Causes often depend on donations to support its good initiative. These sometimes come in the form of food or water, other times money or clothing, or even volunteers and the capabilities of infra-structure. But what about words?

Believing in the power of words, the Doe Palavras Project, ‘Donate Words’ in English, was conceived to change the notion that helping other people through donation does not necessarily have to be in measurable assets. The Mário Pena Institute in Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a hospital center focused on cancer treatment. They developed the idea of combining the need to support people going through hard times with the opportunities of social networks to develop something through the transformational power of the words.

Screens distributed in the rooms where patients receive their chemotherapy show messages sent by strangers who wish to encourage another human being struggling with life-threatening cancer. These messages are sent using Twitter.

The words can help motivate one person to the long path of a healthy treatment. The project goes beyond the traditional way to help and develops a simple and effective way to “donate.” The project explains that what the patients need the most are positive messages of love, hope and strength. They need to believe that the treatment will make them better.

The idea is really simple: people from around the world send heart-warming and encouraging messages using the project’s website or through Twitter, by adding the hashtag #doepalavras or #donatewords.

Messages such as “Strength and courage I send to you today for you are braver than you think and stronger than you feel” and “While there is a will to fight, there is hope of winning” will reach those who do not need food or water, but support on the road to recovery.

Doe Palavras also has an English version, Donate Words, and is available for free to any hospital that wants to use the system.

In seven months, the project has garnered 1,306,710 messages from 128 countries around the world and brought smiles to people who may have had to overcome the hardest challenge of their lives.

It has been an applauded initiative and has already received many awards, such as the Big Idea Chair of Yahoo and the Top of Marketing 2010. There is also a plan to make a book that compiles the best messages, which will then be distributed to hospitals.

Image courtesy: Instituto Mario Penna

The article Donate Words Project – Using Word’s Power through Twitter appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Ann Arbor, U.S.A. – A new free app developed at the University of Michigan Health System allows users to create a photographic baseline of their skin and photograph suspicious moles or other skin lesions, walking users step-by-step through a skin self-exam. The app, UMSkinCheck, sends automatic reminders so users can monitor changes to a skin lesion over time, and provides pictures of various types of skin cancers for comparisons. The app is designed for iPhone and iPad and is available to download on iTunes.

“Whole body photography is a well-established resource for following patients at risk for melanoma. However, it requires a professional photographer, is not always covered by insurance, and can be an inconvenience. Now that many people have digital cameras on their phones, it’s more feasible to do this at home,” says Michael Sabel, M.D., associate professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School, who was the lead physician involved in developing the app.

More than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, and some 50,000 will be diagnosed with melanoma, the most serious kind. Regular skin checks can help people discover melanoma in its earliest stages.

The app, a collaboration of the University of Michigan’s technology and clinical expertise, guides users through a series of 23 photos, covering the body from head to toe. Photos are stored within the app and serve as a baseline for future comparisons. The app will create a reminder to repeat a skin self-exam on a regular basis.

If a mole appears to be changing or growing, the photos can then be shared with a dermatologist to help determine whether a biopsy is necessary.

“We recommend skin self-exams for everyone in order to detect skin cancer at the earliest stages, when treatment is less invasive and more successful. If you have fair skin or burn easily, have had sunburns in the past or used tanning beds, or have a family history of melanoma, you are considered high-risk, and so it’s even more important,” Sabel says.

Not sure if you’re at high risk of skin cancer? The app includes a risk calculator that allows you to input your personal data to calculate your individual risk.

The article New Cancer Screening Mobile App Announced appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New York, U.S.A – A balanced and healthy diet is crucial to good health and overcoming stress. In his forthcoming book called entitled Stress Pandemic, lifestyle and stress expert Paul Huljich shares a simple and holistic approach to nutrition, paying added attention to the effects of what we eat on our neurochemistry.

“Ensuring that we are supporting a healthy neurochemical balance is a vital and proactive step toward managing our stress,” Hulijch asserts. “When you feel tense, stress eating or emotional-eating is triggered like an automatic response. That’s especially so if your body reacts strongly to stress-released hormones.”

