see beneath the surface of tissues to reveal abnormal groups of cells or unusual growth patterns before cancerous growths become visible. The engineer says the endoscopes could also be used to assess how well treatment is going and could help in surgical planning.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091119121304.htm

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

--Cat

Posted on November 19, 2009 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The controversy over the new PSTF mammography screening guidelines rages on. This NPR interview with Dr. Carol Lee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering looks at a new side of the debate: whether there are better methods for detecting breast cancer in women under the age of 50. Lee touches on ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine techniques, but notes that so far none have been shown to be a suitable replacement for mammography.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/11/mammography_and_beyond_for_bre.html

A new study indicates that cutting the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming could come with a set of health benefits. According to The Lancet, a global effort to walk and cycle more, drive less, switch to cleaner-burning stoves and reduce dairy and meat consumption could not only save the environment - it could also save lives. "Climate change can seem a distant, impersonal threat: In fact, the associated costs to health are a very real and present danger," says the UK's Health Secretary. "We need well- designed climate-change policies that drive health benefits."
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aazEVJP_nSA8

Unraveling the mystery of breast cancer risk factors just got a little easier. New research helps to explain how pregnancy can protect against the disease: the pregnancy protein alpha-fetoprotein has been shown to slow the growth of breast cancer in rats. The study's lead researcher, who has worked for two decades to prove this thesis, says that one day the finding could be leveraged into better treatment for the disease. However, other researchers warn that further investigation is necessary.
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20091124/pregnancy-protein-may-slow-breast-cancer

The CDC has released a set of flu season guidelines tailored toward cancer patients and survivors, who face an increased risk of complications from the virus. In a new section of their website, they answer frequently asked questions about cancer and the flu, looking at what adult cancer patients and survivors should know about this winter's flu season, whether they should be vaccinated and what kinds of antiviral drugs should be prescribed.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu/

Finally, this piece from CNN.com looks at whether gay men are at an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Dr. Otis Brawley, CMO of the ACS, answers that both men and women who engage in anal intercourse are at an increased risk for developing anal cancer, but the risk factors for colorectal cancers have been shown to be the same regardless of sexual orientation - family history, age and presence of inflammatory bowel disease.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/expert.q.a/11/25/rectal.anal.cancer.risk.brawley/

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

--Cat

Posted on December 3, 2009 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

By now you've probably heard that the annual "cancer report card" for the US is in, with the National Cancer Institute reporting a decline in both overall cancer rates and overall mortality rates. According to the report, the decline is probably due to a combination of factors ranging from preventative medicine to lifestyle changes to better efforts at early detection. However, some forms of cancer have shown little or no progress.
http://www.examiner.com/x-28889-DC-Alternative-Medicine-Examiner~y2009m12d10-National-Cancer-Institute-reports-decline-in-overall-cancer-rate

Disturbing news this week for Angelenos and anyone else who lives in a traffic-snarled part of the world: new research has linked cancer to the air around congested freeways. According to tests performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA, the brains of lab rats began to change after just three months of exposure to traffic-polluted air, suggesting that ultrafine particles in diesel soot and other combustion biproducts have a carcinogenic effect. "Of all the particulate matter, those coming from diesel appear to be the most worrisome," said the study's lead researcher.
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_13955712?source=rss

In cheerier news, new evidence suggests that bisphosphonates, drugs that are used by tens of millions o women to fight osteoporosis, also cut the risk of developing breast cancer. In a study of over 150,000 postmenopausal women, those taking the drugs showed a 32% reduction in their rate of invasive breast cancer versus those who were not. "Bone loss and potential fractures are a known complication of breast cancer therapy. Our feeling is that bisphosphonates may actually prevent disease recurrence through a variety of mechanisms," said the study's author.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/bone-drugs-may-beat-back-breast-cancer.html

