Cancer Newsbytes

Menstuff® has compiled information and books on the issue of. cancer. Also see Prostate, Prostate Newsbytes and Breast Cancer.

Teflon cookware: Does it cause cancer?

There is currently debate about what harm PFOA may pose to humans.

Teflon is a product used primarily to coat cookware so that food doesn't stick to it as easily. One of the chemicals used to make Teflon — called perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA — has been linked to cancer and birth defects in laboratory animals. There is currently debate about what harm PFOA may pose to humans. In early 2006, a group of scientific advisors to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended that PFOA be classified as a "likely carcinogen" (cancer-causing substance) in humans. However, the EPA has not yet responded to the advisory committee's recommendations.

According to the EPA, trace levels of PFOA have been detected in humans. But it has not yet been determined how humans are exposed to PFOA. Because PFOA stays in the body for a long time, the EPA continues to research the possible adverse health effects of PFOA. At present, the EPA is not advising people to stop using products made with PFOA, such as Teflon-coated cookware.

However, given the evidence of adverse health effects in animals and the uncertain effects in humans, the EPA has asked companies that use PFOA to reduce and eventually eliminate PFOA from products and manufacturing plant emissions.
Source: MayoClinic, /health.msn.com/centers/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100161561

Certain Treatment Raises Pregnancy Risk

An anticancer procedure may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy.
Source: www.webmd.com/content/Article/118/113046.htm

Cancer Drug May Boost Memory

An experimental cancer drug called bryostatin may aid in learning and memory and offer a possible treatment for Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/newsdetail/408/1507170.html

Fighting Back Against Melanoma

Getting regular checkups is one of the best defenses against melanoma. So is wearing sunblock and covering up while outdoors.
Source: www.webmd.com/hw/melanoma/hw206663.asp

Cervix Cancer Treatment May Cause Fertility Problems

A commonly practiced anticancer procedure may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy.
Source: www.webmd.com/content/Article/118/113046.htm

A Shopping Cart of Cancer Fighters

Broccoli sprouts, cabbage, ginkgo biloba and garlic appear to have a role in preventing a variety of cancers, researchers report.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC254/333/28815/441547.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cancer Prevention: What Works?

The benefits of soy, fish oil, and alcohol as cancer busters are still dubious, but some lifestyle changes could do wonders for your overall health. Do you know how to boost your chances of staying cancer-free?
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/65/72729.htm

The Stronger the Onion, the Better It May Be for You

Pungent onions may make you cry, but they may also help protect you against cancer, according to a new study.

Researchers found strongly flavored onion varieties, such as New York Bold, Western Yellow, and shallots have the highest total antioxidant activity, which may enhance their ability to fight off cancer-causing cell damage.

Antioxidants, such as the phenolics and flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables, have been heralded as potential cancer fighters due to their ability to destroy free radicals that can damage cells and increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

"No one knows yet how many daily servings of onions you'd have to eat to maximize protection against cancer, but our study suggests that people who are more health conscious might want to go with the stronger onions rather than the mild ones," says researcher Rui Hai Liu, MD, PhD, of Cornell University.

American Cancer Society Examines Cancer Trends In Latino Americans

A report from the American Cancer Society finds Latino Americans -the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States-have a unique cancer risk profile that requires a targeted approach to prevention. The report finds Latino Americans are less likely than non-Latino whites to develop and die from the most common cancers, but have higher rates of certain other cancers and are more likely to have cancer detected at a later stage.
Source: American Cancer Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/33000/368974.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cancer Deaths Leveling Off, Report Says

There's sobering news from the cancer front: Deaths appear to be leveling off after several years of decline. For several types of cancer, black patients are increasingly less likely to survive than whites.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/20786/368918.html?d=dmtICNNews

N.Y. Issues First Cancer Prevention Plan

Reducing the number of New Yorkers who smoke, weigh too much, don't exercise enough and are exposed to pollution should be among the state's cancer-fighting priorities over the rest of this decade, a new state cancer control plan stresses.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC272/333/344/369107.html

Music Therapy Helps Patients Tolerate Cancer Treatment

Patients undergoing a stressful treatment for blood-related cancers can have their moods lifted by listening to music.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=8007615

Thyroid Cancer Afflicts Thousands Yearly

About 23,600 people are diagnosed with thyroid cancer each year in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. There are several types and it was not immediately known which type Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8012/403724.html?d=dmtICNNews

Stronger Onions Offer Stronger Cancer Protection

In the study, researchers analyzed fresh, uncooked samples of 10 common onion varieties and shallots for their total antioxidant content and activity, as well as their ability to fight cancer growth in human cells.

Researchers found shallots had the greatest antioxidant content and activity, followed by Western Yellow, New York Bold, and Northern Red. Although shallots resemble onions, they are actually a different species, but they were included in the analysis.

These same pungent onion varieties and shallots were also the most potent inhibitors of human cancer cells.

Milder onion varieties, such as the Vidalia, had among the lowest antioxidant content and activity.

The results appear in the Nov. 3 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Sources: Jennifer Warner, Yang, J. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; Nov. 3, 2004. News release, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. my.webmd.com/content/article/95/103466.htm

Group Sets Goals For Cancer Prevention

A new organization working to coordinate public and private efforts to battle cancer announced a goal of preventing 1 million cases of the disease and 500,000 deaths by the year 2010.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/376698.html?d=dmtICNNews

Your Voice Holds Clues to Your Health

How it sounds can signal everything from a cold to throat cancer.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512758

Identifying Cancer Genes Will It Really Lead To Better Treatment?

