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‘Supermouse’ helps in finding a holistic approach to fight cancer!
2007-11-29 16:13:00
BBC News: Mice carrying a gene which appears to make them invulnerable to cancer may hold the key to safer and more effective treatments for humans. The new breed, created with a more active "Par-4" gene, did not develop tumours, and even lived longer, said the journal Cancer Research. University of Kentucky researchers said a human cancer treatment was possible. Cancer Research UK said that more research would be needed to prove it didn't just work in mice. Par-4 was originally discovered in the early 1990s working inside human prostate cancers, and is believed to have a role in "programmed cell death", the body's own system for rooting out and destroying damaged or faulty cells. The Kentucky team used an existing mouse breed known to be more vulnerable to cancers to test whether Par-4 could be used to fight them. They introduced the gene to mouse eggs, and it was active in both the resulting pups - and their own offspring. The mice with active Par-4 did not develop ca...
More About: Fight , Holistic

Obesity increases your cancer risk (even if you are a non-smoker)!
2007-10-27 18:05:00
Telegraph.co.uk: Obesity has become the main cause of cancer in non-smokers, a global conference will hear next week. The World Cancer Research Fund has spent five years collecting information about the effect bodyweight, diet and physical activity has on the risk of developing cancer and will present its findings on Thursday. Smoking is still the single biggest cause of cancers, accounting for one third of the 300,000 cases in the UK each year. But only one quarter of people smoke and research has found that for non-smokers being overweight or obese is the most important avoidable cause of cancer. In the UK, 12,000 people a year could avoid cancer if they maintained a healthy weight, according to Cancer Research UK. Obesity is known to cause between nine and 15 per cent of breast cancers – more than defective genes. A recent study found women who have gone through the menopause and are obese increase their risk of developing breast cancer by a third. Obesity is known to inc...
More About: Risk , Smoker

Breast Thermography – A new tool for early detection of breast cancer!
2007-10-02 17:31:00
Breast Thermography or Digital Infrared Imaging is a technique that is based on the principle that metabolic activity and vascular circulation in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in normal breast tissue. In an ever-increasing need for nutrients, cancerous tumors increase circulation to their cells by holding open existing blood vessels, opening dormant vessels, and creating new ones. This process frequently results in an increase in regional surface temperatures of the breast. DII uses ultra-sensitive medical infrared cameras and sophisticated computers to detect, analyze, and produce high-resolution diagnostic images of these temperature variations. Because of DII’s extreme sensitivity, these temperature variations may be among the earliest signs of breast cancer and/or a pre-cancerous state of the breast. (Source: http://www.breastthermography.com/breast_ thermography_mf.htm) ...
More About: Cancer , Tool , Breast Cancer , Breast , Early

Treating childhood cancer!
2007-09-06 17:56:00
In spite of the developments in treatments and technologies that are enhancing the survival rate of childhood cancer, children with cancer are still at risk for developing various cognitive, sexual and heart problems, later in their lives, because of the cancer itself and the side effects of cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy that they receive. Some studies have shown that cancer treatments can damage brain white matter and disrupt brain activity to a large extent. Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York are now working to reduce this risk, by reducing or increasing the doses of medicine administered on children with cancer, based on a type of protein present in the tumor. By doing so, they are able to minimize the damage caused by cancer therapies on the quality of the life of childhood cancer patients, which enables them to lead a normal life like any other person. This news story, throws more light on this new approach to trea...
More About: Childhood

Why do ex-smokers continue to have a higher 'lung' cancer risk than non-smo
2007-08-29 17:02:00
BBC News: Even years after quitting, former smokers still have a raised risk of lung cancer - and now scientists believe they know why. Smoking appears to permanently alter the activity of key genes, even though most cigarette damage is repaired over time. Canadian researchers, writing in the journal BMC Genomics, looked at lung tissue of 24 people. UK experts stressed that giving up still delivers massive health benefits. It has been shown that the poisons in cigarette smoke can alter the activity of genes. If you give up smoking, your risk of lung cancer falls significantly, but former smokers continue to have a slightly higher risk of lung cancer compared with someone who has never smoked. The latest study from the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre in Vancouver suggests that some of these changes might be permanent. They studied cell samples from the lungs of eight current smokers, 12 former smokers and four people who had never smoked. Some gene changes appea...
More About: Lung Cancer , Risk , Higher , Smokers

Smoking rates are falling in the U.S! - says Gallup
2007-08-18 18:02:00
The Gallup Organization, which studies human nature and behaviors around the globe, has concluded from its ?Gallup Smoking Poll? that smoking rate in the Unites States is at its lowest level, since the 1950?s, and it is great news for a country, which has the highest rate of cancer in the world. This news story throws more light on this poll (which was conducted across the globe) and its findings.
More About: Cigarettes , Rates , Fall