You guys know I always enjoy a bit of food-related news - especially at this time of year! So I was heartened to read that pistachios contain a certain type of vitamin E that can help reduce the risk of developing lung cancers and other malignancies. In a study comparing 18 people who ate 68 grams of pistachios a day for a month with 18 who did not add pistachios to their normal diet, those in the pistachio group showed significantly higher levels of gamma-tocopherol, the beneficial vitamin. "Pistachios are one of those 'good-for-you' nuts, and two ounces per day could be incorporated into dietary strategies designed to reduce the risk of lung cancer without significant changes in body mass index," said a study author.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/09/want-to-cut-cancer-risk-try-munching-pistachios.html

Finally, a study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that loneliness in rats can increase cancer incidence. Test rats were separated at birth, with some kept in groups of five and others isolated. Remarkably, those kept alone showed a 135% increase in mammary tumors, a whopping 8,391% increase in tumor size and a 3.3-fold increase in the relative risk of malignancy. They also showed higher levels of corticosterone, a hormone associated with stress.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/12/09/study-lonely-rats-more-apt-to-get-deadly-cancer/

Well, that's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for another research round-up!

--Cat

Posted on December 10, 2009 3:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By now you've probably read the news that an Archives of Internal Medicine study indicates that radiation from CT scans could result in 14,500 cancer deaths for every year the technology is used. It's new information to consider in a familiar debate - do the risks of screening with advanced technology outweigh the benefits? One important aspect to consider: newer CT scanners are better equipped to perform low-dose imaging and include preprogrammed settings designed to further reduce radiation dose.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-sci-ct-scans15-2009dec15,0,3370000.story

New research out of Columbia University indicates that disparities in cancer survival rates for minorities increase as cancers become more treatable. In other words, disparities are almost nonexistent in cancers such as pancreatic and lung cancer; instead, they're seen in cancers with more extensive early detection and treatment options. "We must pay close attention to how the benefits of our medical advances are distributed in the population, and implement specific strategies that can reduce cancer disparities," said the paper's senior author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091217133734.htm

A new study in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine indicates that there may be a way to identify malignant breast tumors without biopsying them. Around 5.6 million biopsies are performed annually in the US on benign lesions; the unpleasant procedures cause patients substantial stress, and also add cost to an overburdened health system. Now a new imaging agent can be used as a biomarker during PET scanning to evaluate tumors - at least in mice. "If this ability of 64Cu-TP3805 holds up in humans, then in the future, PET scans with 64Cu-TP3805 will significantly contribute to the management of breast cancer," said the study's lead author.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091217150842.htm

Finally, new research indicates that folic acid may be linked to cancer development. The synthetic form of vitamin B9 is used to fortify foods in the US to prevent birth defects and is taken by expectant mothers in pill form. But a new JAMA study shows that those taking folic acid may have a 21% higher chance of developing cancer - and a 38% higher chance of dying from it. The study involved 6,837 people with heart disease with an average age of 62. One quick caveat: all study participants who took folic acid also took B12 supplements, and the study didn't determine whether the two shared equally in the added risk.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/health/6772092.html

That's all for this week. The Weekly Links will take a break next week for the holiday, but we'll be back in the new year with more news you can use!

--Cat

Posted on December 17, 2009 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New research in the journal Cell indicates that the presence of stored fats in the body may make cancer cells more aggressive. When the enzyme that breaks down these fats goes into "overdrive" in cancer cells, free fatty acids are released, which can promote cancer growth and progression. The researchers behind the study note that this could be the explanation for the established link between obesity and cancer.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/634711.html

British scientists have uncovered several gene mutations linked to kidney cancer, providing evidence that this form of the disease, much like breast cancer, can be divided into subtypes requiring different methods of treatment. The good news is that the research opens the door for more tailored treatments for kidney cancer patients, and reinforces the case for more emphasis on personalized medicine when it comes to cancer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6054A820100106