A systematic trawl through the human genome looking for the abnormalities that drive cancer is already producing promising results, a scientist told ECCO 12 The European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen yesterday. Dr. Michael Stratton, Director of the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK, described how his study of the BRAF mutation could provide new targets for drug development, which could lead to better targeted or even individualised - treatment for cancer patients.
Source: Federation of European Cancer Societies, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/369626.html?d=dmtICNNews

Die, Cancer Cells, Die

Scientists find new way to trigger cell self-destruction.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513777

Gene Variant Tied To Increased Susceptibility To Cancer

Researchers have identified a rogue form of a normal gene that may increase the risk of cancer when it acts in combination with subtle variants of other genes.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8012/367906.html?d=dmtICNNews

'Live Strong' bracelet is a winner for charity

One of this summer's hottest fashion accessories - a yellow "Live Strong" bracelet from the Lance Armstrong Foundation - has become one of the hardest to find. The cancer charity has sold 7 million of the $1 bracelets, which are rare in retail stores and are on back order at the foundation's web sit www.laf.org. The foundation began selling the rubber bracelets May 17 to support Armstrong, a (testicular) cancer survivor, who just won his sixth consecutive Tour de France bike race. The canary-yellow bracelet is the same color as the jersey awarded to the race leader in the Tour de France. People also wear the bands to support loved ones with cancer. Presidential candidate John Kerry, a cycling buff who survived prostate cancer, has been spotted wearing the bracelet. President Bush has one, too. Even Armstrong's chief rival, Italian Ivan Basso, wore one during the race to support his mother, who has pancreatic cancer. The campaign has raised $8 million, including $1 million from Nike.
Source: USA Today, 8/2/04

Government OKs ImClone's Erbitux Drug For Colon Cancer

Erbitux, the drug at the center of the Martha Stewart stock scandal, won government approval as a treatment for colorectal cancer patients who have run out of other options.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/375992.html?d=dmtICNNews

IBM Cancer Lawsuit In Jurors' Hands

In a trial that could have sweeping consequences for the semiconductor industry, lawyers have portrayed IBM Corp. as a deceitful exploiter of workers who now suffer the ravages of cancer-causing chemicals used in disk-drive factories.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/25491/376434.html?d=dmtICNNews

More Workers Added To Brain Cancer Study

The scope of a study of brain cancer in the Pratt and Whitney work force has taken a huge leap as researchers examine records of 200,000 workers, a two-thirds increase from earlier estimates.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/25491/376479.html?d=dmtICNNews

Panel Presents Report On Leukemia Cluster

For three years, scientists prodded the dust, dirt and water in this rural community and tested the blood of dozens of its residents -- all in hopes of uncovering why children were developing leukemia.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8895/376370.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cancer Patients Brace For Medicare Changes

Patients and doctors are bracing for major changes in the way the government pays for treating cancer, with concerns that patients will have to wait in long hospital lines to receive chemotherapy or will be denied expensive but effective new drugs.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/376698.html?d=dmtICNNews

Experts Say Teenagers Falling Behind In Cancer Care And Research

Adolescents and young adults are being neglected in cancer care in many countries, where survival among children and older cancer patients has now surpassed that of teens and young adults with disease, experts said.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/376698.html?d=dmtICNNews

Group Tests Uranium For Battling Cancer

University of Maryland researchers are testing radioactive material from Russian military nuclear stockpiles to see if it can be used to fight cancer.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC269/333/8012/368989.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cancer Patients Are More Likely To Use Alternative Therapies

Cancer patients are up to twice as likely as patients with other diseases to use unproven therapies, most likely using them to augment proven treatments rather than replace them. Those findings come from a study from researchers at the University of Washington to be published February 23 in the online edition of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study appears in the April 1, 2004 print edition, and will be available via Wiley InterScience.
Source:www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/28815/376212.html?d=dmtICNNews

Chemotherapy

The term chemotherapy, or chemo, refers to the use of medications to treat cancer. This article explains how chemotherapy works and what to expect when getting treatment.
Source: www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_body/medical_care/chemo.html

Cancer Patients Brace For Medicare Changes

Patients and doctors are bracing for major changes in the way the government pays for treating cancer, with concerns that patients will have to wait in long hospital lines to receive chemotherapy or will be denied expensive but effective new drugs.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/376698?d=dmtICNNews

Certain Protein Is Key To Brain Tumor Risk, Team Believes

Research conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas indicates that the presence of a protein called Ki-67 can forecast whether the most common type of childhood tumor will grow or return after surgery.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8895/367904.html?d=dmtICNNews

Standard Treatment For Lung Cancer Should Be Changed, Say Scientists

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are more likely to survive if they have chemotherapy after surgery than if they have surgery alone, said a scientist at ECCO 12 The European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen yesterday. Dr. Bengt Bergman, of the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Gvteborg, Sweden, said that results from the International Adjuvant Lung Cancer Trial (IALT), which involved 1,867 patients in 33 countries, were sufficiently strong to recommend changing the standard treatment.
Source: Federation of European Cancer Societies, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/369612.html?d=dmtICNNews

Child Cancer Survivors Examined In Study

A study suggests that survivors of childhood cancer will have some lingering health problems but otherwise lead fairly normal lives.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/369626.html?d=dmtICNNews

The European Cancer Patient Coalition -- Challenges For The Future

The emergence of cross-Europe policies on health and related issues mean that cancer patients need a voice at European level, said a leading patient advocate at ECCO 12 The European Cancer Conference in Copenhagen yesterday. But, according to Kathy Redmond, Editor, Cancer Futures, from Milan, Italy, there are many challenges to be faced in building an effective patient organisation, and the newly-launched European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) will have to consider how best to tackle them.
Source: Federation of European Cancer Societies, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8012/369611.html?d=dmtICNNews

