Jun
01
2006

Screening Colonoscopy Highly Effective

By | Cancer, Gastrointestinal Disease, Prevention

The proverbial “ounce of prevention” can be very crucial when it comes to cancer screening methods. Cancer screening has been in the forefront for some time. Early disease detection is not only crucial for successful treatment; it can be a lifesaver!
Effective screening methods are available for some forms of cancer. Mammography screening for breast cancer and rectal examination and PSA tests for prostate cancer are methods that have received attention in the media.
Screening the large intestine for colon cancer by performing a colonoscopy has not made inroads, but new statistics point out the benefits. A colonoscopy will examine the colon for irregularities, namely the formation of polyps. Polyps are initially harmless and non-cancerous, however over time, some polyps have the potential to turn cancerous. In a colonoscopy examination, small polyps can be removed immediately, and this “weeding out” process is a highly effective preventative method against colon cancer. Research has shown, that one colonoscopy that is performed in a middle-aged patient (in his 50’s or 60’s) decreases the risk of developing colon cancer quite significantly. If no polyps are found in the initial screening, it is safe to assume that no colon cancer will present itself for 10 years.

Dr. Harminder Singh and associates from Cancer Care Manitoba and the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg Manitoba/Canada, analyzed data of the Manitoba Health’s physicians’ database where 35,975 patients had undergone a colonoscopy, but were negative for colon cancer.These colonoscopies took place between April 1, 1989, and December 31, 2003 and follow-up was for 10 years. The end point was death or diagnosis of colon cancer.

One Screening Colonoscopy Guarantees Low Colon Cancer Risk for 10 Years (modified JAMA. 2006; 295: p.2366-2373)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This retrospective study showed the following results depicted in the modified graph bar. Patients who were negative in the beginning of the study had a reduction of colon cancer rates of 72% at the 10-year point when compared to those who had no colonoscopy. This is quite an astounding finding. Even at the 5-year point there was a reduction of colon cancer risk by 45% from a single colonoscopy. This would indicate that a person should have a colonoscopy at about the age of 50 to establish freedom of colon cancer. This could be repeated only every 10 years to ensure that no colon polyps and colon cancer develop in the meantime. This should be definitely done in patients who have a family history where colon cancer occurred in a first relative such as mother, father, brother or sister, where specialists say screening should be done every 3 years. In this familial form of colon cancer they should also have a colonoscopy done earlier (at age 40 or earlier). However, this data would indicate that in everybody such colonoscopy screening would be beneficial as it is one of the most common cancers in men and women and other tests are not reliable at this time.

More information about colon cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/

Reference: JAMA. 2006;295: page 2366-2373

Last edited Nov. 1, 2014

Jun
01
2006

Ginger Kills Ovarian Cancer

By | Cancer, Nutrition

Active substances in ginger are killing cancer cells in lab experiments. This is the gist of laboratory studies led by Dr. J. Rebecca Liu at the University of Michigan Medical School. The findings on these studies were presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.
In the past it has been implied that the substances (6)-gingerol and (6)-paradol interfere with carcinogenic processes. Gingerol also has been linked with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The research group from Ann Arbor used whole ginger extract which was standardized to a contents of 5% (6)-gingerol to explore the death of ovarian cancer cells in vitro. They suggest that ginger can circumvent chemoresistance.

Due to this quality ginger substances can be effective in cancer cells that have been resistant to chemotherapy.

Ginger Kills Ovarian Cancer

Ginger Kills Ovarian Cancer

Other substances and their effect on cancer cells that are closer examined by the researchers are resveratol and curcumin.