Researchers in Montreal have discovered a previously unsuspected link between two genetic pathways that act to suppress the growth of tumors. The breakthrough reveals that when one of the genes, PTEN, is absent, the other, PKR, loses its ability to inhibit protein synthesis, enabling cancers to grow. Remember our old friend the PI3K pathway, currently being studied by SU2C Dream Team scientists? The discovery could one day give a boost to PI3K-targeted treatment as well therapies for aggressive prostate cancers, brain cancers and melanomas.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100107133401.htm

On a particularly cheery note for those facing prostate cancer, one new study shows that regular exercise can help prevent the incontinence issues that are sometimes a side-effect of surgery for the disease. Among 165 men who had their prostate glands removed, those who were not obese and getting regular exercise beforehand had the lowest occurrence of long-term incontinence; even among obese men, those who had been physically active before surgery were less likely to face the side effect a year after the procedure.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6063FX20100107

Finally, research out of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center indicates that most breast cancer surgeons' practices do not follow standards associated with the best quality of care, including consulting with other specialists and providing patients with resources to help them make treatment decisions. Out of 318 surgeons in Detroit and LA, only 13% said they routinely consulted with a plastic surgeon; one-third said they discussed patients' treatment plans with medical or radiation oncologists; and one-third said their patients typically participate in patient decision support activities. The study did find, however, that these percentages tended to be much higher amongst surgeons who treated mostly breast cancer patients.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100105125840.htm

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

--Cat

Posted on January 7, 2010 3:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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

Posted on January 21, 2010 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new study out of the University of Washington indicates that pelvic symptoms are unlikely to work as an accurate predictor of ovarian cancer. Researchers found that only one in 100 women with the usual symptoms, including persistent bloating and pelvic pain, actually had the disease. Further, among women with ovarian cancer, only 6% had persistent symptoms. "We'd all like to find ways to diagnose this cancer earlier," said the study's lead investigator. "What this suggests is that it's going to be hard to move the diagnosis of ovarian cancer forward."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60R79H20100128

Elsewhere, research shows that surgery to treat severe heartburn doesn't do much to reduce patients' chances of developing esophageal cancer. Patients who undergo the procedure continue to have a high risk of developing the disease even after 15 years or more have gone by, according to a report in the journal Gastroenterology. Now the researchers are delving deeper into the data, evaluating other risk factors such as obesity and the recurrence of reflux.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60R5SA20100128

A report in the most recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute adds to a growing wealth of data showing that some survivors of childhood cancer tend to experience difficulties in school. Researchers found that only survivors of central nervous system cancers and leukemia survivors had a statistically significant deficit in educational attainment; therapy for these diseases often involves radiation treatment to the head. "These results provide grounds for concern for survivors of CNS neoplasms and those with leukemia who were cranially irradiated, as well as reassurance regarding educational attainment among all other survivors," the study's authors write.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/635417.html

In cheerier news, some results are in from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, and they indicate that higher levels of vitamin D can help protect both men and women against colorectal cancers. The researchers caution that little is known about the association of vitamin D with the risk of other cancers, making it ill-advised at this juncture to rush out and invest in vitamin D supplements, but add that people can achieve average levels "with a balanced diet combined with regular and moderate exposure to outdoor sunlight."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60Q56820100127

Finally, a new poll indicates that a majority of Americans are optimistic about the possibility of a cure for cancer being discovered within their lifetimes. The survey of 1048 adults from around the country reveals that Americans over 65 are the most pessimistic about finding a cure, while 70% of those under 30 believe a cure is at least somewhat likely to be found. Twenty-seven percent of those polled said they watched their diet to reduce their cancer risk, and 12% cited their decision not to smoke. Interestingly, only 7% gave America an "A" grade when it comes to making progress toward a cure.
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/28/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6152020.shtml

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on January 28, 2010 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Did you know that today is World Cancer Day? This year's theme is prevention, with a focus on lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking and exercising regularly. The World Health Organization has issued a report indicating that around 40% of cancers worldwide are potentially preventable. WHO also warned that without changes, global cancer deaths could jump from an estimated 7.6 million this year to 17 million in 2030.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/03/AR2010020301299.html