DNA Repair Activity May Be Associated With Risk Of Lung Cancer

People with reduced DNA repair activity, as determined by a blood test, appear to be at a higher risk of developing lung cancer than people with average DNA repair activity, according to a study in the September 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The findings suggest a genetic predisposition to lung cancer in some individuals and may explain why only a fraction of smokers develop the disease.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/20783/368907.html?d=dmtICNNews

N.Y. Issues First Cancer Prevention Plan

Reducing the number of New Yorkers who smoke, weigh too much, don't exercise enough and are exposed to pollution should be among the state's cancer-fighting priorities over the rest of this decade, a new state cancer control plan stresses.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/24524/369107.html?d=dmtICNNews

Lung Cancer Risk Varies Dramatically Among Smokers

Some face much higher chances of getting the disease than others.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512291

After the Chemo -- Do You Remember?

Clinical trial studying the effects on memory and concentration
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512135

NHLBI Study Finds Moderate Physical Activity Promotes Weight Loss As Well As Intense Exercise

Women trying to lose weight can benefit as much from a moderate physical activity as from an intense workout, according to a new study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/20833/369123.html?d=dmtICNNews

In Vitro Study Suggests Acrylamide Causes DNA Damage

Acrylamide, a possible human carcinogen that has been found in a variety of fried and starch-based foods, appears to exert its mutagenicity (the capacity to induce mutations) by forming DNA adducts and introducing genetic mutations, according to a study in the June 18 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. DNA adducts can interfere with the DNA replication process and lead to mutations and, in theory, to tumor formation.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8015/365797.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Research Model Shows That Where Carcinogens Settle May Be A Key Factor In Developing Lung Cancer, The Leading Cause Of Cancer Death

Environmental particles the size of those emanating from cigarette smoke and toxic aerosols interact with our pulmonary surfaces and may lead to lung disease. The location of such cancerous lesions in the bronchial airway may not be a random process, however. Instead, they may be related to a regional pattern of toxic material deposited in selected areas of the lungs. A new study suggests that a specific site - the ridge separating the two halves of the bronchial airway -- may be a key factor in developing lung cancer.
Source: American Physiological Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/20783/365801.html?d=dmtICNNews

 

Carbohydrate And Sugar Intake Not Associated With Increased Risk Of Colorectal Cancer

Diets high in glycemic load, carbohydrates, or sugar do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a new study.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8015/365792.html?d=dmtICNNews

Men: Add Some Green To Your Life

The National Cancer Institute and the Department of Health and Human Services have suggestions for American men to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Here are some ideas on how to do it:
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/342/368444.html?d=dmtICNNews

New Analysis Doubles Previous Estimates Of Hereditary Adrenal Gland Tumors

A review in this issue of the Journal suggests that up to 30 percent of pheochromocytomas (rare tumors of the adrenal gland) are hereditary--a percentage more than double that previously estimated.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8012/368397.html?d=dmtICNNews

FDA Approves Photofrin For Treatment Of Pre-Cancerous Lesions In Barrett's Esophagus

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of Photofrin (porfimer sodium) Injection for the ablation of precancerous lesions (high-grade dysplasia) in Barrett's esophagus patients who do not undergo surgery to remove the esophagus (esophagectomy).
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/367770.html?d=dmtICNNews

Colon Cancer Drug May Also Slow Kidney Cancer

A new drug that has been shown to have a modest effect against colon cancer by blocking the formation of blood vessels can also slow the advance of kidney cancer, a study found.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/367538.html?d=dmtICNNews

Cancer Pain

Controlling cancer pain is a critical part of the overall treatment plan. Patients who get adequate pain relief will be more comfortable and have a better quality of life. They also may be more likely to continue getting the necessary treatment when their pain is under control.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/8096/24516/294898.html?d=dmtContent
 

Concerted Global Action Is The Only Answer To Rising Cancer Deaths

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) call for action through concerted efforts by all sectors to prevent and treat cancer throughout the world. By taking immediate action, the organizations estimate that at least two million lives could be saved by 2020 and 6.5 million lives by 2040.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/24524/365249.html?d=dmtICNNews
 

Chemotherapy Use Rises Among Terminal Patients; Economic, Familial Pressures May Drive Its Growing Use

Oncologists appear to be treating greater numbers of dying and terminally ill patients with chemotherapy even though such patients traditionally are highly unlikely to benefit from the aggressive treatment, new research suggests.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/21291/365265.html?d=dmtICNNews
 

High Gene Mutation Rate May Contribute To Hereditary Skin Cancers

Researchers have discovered a high rate of ultraviolet light (UV)-inducible mutations among people with hereditary--but not sporadic--melanoma, a finding that may explain why people genetically predisposed to this deadly skin cancer are particularly sensitive to sun exposure. Details of the new study appear in the June 4 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/24479/23845/365251.html?d=dmtICNNews
 

Going Vegetarian?

Think that vegetarian diets are risky or just a passing phase? Not so! According to the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada, a well-planned vegetarian diet can be a healthy alternative to standard meat-based eating styles for all age groups.
Source: American Dietetic Association, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC274/333/28918/365258.html?d=dmtICNNews

Selenium May Guard Against Breast Cancer

Element found in some foods seems to suppress disease, study finds.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513680 (Note: Men get a double benefit against prostate and breast cancer.)