Skin Cancer ? Types & treatment options
2007-08-14 16:44:00
Skin cancer, which is an increasingly common condition, is easily detectable in the early stages, as the tumor (the malignant growth on the skin), is usually clearly visible. Hence, it is essential for us to know about the types of skin cancer and how to detect it early, so that medical help can be sought at the earliest, before the cancer spreads to other parts of the body. Being the fastest growing type of cancer in the developed world, it is more important for us to be aware of skin cancer, in order to reduce the risk of developing it. This howstuffworks video talks about the common types of skin cancer and the different treatment options available to patients, to fight this disease.
More About: Skin , Cancer , Treatment , Skin Cancer , Options

Gene Therapy ? The new frontier in the fight against cancer!
2007-08-06 18:14:00
Scientists in the United Kingdom are using gene therapy, as a new approach to treat cancer. They are using genetically modified Human Herpes Virus (of the family Herpesviridae) to infect tumor cells and to destroy them and by doing so they are able to harness the destructive power of this virus (which usually causes infection in humans, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or mucous membranes or on the genitals) to seek out and destroy cancer. The genetically modified Herpes Virus not only destroys tumor cells, but also produces biomarkers that help our immune system to identify tumor cells. This new approach has been effective in animals and a handful of cancer patients in clinical trials. Scientists believe that gene therapy could become a radical new approach to fight cancer, in future. This news video from BBC News throws more light on this ground-breaking research.
More About: Cancer , Fight , Therapy , Gene

Breast self-examination ? The best defence against breast cancer!
2007-08-04 16:41:00
Breast cancer (cancer of breast tissue), is the most common form of cancer in women, affecting one out of eleven women at some stage of their life, in the developed world. It is expected to cause some 41,000 deaths in the United States, this year, and the number has been steadily increasing since 1970?s, due to the changes in our lifestyle. Breast cancer is a potential killer and early detection is vital to increase the chances of survival. Breast self-examination helps in detecting breast cancer early, when it is more treatable and women should check their breasts regularly for any changes in size, shape, lump, tenderness or nipple discharge and consult a healthcare professional, if they find anything unusual with their breasts. This video explains how to conduct breast self-examination and how to detect unusual changes in the breasts. Note: This video could be inappropriate to some viewers (under the age of 13)
More About: Women , Cancer , Breast Cancer , Breast , Defence

New guidelines for early detection of ovarian cancer
2007-07-30 19:50:00
Ovarian cancer, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women, is difficult to diagnose at its early stages, since most of the common symptoms of this disease are non-specific. However, doctors believe that a new set of guidelines issued recently, will help women to detect ovarian cancer early, when it is still treatable. This news clip from CBS News, explains how the new guidelines will help women and the medical professionals to identify this disease at its early stages (I/II).
More About: Cancer , Early , Detection , Guidelines , Ovarian Cancer

Special diets neither prevent breast cancer relapse nor does it improve sur
2007-07-21 08:57:00
Among breast cancer survivors, adopting a low-fat diet high in vegetables, fruit and fibre does not prevent the cancer from returning or prolong survival, according to a paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dr John P Pierce and his associates designed the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) trial, based on evidence that plant-derived foods contain anti-cancer chemicals. Pierce, at the University of California, San Diego, and his team describe the intervention as "a telephone counselling program supplemented with cooking classes and newsletters that promoted daily targets of five vegetable servings plus 16 ounces of vegetable juice; three fruit servings; 30 grams of fibre; and 15 to 20 per cent of" calories from fat. Subjects in the comparison group received care as usual and were given publications from the National Cancer Institute and the US Department of Health and Human Services, describing the "5-A-Day" dietary guidelines. Read more of this story?.
More About: Diets , Breast Cancer , Breast , Special

Dichloroacetates - A Possible Cure for Cancer!
2007-07-18 18:33:00
Dichloroacetic acid, abbreviated as DCA, is an analogue of acetic acid and the salts and esters of this chemical compound are called dichloroacetates. Researchers at University of Alberta in Canada , have discovered that dichloroacetates can be used to treat cancer tumors in the lung, breast and the brain, without any side effects. Trials on rats have shown that the dichloroacetates inhibits the growth of tumors and shrinks it by 70%, without causing any side effects. Currently, the researchers at University of Alberta are planning to conduct clinical trials on cancer patients, using DCA, to establish the effect of this compound on humans. They intend to secure the funds required for this trail from the public and not from the pharmaceutical companies, so that the drug can be available inexpensively to the patients in need, after it passes the clinical trials successfully. This news clip from ?Global National?, throws more light on this research,
More About: Cancer , Etat , Cure , Ossi

