“Olaparib” is the new drug that is creating lot of hope among inherited Breast and Ovarian cancer patients. Drug succeeded in reducing the size of tumours in 40% of Breast cancer patients and also in 30% of ovarian cancer patients. Drug which is still in experimental stage is really a big hope for chronic patients. This research study is conducted by scientists at King’s college, London and is published in the magazine, Lancet. Mechanism of Olaparib: It will act by blocking poly ADP-ribose polymerase protein. “Olaparib” is an orally taken drug and reduced tumour growth in an experiment conducted on women with advanced breast cancer caused by a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. This gene is responsible for 5% of breast cancers and 10% of ovarian cancers. Important note: Olaparib does not help to cure cancer but only helps to prolong life by reducing tumour size. It is still in experimental stage but it is raising hope. … [Read more...]
14 Tips to prevent cancer
According to American Cancer Society (ACS), the main reasons for cancer death in 2009 are due to smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and poor nutrition. If we are aware of our health, it is easy to prevent cancer. Here are some tips that may reduce the risk of cancer. 1. Avoid tobacco consumption: Smoking is the main reason for lung cancer. Smoking is responsible for almost 9 out of 10 lung cancer death. The top 5 or 6 types of cancers in men are all tobacco related cancers which include lung cancer, esophagus cancer, laryngeal cancer, oropharyngeal cancer, stomach cancer etc. Using tobacco is one of the major reasons for cervical as well as ovarian cancer for woman. Refraining from tobacco use provides other health benefits besides lowering cancer risk. 2. Limit alcohol intake: Alcohol is associated with an increased risk of number of cancers. Over consumption of alcohol are the main causes of mouth, larynx, pharynx, liver and esophagus cancers. It also increases the risk for colon as well as rectal cancer. Breast cancer in women is also associated with alcohol intake. So try to limit your daily intake of alcohol to two drinks for men and one drink for women. 3. Maintain Weight:Obesity may be linked to cancers of the breast, colon, thyroid, uterus, kidney, esophagus and gallbladder. Be aware that more people in the world are becoming obese. Aim to be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day, and aim to be reducing caloric intake in a systematic manner. Have a strict regimen of diet and exercise. Do check your BMI. 4. Eat a low fat diet: Excess body fat causes cancer. Foods high in saturated fat are one of the reasons for endometrial, pancreas, kidney, gall bladder, esophagus, breast and ovarian cancers. Low fat diet may reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers in women. Women with excess fat around the waist have a 63 per cent greater risk of dying from cancer. Try to limit your total fat intake to less than 30 percent of daily calories. Avoid saturated fats, and try to consume Omega-3 fats. 5. Regular Exercise: Lack of physical activity is the cause of major lifestyle diseases. The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends exercise 30 minutes a day; 5 days a week for preventing cancer. Greater participation in physical activity can reduce the risk of cancers such as colon and breast. Regular exercise in your teen years can protect you from breast cancer as an adult. Physical activity can lower estrogen, considered a risk factor for breast cancer. 6. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables have several protective mechanisms for our body. A diet full of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains will reduce the risk of many types of cancer. Aim to eat at least one-third of your food raw. Balance your intake of red, green, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables to cover the full range of photochemical. Besides being high in fiber, fruits and vegetables are natural sources of antioxidants that protect cells from potential damage caused by carcinogens. 7. Avoid red meats and processed meats: Avoid consumption of red meats including beef, pork and lamb and avoid processed meats. Recent studies show that eating cooked red meat may increase the risk of getting cancer because of carcinogenic compounds called heterocyclic amines are created during the cooking process. Processed meats like bacon, sausage, ham and salami are the reason for pancreatic and colorectal cancers, because they are usually high in fat and very salty. 8. Increase your fiber intake: Intake of at least 40 grams of fiber per day will protect you from colon cancer. Dietary fiber can play a role in preventing breast cancer through no estrogen pathways among postmenopausal women. Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. This will alkalize your body and enable cells to function at their best. 9. Eliminate processed, sugary and salty food: Eliminate processed foods that deposit toxins into our body. Avoid sugary snacks and drinks. … [Read more...]
