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Focused
Radiation Improves Breast Cancer Cures
Surgery for
breast cancer in past years often involved the removal of the entire
breast (=mastectomy). The cancer patient often dreaded this procedure
because of the physical and psychological impact. With early-stage
breast cancer the removal of the breast lump proved to be the more
acceptable choice (=lumpectomy). There was however the question,
whether any treatment after the surgical procedure would make a
difference in the long-term cure.
Dr. Martin Keisch, a radiation oncologist at Mount Sinai Comprehensive
Cancer Center in Miami Beach, Florida reports about his experience
with a specific radiation therapy called balloon brachytherapy.
He led a study with 43 women with early-stage breast cancer who
underwent the procedure following lumpectomy. None of them had a
cancer relapse over the next four years. Importantly, there were
also no serious long-term side effects. The cosmetic results were
rated good to excellent by 85 % of the women. The brachytherapy
system, called the MammoSite
Radiation Therapy System, is approved for use in
the U.S. and Canada. If you are interested, you can click on the
site where the above link brings you and watch a demonstration of
this procedure.
The Medical
Post, November 22, 2005, page 48.
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Lycopene
For Bone Health
The tomato pigment
Lycopene in the diet has been demonstrated to be a beneficial agent
in reducing age-related diseases, cardio-vascular disease and even
prostate cancer. A new aspect has now been investigated.
Consuming more lycopene in the diet is of significant benefit to
post-menopausal women, as it reduces oxidative stress and bone turnover.
The findings come from head researcher Erin Collins from the University
of Toronto. The study results also suggest, that dietary lycopene
is readily absorbed, particularly in combination with vitamin C.
These results are encouraging, as lycopene may be one of the main
agents important for the prevention of osteoporosis." We found
that women who consumed more tomato products on a daily basis had
a lower bone turnover and lower oxidative stress than women of the
same age group who did not consume as much", reports Ms. Collins.
The participants of the research project were between 50 and 60
years. Lycopene levels in the blood were analyzed, and a seven-day
food record was completed. The lowest quartile of estimated lycopene
intake was 1.8 mg per day, and the highest was 8 mg per day. Lab
tests also showed that higher levels of lycopene were associated
with a lower level of protein oxidation and cross-linked N-telopeptides
of type I collagen, for short NTx. The latter one is a marker of
bone turnover. The intake of vitamin C appeared to work together
with lycopene, but it only showed to have a correlation, if 500
mg per day or more of vitamin C was consumed. The effect was not
observed among the volunteers who consumed less than 500 mg per
day of vitamin C.
An intervention study will begin shortly, which will be the first
of its kind. It will assess the bone parameters in women treated
with different doses of lycopene pills. It is likely that follow-up
studies will confirm initial findings, and dietary lycopene could
become a simple, inexpensive way of helping to prevent osteoporosis.
The Medical
Post, October 11, 2005, page 8
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Hospital
Cafeterias Need Healthier Food
Cafeterias and
fast food restaurants have come under scrutiny for offering food
choices that are not compatible with healthy living. In a place
where healthcare is the prime concern, like in the cafeteria of
a hospital, one should hope that promoting good health should be
the norm.
A U.S. wide survey tells another story: hospitals are falling short
of providing meals that are healthy and heart-friendly. There are
some trends, such as the availability of fresh fruit and wholegrain
products, but the overall picture points to an urgent need for improvement.
The survey was conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible
Medicine (PCRM, for short). This advocacy group for ethical and
preventive medicine distributed questionnaires, inquired about sample
menus as well as recipes for one of the "healthiest menu items
available from the hospital's main eating establishment". It
turned out that sixty-two percent of the "healthiest entrée"
choices derived more than 30% of calories from fat, and a few derived
more than 50% of calories from fat.
Although at
least 80% of responding hospitals offered wholegrain products, sugar-free
snacks and fresh fruit, less than a third offered a daily salad
bar. Artery-clogging fats in hospital food also prevailed. Fried
chicken was the top selling item in 24% of the hospital cafeterias
and hamburgers in 12% of the surveyed cafeterias. Other top sellers
included pizza, enchiladas and meatloaf. Less than one third offered
non-dairy options or soymilk.