More information about ovarian cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/ovarian-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, May 9, 2006, page 15

Last edited Nov. 1, 2014

Jun
01
2006

Probiotics Help Gut Against Stress

By | Cancer, Gastrointestinal Disease, Health, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Nutrition

In times of stress our bodies react: the heart will beat faster, palms will feel sweaty, and a difficult situation may manifest itself in other reactions of the body. In every day’s terms we speak about something “being a pain in the neck”, or the fear of an exam showing up as “butterflies in the stomach”.
Dr. Mary Perdue of the Intestinal Diseases Research Program at Mc Master University in Hamilton, Ontario went a step further. The fact that mental stress can bring physiologic changes in the lining of the intestine has been known for some time. As a result the epithelium (the lining) is more vulnerable to the attack of pathogenic bacteria. The researchers put a solution of lactobacillus to the test, to see whether these gut-friendly bacilli could offer some help. Stressed rats that received the treatment with lactobacillus showed a remarkable degree of protection. The stressed and treated animals were almost as resistant to intestinal pathogens as animals that had not been stressed at all. Contrary to that the non-stressed animals did not show much evidence of bacterial adhesion or penetration: they were more resistant to the attack of bacteria to their guts.
Dr. Perdue explains that it may be difficult to extrapolate from the rat model to the human model. Yet it is clear that humans who are stressed can develop intestinal dysfunction over time, or gastrointestinal symptoms can be exacerbated by stress.
In the meantime probiotics are recommended by many doctors and nutritionists to help restore the gut’s natural flora. New guidelines from Yale Medical School recommend them for diarrhea in children and adults and in diarrhea, which comes as a result of treatment with antibiotics.

Probiotics Help Gut Against Stress

Probiotics Help Gut Against Stress

More research is needed, but existing data suggest that probiotics can help manage lactose intolerance, prevent infections, and reduce inflammation. It can lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure and may help with prevention of colon cancer.

More information on:

1. Stress management: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/fitness/stress-management-relaxation-techniques/

2. Probiotics: https://www.askdrray.com/probiotics-important-for-your-health/

Reference: National Review of Medicine, May 15, 2006, page 8

Last edited Oct. 31, 2014

Mar
01
2006

Daily Tea Lowers Ovarian Cancer Risk

By | Cancer, Nutrition

Due to the fact that ovarian cancer is silent and as a result often diagnosed at a later stage, it is one of the killing cancers in women. New treatments have made a big difference in the survival rate of patients, but the need for prevention remains an important point. Studies have shown that alcohol consumption represents a risk factor for ovarian cancer. It is also true that healthy lifestyle habits in the form of healthy eating and exercise are very useful for prevention.
Swedish research has come up with more news. They examined the association of tea consumption as a risk-lowering factor in 61,057 women 40 to 76 years of age. These participants completed a validated 67-item food frequency questionnaire between 1987 and 1990. They were followed for cancer incidence through December 2004.
The researchers found a 46% lower risk of ovarian cancer in women who drank two or more cups of tea a day, compared to those who did not drink tea.

Daily Tea Lowers Ovarian Cancer Risk

Daily Tea Lowers Ovarian Cancer Risk

The tea was primarily black tea. Each additional cup of tea was associated with an 18% decreased risk of ovarian cancer.

More information on ovarian cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/ovarian-cancer/

References: The Medical Post, February21, 2006, page 23.

Last edited Oct. 30, 2014

Feb
01
2006

Chronic Pain A Cancer Risk

By | Anti-aging medicine, Arthritis, Cancer, Pain

Chronic pain can be an undermining force in people’s well being. Often it is more perceived as a nuisance or an inconvenience. How serious it really is as a health risk, has been emerging only in more recent observations.
Two well designed, population based studies in the UK are showing that there is an increased risk in people with chronic pain to die prematurely or to develop cancer.
In a study by J. Mc Farlane, MD individuals with chronic back pain or patients suffering of fibromyalgia show an increased risk for premature death and cancer. Often pain sufferers have not only one pain condition but also multiple ones. Mc Farlane quoted an excess risk of 30% for premature mortality in pain patients. At the same time he states that the risk is “relatively modest”. Another study noted that patients who suffered of widespread pain over a 10-year period had a 50% increased risk of developing cancer than those who were pain free at the baseline. Statistically it means that 2.5% of patients with widespread pain over a time of 10 years will develop cancer, which remains a small percentage.
The author notes that there is no reason to feel overly threatened by these results. More research will tell more. For the practical application the results point to the need for effective treatment and pain control before chronic pain patterns become detrimental to the patient’s health.

