Archive for the ‘Cancer’ Category
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Research presented at the 76th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology concluded that physicians who listen to Mozart while performing colonoscopy may increase their detection rate over doing the procedure without music.
In the randomized, controlled study, two experienced endoscopists completed at least 1,000 colonoscopies with or without Mozart music and the detection rates were compared with their baseline rate before the study. For the first doctor the polyp detection rate was 67% with the music and 30 percent without the music. This is higher that the doctors prestudy baseline rate of 21 percent. For the second doctor , the polyp detection rate was 37 percent with the music, and 40 percent without. These are higher than the prestudy baseline rate of 27 percent. Adenomas are a type of colon polyp that are considered a precursor for invasive colorectal cancer so it is important to identify and remove these polyps. The researchers said “Anything we can do to get those rates up has the potential to save lives.” There is a large body of research that shows that clearing the colon of polyps significantly reduces colorectal cancer mortality and when detected in its earliest and most treatable stage, the survival rate for colorectal cancer exceeds 90 percent. This study has a small sample but the results may assist doctors to improve their detection rates of colon polyps.
Tags:Cancer, colonoscopy, colorectal polyps, Mozart music, research
Posted in Cancer, music, research | Comments Closed
Friday, November 4th, 2011
A new study reported in Cancer Prevention Research concluded that men who ate a low-fat diet with fish oil supplements from 4 to 6 weeks before having their prostate removed had slower cancer-cell growth in their prostate tissue than men who ate the typical high-fat Western diet. The cell membrane of both healthy and cancer cells in men on the low-fat diet with fish oil supplements also showed changes in that there were higher levels of omega-3-fatty acids from fish oil and lower levels omega-6-fatty acids from corn oil. Researchers also found that blood from patients using the low-fat supplemented by fish oil diet slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in a test tube whereas blood from those on the typical diet did not. The researcher said “The findings that the low-fat, fish oil diet reduced the number of rapidly growing cells in the prostate cancer tissue is important because the rate at which the cells are dividing can be predictive of future cancer progression. The lower the rate of proliferation, the lesser the chances that the cancer will spread outside the prostate, where it is much harder to treat.”
The study included 48 men followed over 6 weeks. Men in the low-fat fish oil supplemented diet group were provided food to assure that they followed a low-fat diet supplemented with fish oil The diet provided 15 percent of the calories from fat and was supplemented with 5 grams of fish oil daily. The typical diet provides 40 percent of the calories from fat and usually has high levels of omega-6 fatty acids from corn oil and low levels of fish oil that provides omega-3 fatty acids and that have been found to reduce the incidence of heart disease and to fight inflammation that has been associated with certain types of cancer.
The researchers warn against generalizing from this study because of the small numbers and short period of study. Another study in planned that will include 100 men with prostate cancer who have elected to wait and see without any treatment but will receive biopsies and check-ups. The study will randomly divide men into two groups-the low fat fish oil supplemental diet and the typical western diet and follow them for 1 year to evaluate the effect of diet on prostate cancer cell proliferation.
Tags:fish oil, low fat diet, prostate cancer, research
Posted in Cancer, prostate cancer, research | Comments Closed
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Research presented at the 10th AARC (American Association for Cancer Research) International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research held in late October concluded that drinking lots of water may provide some protection from bladder cancer for men. Subjects participating in the study were 47,909 men who are part of the prospective Health Professional Follow-Up Study (HPHS) over a 22 year period. At enrollment in this long term study in 1986, men were between ages 40 and 75 years of age. Subjects answered a questionaire about fluid intake every 4 years. Results showed that a high total fluid intake of more than 2,531 milliliters daily (just over 5.35 pints) was associated with a 24% reduced risk for bladder cancer in men.
This association was found between fluid intake and bladder risk in this group 10 years ago. The association was weaker now that earlier and may result from the higher association found between younger men and fluid intake. Researchers also found that men drink fewer fluids, especially water, as they age. Although they warned against generalizing these results, researchers suggested that doctors should recommend fluid intake for aging men.
Tags:bladder cancer, fluids, research
Posted in Cancer, research | Comments Closed
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
A new study reported by DiabeticLive.com and published in the November issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology concluded that having diabetes improves the chances of survival of patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Using data from 3 studies the researchers analyzed a cohort of 1,677 patients with lung cancer within a clearly defined geographical area with a large and stable population. The relationship between lung cancer, diabetes and survival were analyzed.
Findings demonstrated that lung cancer patients who had diabetes had higher survival rates than lung cancer patients without diabetes. These rates were as follows: At the one year mark, survival of those with lung cancer and diabetes was 43% compared to 28% in those with lung cancer only: at two years the rates were 19% verses 11 %, and at 3 years were 3% verses 1%. The research team stated that “the fact that patients with diabetes mellitus showed a lower frequency of metastatic disease may partly explain the survival benefits in patients with diabetes mellitus because the majority of the patients with lung cancer die of metastasis and not of the primary tumor.” However, as we adjust for stage of disease in our analysis this potential advantage can hardly explain the observed benefit in patients with diabetes mellitus.” In addition increased survival was demonstrated in one study where all patients had advanced lung cancer.
The researchers did not discuss the exact cause of the relationship, stated the relationship warrented further study, and recommended against withholding standard cancer treatment in patients who have both lung cancer and diabetes.
Tags:diabetes, lung cancer, research, survival rates
Posted in Cancer, diabetes, lung cancer, research | Comments Closed
Friday, October 21st, 2011
Recent research published in BMC Public Health concluded that a never married man is 35% more likely to die from cancer than a man who is married and women in the same situation had a 22% increased risk of dying of cancer.