A new system to identify women at risk of developing breast cancer!
2007-07-12 17:00:00
The Newton-Wellesley Hospital at Newton, Massachusetts, has developed a new system to identify women at risk of developing breast cancer and to save their lives. This system identifies women at risk for breast cancer and screens them more frequently for breast cancer, which helps in the early detection of the disease and ultimately saves their lives. This news story from WCVB - Boston's Channel 5, explains how this system works.
More About: Women , System , Cancer , Breast Cancer , Breast

Leukemias and Lymphomas
2007-05-31 16:36:00
Leukemias and lymphomas are cancers which affect the cells which are part of the fluids circulating around the body. Leukemias affect certain blood cells, particularly the white cells, or "leukocytes" which help fight off infections and disease. And lymphomas are cancers of the lymphatic system, a network of vessels which form part of the body's immune system, and carry other infection-fighting cells called "lymphocytes", as well as draining dead cells away from the tissues. There are several different types of leukemia, classed mainly according to the way the cancer develops, and the variety of white blood cells they affect. There are two principal kinds of lymphoma - Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's - the latter is more common, and also slightly harder to treat. Professor Peter Johnson, an expert in lymphomas from the University of Southampton, who carries out work for Cancer Research UK is hopeful that new chemotherapy and radiotherapy techniques will help improve surviv...
More About: Lymphomas , Leukemia , Lymphoma , Homa

Got new ideas for cancer research? You could win a million dollars, if you
2007-05-24 16:29:00
Medical researchers teamed up with hedge fund managers on Wednesday to offer a new million-dollar prize for the best new idea for cancer research in the hopes of kick-starting innovative approaches. They invited cancer experts, scientists and the general public to join an Internet-based club and compete for the Gotham Prize for Cancer Research . Federal funding of cancer research has been flat, and is in fact lower than in recent years when inflation is taken into account, said Dr. Gary Curhan of Harvard Medical School. And the system of seeking grants -- money to do research -- is based around pleasing either National Institutes of Health supervisors or gatekeepers at the advocacy organizations that pay for research on specific types of cancer, he said. Curhan teamed up with hedge fund managers Joel Greenblatt and Robert Goldstein of private investment firm Gotham Capital to set up the prize club, found at http://www.gothamprize.org/ "The goal here is to open up the sit...
More About: Ideas , Cancer Research , New Ideas

Reoviruses to the rescue of cancer patients!
2007-05-07 17:50:00
Reovirus is a family of viruses that affects the gastrointestinal or respiratory system in humans. Reovirus infections are common in humans and in most cases they are mild or sub clinical. Scientists have now discovered that reoviruses can indeed be very useful to humans, as they have the ability to destroy cancerous tumor cells. This short clip explains how reoviruses can be used to treat cancer in humans.
More About: Cancer , Cancer Research , Patients , Rescue , Viruses

Too much of alcohol doubles the risk of breast cancer!
2007-04-25 17:04:00
Women, who drink the equivalent of roughly two bottles of wine over a weekend more than double their risk of breast cancer, say Danish researchers. A study of 17,647 nurses found twice the risk of breast cancer in women who drank 22-27 drinks a week compared with those who drank one to three drinks. The risk was greatest when drinks were consumed in a short period, reported the European Journal of Public Health. Experts said women should try and limit the amount of alcohol they drank. Women in the study were aged over 44, and most drank a moderate amount of alcohol. A drink was classed as a bottle of a glass of wine or spirit, which in Denmark is roughly 12g of alcohol. . More than a quarter of the women drank more than the recommended 14 drinks a week. One in 10 were week-day binge drinkers, having more than four drinks a day and 13% were weekend binge drinkers, defined as more than 10 drinks between Friday and Sunday. There was a 2% increased risk of breast cancer for ea...
More About: Women , Cancer , Alcohol , Breast Cancer , Breast

Quitting is hard, but ?..?
2007-04-05 16:56:00
There could be many reasons for not quitting smoking, but there are many more reasons for why we should and this short clip talks about them.Howto-quitsmoking.com - Celebrity bloopers here
More About: Cancer , Quit Smoking , Smoking , Hard , Quit