Heart Hormones Slow Growth of Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Four of them are twice as effective as standard treatment, study finds
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513664

Cancer May Spread Earlier Than Thought

Finding could alter approach to treatments
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513535

Getting More Folks to Check for Colon Cancer

People may prefer more comfortable method for screening, study finds.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513049

Drugs No Substitute for Colonoscopy

Screening for colorectal cancer more cost-effective than medication.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513075

Vitamin B-6 Fights Cancer

A new study shows consuming more vitamin B-6 can ward off cancer, especially for smokers.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=8006073

Not All Sunscreens Are Created Equal

Some don't protect against UVA rays, which may cause skin cancer.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513023

High-Fiber Diet Helps Prevent Colon Cancer

New research counters studies that had questioned its benefits.
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=513024

Fiber Reduces Risk of Colon Polyps

Eating a diet high in fiber can help protect against the development of colon polyps that can lead to colon cancer
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=8006051

Side Effect Tarnishes Blood Cancer Drug's Luster

Thalidomide, once notorious, has shown promise against multiple myeloma
Source: www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512989

Trust Your Instincts, Skin Cancer Survivor Urges

Kim Fahnley says she spotted her tumors both times.
Source:www.healthcentral.com/news/NewsFullText.cfm?id=512599

Anemia And Cancer

Anemia is common in patients with cancer. Anemia is defined by a reduced amount of red blood cell volume and a decline in hemoglobin, the part of blood that carries oxygen to the body's tissues.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/8096/24516/294896.html?d=dmtContent

The Language Of Cancer

If you or a loved one has cancer, it is important that you understand your doctor when talking about your disease.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/8096/8241/347567.html?d=dmtContent

Residents Say "No" To Mammography

A newly published survey of radiology residents revealed that although medical schools are providing more extensive training in breast imaging, the majority of residents do not want to interpret mammograms in their future practices. Researchers reported their findings in a study appearing in the June issue of the Journal Radiology.
Source: Radiological Society of North America, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/20776/364999.html?d=dmtICNNews

"Antisense" Drug May Be Making A Comeback

After years of disappointment, an elegantly simple medical technique that targets bad cells while leaving healthy ones alone could be making a comeback in the high-profile fights against cancer and the SARS virus.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/29785/35217/364972.html?d=dmtICNNews

 

Cancer Patients In India Cheated Of Appropriate Care

A letter in this week's BMJ charges the medical community in India with a 'commercialisation of suffering and prolongation of lucrative illness.'
Source: British Medical Journal, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC268/333/8012/364894.html?d=dmtICNNews

More Than 10 Million Developed Cancer In 2000

The burden of cancer is still increasing worldwide. In the year 2000, 5.3 million men and 4.7 million women developed a malignant tumour and altogether 6.2 million died from the disease. The most frequently affected organs are lung, breast, colon/rectum, stomach and liver, Professor Paul Kleihues, International Agency of Research on Cancer (IARC), told the 18th UICC International Cancer Congress.
Source: Norwegian Cancer Society, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9105/342/351997.html

Cancer Risks Grow With Waistlines (3/4/03)

Fadra Day was 30 to 40 pounds overweight when she developed breast cancer, the first time eight years ago, then again four years later. The 49-year-old Waco lawyer and now breast cancer survivor said that, by educating herself about the relationship between weight and cancer, she lost the weight after surgery and keeps it off.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361848.html

Intentional Weight Loss Is Not Associated With Higher Death Rates (3/4/03)

Some studies have suggested that losing weight is associated with an increased risk for death, but none have made a distinction between intentional weight loss, e.g., a deliberate attempt to lose weight by changing diet or exercise habits, and unintentional weight loss, e.g., weight lost as a result of diseases such as cancer.
Source: American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361832.html

Organically Grown Foods Higher In Cancer-Fighting Chemicals Than Conventionally Grown Foods (3/4/03)

Fruits and veggies grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, according to a new study of corn, strawberries and marionberries. The research suggests that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics - chemicals that act as a plant's natural defense and also happen to be good for our health. Fertilizers, however, seem to boost the levels of anti-cancer compounds.
Source: American Chemical Society
www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361839.html
 

Checklist Of Claims May Signal Trouble On Internet Cancer-Treatment Sites (3/4/03)

Asking a few simple questions can help consumers gauge the reliability of Internet information about complementary and alternative cancer treatments, new findings suggest.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361831.html
 

Government Moving To Protect Infants And Toddlers From Environmental Risks (3/3/03)

Babies and toddlers have a 10 times greater cancer risk than adults when exposed to certain gene-damaging chemicals, the government said Monday, in proposing tougher environmental guidelines that would take into account the greater hazards to the very young.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361821.html

Portugal Quarantines A Million Fowl Due To Suspected Use Of Banned Antibiotic (3/3/03)

Portugal has quarantined 1.2 million chickens, turkeys and quail that may have been given a suspected cancer-causing antibiotic, government agriculture officials said.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361819.html

Greater Height Associated With Increased Risk Of Prostate Cancer Over Age 50 (2/24/03)

Greater height appeared to be positively associated with subsequent risk of prostate cancer in men over age 50, according to a study presented at the national meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine Meeting in San Diego.
Source: American College of Preventive Medicine. www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361511.html

Significant Decline In Mortality Rates Shown For Los Angeles County (2/24/03)

Using the California Statistical Master Death File for the years 1990 to 2000, investigators announced significant declines in mortality rates had taken place for the leading causes of death in Los Angeles County (LAC) over the 10-year period. The results from their study were announced at the national meeting of the American College of Preventive Medicine Meeting in San Diego.
Source: American College of Preventive Medicine, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361512.html  

