Obesity + Prostate Cancer = Higher risk of death

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 prostatectomy or radiation therapy, whether or not he gets androgen-deprivation therapy, whether he has low- or high-grade disease, and whether he has localized, regional or distant disease," Kristal said.

Read more of this story….

Stem cell research and cancer

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.

Alcoholic beverages and fermented foods can cause cancer

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.

Read more of this story….

Genetic tests to predict early stages of lung cancer

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 bronchoscopy examinations of 77 smokers suspected of having lung cancer and comparing them to a commercially available gene profiler, in this case the Affymetrix HG-U133A microarray. This holds the gene pattern for 14,500 well-characterized human genes and is used by scientists to explore human biology and disease.

Read more of this story…

Early warning signs and symptoms of cancer

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, weight loss, repeated infections, nosebleeds, bone or joint pain, and easy bruising are possible warning signs of Leukemia which should be investigated.

Lung Cancer: A persistent cough; sputum with blood; heavy chest and or chest pain.

Lymphoma: Enlarged, rubbery lymph nodes, itchy skin, night sweats, unexplained fever and weight loss indicate possible Lymphoma, discuss these symptoms with your physician.

Mouth and Throat Cancer: Any chronic ulcer (sore) of the mouth, tongue or throat which doesn't heal, or white areas in the mouth should be seen by your physician.

Ovarian Cancer: Unfortunately there are often no symptoms until it's in the later stages of development.

Pancreatic Cancer: There usually are no symptoms until it has progressed to the later stages when you may notice jaundiced skin and there may be pain deep in the stomach or back.

Skin Cancer: If you have moles that change color, size, or appearance, or flat sores (lesions that look like moles), a tumor or lump under the skin that resembles a wart or an ulceration that never heals, these are symptoms that should bring you quickly to your physician’s office.

Stomach Cancer: Vomiting blood or experiencing frequent indigestion and pain after eating, weight loss may indicate stomach cancer.

Source: www.womenshealth.about.com

Are we doing enough to reduce our cancer risk?

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 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 lower the risk of cancer, which includes simple things that everyone can do, such as taking a multivitamin tablet every day. Multivitamins provide the needed vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to boost our health and it is important to take the right vitamin. Women should take multivitamin tablets that includes vitamin D to support breast health, while men should take multivitamin tablets 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.