Obesity + Prostate Cancer = Higher risk of death
2007-03-20 13:55:00
HealthDay News: Men who are obese when they're diagnosed with prostate cancer are 2.6 times more likely to die of the disease than normal-weight men, new findings suggest. The study, by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, included 752 recently diagnosed prostate cancer patients who were followed for about 10 years. Of the men in the study, 50 died of prostate cancer, and 64 died of other causes."I was very surprised by the findings. We found the prostate-cancer-specific mortality risk associated with obesity was similar regardless of treatment, disease grade or disease stage at the time of diagnosis," senior author Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in Hutchinson's Public Health Sciences Division, said in a prepared statement."If a man is obese at the time of diagnosis, he faces a 2.6-fold greater risk of dying as compared to a normal-weight man with the same diagnostic profile, regardless of whether he has radical prost...
More About: Obesity , Prostate Cancer , Death , Risk

Stem cell research and cancer
2007-03-13 14:12:00
Cancer stem cells are similar to adult stem cells in their abilities to self-renew and differentiate into multiple cell types and they persist in tumors as a distinct population, which causes disease relapse and metastasis. They are also capable to give rise to new tumors.In this video Dr. Mike Magee, a Senior Fellow in the Humanities to the World Medical Association and the host of Health Politics with Dr. Mike Magee, a weekly, Internet-based electronic media program that explores complex issues of health care policy and public health for consumers, policy makers, educators and the news media, talks about cancer stem cells and how stem cell research can eventually find a cure to cancer.
More About: Research , Cancer , Cell , Stem Cell Research , Stem Cell

Alcoholic beverages and fermented foods can cause cancer
2007-03-08 16:28:00
Keep The Doctor Away: New links have been confirmed between wine, fermented foods and cancer. But luckily, garlic can reduce your risk, researchers say. New findings dispel the popular notion that eating so-called ?natural? foods will protect against cancer.In fact, the study found that a naturally-occurring carcinogen found in alcoholic beverages and fermented foods like cheese, yoghurt and bread causes DNA modification and mutations, ultimately leading to abnormal cell growth and lung cancer.Vinyl carbamate is a substance derived from ethyl carbamate (urethane), a by-product of fermentation. It is also present naturally in tobacco.Now labelled as a potential carcinogen by both the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer , urethane was given inadvertently to millions of patients in Japan, between 1950 and 1975, in analgesic and sedative drugs. This is believed to be the largest dose on record of a pure carcinogen administered directly to people....
More About: Wine , Beverages , Rage , Foods

Genetic tests to predict early stages of lung cancer
2007-03-06 13:21:00
Medicalnewstoday.com: US scientists have developed a genetic test to predict early stages of lung cancer by looking for genetic changes in the cells of a smoker's airways. The results of the study are published online in the journal Nature Medicine.Dr. Avrum Spira from the Pulmonary Center at Boston University, Massachusetts, and fellow researchers took tissue samples from smokers who were tested for lung cancer and compared the genetic structure of those who were given the all clear against those who went on to develop the disease. Cigarette smoke passes into the lungs via the airways, and creates a "field of injury" as the scientists called it. They had a hunch that this field of injury might give genetic clues for early stage lung cancer.In effect this is what they found. First, in a preliminary study they identified an 80-gene biomarker that can distinguish smokers with and without lung cancer.They did this by comparing the genes from large-airway cells taken during bronchoscop...
More About: Cancer , Lung Cancer , Early , Test , Gene

Early warning signs and symptoms of cancer
2007-03-03 16:20:00
There are many early warning signs to different types of cancer and here is a list of them, which is by no means, a complete list of symptoms. Consult your physician immediately if you experience any unusual symptoms, like the ones listed below,Bladder and Kidney Cancer : You may see blood in urine, have pain or burning, and increased urination. Breast Cancer: Lump or thickening of lumps, itching, redness or soreness of the nipples which isn't caused by pregnancy, breast feeding, or menstruation. Cervical, Endometrial, and Uterine Cancer: Bleeding between menstrual cycles, any unusual discharge, painful menstruation, and heavy periods require consultation with your physician.Colon Cancer: Rectal bleeding, blood in your stool or changes in bowel habits such as persistent diarrhea and or constipation are warning signs which should be investigated promptly. Laryngeal Cancer: A persistent cough or a hoarse throat is a possible sign that you may experience. Leukemia: Paleness, fatigue, w...
More About: Signs , Warning Signs , Warning , Sign

