Alternative Cancer Prevention Diet

For the first time scientists have demonstrated a model that may explain how alcohol stimulates tumor growth. Their study, published in the January 15, 2005 issue of CANCER, says alcohol fuels the production of a growth factor that stimulates blood vessel development in tumors, and that chronic ethanol increased tumor size and levels of the angiogenic factor and levels of the angiogenic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in an experimental model. [ScienceDaily Headlines]

Posted by Admin at 03:09 PM | Permalink

Men being treated for prostate cancer using hormone therapy maybe under-recognized for their risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a new study. Researchers writing in the January 15, 2005 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, say few patients get tested for osteoporosis during treatment. [ScienceDaily Headlines]

Posted by Admin at 03:09 PM | Permalink

Residents of Taiwan who consumed drinking water with high levels of arsenic have a higher risk of lung cancer, with cigarette smokers from this group having an even greater risk, according to a study in the December 22/29 issue of JAMA. [EurekAlert! - Cancer]

Posted by Admin at 03:59 PM | Permalink

Researchers for the first time have been able to distinguish head and neck cancer patients from a group of healthy subjects based on biomarkers found in their saliva.

The study provides a first proof of principle that may result in development of new diagnostic and early detection tools using saliva to detect other cancers. [cancerfacts.com]

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Research shows that people who eat diets rich in plant foods have a lower risk of serious diseases, including cancer, says an article in the December issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter. Current dietary guidelines recommend that you eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

A diet that includes lots of fruits and vegetables may help reduce the risk of stomach, prostate, pancreatic, lung, oral, esophageal, colon, endometrial and breast cancers, the Mayo article noted. [MedicineNet Cancer General]

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The way vitamin C functions in the body may help explain its possible role in prevention of heart disease and cancer, according to an Oregon State University study.

The researchers explain how vitamin C can react with and neutralize toxic byproducts of human fat metabolism.

"This is a previously unrecognized function for vitamin C in the human body," Fred Stevens, an assistant professor in the Linus Pauling Institute at the university, said in a prepared statement.

"We knew that vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help neutralize free radicals. But the new discovery indicates it has a complex protective role against toxic compounds formed from oxidized lipids, preventing the genetic damage or inflammation they can cause," Stevens said. [MedicineNet Weekly News Digest]

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Women are focusing on finding a balance between their food choices and their activity, rather than pledging themselves to diets in their New Year's resolutions. A recent survey* sponsored by PepsiCo shows a change in how women are approaching New Year's resolutions. According to the survey, 62% of women said they planned to "strive for better balance" in their diet and fitness routines, and 65% pledged to provide a better balance of foods for their families, while only 55% simply wanted to "lose weight." The past year has been full of news about diets, especially the low-carb phenomenon. However, evidence is mounting that consumers are shifting away from these fads. Sales of some low-carb products, for instance, have d... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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ConsumerLab.com announced today that tests of 41 omega-3 fish oil supplements (including 3 marketed for pets) showed safe levels of mercury and PCBs. However, three products did not contain their claimed amounts of EPA and DHA key omega-3 fatty acids or were spoiled. EPA and DHA are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, are of potential benefit in treating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer. DHA may also be useful to infants and mothers due to its role in the functioning of the brain and retina in the fetus and infants and possibly reducing the risk of premature delivery. Fish oil supplements are one of the fastest growing categories of supplements, with sales up 35% in 2003 to... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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A U.S. study based on research in Sweden shows that consuming milk could increase the risk of ovarian cancer. A study involving more than 60,000 women in Sweden found that drinking more than two glasses of milk a day significantly increased the chances of the most serious form of ovarian cancer. It follows past claims that dairy products are linked to certain types of cancer, including breast and prostate cancer. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, followed 61,084 women aged 38 to 76 whose diet was assessed between 1987 and 1990 using a food-frequency questionnaire. They were followed up for around 13 years. During this time a total of 266 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer,... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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The form of vitamin E found in many plant seeds -- but not in most manufactured nutritional supplements -- might halt the growth of prostate and lung cancer cells, according to a Purdue study. [All Headline News - Cancer News and Headlines]

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Honeybees could be keeping a cornucopia of anti-cancer compounds in their hives, early research in mice suggests.

