May 22, 2006, 12:51 AM CT

Minimizing the Risk of Melanoma

The incidence of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, is increasing. In the United States, the lifetime risk of developing melanoma is now about one in 70. It used to be less than one in 100.

"The best way to reduce your risk is to avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, when the sun's rays are strongest," says Mark Pittelkow, M.D., Mayo Clinic dermatologist. "But, it's a misconception to think that melanoma occurs only with too much sun exposure, or that it occurs only on sun-exposed areas."

In the recent issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource, Dr. Pittelkow shares insights on causes, prevention and warning signs of this potentially deadly cancer.

Causes: As with a number of types of cancers, melanoma results from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. That's why melanoma can occur in areas not usually exposed to sun, such as the genital area or on the scalp underneath hair.

Prevention: Staying out of the sun (or tanning beds) is best. A broad-spectrum sunscreen (which protects against both UVA and UVB radiation from the sun) with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 offers important protection when you are in the sun. But don't rely on sunscreen alone to protect you and don't abuse the benefits of sunscreen by staying out in the sun for long periods. Think of sunscreen as a supplement to other measures to protect you from UV radiation. Wear protective clothing, such as a wide-brimmed hat and tightly woven clothes to protect your arms and legs.........

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May 14, 2006, 4:52 PM CT

Carcinogens Found In Babies' Urine

When mom or dad puffs on a cigarette, their infants may inhale the resulting second-hand smoke. Now, researchers have detected cancer-causing chemicals associated with tobacco smoke in the urine of nearly half the babies of smoking parents.

"The take home message is, 'Don't smoke around your kids,'" said Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., professor and Wallin Chair of Cancer Prevention at The Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota.

As per a research studyof 144 infants, reported in the recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Hecht and colleagues found detectable levels of NNAL* in urine from 47 percent of babies exposed to environmental tobacco carcinogens from cigarette smoking family members. NNAL is a cancer-causing chemical produced in the human body as it processes NNK**, a carcinogenic chemical specific to tobacco.

"The level of NNAL detected in the urine of these infants was higher than in most other field studies of environmental tobacco smoke in children and adults," Hecht said.

"NNAL is an accepted biomarker for uptake of the tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK. You don't find NNAL in urine except in people who are exposed to tobacco smoke, whether they are adults, children, or infants".

A prior study by Hecht and colleagues indicated that the first urine from newborns whose mothers smoked during pregnancy contained as much as one-third more NNAL compared to the babies in the current study. The newborn infants, however, took in the carcinogen directly from their mothers through their placentas rather than by breathing second-hand smoke in the air in their family homes and cars.........

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May 8, 2006, 7:15 AM CT

Outcomes In Lobular Invasive Carcinoma Of The Breast

A new study has confirmed that invasive lobular carcinoma can be effectively treated just like invasive ductal carcinoma by breast conservation surgery. The study proves that invasive lobular carcinoma does not require any additional preferential treatment compared to invasive ductal carcinoma.

Invasive ductal carcinoma is rare compared to the ductal carcinoma, and currently doctors are treating both subtypes of breast cancer similarly with breast conservation surgery in early stages of the disease. Now there is some proof to the all in one approach by the physicians and surgeons.

These findings are reported in the latest issue of CANCER, which is a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Invasive lobular carcinoma is associated with similar success rates with breast conservation surgery and is not associated with any additional surgeries compared to invasive ductal carcinoma. Some recent studies have suggested invasive lobular carcinoma has suggested that breast-conserving surgery is not appropriate for invasive lobular carcinoma, and this study challenges that finding.

Invasive lobular carcinoma makes up only 10 percent of all breast cancers, and because of this data focusing on invasive lobular carcinoma is scanty. Much of information on mammography screening and breast conservation surgery are based on data from invasive ductal carcinoma which comprises of up to 85 percent of all breast cancers.........

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May 3, 2006, 7:10 AM CT

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Improves Quality Of Life

The technique of sentinel lymph node biopsy is coming to U.K. It is expected that an estimated 20,000 women a year will be spared unnecessary maxillary lymph node surgery because of this procedure. This would not only result pain and suffering on the part of women having breast cancer, but would also result in savings of millions of dollars for NHS.