Are we doing enough to reduce our cancer risk?
2007-03-01 13:36:00
A recent National Cancer Awareness Survey commissioned by the Bayer Consumer Care, has found that most of the Americans consider cancer as their number one health concern, but less than one-third of them attribute their personal cancer risk to their own unhealthy lifestyle behaviors - such as poor nutrition, lack of exercise and weight gain.Experts stress that a healthy lifestyle can help lower the risk of cancer -- and cite simple things people can do, such as taking a multivitamin each day. Multivitamins provide the needed vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost your health. But they emphasize that it's important to take the right vitamin. Women should be talking a once-daily multivitamin that includes vitamin D to support breast health, while men should be taking a once-daily multivitamin that includes lycopene and selenium to promote prostate health.This video talks more about this survey and what common people should do to lower their risk of cancer.
More About: Risk , Reduce , Enough , Redu

?The Bay Drug? ? Is it the solution to metastatic kidney cancer?
2007-02-27 17:50:00
A drug, which was originally developed for colon cancer, is found to be very effective in managing metastatic kidney cancer. This drug, called ?The Bay Drug ?, has the ability to contain the tumor growth in metastatic kidney cancer patients to a large extent.This news clip tells more about this drug and its effects on metastatic kidney cancer patients.
More About: Cancer , Kidney cancer , Meta , Stat

Common myths about colon cancer
2007-02-25 17:47:00
Here are some of the common myths and misapprehensions about colon cancer and cancer experts? responses to these myths.Myth 1: Colon cancer is a white man's disease.Truth: Colon cancer affects both men and women equally, and it affects people of all races. In 2007, the American Cancer Society estimates, 55,290 men and 57,050 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer. About equal numbers will die from the disease: 52,000 Americans altogether. The No. 1 risk factor for colon cancer is age.Myth 2: I don't have any symptoms, so I must not have colon cancer.Truth: "One of the most common misconceptions is that symptoms will be evident if a person has colorectal cancer. In fact, the most common symptom is no symptoms at all," says Emina Huang, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School. More than half of people diagnosed with colon cancer have no symptoms. Symptoms such as a change in stool, rectal bleeding, abdominal pain and unexplained weight loss can all signal c...
More About: Myths , Colon Cancer , Common

How poisonous is cigarette smoke?
2007-02-23 16:06:00
Watch this interesting television commercial from Cancer Research UK, which talks about the toxicity of cigarette smoke.
More About: Smoke , Sono , Cigarette , Poison

Laryngeal Cancer
2007-02-22 15:43:00
Laryngeal Cancer develops when the normal cells lining the larynx are replaced with abnormal cells (dysplasia) that become malignant and reproduce to form tumors. The development of dysplasia is strongly linked to life-long habits of smoking and heavy use of alcohol. The more a person smokes, the greater the risk of developing laryngeal cancer. It is unusual for someone who does not smoke or drink to develop cancer of the larynx. Occasionally, however, people who inhale asbestos particles, wood dust, paint or industrial chemical fumes over a long period of time develop the disease.The symptoms of laryngeal cancer depend on the location of the tumor. Tumors on the vocal cords are rarely painful, but cause hoarseness. Anyone who is continually hoarse for more than two weeks or who has a cough that does not go away should be checked by a doctor.Tumors in the supraglottal region above the vocal cords often cause more, but less distinct symptoms. These include:persistent sore throat pain...

?Cone beam CT? technology to revolutionize cancer treatment
2007-02-20 15:45:00
A new tumor imaging technology ? cone beam CT- could revolutionize cancer treatment in the years to come. This new technology creates three-dimensional axial CT slices of a patient?s tumor, enabling therapists and doctors to compare these images with initial treatment planning images to determine how precisely focused the radiation set-up is. They can then make position adjustments if necessary to deliver a more targeted therapy to the patient. The hope is that this technology will lead to more highly customized radiation treatments, where higher doses are directed at the tumor while sparing the patient?s normal body structures.This video explains more about this new technology and how cancer patients could benefit from it.
More About: Technology , Cancer , Treatment , Cancer treatment , Treat

American Cancer Society launches an educational campaign for cutting cancer
2007-02-19 17:30:00
The American Cancer Society has rolled out its new Great American Health Challenge, a campaign to educate Americans about cutting their cancer risk.The year-long program encourages people to take the following actions in order to lower their cancer risk or to detect cancer at an early stage, when it's most treatable: Check. Talk to your doctor about cancer screening tests, which can prevent cancer or detect it at its earliest stage. Move. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five or more days a week. Nourish. Strive for a healthy weight and eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit your consumption of red meats, especially high fat and processed meats. Quit. Stop smoking or take part in the fight against tobacco by becoming an advocate of smoke-free communities.To get started in the Great American Health Challenge, take the Great American Health Check on the cancer society's Web site. The health check can assess your cancer ...
More About: Educational , Campaign