You don't hear a lot of good news about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) these days, but a new study suggests that menopausal women using HRT may have a lower risk of developing colon cancer. This news, reported in the American Journal of Epidemiology, must be taken with a very large grain of salt, as HRT has repeatedly been proven to come with hefty health risks, including an increased chance of developing breast cancer. However, the findings do support the theory that estrogen offers some protection against colon cancer, and point to a need for further study into the effects of HRT on different organs, the researchers say.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6134XJ20100204

Yowza. New research in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention indicates that soft drinks may be worse for your health than you ever knew. In a study of over 60,000 men and women in Singapore who were followed for 14 years, researchers found that those who consumed two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% higher risk of developing pancreatic cancer, possibly because of elevated insulin levels in the body. However, the study's senior author does add that those who consumed the drinks on a regular basis tended to have a "poor behavioral profile" in general, which may have contributed to their increased risk.
http://www.examiner.com/x-12568-Indianapolis-Health-Examiner~y2010m2d4-Two-or-more-soft-drinks-a-day-raise-pancreatic-cancer-risk-82

A recent study from the journal Nanomedicine shows that magnetic nanoparticles have the ability to selectively remove ovarian cancer cells from human ascites fluid, potentially preventing the spread of the disease. "Circulating tumor cells can implant at distant sites and give rise to secondary tumors. Our technique is designed to filter the peritoneal fluid or blood and remove these free floating cancer cells, which should increase longevity by preventing the continued metastatic spread of the cancer," noted one of the study's authors.
http://www.healthimaging.com/index.php?option=com_articles&view=article&id=20475:magnetic-nanoparticles-might-prevent-spread-of-the-cancer

Finally, a little dispatch from the personal finance department: the Wall Street Journal reports on a new study indicating that discussing treatment costs with health providers as early as possible after a cancer diagnosis helps patients budget better for the payments to come. Don't be uncomfortable raising these issues with doctors and office staff, advises the director of the ACS' Patient Navigator Program: "When you do get sick you have so much on your plate, so at least having a general understanding of what insurance covers relieves some of that stress," she says.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100204-711888.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

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

--Cat

Posted on February 4, 2010 3:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

According to a study out of UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, chemical modifications to proteins called histones can be used to predict the prognosis for and response to treatment of certain patients with pancreatic cancer. Histone modifications are an epigenetic change in the body, i.e. one that occurs over the course of one's life rather than because of their inherited DNA. (If the word "epigenetics" sounds familiar - it should!) "Overall, these histone modifications are providing useful information as to how a cancer may behave," said one of the researchers. "In addition, there may be a direct causal link between these changes and tumor aggressiveness."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100211091204.htm

Elsewhere, a team of scientists in New Jersey is working to learn more about "the secret lives" of cancer cells that self-cannibalize to survive periods of stress. It sounds like a good thing - let 'em eat themselves - but, in fact, researchers think self-cannibalization may be critical to a tumor's growth. The scientists in the study hope to produce new therapies that can stem these changes, which make cancer cells resistant to treatment. "The ultimate test will be to take all of our findings and use that information to develop novel approaches for eradicating cancer," said one team member. "If we can prevent tumor cells from utilizing this altered metabolic state then that should be the Achilles' heel of tumors."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100211151649.htm

You guys know I can't resist a good food story, and this one's my favorite of all the ones I've shared with you so far. Scientists have discovered that red grapes and dark chocolate are both foods that starve cancer cells - which puts red wine and this Dove bar right here in the same fine company as blueberries, garlic, soy and green tea. "What we eat is really our chemotherapy three times a day," explains one of the researchers behind the discovery, whose team is systematically identifying anti-cancer foods. I for one am thankful they checked out red wine and chocolate. Thanks for doing the due diligence there, guys!
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1192292/Cancer-starved-by-sweet-treat