This therapy of sentinel node biopsy is widely popular in the United States and is now being introduced in Britain. New research done by Robert Mansel, professor of surgery at Cardiff University, has shown that sentinel lymph node biopsy technique would cut recovery time to two days instead of the usual five days associated with axillary lymph node dissection and results in improved quality of life by reducing pain, swelling and other symptoms in the involved region. These findings appear in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node in the system of lymphatic drainage of the part of breast that is involved with breast cancer. The first draining lymph node can be identified by various techniques including injection of a blue dye or radioactive material and can be surgically removed. The removed lymph nodes are then studied under microscope to determine if that lymph node is involved with breast cancer. If this lymph node is involved with breast cancer, surgeon will do a full exploration of the armpit area and will remove as a number of possible lymph nodes as possible. If the removed sentinel lymph node is not involved with cancer, no further exploration of the lymph nodes would be done.........

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May 2, 2006, 7:18 AM CT

Biomarker For Persistent Fatigue From Breast Cancer

Wouldn't it be nice to know in advance if you would develop long-term persistent fatigue from chemotherapy for breast cancer, so that an informed decision can be made prior to taking chemotherapy? Thanks to the finding of some of the researchers this may be possible in future.

Dr. Michael Irwin of the University of California, Los Angeles' Semel Institute and colleagues have discovered a biological marker to identify breast cancer survivors at risk for long-term persistent fatigue. It is estimated that about one third of breast cancer survivors experience disabling fatigue that lasts for years.

Breast cancer survivors who suffer from persistent, disabling fatigue may have immune systems that don't shut down following treatment. Dr. Irwin says that this newly discovered biomarker could identify and predict which women would develop long-term persistent fatigue. Currently we have no available treatment for cancer related fatigue. Dr. Irwin hopes that this finding will lead to development of drugs that would one day be used to treat persistent fatigue among breast cancer survivors.

The study included blood samples from 32 breast cancer survivors with persistent fatigue and this was compared to blood samples from 18 breast cancer survivors who did not suffer from fatigue.........

Posted by: Sherin      Permalink

May 1, 2006, 6:55 AM CT

Nigtshift Work May Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Recently scientists have identified one more factor that may increase the risk of breast cancer, prolonged exposure to artificial light. Scientists have found that women, who work in nightshift, have increased risk of breast cancer compared to women who work during regular working hours.

Scientists are speculating that prolonged exposure to artificial light may be the cause of increased breast cancer incidence in the group of women who work in nightshifts. They also acknowledge that other factors like socio-economic status and stress of and strain of working in the night shift may also be contributing to the increased risk. However scientists think that the disruption circadian rhythm resulting from the odd working hours is to be blamed for increased risk of breast cancer.

Disturbances in the circadian rhythm, which is the biological clock within us, causes chronically low levels of melatonin, which is a hormone that is made in our body during dark hours of the day. It has been shown in the past that melatonin has the properties of tumor suppression. Naturally researchers assume that the increased incidence of breast cancer in women who work in nightshifts could be correlation to chronic low levels of melatonin caused by lack of exposure to darkness.

Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School have recently found that women who work in the nightshift may have elevated levels of estrogen hormone compared to women who work during regular hours of the day.........

Posted by: Jessica      Permalink

April 29, 2006, 11:35 PM CT

Non-smokers With Lung Cancer Respond Better To Treatment

Smoking history contributes to poor outcomes in the therapy of lung cancer, as per a new study. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lung cancer patients who have never smoked before in their life have better overall survival rates and respond better to chemotherapy than current or former smokers. Reported in the June 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study also reveals that smoking status during therapy has no affect on clinical outcome.

Cigarette smoking is the most significant risk factor for developing lung cancer, one of most common and aggressive malignancies in the world. In 2005, over 170,000 Americans were diagnosed with lung cancer and over 160,000 patients died. The five-year survival rate from lung cancer is less than 20 percent at best. NSCLC causes the majority of lung cancers, and if cured, the survivor has up to a 4 percent annual risk of developing another tumor.