Cancer will cause more medical deaths in 2010
Cancer will become number one killer by 2010, according world cancer report issued by World Health Organization. Heart diseases are now causing highest number of medical deaths in the world. People from poor and developing countries will suffer more due to changing diet habits, smoking and poor health care and non-availability of proper screening procedures. Cancer in 2010 will cause more deaths the combined death toll of AIDS, T.B and Malaria. Lung cancer due to smoking is the major reason for rising cancer deaths as mortality rate is very high in lung cancer. Cervical cancer is the major cause for cancer deaths in women in developing nations due to lack of screening to detect cancer in early stage and lack of vaccination against HPV. Cancer deaths are falling in developed nations due to proper health facilities, decline in smoking habit, regular screening, vaccination against HPV and Hepatitis, better cancer awareness and affordability to take cancer treatment. Adoption of Western habits like eating junk food, lack of exercise and increase in bad habits like smoking and alcoholism are leading causes for increase in cancer in developing nations like India and China. Cancer statistics: 1. About 12 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in this year. 8 million people will die due to cancer in 2008. 2. About 27 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed by 2030, according to World Cancer Report. 17 million deaths occur due to cancer. 3. Lung cancer has highest mortality rate among all major cancers. Cancer and Smoking: 40% of smokers are living in India and China out of 1.3 billion smokers in the world. Smoking causes lung cancer which kills more people than any other type of cancer. Governments of developing nations should provide free screening procedures to all women to prevent deaths from diseases like cervical cancer and breast cancer. They should do mass scale vaccination against Hepatitis and HPV. … [Read more...]
10 tips to reduce Cancer risk
American Cancer Society is recommending following health guidelines to reduce Cancer risk by 50%. By making simple changes to your lifestyle and eating habits, you can reduce risk for cancers like Lung, breast and colon etc by more than 30-50%. 10 health tips to reduce cancer risk? 1. Stay away from smoking and chewing of tobacco products to reduce risk of lung cancer, Mouth, colon cancer and urinary bladder cancer incidence. 2. Regular screening for major cancers. We can prevent cancers of breast, prostate, colon, skin and cervix by screening. 3. Reduce alcohol consumption to prevent cancers of breast, colon, pancreas, oesophagus and head-neck. 4. Use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer or reduce incidence. 5. Regular exercise for 3-4 hours per week will reduce cancer incidence by 30-50%. 6. Control your weight by making proper diet changes and with regular exercise to prevent cancers of colon, breast, pancreas, kidney, liver and endometrium. Junk foods are major culprits for rise in obesity incidence. 7. Women should not post-menopausal hormonal therapy to reduce risk for cancers of breast, ovary and endometrial cancers. 8. Avoid exposure to carcinogens and radiation. 9. Vegetarians have low risk of getting cancer. Eat foods and green leafy vegetables and stay away from high calorie foods like soft drinks. 10. One should take proper medication to reduce cancer risk by consulting oncologist. More than 30% cancer deaths are preventable. We can reduce cancer occurrence by more than 30% if we follow above measures. Please share your opinion. … [Read more...]
Aspirin reduces Breast Cancer Risk by 20%
Pain killer Aspirin reduces the breast cancer risk by about 20%, according to a latest research study by British doctors. Scientists conducted 21 analytical studies on 37,000 women to find the beneficial effects of Aspirin on Breast cancer treatment. But researchers advised caution and requirement for more research before coming to conclusion on recommending to Aspirin to breast cancer patients. Aspirin is already using by many women as a preventive drug for heart attacks and strokes. But Aspirin use along with Breast cancer drugs and their interactions still needs extensive research. Long term use of Aspirin is associated with side effects like stomach ulcers, kidney problems and bleeding. This research study was published in the “International Journal of Clinical Practice (IJCP)". Proven uses of Aspirin: 1. Arthritis treatment. 2. Prevention of heart attacks and Strokes. 3. Delay and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. 4. Prostate diseases. Women should not take aspirin and other NSAIDs as preventive drugs for breast cancer without doctor’s prescription. … [Read more...]
Red wine improves cancer prognosis
Consumption of red wine reduces the growth of cancer cells and aids in the radiation treatment. Resveratrol, an antioxidant present in grape skin helps to kill mitochondria of cancer cells. It also makes cancer cells more susceptible to radiation therapy and makes normal cells more resistant to cancer treatment. This research study was done by University of Rochester scientists and published in the journal “Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology”. Resveratrol also acts as anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic agent. This anti-oxidant is a tumour sensitizer and makes cancer cells more susceptible to radiation and chemotherapy. It improves prognosis of cancer patients. It helps to use energy efficiently by helping to kill mitochondria of tumour cells. So, Cancer patients who are under treatment can consume moderate quantities of red wine. Scientists need to do more experiments on the effects of other antioxidants like Caffeine etc. … [Read more...]