Scientists at Yale recently announced that they've streamlined the process for synthesizing a family of compounds with the potential to kill cancer and other diseased cells. In the Journal of the American Chemical Society they introduce the unique category of anti-cancer agents, which are called kinamycins. "The key to success will be whether we can develop selectivity--whether we can kill cancer cells in the presence of non-cancerous tissue," said the study's lead author. "Based on what we already know about the chemical reactivity of these molecules, I'm optimistic we can do this."
http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Science_220/Yale_Scientists_Synthesize_Unique_Family_of_Anti-Cancer_Compounds.shtml

Finally, a little news on lung cancer: researchers have discovered sex-specific lung cancer genes, which go a long way toward explaining why the disease can be dramatically different between men and women. According to a JAMA study, the biology of lung cancer in women is extremely different from that in men, meaning there may be better ways to target treatments in the future. "Women, in general, have a less complex disease, at least in terms of the numbers of molecular pathways involved," said the study's lead author. "We also discovered that there is a subset of elderly patients would probably benefit from treatments that we've normally reserved for younger patients."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61903W20100210

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on February 11, 2010 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A new study out of Milan indicates that men who work in certain occupations experience an increased risk of lung cancer. Chemicals and other job hazards "play a remarkable role" in risk, although smoking remains by far the biggest cause of the disease. High-risk occupations included mining, metalworking and certain types of construction work; men with these professions were found to be 74% more likely to have been diagnosed with lung cancer.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61E53920100215

The FDA has established a risk plan for certain anemia drugs, which will require health providers treating patients with these medications to be trained in their use and document that they have informed patients of their risks. The erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, or ESAs, boost the production of red blood cells, but have been shown to have a higher risk of death and cardiovascular complications for aggressively treated patients.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1622012020100216

Over at the NYT's very excellent Well Blog, Tara Parker-Pope checks in on the "myth of bras and breast cancer," namely that the undergarments could contribute to the development of the disease. She notes that the claim has no basis in fact and originates in a flawed study that never made it into a peer-reviewed medical journal, and links to a great Q&A with more information. "Because the idea of bras' causing breast cancer is so scientifically implausible, it seems unlikely that researchers will ever spend their time and resources to test it in a real epidemiological study," notes Dr. Tim Gansler, director of medical content for the ACS.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/the-myth-of-bras-and-breast-cancer/

Researchers at the University of Missouri are developing an at-home cancer detection kit that could one day be able to test body fluids for breast and prostate cancer. The sensor at the heart of the concept, which is smaller than a human hair, would produce instant results, and researchers say it could one day be sold in drugstores. "By using highly sensitive, low-signal-loss acoustic resonant sensors in a liquid, these substances can be effectively and quickly detected -- a brand-new concept that will result in a noninvasive approach for breast cancer detection," said Jae Kwon, who last year won a $400,000 NSF grant to pursue the project.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586582,00.html

Finally, a new report from the Nurses' Health Study indicates that taking a single aspirin tablet every other day can cut the risk of breast cancer recurrence. In a 30-year study of 4,164 breast cancer survivors, those who took aspirin regularly were 71% less likely to have a deadly recurrence of their breast cancer compared with those who took little or no aspirin. Dr. Bernadine Healy opines in her column on the topic, "Were these aspirin tablets a hot new biotech drug, we would be popping champagne right now."
http://www.usnews.com/health/articles/2010/02/18/aspirin-a-blockbuster-therapy-for-breast-cancer-survivors.html

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat

Posted on February 18, 2010 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A new experimental therapy for melanoma is showing extremely promising results, researchers reported this week. The drug, which currently goes by the catchy name RO5185426, blocks the effects of the BRAF genetic mutation that the human genome project found to be a part of many melanoma tumors. Turning off the gene keeps it from signaling cells to grow uncontrollably. In a clinical trial testing the drug, 70 to 80% of patients with the mutation saw their tumors regress, often by about 50%, within just months of trying the medicine. That's especially good news because in spite of years of research, the last big advance in treating melanoma came out in 1992, and it only works for 5 to 10% of patients.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/melanoma-drug-hope-fight-virulent-form-cancer/story?id=9933403