Chronic Pain A Cancer Risk

Chronic Pain A Cancer Risk

More information on:

Pain can affect many areas:  http://nethealthbook.com/neurology-neurological-disease/pain/

Cancer risks: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/overview/epidemiology-cancer-origin-reason-cancer/

Reference: The Back Letter, December 2005,Vol.20, Nr.12, page 139

Comment on Nov. 11, 2012: Chronic pain can indicate that the patient may be hormone deficient. When hormones are tested, some patients may be hypothyroid, others may lack steroid hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone or DHEA as is normal with the aging process. In these cases often restoration of the hormone balance with bio-identical hormones can treat the pain condition successfully and can prevent cancer by restoring normal immune function.

Last edited October 30, 2014

Feb
01
2006

Using Cell Phone Not Causing Brain Cancer

By | Cancer, Health, Prevention

Of all the common brain tumors in adults, gliomas are the most common cancers. The prognosis for patients who are diagnosed with this type of brain cancer is extremely poor. Researchers are still attempting to pinpoint the reasons why these tumors are starting to grow, as they have a very distinct formation of cells and seem to be different from other brain tumors.
In the recent past, a lot of attention has been focused on the aspect of mobile telephones and a possible risk of gliomas and other brain tumors associated with their use. The energy of the radio frequency fields emitted by cell phones is thought to be insufficient to cause DNA damage to brain cells that lead to the formation of cancer cells.
Epidemiologists have done studies on users of mobile telephones and have not generally reported an increased brain cancer risk in overall or long-term use. Individual studies have found positive associations between high-grade astrocytoma (glioma) and phone use, brain tumor and phone use in rural areas and use of analogue mobile phones.
A large population based case-control study of 966 patients with glioma in the United Kingdom was designed to investigate cell phone use and the risk of brain tumors. It was part of the Interphone project, which is an international collaboration of 13 countries that concerns itself with the risks of cell phone use and tumors. The south east of England as well as four areas to the north and southern Scotland was the area studied with a total catchment, which amounts to 48.3% if the UK population of 28.4 million. Cases with intercranial tumors were ascertained from various sources, hospital departments (neurology and others) as well as cancer registries. The study was introduced as one to examine risks factors for brain cancers without stressing cell phone use. During the interview those who were mobile phone users were asked detailed questions on cell phone use, which included the recording of all makes and models of phone. Regular phone use was defined as a period of at least six months in the time frame of more than a year before the patient had been diagnosed with glioma.

Using Cell Phone Not Causing Brain Cancer

Using Cell Phone Not Causing Brain Cancer

When all the data had been evaluated, there was no association of risk with lifetime years of use, cumulative use or cumulative hours. There was also no association with cell phone use in urban or rural areas and high or low-grade gliomas. The use of analogue phones was also scrutinized and there were no significant odds ratios with any exposure.
This study has nearly twice as many cases as the previously largest study on glioma patients and the use of mobile phones. In addition it has a large amount of comprehensive and relevant collection data. The results are also consistent with findings from investigations of mobile phone use in the US, Denmark and Sweden. Overall there are no substantially raised risks of of glioma in the 10 years after first mobile phone use. Only future studies will be able to address longer latency periods.

More information on brain cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/brain-cancer/

Reference: Brit. Med. Journal (doi: 10.1136/bmj.38720.687975.55; published January 20, 2006)

Last edited October 30, 2014

Jan
01
2006

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

By | Cancer

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori has been identified as a risk for the development of stomach cancer. Infection with this microbe has come under more scrutiny, as patients who are seropositive to H. pylori are more likely to develop colorectal cancer than those patients who are seronegative. The green colored bacteria on this image are H. pylori in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr. Akio Inui from Kagoshima University in Japan has investigated the relationship of this microbe in the development of colon cancer by analyzing data from 332 patients who were screened by virtual colonoscopy (high-resolution colonoscopy) and serological testing for H. pylori. Of the patient group 42 % with H. pylori antibodies had tubular adenomas (precancerous colon cancer lesions) but only 19% of the negative group had colonic cancers. The researchers concluded that more investigations and long-term prospective studies are needed to explore the biological basis of Helicobacter infection and colon cancer.