Women Catching Up To Men In Lung Cancer Deaths: Gender Equality? (2/21/03)

Cigarette advertisements aimed at American women once cast smoking as part of women's liberation: 'You've come a long way, baby.' In many countries, including the United States, women's death rates from lung cancer have been catching up to the rates for men. Is this a deadly by-product of gender equality?
Source: Population Reference Bureau, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361471.html
 

FTC Sues Canada Co. Touting Cancer Cure (2/20/03)

A Canadian company promoting electromagnetic therapy to treat cancer and a Mexican clinic that provided hundreds of the $15,000 treatments have been shut down as a result of an international fraud investigation.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361447.html

A Prospective Study Of Body Size Parameters And Risk Of Prostate Cancer (2/20/03)

Using data from the Physicians Health Study of 22,071 men in the U.S., investigators looked at self-reports from 1,634 prostate cancer patients. They were trying to determine the relationship between body size parameters (height, weight, body mass index), plus age, to the risk of prostate cancer.
Source: American College of Preventive Medicine, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361389.html

DNA Repair Capacity Associated With Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma (2/19/03)

Reduced DNA repair capacity is an independent risk factor for cutaneous malignant melanoma and may contribute to susceptibility to sunlight-induced cutaneous malignant melanoma among the general population, according to a study in the February 19 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361332.html

Cancer Vaccine One Step Closer (2/19/03)

Andreea Ioan-Facsinay from Leiden University Medical Center has attached proteins from tumour cells to antibodies. With these she treated immune cells from a mouse. These treated cells were used to make a vaccine, which was shown to be effective in animal experiments. If the follow-up research is successful, vaccines against cancer will become available. However, that will take at least ten more years.
Source: Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361335.html

Natural Compound Shows Promise As Lung Cancer Chemoprevention Agent (2/19/03)

A natural compound called deguelin may have potential as both a chemopreventive agent and a therapeutic agent against lung cancer, according to a study in the February 19 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361331.html

OK-432 Immunotherapy And Toll-Like Receptor 4 (2/19/03)

The streptococcal agent OK-432 has been used for immunotherapy of head and neck cancer, but its mechanism of action is unknown. Because the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2 complex is important in enabling the mammalian immune system to recognize bacterial components, Masato Okamoto and Mitsunobu Sato, D.D.S., Ph.D., of the Tokushima University School of Dentistry, investigated whether expression of the TLR4 and MD-2 genes is associated with OK-432-induced anticancer immunity.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361330.html

DNA Methylation And Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasiveness (2/19/03)

DNA methylation plays an important role in the regulation of various genes that determine the behavior of cancer cells. To investigate a possible association between DNA methylation and the invasive phenotype of pancreatic adenocarcinoma, Norihiro Sato, Michael Goggins, M.D., and colleagues from the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions studied the role of methylation in the transcriptional regulation of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and the effect of the DNA methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5Aza-dC) on the invasive behavior of pancreatic cancer cells.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/361329.html

Exercise May Cut Cancer Risk

Physically fit people are less likely to die of cancer, including cancers related to smoking, even if they smoke, a study finds.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9105/342/350197.html

Artemis: A Little Bit Is Not Enough

Two years ago, when studying children with severe combined immune deficiency and reduced tolerance to radiation, Jean-Pierre de Villartay and colleagues of the Hopital Necker Enfants-Malades in Paris found that the disease was caused by mutations in a particular gene. They called the gene Artemis, after the Greek patroness of children and animals.
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360871.html

Allele Associated With Decreased Response To Chemopreventive Agents

Former smokers who carry a specific allele of the cyclin D1 cell cycle regulatory protein may have a decreased response to chemopreventive agents, according to a study appearing in the February 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360872.html

Dietary Selenium Decreases DNA Damage In Dog Prostate

Dogs fed a diet supplemented with selenium show a lower level of DNA damage in their prostates compared with dogs fed a normal (unsupplemented) diet. The finding, which appears in the February 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggests that dietary selenium supplementation decreases cellular changes that may lead to prostate cancer.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360873.html

Perforation Twice As Frequent During Colonoscopy As During Sigmoidoscopy

The risk of perforation to the colon after a sigmoidoscopy, although small, is about half the risk of a perforation after a colonoscopy, according to a new study comparing the two procedures used for the early detection of colorectal cancer. The findings appear in the February 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360875.html

For Painful Bone Metastases, Single-Fraction Radiotherapy As Effective And Saves Money

For the same medical benefit, the total medical and societal costs of single-fraction radiotherapy are lower than that of multiple-fraction radiotherapy for cancer patients with painful bone metastases, according to a randomized trial in the February 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360874.html

BRCA2 Mutations May Be Associated With Some Hereditary Pancreatic Cancers

Mutations in the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 may be associated with a predisposition to familial (hereditary) pancreatic cancer, a new study suggests. The findings appear in the February 5 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360876.html

FDA Allows Compassionate Use Of New Lilly Drug

Eli Lilly and Co. said that regulators had agreed to let some patients use an anticancer drug on a compassionate-use basis until regulators can consider making it commercially available.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/8096/8012/352317.html

HRT Risks Outweigh Benefits

Researchers have stopped a major study on long-term hormone replacement therapy, saying that after five years the harmful effects of the therapy -- especially an increased risk of breast cancer -- clearly outweighed the benefits.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/8096/8012/352254.html

Study Questions Drinking-Lung Cancer Link

Light to moderate drinking of alcoholic beverages does not increase the risk of lung cancer, according to a study that involved more than 9,000 people over two generations.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359274.html