Prophylactic removal of a healthy breast is becoming increasingly common for women being treated for breast cancer; the rate of these preventive mastectomies increased 150% in the five years between 1998 and 2003. Now, a new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute indicates that prophylactic mastectomies benefit one group of patients most: those under 50 with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer that is estrogen receptor negative. For these women, the mastectomy upped their odds of remaining cancer free after five years by 4.8%. The study also identified one group that definitely did not benefit from preventive breast removal: patients over the age of 60.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/02/breast-cancer-prophylactic-mastectomy.html

A new survey by the Avon Foundation for Women indicates that a quarter of US states have either cut or eliminated screening mammography and early detection services for women under the age of 50. The results of the survey underscored concerns that the US Preventive Services Task Force's revisions to screening guidelines issued last year might be used to deny health coverage for women. "Lawmakers at all levels need to act now to ensure that these recommendations do no further damage, and that women have full and ready access to mammography," said Dr. James Thrall, chair of the American College of Radiology's Board of Chancellors.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61L4JZ20100222

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have shown that by directing gold nanoparticles into the nuclei of cancer cells, they can not only prevent those cells from multiplying - they can also kill them on the spot. The nanoparticles are decorated with two chemicals: one that gets them into the cytoplasm of cancer cells but not healthy ones, and the other that draws them into the nucleus. The gold then interferes with the cell's DNA, effectively killing it. "Previously, we've shown that we can bring gold nanoparticles into cancer cells and by shining a light on them, can kill the cells. Now we've shown that if we direct those gold nanoparticles into the nucleus, we can kill the cancer cells that are in spots we can't hit with the light," said the study's lead researcher.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216140402.htm

Finally, a new study shows that removing lymph nodes boosts endometrial cancer survival. It had previously been shown that removing pelvic lymph nodes would have this effect, but the surgery is more effective at preventing recurrence if the para-aortic lymph nodes are removed as well, say Japanese researchers. Those at medium to high risk for recurrence who had both sets of lymph nodes removed were 56% less likely to die of the disease than those who only had pelvic lymph nodes removed, according to the analysis of 328 women.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/636366.html

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

--Cat

Posted on February 25, 2010 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An experimental drug called cabazitaxel could offer a last-ditch hope for prostate cancer patients, reports the LAT's Booster Shots blog. After testing the drug in 755 men in 26 countries, esearchers are reporting this week that the drug can improve survival in men with advanced prostate cancer by 30%. While prostate cancer is usually treated with hormone-reducing drugs through a process called chemical castration, cabazitaxel can work for those patients whose cancers are castration-resistant.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/03/new-drug-offers-lastditch-hope-for-prostate-cancer-patients.html

Meanwhile, freezing a malignant breast tumor has been shown to not only kill the cancer in the breast, but also to prevent it from spreading, according to a recent study performed on mice. The mice who received a 30-second version of the procedure, which is known as cryoablation, had fewer tumors that spread and a better survival rate than those treated with a slower freezing technique or with surgery alone. "Not only does [cryoablation] appear effective in treating the primary tumor with little cosmetic concerns, but it also may stimulate an immune response capable of eradicating any cells that have traveled throughout the body, reducing both local and distance recurrence, similar to giving a breast cancer vaccine," said the study's lead researcher.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/03/04/2010-03-04_freezing_malignant_breast_tumors_helps_stop_the_spread_of_cancer_in_mice_study.html