Despite the association of lung cancer with cigarettes, diagnosed patients continue to smoke. However, physicians remain unable to tell their patients how that will impact their cancer therapy. Prior studies have failed to agree on whether smoking status impacts the outcome of chemotherapy or chemotherapy and thoracic irradiation.

Led by Anne S. Tsao, M.D. of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, scientists reviewed the medical records of 1370 patients with NSCLC who were treated with chemotherapy or chemo-radiation to determine an association between smoking and therapy response and survival.........

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April 29, 2006, 9:54 PM CT

Colon Cancer Patients Stop Chemotherapy Prematurely

New research from Columbia University Medical Center has found that as a number of as 30 percent of patients with stage III colon cancer who were prescribed six months of chemotherapy with a combination of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin stopped their therapy prematurely. Stopping chemotherapy for colon cancer prematurely was shown to be equivalent to receiving no therapy at all. The findings add to the arsenal of reasons why colon cancer patients, and all cancer patients, need to complete their chemotherapy regimens whenever possible.

Prior studies have shown that not completing chemotherapy regimens for breast cancer is associated with shorter survival. This is the first study to look at a link between mortality rates from colon cancer and therapy adherence.

"The intuitive thinking is that if you complete most of a therapy regimen, you should get most of the therapy benefit. But these findings are significant because they indicate that completing therapy is as critical for colon cancer as it is for breast cancer - and we need to do better to ensure that patients who can, complete therapy as intended," said Alfred I. Neugut, M.D., Ph.D., who led the study along with Dawn L. Hershman, M.D., M.S.

The study would be reported in the May 20, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology (published online April 17, 2006).........

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April 27, 2006, 9:01 PM CT

Herbs For Breast Cancer Patients' Hot Flushes

Scientists at the University of Manchester are testing a secret herb in a bid to stop the severe hot flushes that besiege breast cancer patients on hormone therapy.

Professor Alex Molassiotis, of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, says the herb - one of the mint family, found in any kitchen - is thought to stop the hot flushes and night sweats which can be so bad that some women have to change their clothes three or four times a night.

It is traditionally used by Mediterranean women undergoing the menopause, but Professor Molassiotis cannot name it as he and his team are carrying out a double blind trial (neither the patient nor the doctor is allowed to know whether they are in the group taking the herb or a placebo).

The women are taking hormone therapy to lower oestrogen and progesterone levels as these affect the growth of some breast cancer cells. This can lead to early or revisiting menopause with symptoms such as anxiety, dry skin, bone thinning and hot flushes, with some women having up to 30 flushes a day. It is too risky for them to take Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) as this will increase the hormone levels again. Instead they are advised to cut out tea, coffee and nicotine, try alternative remedies or a certain type of anti-depressant.........

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April 27, 2006, 8:58 PM CT

Arthritis Drug For Cancer Fatigue

Scientists here have found evidence that combining a drug typically used to treat rheumatoid arthritis with chemotherapy might help reduce fatigue and muscle wasting that often afflicts cancer patients.

The findings of the preliminary study with 24 patients are published in the April 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

"Even though this was a small study, we found that we could deliver more chemotherapy when combined with the drug etanercept," said lead author Miguel A. Villalona-Calero, an associate professor of hematology and oncology and of pharmacology at Ohio State.

"This shows promise in helping reduce fatigue in cancer patients while increasing their ability to tolerate higher doses of chemotherapy on a more frequent basis," said Villalona-Calero, who is also researcher at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James).

Patients' fatigue - the state of overwhelming and sustained exhaustion that is not relieved by rest - often hinders physicians' ability to deliver chemotherapy to them on schedule because of their weakened state.

The fatigue and muscle wasting that are associated with cancer are largely caused when immune cells release a substance known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Eventhough TNF historically has been studied for its anticancer properties, recent studies indicate that TNF probably promotes tumor growth instead of hindering it.........

Posted by: Jessica      Permalink         Source

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