Substantial Improvements In Cancer Trials Not Likely Caused By Placebo Effects

An analysis of placebo effects in randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trials of cancer treatments has found that placebos are sometimes associated with improved control of symptoms such as pain and appetite but rarely with objective tumor response. The findings appear in a review article in the January 1, 2003 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359686.html

New Procedure Fights Brain Tumors

A new procedure that delivers internal radiation to brain tumors is expected to give cancer patients more time in their battles with the deadly disease.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359697.html

Exposure To Contaminated Polio virus Vaccine Not Likely Linked To Rare Cancer

The poliovirus vaccine used in mass immunization programs in the late 1950s and early 1960s was contaminated with the monkey virus SV40, which has been detected in some human tumors, particularly pleural mesothelioma. However, the rise in incidence of pleural mesothelioma between 1975 and 1997 is not likely the result of immunization with the SV40-contaminated vaccine, according to an analysis in the January 1, 2003 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/359685.html

Engineering A Tool To Fight Cancer

How does one bad cell develop into a cancerous tumor that can eventually spread disease throughout an entire body?
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360032.html

Study Questions New Lung Cancer Test

A new type of CT scan promoted as a means of detecting lung cancer at its earliest stages is unproven, can lead to invasive testing and would probably not be cost-effective as a widespread screening tool, researchers say.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/360095.html

Cancer Patients May Lower Their Expectations To Maintain Emotional Equilibrium

Being diagnosed with a serious disease like cancer may inspire patients to sharply redefine their goals and roles in order maintain a sense of life satisfaction, suggest the results of a study.
Source: Center for the Advancement of Health, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/346275.html

Use Of Home Health Kits Blossoming

Home tests now enable consumers to check for everything from prostate cancer to osteoporosis and Alzheimer's, and new products just keep coming.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/346369.html

Fighting Back Against Lymphatic Cancer

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which affects the lymphatic tissues, is one of only a few major cancers that have been rising in incidence and mortality since the early 1970s.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/346343.html

Nutrients Are Key To Preventing Cancer

Can a diet rich in a particular nutrient really prevent cancer? The government is recruiting 32,000 middle-aged men to see if selenium or vitamin E can prevent prostate cancer, the biggest clinical trial yet to address such dietary questions.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358666.html

L'Haim - Concord Grape Juice Helps Prevent Cancer

Concord grape juice widely used by American Jews for making Kiddush on Shabbat has been found by researchers in Texas to be a powerful, heart-protective and anti-cancer antioxidant that compares favorably to synthetic supplements.
Source: The Jerusalem Post, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358371.html

Transplant Drug Could Improve Success Of Cancer Radiotherapy

Researchers have discovered that a drug normally used to prevent the rejection of kidney transplants might make cancer radiotherapy work better by blocking the tumor's ability to keep growing between radiation doses.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/358352.html

New drug could help target cancer cells with deadly accuracy

A new drug that could revolutionise the impact of radiotherapy on cancer and make treatment much more effective, has been developed by Cancer Research UK scientists at Newcastle University. The drug, developed by the charity's clinical unit at the University, has been designed to destroy the protection enjoyed by cancer cells. Radiotherapy kills cancer cells by causing damage to DNA. But the DNA damage repair kit - the body's Sir Lancelot which is present in all cells - rides to the rescue of the beleaguered cells and can get in the way of effective treatment.
Sources: www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/content.phtml?ref=1035824734 and www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_10069.html and story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=594&ncid=594&e=5&u=/nm/20021028/hl_nm/cancer_cells_dc

Magnets Could Be Cancer Killers

One day, removing a cancerous tumor might be almost as simple as placing a magnet on the refrigerator. Los Alamos National Laboratory is developing a method that will use a magnetic field and tiny bacteria-sized magnetic beads to zap tumors in the body without surgery. Work is in the very early stages.
Source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_10123.html

Scientists Take New Approach to Fight Cancer

British scientists are trying to develop a drug that mimics the action of a natural protein in the body, which could pave the way for a new approach to fighting cancer. Unlike chemotherapy drugs, which kill cancerous and healthy cells and produce serious side effects, the new drug would selectively destroy only the diseased cells.
Source: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_10100.html

Another Great Reason to Eat Your Veggies

Guys, if you use garlic or onions to add a little zing to your food, you'll be helping ward off prostate cancer! If you're worried that you'll also be warding off potential kisses, don't fret. There are other vegetables you can eat for the same amazing, anticancer effect.
Source: my.webmd.com/content/article/1685.53597

Garlic May Prevent Cancer

Men in China have the lowest rate of prostate cancer in the world, and a diet rich in garlic, shallots and onions may be one of the reasons.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/357711.html

Holiday Meal Full Of Cancer Agents

To all those people looking forward to wolfing down their Thanksgiving turkey and cranberries and sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, a science information group is offering a health reality check.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/357027.html

Hope For Patients With Advanced Bowel Cancer

For patients with bowel cancer that has spread to other organs despite treatment there has been little hope until now. However, early results of trials in North America of a chemotherapy drug called oxaliplatin, given in conjunction with two standard drugs, 5-FU and leucovorin, delay tumour progression by 70 percent compared with the control component of the study. There is also a significant improvement in the symptoms these patients experience.
Source: European Society for Medical Oncology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356992.html

Monkey Virus-Cancer Link Debated

Despite years of study, there remains too little evidence to conclude a monkey virus that once tainted some polio vaccine can cause cancer in humans.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/357079.html

Visualising Potential Outcome Of Cancer Treatment

A revolutionary new application of an imaging technique to predict the response to chemotherapy before treatment begins was announced. Dr Yael Mardor, from the Sheba Medical Centre, Israel, described the preliminary results in mice of the potential use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress in Nice, France.
Source: European Society for Medical Oncology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356993.html

How Long will You Live after Diagnosis?