Colon Cancer screening: New guidelines
American Cancer Society recommended two new screening tests for Colon cancer i.e. Virtual Colonoscopy (CTC) and Simple stool examination along with existing tests like Sigmoidoscopy. These new guidelines were released after extensive research and discussions among various medical departments like Oncology, Radiology and Gastroenterology. These new tests are mainly to detect precancerous lesions like polyps. Doctors’ recommendations for screening: These tests are useful for detection of polyps and cancer. 1. Colonoscopy - every 10 years. 2. Sigmoidoscopy - every 5 years. 3. Double-contrast barium enema or virtual colonoscopy - every five years. 4. Faecal occult blood test – every year. 5. Stool DNA testing. 6. Faecal immunochemical test – every year. Who are at risk? 1. Those who have a family history of colon cancer.2. Above 50 years. Colon cancer statistics: Colon cancer kills around 50,000 Americans per year and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in United States. Around 0.15 million colon cancer cases are detected a year. Click here to know more about these Colon Cancer guidelines. … [Read more...]
Smoking, supplements effect on lung Cancer
Taking of Vitamin E supplements increase risk for lung cancer, according to cancer research in the University of Washington. Researchers conducted experiments on 78,000 adults over 4-year period. The lung cancer risk is especially high in smokers. This research study was published in the first issue of “American Journal of respiratory and Critical Care Medicine” which was published by American Thoracic society. Vitamins and cancer: 100 milligram increase intake of Vitamin will raise lung cancer risk by 7%. American Cancer Society is not recommending vitamin intake to prevent from lung cancer. Staying away from smoking is the best method to decrease lung cancer incidence. Vitamin D has some proven protective measures against breast, colon and ovarian cancers while foods rich in Vitamin A has shown effect in reducing cancer risk. American Cancer Society is recommending diet rich in green leafy vegetables and fresh fruits to protect from cancer. One should stay away from junk diet and refined foods to decrease cancer risk. Note: One should not take vitamin supplements with doctor’s advice. Smoking and Lung Cancer: According to a research study by University of California, Hydrogen peroxide in smoking is the major culprit for causing lung cancer. This research study was published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). Tobacco contains more than 4,000 chemical substances of which 43 substances are carcinogens. Smoking alone is responsible for 0.4 million deaths in the United States alone, according to Centre for Disease Prevention (CDC). Smoking is responsible for more than 80% of lung cancers in Americans and is the major cause of preventable deaths among Americans. Please share your opinion on harmful effects of smoking. … [Read more...]
FDA approved Avastin for Breast Cancer
Food and Drug Administration approved Genentech’s “Avastin” for the treatment of advanced breast Cancer. Avastin was already got FDA approval for treating advanced Colon and non-small cell Lung cancer. According to the Genentech Company, Avastin in combination with Paclitaxel chemotherapy will rise survival period in metastatic breast cancer patients. Why FDA took this decision against the recommendation of its advisory panel? We don't know. FDA gave accelerated approval for Avastin in combination with Paclitaxel for treating metastatic HER-2 negative breast cancer. According to clinical trials, this combination increased the survival duration in these patients. 75% of metastatic breast cancers are generally HER-2 negative. According to American Cancer society, Breast Cancer is the second most leading cancer killer among American women and it killed 45,000 women in 2007 alone. Don’t forget that metastatic breast cancer has no permanent cure. Avastin is also showing positive response in the renal cell carcinoma treatment clinical trials. Avastin uses: 1. Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: In combination with 5-fluorouracil, is indicated for treatment of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum. 2. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: In combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, is indicated for first line treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer. 3. Metastatic HER-2 negative Breast Cancer. Avastin is really a wonder drug for both cancer patients and Genentech company. … [Read more...]
Overuse of CT scans can cause cancer
Overuse of CT scans will increase risk of cancer due to excessive exposure to radiation. According to a research article in the "New England Journal of Medicine", this cancer risk is very high in children due to sensitive tissues in them. According to Columbia University scientists, 2% of cancers are due to this excessive exposure to radiation in the coming days. As per researchers, 30% of diagnostic tests recommended by doctors are unnecessary. But due to increase in legal suits by patients, physicians are not wanting to take undue risks and recommending as many tests as possible. According to a study, 20 million adults and 1 million children are undergoing unnecessary CT scans annually. 62 million scans were done on US citizens in 2006 of which 4 million were on children. 30% of these scans are unnecessary which is alarming. MRI and ultrasound are comparatively safer than CT scans as they have less radiation exposure. But CT scans are the best diagnostic method to detect cancer as they produce 3-dimensional images of the organs. Physicians should be extra cautious in recommending CT scans for children. They should evaluate other diagnostic options before recommending CT scan. You can read more information on this research report in the November issue of New England Journal of Medicine. … [Read more...]