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

Colon Cancer Associated with H. Pylori

In the meantime it is important to eradicate infection in order to prevent stomach and colon cancers.

More info on gastritis and H. pylori: http://nethealthbook.com/digestive-system-and-gastrointestinal-disorders/gastritis/

More info on colon cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/

Reference: Int. J. Cancer 2005; 117: 1058-1059

Last edited October 30, 2014

Dec
01
2005

Focused Radiation Improves Breast Cancer Cures

By | Cancer, Women’s Diseases

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.

Focused Radiation Improves Breast Cancer Cures

Focused Radiation Improves Breast Cancer Cures

The brachytherapy system, called the MammoSite Radiation Therapy System, is approved for use in the U.S. and Canada.

More information on breast cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/breast-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, November 22, 2005, page 48

Last edited October 29, 2014

Nov
01
2005

Hard Liquor And Beer Hike Colon Cancer Risk

By | Cancer, Nutrition, Prevention, Substance abuse

The old adage of “everything in moderation” has become something like an excuse-me note for those who do not wish to change their lifestyle. And the little bit that supposedly does not harm is another variation in the theme of excuses. Yet the truth remains, that this does not apply to various lifestyle habits. It still matters, what you ingest in your food or drink, as Dr. Joseph Anderson found out in a study of 2,291 patients.

All of these individuals presented for screening colonoscopy. It turned out that those who had a history of consuming more than 8 drinks of spirits or beer per week for at least ten years were more than twice as likely as abstainers to have significant cancer of the colon. The group that drank beer and hard liquor (and hard liquor also applies to the category of mixed drinks) faced at least a one in five chance to have significant colorectal neoplasia (meaning cancer of the colon or rectum). This came as no surprise to the researchers, as beer and hard liquor seem equally pernicious.
Even though wine does not seem to carry the same risk, Dr. Anderson is in no position to condone counseling patients to drink wine instead.

Hard Liquor And Beer Hike Colon Cancer Risk

Hard Liquor And Beer Hike Colon Cancer Risk

His advice to other doctors is to ” counsel the patients on what they are drinking and counsel them to temper their drinking.”

More information about causes of colorectal cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/colon-cancer/food-risk-factors-colon-cancer-rectal-cancer/

Reference: The Medical Post, October 11, 2005, page 46

Last edited October 29, 2014

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Nov
01
2005

Digital Mammography Superior For Some

By | Cancer, Prevention, Women’s Diseases

Mammography has been considered a reliable screening test for breast lumps. It has become a crucial diagnostic tool for the early recognition of breast cancer. Nevertheless there are situations when the test has its limitations, which is especially true for women who have very dense breast tissue.
Dr. Martin Yaffe, PhD, a biophysics professor at the University of Toronto and Women’s College Health Sciences Center has done the groundwork for digital mammography, and 20 years of research and development have finally paid off. For women who have dense breast tissue, digital mammography will be the superior diagnostic tool, as opposed to the conventional film mammography. In a study that involved 42,760 patients who were asymptomatic both film mammography and digital mammography were used for screening. In the general study population the accuracy of the two methods was found to be similar. In the group of women under 50 years of age the digital method showed significantly more accuracy (84% vs. 69%). Accuracy for women with dense breasts was also higher with the digital method (78% vs. 68%). It also was superior for premenopausal women (82%vs.67%).

The digital equipment used was still in its development stages, and the potential of the technology will become even greater with more sophisticated equipment down the road. At this point it is not cost effective to use the digital method for all women. The digital system costs between one and a half to four times as much as the film systems.

Digital Mammography Superior For Some

Digital Mammography Superior For Some

“There is certainly no indication that digital is any less accurate than film mammography, but certainly the benefit is in a defined subgroup of women at this time,” states Dr.Yaffe. For most women film mammography remains a method that works well.

More information about breast cancer: http://nethealthbook.com/cancer-overview/breast-cancer/breast-cancer-diagnosis/

Reference: The Medical Post, October 4, 2005, page1, 62

Last edited November 2, 2014