Researchers examined the changes in cancer survival over the past 40 years (1970 to 2007) and compared these differences with marital status (married, never married, divorced/separated, or widowed).
The number of cancer deaths for 13 common cancers were tracked including breast, prostate, malignant melanoma, colon and lung in more than 44o,ooo Norwegian men and women. During the early part of the study (1970 to 1974) never-married men were 18% more likely to die from cancer than married men. This gap increase in more recent data between 20005 and 2007 in which men who had never married were 35% more likely to die from cancer. The gap also increased from women during the same period from 17% to 22%.
Thus, the study showed that the unmarried have a greater risk of mortality from cancer regardless of age, education, site of tumor, time since diagnosis, and cancer stage and cancer risk increased for both unmarried men and women over the 40 year period. However, there was not much change in cancer rates for those who were widowed or divorced. Cancer death rates in men who were never married seemed to steadily rise over time compared to married men and was much higher in unmarried men over 70.
Reseachers believe differences seen in rates may be related to such factors as better general health,better adherence to to treatment regime and follow-ups, and emotion support received by the spouse.
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Tags:cancer survival, marital status, research
Posted in Cancer, research | Comments Closed
Friday, October 7th, 2011
A new study reported in the October issue of the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB journal) concluded that resveratrol in red wine stops breast cancer cells from growing by blocking the growth effects of estrogen. These findings vary from earlier findings about red wine and cancer. The researchers used several breast cancer cell lines expressing the estrogen receptor to test the effect of resveratrol. Comparing the growth of cells treated with resveratrol to those untreated they found an important reduction in cell growth in the cells treated with resveratrol but no reduction in growth of the untreated cells. Additional studies showed that this reduction in growth was related to a drastic reduction of estrogen receptor levels caused by the resveratrol. The authors concluded that although these findings are exciting, “in no way does it mean that people should go out and start drinking red wine or resveratrol supplements as a treatment for breast cancer.”
Tags:breast cancer, estrogen receptors, red wine, research, resveratrol
Posted in Cancer, breast cancer, nutrition, research | Comments Closed
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
In a new study published in Nature Nanotechnology the researchers discussed a possible new screening test for lung cancer that would identify cases at an earlier stage than is now possible. They used blood plasma samples to detect a change in a specific small RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecule that is often elevated in patients with lung cancer. Putting an extract of the blood plasma through a tiny hole in a thin membrane that is just big enough for a single molecule to pass, and applying an ionic current they could measure changes in the current that occur when molecules associated with lung cancer are present. The altered current acts as a signal related to lung cancer according to the researcher. “This technology could possibly be used in the future to detect other cancer types as well as other types of diseases with specific DNA and RNA in the blood” stated the researcher.
Tags:blood sample, diagnosis, lung cancer, research
Posted in Cancer, lung cancer, research | Comments Closed
Friday, September 16th, 2011
A new research study published in Nutrition and Cancer concluded that the risk of breast cancer was significantly reduced in mice when their regular diet included walnuts. Using a mouse model one group was given a typical diet with the equivalent of 2 ounces of walnuts a day (for humans) to mothers from conception to weaning and then to the offspring thereafter. The other group received a typical diet without the walnuts. During the study period those whose diet included walnuts developed breast cancer at less than half the rate of those on the typical diet only. In addition, the numbers of tumors and sizes were significantly smaller.
The researchers said “These reductions are particularly important when you consider that the mice were genetically programed to develop cancer at a high rate”. “We were able to reduce the risk for cancer even in the presence of a preexisting genetic mutation.”
Tags:breast cancer, diet, research, walnuts
Posted in Cancer, breast cancer, research | Comments Closed
Thursday, September 8th, 2011
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science discussed the mechanism of how caffeine might protect against certain skin cancers and that could lead to better sunscreens. Suspecting that the response of a gene called ATR that is suppressed when caffeine molecules are around might be involved in the protective role of caffeine, researchers created genetically modified mice whose ATR genes were deficient and then exposed them to ultraviolet light until they developed skin cancer. After 19 weeks of IV exposure, they found that these mice developed 69% fewer tumors than those that had fully functioning ATR genes. In addition, the tumors in the genetically modified mice developed three weeks later than in the control group. After 34 weeks of UV exposure, all mice developed tumors, mainly a non-melanoma type called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). They concluded ” All of this suggests the possibility that caffeine, possibly (ap0plied to the skin)), would have an inhibitory effect on sunlight induced skin cancer.”
Tags:caffeine, research, skin cancer, squamous cell cancer
Posted in Cancer, research | Comments Closed
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
A recent study published in online Cancer: Journal of the American Cancer Association concluded that smokers who smoke their first cigarette shortly after they wake up in the morning may have a higher risk of lung and head and neck cancers than those who smoke later.
The study included 4,775 lung cancer cases and 2,835 controls and all were regular smokers. Those smoking 31 to 60 minutes after waking were 1.31 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who smoked more than 60 minutes after waking. In addition, those who smoked within 30 minutes after waking were 1.79 times more likely to develop lung cancer.
The researchers also analyzed 1,055 head and neck cancer cases and 795 controls who had a history of smoking. Individuals who smoked 31 to 60 minutes after waking 1.42 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer than those who smoked more than 60 minutes after waking. In addition, those who smoked within 30 minutes were 1.59 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer. Thus, the researchers concluded that the need to smoke immediately after waking in the morning may increase a smokers chances of getting cancer.
Tags:lung cancer. head and neck cancer, research, smoking
Posted in Cancer, lung cancer, research | Comments Closed