The recommendations to promote more health conscious food were very
much common-sense: food services should offer daily salad bars,
use fresh rather than canned vegetables, incorporate organic ingredients
and hearty vegetarian soups daily. Fatty or cholesterol-laden add-ons
such as bacon, mayonnaise, croutons and sour cream should be optional.
Beans should also be offered as well as healthy items from other
countries' cuisines.
In the meantime it is up to the consumer to be prudent in making
the better choices. This may involve turning a cold shoulder to
cafeteria food and seek healthier choices elsewhere. For the visitor
it may mean that bringing a brown bag or a take-away with a salad
would be more appropriate than bringiong a bunch of flowers for
a loved one in the hospital.
The Medical
Post, October 25, 2005, page 15
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Food Habits Related To Asthma
High quality
dietary data have made it possible for a research team in North
Carolina to address how a diet rich in meat, salt, starches (=refined
carbohydrate) and fat can have an impact on respiratory problems
and asthma.
Stephanie London and her team examined the data of 52,535 people
between the ages of 45 and 74 years of age. A baseline examination
was started in 1993, and follow-ups were done in 1999. All of the
participants lived in Singapore. After adjustments were made for
age, gender, smoking and education. It was observed that dietary
habits could make a difference to respiratory health. Two eating
patterns emerged: one group gravitated towards dim sum, meat and
noodle dishes, whereas the other group favored fruit, vegetables
and soy products. The "meat and dim sum" group had a 1.43
times higher risk of developing breathing problem, new-onset cough
and phlegm formation. There was also a link to chronic respiratory
disease and asthma.
The researchers
concluded also, that the habits observed in the Singapore study
are very much in keeping with dietary habits in western countries,
where one group consumes foods high in starch, fat, meat and sodium
and a second group has a more health conscious approach preferring,
vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, poultry and whole grains.
As a result the same recommendations are applicable to in western
countries: stick to food choices with a low glycemic index and skip
the noodle dishes. Stay away from trans fats and limit the saturated
fats, which means turning away from deep-fried foods and limiting
meat intake. Choose fish, vegetables and legumes, and avoid the
high sodium content, which is common in many premixed and prepared
foods. If you are doing the cooking, go easy on salt, and ban the
saltshaker from the dining table.
A lot has been said about good food habits and a reduction in cancers
and heart disease. What is new, that food habits also have an impact
on the health of our respiratory system.
Am
J Respir Crit Care Med 2005
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Jetlag
Helped By Bright Lights and Melatonin
The effects
of long distance travel can be unpleasant: once several time zones
are crossed, people are struggling to adjust to a different wake-sleep
pattern, and what is know as the" circadian rhythm" has
to readjust.
Eating light meals, avoiding alcohol during travel and drinking
plenty of water are the suggestions, which are frequently heard.
The other suggestion for travelers is adjusting their sleep times
before the trip, namely going to sleep one hour earlier for each
hour of time difference when traveling east. This method alone is
not always practical, especially when a sudden trip with time differences
of more than 8 hours are involved.
Previous research has also shown that light box therapy works and
that melatonin is a useful tool in people with jet lag.
Dr. Charmane Eastman (PhD) from Rush University Medical Center has
authored a study that shows that light therapy in combination with
melatonin works better than light therapy alone. Dr Eastman and
colleagues studied 44 healthy adults who were divided into three
groups. The first group received placebo (meaning" fake"
pills), the second group took 0.5 mg melatonin, and the third group
received 3.0 mg melatonin. All three groups were given three days
of advancing sleep-dark period with a wake time one hour earlier
each morning. They also got bright light on awakening, namely four
30-minute bright-light pulses alternating with 30 minutes of room
light. There were significantly larger phase advancements with 0.5
mg or 3.0 mg of melatonin, as opposed to placebo. A slightly larger
shift was obtained with the 3.0 mg dose of melatonin as compared
to 0.5 mg, but this difference was too small to be statistically
significant.
The researchers concluded, that afternoon melatonin, morning intermittent
bright lights and a gradually advancing sleep schedule was able
to advance the circadian rhythm almost an hour a day. It was also
found, that the lower dose of melatonin would be adequate, and as
melatonin is pretty harmless compared to most drugs prescribed,
people should not be afraid to use it to cope with jet lag.
The
Medical Post, November 22, 2005, page 49
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