In other breast cancer news, new research suggests that a "plant-focused" diet may reduce breast cancer risk by up to 30%. In a study of 34,000 Chinese women, researchers detected a trend of decreasing breast cancer risk with increased intake of vegetables, fruits, and yes, soy. In spite of the cultural differences, the study's lead author believes American women can learn from the findings. "Eating a diverse diet that can be characterized as having a lot of fruits and vegetables, and possibly adding soy also, would be beneficial," she said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6234HU20100304

A study out of the University of Birmingham in the UK indicates that childhood cancer survivors have four times the normal risk of developing bladder cancer later in life. The highest risk for bladder cancer was seen in patients who had initially faced heritable retinoblastoma, a type of eye cancer typically seen in children under the age of five; survivors in this group were more than nine times as likely to develop bladder cancer as childhood cancer survivors overall. However, even for these patients, the risk of developing bladder cancer is still pretty small - fewer than half a percent of childhood cancer survivors will develop the disease.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6234HG20100304

Finally, researchers in the Netherlands have tested a vaccine for mesothelioma with promising results. Mesothelioma typically occurs in the lungs and is most often caused by exposure to asbestos. In a study of ten patients, scientists found that the vaccine induced an immune T-cell response against the tumors without negatively impacting patient health. "We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos related diseases," said the study's lead author.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/636645.html

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

--Cat

Posted on March 4, 2010 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First off, some really awesome news. A new cancer-related test is hitting the market this week, and it's desperately needed: OVA1, which can help doctors distinguish benign ovarian growths from tumors. In a study of 27 hospitals, doctors' office and clinics, OVA1 was found to correctly flag 92% of cancers when used along with radiological imaging and a standard patient workup. Without OVA1, the detection rate was 72%. The one downside to the test? You guessed it: false positives, which can lead to unnecessary biopsies and plenty of anxiety.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704869304575109703066893506.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

According to a new American Cancer Society study, the decrease in cancer deaths in the US since 1990 is the result of reduced tobacco use, increased cancer screening and improvements in treatment. In other words: we're doing something right, and lifestyle changes and better awareness do make a big difference! However, the researchers behind the statistical analysis were sure to warn against complacency, concluding that "Continued and increased investment in cancer prevention and control, access to high quality health care and research could accelerate this progress."
http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/cancer/articles/2010/03/11/us-chalks-up-victories-in-war-on-cancer.html

Researchers in British Columbia have made a breakthrough in lymphoma treatment, discovering a way to predict which patients will fall in the 15 to 25% who experience a poor prognosis if not treated aggressively from the time of diagnosis. Although the majority of lymphoma patients are cured the first time around, the rest relapse; now an easy test for a high number of CD68-positive microphages (a type of white cell) can predict whether relapse is likely. In a glowing New England Journal of Medicine piece, the test was referred to as "the breakthrough we have been looking for."
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/cancer+researchers+make+lymphoma+breakthrough/2670456/story.html

In other lymphoma news, new research out of Hashemite University in Jordan indicates that compounds derived from seaweed could be used to treat the disease. After scientists had previously discovered that a compound called fucoidan, found in seaweed, seemed to kill tumor cells in mice and humans, research took the next step and tested human lymphoma cells with a type of seaweed extract that is sold commercially. They found it inhibited the growth of cancerous cells without impacting healthy ones.
http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/cancer/articles/2010/03/11/seaweed-may-help-treat-lymphoma.html

Finally, since I always love a good food story, I thought I'd wrap up this week's research round-up with the news that papaya can be an effective anti-cancer agent against cervical, breast, liver, lung and pancreatic cancers. Papaya leaf extract apparently boosts the production of chemicals that regulate the immune system, bolstering the body's ability to fight off disease; the study's lead researcher added that the results suggest that papaya extract can induce tumor cell death. "Based on what I have seen and heard in a clinical setting, nobody who takes this extract experiences demonstrable toxicity; it seems like you could take it for a long time as long as it is effective," he said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/7414067/Papaya-helps-fight-cancer-find-scientists.html

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

--Cat

Posted on March 11, 2010 2:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)