Researchers in Croatia found that bee products ranging from sting venom to sweet honey were able to prevent tumors in mice from growing and spreading, and in some cases even shrunk the tumors. [Yahoo! News - Health]

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Saliva can be used to diagnose whether someone has oral cancer and may also be a reliable indicator of other cancers and diseases, researchers said on Wednesday.

The research, carried out at the University of California at Los Angeles, provided the first proof that RNA biomarkers in saliva can be used to inexpensively detect cancer, said Dr. David Wong, study author and chairman of oral biology and medicine at the university. [MSNBC.com: Health]

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Woman learns ancient Japanese art of healing from DVD and uses it to speed her healing from surgery. Prior to this, she was a non-believer. [PRWEB Dec 15, 2004] [PR Web (The Free Wire Service) Medical Alternative Medicine]

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"The aromatase enzyme, which converts androstenedione to estrone, regulates the availability of estrogen to support the growth of hormone-dependent breast tumors. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of black tea polyphenols on aromatase activities," reported T.D. Way and colleagues, National Taiwan University. "We found that black tea polyphenols, TF-1, TF-2, and TF-3, significantly inhibited rat ovarian and human placental aromatase activities. In addition, using an in vivo model, these black tea polyphenols also inhibited the proliferation induced by 100 nM dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in MCF-7 cells," the researchers said. They also noted that "transfection of HER2/neu in MCF-7 breast cancer cells appeared to... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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Chronic stress may increase the risk of skin cancer in those at high risk for the disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

The study found that mice exposed to stress and to cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) light developed skin cancer in less than half the time as mice that weren't stressed. The research appears in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. [All Headline News - Cancer News and Headlines]

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For some time, nutrition researchers have thought that sufficient amounts of calcium in the diet may protect people from colon cancer. The results of studies vary, however. Two new explanations for this inconsistency have been offered: First, the source of calcium may make a difference. Second, inherited differences in the “receptors” on cells that process nutrients could safeguard some people more than others. [MSNBC.com: Health]

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While childhood cancers remain rare, the number of cases has been slowly but steadily increasing in Europe over the past 30 years, a new report claims.

An international team of researchers collected data on 113,000 cancers in children up to age 14 and more than 18,000 cancers in children between 15 and 19 years old. The data came from 63 cancer registries from 19 countries in Europe.

From the 1970s through the 1990s, the rate of cancer for children increased by about 1 percent per year; for the older teenagers, the rate increased by about 1.5 percent annually. By the 1990s, there were about 140 cases of cancer for every 1 million children and about 157 cases per 1 million teenagers, according to the report in the Dec. 11 issue of The Lancet.

[MedicineNet Weekly News Digest]

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Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say that chronic stress may speed development of skin cancer in those at high risk for the disease. Their new study, published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, shows that mice exposed to stressful conditions and cancer-causing UV light develop skin cancers in less than half the time it took for non-stressed mice to grow tumors. [EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health]

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Twice as many women die from heart disease each year as from all types of cancer combined, including breast cancer, Duke University Medical Center says. While some risk factors such as family history are beyond your control, here are a few habits you can adopt to help ensure a heart-healthy future:

* Don't smoke. * Have your cholesterol and blood pressure checked regularly. * Lose weight if you're overweight. * Exercise regularly. * Reduce stress.