A 2010 study from the University of Michigan showed that when levels of the stress hormone cortisol were boosted in healthy, non-stressed adults, they ate more junk food. When people feel stressed out, most either stop eating altogether or binge on high-fat, high-sodium products such as chocolate, doughnuts, potato chips and other snack foods. And when combined with America’s growing portion sizes, people grow sicker, gain weight and develop bad habits that can endure a lifetime unless they say “NO” and take charge of what and how they eat.

Bad eating habits start young so where else to begin teaching kids about good nutrition outside of home but in this nation’s schools?  Thankfully, people like Michelle Obama are championing this crusade. Hoping to combat the growing problem of childhood obesity, the Obama administration recently announced its long-awaited changes to government-subsidized school meals, a final round of rules that adds more fruits and green vegetables to breakfasts and lunches and reduces the amount of salt and fat.

“As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat and ensure that they have a reasonable balanced diet,” Mrs. Obama said in a statement. “And when we are putting in all that effort the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria.”

About 32 million children participate in school meal programs each day. The new rules are a major component of Mrs. Obama’s campaign to reduce the number of overweight children through exercise and better nutrition. The announcement came months after the food industry won a vote in Congress to block the administration from carrying out an earlier proposal.

“Children born in the year 2000 or later are not expected to outlive their parents,” stated Dr. David Katzof the Yale Preventive Medicine Research Center at a nutrition conference in April. Why are our kids so sick? One reason is that they eat too much bad food.  In March of last year, Dr. Katz quoted in a Wall Street Journal article that a “poor diet in kids is more dangerous than alcohol, drugs, and tobacco combined!”

If you can believe it, the top 3 foods consumed in America are hot dogs, white bread and coffee. And the marketing industry is capitalizing on our society’s obsession with eating junk food, evidenced by an announcement made last week by 7-Eleven, the nation’s largest convenience chain, of a low-cal line of Slurpees! The move comes at a time when companies have been marketing everything from “Spam Lite” to “skinny cocktails” aimed at calorie-conscious consumers.

Huljich believes that as a society we must revolutionize the ways in which we eat beginning with cutting out all the C-R-A-P (an acronym for coffee, refined food, alcohol and processed food). He also does not endorse the use of fad diets, counting calories or choosing to eat certain food groups over others.

His approach to a healthy diet, which is outlined in detail in his forthcoming book Stress Pandemic, is a balanced and practical one, which first identifies and bases his diet on the good foods and eating patterns in your life while eliminating the bad ones. “The human body is designed to thrive on a variety of foods therefore I feel a more holistic approach to diet is far more effective and supportive to overall health and well-being than any of those revolving popular diet fads can ever be,”  Huljich states.

“When you go on a fad diet and exclude any of the necessary nutrients, you’re putting yourself at risk for illness.” It is precisely as Gary Taubes warned in Newsweek’s recent cover story “The government has spent hundreds of millions telling Americans to exercise more and eat less. But the country is getting heavier every year. It’s time to change the way we think about fat.”

A balanced eating plan supports all of the body’s functions so that it can absorb and use nutrients efficiently and effectively. Health maintenance promotes physical fitness and disease prevention such as the risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.

America is a nation trying to find a cure yet not looking closely enough at the symptoms. By finding the courage to and wisdom to look at the root cause and going back to basics, individuals can learn how to master stress and live longer and healthier lives.

The article ‘Stress Pandemic’, New Book Challenges the Modern Diet appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Philadelphia, U.S.A. – Researchers studying the molecular signals that drive a specific type of lymphoma have discovered a key biological pathway leading to this type of cancer. Cancerous cells have been described as being “addicted” to certain oncogenes (cancer-causing genes), and the new research may lay the groundwork for breaking that addiction and effectively treating aggressive types of B cell lymphoma.

B cell lymphomas, which occur both in children and adults, are cancers that attack B cells in the immune system.