If you're diagnosed with cancer, how long will you live? Longer than you might think. With many types of cancer, the great majority of patients are living more than 20 years after initial diagnosis.
Source: abcnews.go.com/sections/living/Healthology/HS_cancer_survival021011.html

Scientists Find Clue To Carcinogen

Scientists have found a clue to the chemical reaction that may cause potato chips, french fries and other fried or baked starchy foods to build up high levels of a possible cancer-causing substance.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/355990.html

A-Bomb Survivors At Increased Risk Of Nervous System Tumors

Survivors of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki have a 40 percent increased risk of developing a rare brain tumor and a slightly raised lifetime risk of other types of nervous system tumors, new research shows.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356741.html

No Link Between Deodorant and Cancer

A new study, prompted by an urban myth spread on the Internet, shows there is no evidence that antiperspirants or deodorants can cause cancer.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356742.html

Tumor Variations May Affect Response To Antiangiogenic Therapy

In the October 2, 2002 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Gordon Jayson, Ph.D., of the Christie Hospital NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, and his colleagues report that tumors in patients treated with the HuMV833 antiangiogenic antibody show marked differences in antibody uptake, distribution, and clearance. This variation may account for why some tumors appear resistant to antiangiogenic antibody therapies, the authors write.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356112.html

Study Finds Melanoma Declines In 20- To 44-Year-Olds

U.S. melanoma deaths dropped significantly in people ages 20 to 44 years over the past three decades, thanks in part to educational campaigns about the dangers of too much sun, researchers say.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/356384.html

Cancer Society Promotes Good Diet

The American Cancer Society, worried about a nation that does too little exercise and grows more obese, is putting a new emphasis on exercise as a way to reduce the risk of getting sick and dying of cancer.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/346957.html

Avoiding Wishful Thinking Over New Drugs - More Trials Should Be Double-Blinded Say Cancer Experts

Italian researchers have urged that doctors should, wherever possible, be 'blinded' to which drug a patient is receiving in a trial when the endpoint involves subjective judgements by the investigators.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/347038.html

Radiation Pill Distributed In Illinois

A year ago, Charles and Deborah Bateson may have disregarded a chance to stock up on pills that help block radiation in case of an accident at the nuclear plant near their home. They were among the first to get the pills Saturday.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/354859.html

Cancer Study May Help Motorola Suit

Attorneys for a doctor who was stricken by brain cancer are hoping a new study indicating a link between older cell phones and tumors will bolster a million lawsuit against Motorola Inc. and major mobile-phone carriers.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/354993.html

Doctors Freezing Away Tumors

Doctors have long attacked tumors with heat. Now a few clinics around the country are turning to cold.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/354888.html

Gene Therapy May Increase Cancer Cure Rates, Medical Physicists Show

An innovative combination of two medical procedures-gene therapy and radiation therapy--can increase cancer cure rates by significant amounts compared to the cure rates offered by conventional radiation therapy alone, a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) team has concluded. The researchers presented their results in Montreal at the annual conference of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.
Source: American Institute of Physics, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353653.html

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: New Publication Shows Need For Further Research

Are human sperm counts declining due to exposure to certain environmental contaminants? Are chemicals that have the potential to interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system (often referred to as endocrine disrupting chemicals or EDCs) threatening future generations of humans and certain wildlife species?
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353651.html

FDA OKs Advanced Colon Cancer Drug

Patients with advanced colon cancer won a new last-ditch chemotherapy when the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Eloxatin in a record-setting seven-week review.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353590.html

Medical Physicist Treats Spinal Tumors Faster With New Procedure

Working together at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, medical physicists and clinicians have developed a new procedure that treats spinal tumors and relieves patient discomfort faster that current treatments. Called intensity-modulated spinal radiosurgery, this technique pinpoints a tumor's location to deliver a powerful dose of radiation that avoids healthy areas of the spinal cord, kidneys, and lungs. This research was presented last month at the annual meeting of the American Association for Physicists in Medicine in Montreal.
Source: American Institute of Physics, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/353541.html

Lung Cancer Drug Shows Promise

A pill long used around the world to treat dry mouth may help protect against lung cancer in lifelong smokers, a study found.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348447.html

Protein Analysis Helps Treat Cancer

A new way of analyzing tumors to see which proteins they produce shows promise in helping doctors tailor treatments for each patient's cancer.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348388.html

Childhood Cancer Survivors Often In Dark About Disease As Adults

Survivors of childhood cancer often do not know enough about their diagnosis and treatment to help prevent related health problems as adults, a study suggests.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348446.html

Marker For Progression Of Colon Cancer Identified

Researchers have used gene expression profiles to identify a marker of colon cancer progression through a method called sample pooling. The results appear in the April 3, 2002 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348095.html

St. John's Wort Weakens Cancer Drug

St. John's wort appears to interfere powerfully with a common cancer drug and can reduce its punch for weeks after people stop taking the herbal supplement, a study shows.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8014/348389.html

Experts Skeptical Over Cited Link Between Cancer And Starchy Foods

Many experts say that a rising furor over a new report that many starchy foods - including breads, cereals and french fries - are laced with a chemical that can cause cancer is overblown.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/8015/349420.html