[MedicineNet Womens Health General]

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Eating fish regularly can reduce the risk of colon cancer by up to 30 percent, according to new research. While it has been known for some time that fish oils may lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, less research has been done on their effects on colon cancer. Colon cancer is the fourth most common cancer, and is a leading cause of death in the West. But it is much less frequent in Asia, Africa and South America, and researchers say that this points to diet as the main risk factor. Diets that are low in fibre and high in total fat, especially animal fat, have been linked to an increased risk of developing colon cancer. According to the researchers at Goethe University, Frankfurt, animal... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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Could the cranberries on America's tables play a role in keeping women's bodies healthy and cancer-free? New breast cancer research provides another powerful reason to serve the holiday staple -- all through the year. In laboratory experiments, Canadian researchers found that isolated compounds in cranberries called flavonoids may inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, when consumed in sufficient concentrations. These naturally occurring flavonoids may also help prevent other forms of cancer, including cancers of the prostate, colon, lung and brain. The study, led by Dr. Peter Ferguson of the University of Western Ontario and the London Regional Cancer Program, suggests that cranberry's flavonoids may block the f... [Cancercompass News: Cancer Nutrition]

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Natural honey-bee products such as propolis, royal jelly, caffeic acid, honey and venom may have applications in cancer treatment and prevention, say Croatian researchers in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture this month.

Nada Orsolic and colleagues from the University of Zagreb found that bee products significantly decreased tumour growth and / or spreading (metastasis) in mice when they were applied orally or by injection.

The researchers tested both the preventative and curative effects of the bee products on tumour models in mice. In the prevention studies, the products were administered before inoculation with the tumour cells. In the curative studies, the products were administered after tumour inoculation.

“The effects of the tested compounds were demonstrated either by inhibition of tumour growth or metastases (secondary tumour) formation and by increased survival of the animals,” said Dr Orsolic. [Cancer - Topix.net]

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In laboratory studies at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, researchers have successfully treated the most common malignant abdominal tumor of childhood: neuroblastoma tumors. Researchers successfully treated the tumor in mouse models by administering a treatment based on a weakened version of the herpes simplex virus.

Neuroblastomas are solid cancerous tumors that usually begin in the nerve tissues of the adrenal gland, but may also begin in the nerve tissues of the neck, chest or pelvis. These are solid cancerous tumors that are diagnosed in approximately 650 children in the United States each year, and most of these children are diagnosed before age five. In 70 percent of these cases, the cancer will have metastasized, or spread to other areas of the body.

Researchers tested two treatment protocols: the adenovirus, a virus often associated with the common cold; and, a weakened version of herpes simplex virus, which is most commonly associated with cold sores. Only the herpes simplex virus proved to be effective in treating neuroblastoma tumors, said Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, director of the Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Tumor Clinic and Translational Research Trials Office at Cincinnati Children's and senior author of the new study. [EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health]

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The polyphenols present in green tea help prevent the spread of prostate cancer by targeting molecular pathways that shut down the proliferation and spread of tumor cells, as well as inhibiting the growth of tumor nurturing blood vessels, according to research published in the December 1 issue of Cancer Research. [EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health]

Posted by Admin at 11:18 AM | Permalink

Orange juice and cancer don't mix. In fact, the popular citrus drink could become a cocktail to prevent or stop the deadly disease in humans. Research by Texas Agriculture Experiment Station scientists has shown that citrus compounds called limonoids targeted and stopped neuroblastoma cells in the lab. They now hope to learn the reasons for the stop-action behavior and eventually try the citrus concoction in humans. [ScienceDaily Headlines]

Posted by Admin at 11:16 AM | Permalink

Dutch researcher Jacqueline Vink has discovered that the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the level of nicotine dependence is largely down to a person's genes. She investigated the smoking behaviour of more than 16,000 twins and their relatives. [ScienceDaily Headlines]

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That's why Gina Graci dedicated her life to helping cancer patients sleep better. "My interest and my passion is working with cancer patients but they had all these sleep complaints and no one knows how to do it so I learned how to do it." [Cancer - Topix.net]

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New research suggests that teens who spend a lot of time hanging around convenience stores are more likely to smoke..

While the findings don't point to anything other than a possible link between the stores and smoking, they're raising a red flag among researchers who fear the glut of tobacco advertising in convenience stores is having a major impact on young customers. [MedicineNet Cancer General]

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