WHO Announces Urgent Meeting On New Food Cancer Scare

The World Health Organization said Friday that it plans to hold an urgent expert meeting in the coming weeks to assess the health risk from a cancer-causing substance which Swedish scientists discovered in high quantities in potato products and other high carbohydrate foods.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/325/8015/349300.html

Cancer Patients Need Weight Kept On

About half of all cancer patients suffer serious weight loss and malnutrition, a wasting syndrome that makes surviving harder. But experts say there are ways to head it off and wish more patients were armed with the help of a nutrition specialist almost from the moment of diagnosis.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/enews?348369

Cancer Nutrition Tips

Here are some tips from cancer specialists to patients whose cancers and therapies cause side effects that lead to severe weight loss.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/enews?348380

Scientists Develop Markers Capable Of Detecting Minute Numbers Of Cancer Cells In Blood

Scientists have identified three molecular markers which, when used together, are capable of detecting minute amounts of metastatic cancer cells in the blood of patients. Although this research is in its early days, they told the 3rd European Breast Cancer Conference in Barcelona that they hope it will lead to the development of a simple and easy test to spot cancer cells that are spreading from the original tumour.
Source: Federation of European Cancer Societies, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/347619.html

Experts to examine safety of chips, french fries

World Health Organization (WHO) food safety experts start three days of meetings Tuesday to probe reports that potato chips, French fries and other carbohydrate-rich foods contain a cancer-causing substance.

The meeting of 25 experts at the WHO's Geneva headquarters follows findings by Swedish scientists in April that acrylamide, well known as a likely cancer-causing agent, is formed when rice, potatoes and cereals are fried or baked.

Stockholm University researchers found that an ordinary bag of potato chips may contain up to 500 times more acrylamide than the maximum concentration the WHO allows in drinking water.

"Since then, the United Kingdom and Norwegian national food agencies have also published similar findings," the WHO said in a statement issued ahead of the closed-door talks.

"The limited data available at this moment does not, however, present us with a full picture, neither of the formation of acrylamide in food or of the consequences to human health. We are still very much at the first stage of the investigation," he added.

Suspect foods emerging from the studies were those containing a lot of starch that are treated at relatively high temperatures, above 356 degrees Fahrenheit, Schlundt said.

The cancers caused in animals include those of the digestive tract as well as mammary and testicular glands, he added.

The US Environmental Protection Agency classifies acrylamide as a "medium hazard probable human carcinogen."

Acrylamide is used in some colorings and glues, as well as for water purification, according to Schlundt.

Swedish scientists began the research to look into potentially harmful effects of acrylamide used to coat the inside of tunnels, he added.

The WHO official declined to identify participants, whom he said were largely from Western Europe, the United States and Canada.
Source: www.oncology.com/plwc/MainConstructor/1,47544,_12|001375|00_20|001|00_21|008|00_18|0010922|00_19|0010923|00_17|001029,00.html

Cancer patients need to be educated about pain medications

Pain is poorly managed in cancer patients. Dr. Karen L. Schumacher of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found that there are times that patients have difficulties getting prescriptions filled, dealing with dosing and managing side effects. Part of the problem may be caused by a lack of information.Yahoo! News, (6/7/02)
Source: story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20020607/hl_nm/cancer_relief_1

Mom Was Right, Broccoli Good For You

Broccoli and broccoli sprouts contain a chemical that kills the bacteria responsible for most stomach cancer, say researchers, confirming the dietary advice that moms have been handing out for years.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/350522.html

Expanding Horizons, And Expectations, In Cancer Care

New findings that excite cancer researchers often ring hollow to cancer patients. The reason is that the two groups have different expectations.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/350497.html

War On Tobacco Rages On Multiple Fronts

Dr. Bunn, the new president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (he made his statements at the group's recent annual meeting,) says the society has been an advocate of regulating tobacco sales for several years.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/350581.html

Cancer And Childbirth: Mutually Exclusive No Longer

Today, as millions of men and women of childbearing age and younger are surviving cancer, the question of reproduction is arising as a paramount consideration in planning treatment. Among the issues are the ability to preserve fertility while curing the disease and the safety of pregnancy for both mothers with cancer and their future children.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/9105/342/350496.html

Potato Chips, French Fries May Contain Cancer-Causing Substance

Potato chips, french fries, breakfast cereal, bread and other foods based on starch or sugar also contain a substance that may cause cancer, the National Food Administration said Tuesday.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/349165.html

New Technology Spots Lung Tumors

A new technology can detect lung cancer when tumors are smaller than a dime, well before they grow into the quarter-sized tumors that regular chest X-rays spot.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348998.html

Diluted Drugs May Impact Thousands

A Kansas City-area pharmacist who admitted watering down chemotherapy drugs now acknowledges he diluted several other drugs that may have affected 4,200 patients, according to federal authorities. Sources: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348935.html

New Breast Cancer Gene Identified

Researchers have identified a gene that when mutated can lead to an elevated but modest risk of breast cancer.
Source: www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/8012/348955.html

Even Moderate Caloric Restriction Lowers Cancer Risk In Mice

A new National Cancer Institute study reported April 23 by Dr. Volker Mai at the Experimental Biology 2002 meeting in New Orleans shows that even moderate caloric restriction reduced by 60 percent the number of precancerous intestinal polyps in mice at high risk of gastrointestinal cancers (mice with the same genetic mutation seen in some humans who develop these cancers). Don't think you can eat less? Then eat better. Animals eating as much as they wanted of a diet high in olive oil, fruits and vegetables also had a third fewer polyps than control mice.
Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/