“Our research suggests ways to devise more specific therapies to selectively kill tumor cells in a subset of lymphomas,” said study leader Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko, Ph.D., an oncology researcher at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The study, conducted in animal cells and human cell cultures, appeared May 1 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

An oncogene is a type of gene that normally produces a protein active in cell growth or regulation. However, when the gene is mutated or otherwise overproduced, it can cause cancer. One family of oncogenes is called MYC, and the current study focused on how the MYC oncogene drives B cell lymphoma. MYC codes for Myc, a type of protein called a transcription factor. At high levels, MYC causes the uncontrolled cell growth that is a hallmark of cancer.

The researchers focused on the crucial role of the cell surface receptor CD19, a protein residing on the surface of all B cells that normally recognizes foreign invaders. “We found that CD19 is absolutely required to stabilize the Myc protein,” said Thomas-Tikhonenko. “When Myc is stable and present in high levels, it fuels cancer.” Patients with high levels of the Myc protein are more likely to die of lymphoma.

Patients with high levels of Myc also had high levels of CD19, and the current study describes a previously unknown molecular pathway that depends on CD19. It also implicates CD19 as a molecular on-off switch on that pathway. Usually, said Thomas-Tikhonenko, when you inhibit one pathway, another pathway compensates to produce the same end result. But in this case, there is no such redundant pathway: “Without CD19, there is no Myc,” he added, “so controlling that on-off switch could represent a powerful tool against lymphoma.”

The findings are particularly relevant, said Thomas-Tikhonenko, to current oncology clinical trials that are testing antibodies that act broadly against the CD19 receptor. Such antibodies kill all B cells, and thus weaken the immune system. His study suggests that understanding the CD19 pathway could enable researchers to design a more specific therapy that selectively kills tumor cells while sparing healthy B cells.

Further studies in his lab, he added, will further investigate these molecular pathways and how to translate this knowledge into future anti-cancer treatments.

The National Institutes of Health, the V Foundation and the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust supported this study. In addition, a co-author, Elaine Y. Chung, Ph.D., was a fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Other co-authors, all from Children’s Hospital, were James N. Psathas, Ph.D., Duonan Yu, M.D., Ph.D., Yimei Li, Ph.D., and Mitchell J. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.

The article Protein May Represent a Switch to Turn Off B Cell Lymphoma appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Red Bank, U.S.A. – With more than 60 percent of women in the United States classified as overweight and one-third of those women being obese,[1] a new survey from HealthyWomen (HW) sheds light on women’s understanding of obesity and the options available to regain their health. The survey found that while women are knowledgeable about the heart health impact of obesity, they don’t understand other serious health consequences, namely cancer. When asked about the secondary health conditions associated with obesity, only 49 percent recognized the link between obesity and breast cancer, and 29 percent knew about the link between obesity and uterine cancer.

This lack of knowledge extended to weight-loss strategies as well. When women were asked about obesity-prevention actions available to them, more than half of the respondents (52%) did not know if their health insurance offered support. Only 10 percent believed their plans covered bariatric surgery, and only 6 percent thought their plans included prescription drug reimbursement. While plans vary, many do provide support for a range of weight-loss interventions.

“We were reassured to find that women understand some of the health consequences associated with obesity,” said Beth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of HealthyWomen. “However, the survey does show several gaps in knowledge, which tells us more needs to be done to offer support and access to tools that will help them lead a healthier lifestyle.”

The online survey of nearly 1,500 women was designed to assess their understanding and knowledge of obesity and related health consequences. It also included a self-assessment of their current weight status and their strategies for losing weight. More than three-quarters of respondents identified themselves as either overweight (47%) or obese (25%). Overweight is defined by medical experts as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, while obesity is associated with a BMI greater than 30.[1]

Asked how much weight they would need to lose to significantly reduce health risks associated with being overweight or obese, 30 percent of respondents said a 10 percent reduction was needed, followed by 28 percent who said a 5 percent reduction was needed. This is evidence that respondents understand that a modest amount of weight loss—5 to 10 percent of body weight—can produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugars.[2]

When it came to employing a weight-loss strategy, the largest group — 41 percent of women – stated that starting or increasing exercise was the one weight-loss strategy that was most effective for them, with 51 percent of respondents engaging in three to seven hours of physical activity a week. Managing caloric intake ranked second in popularity, favored by 25 percent of respondents. Additionally, when asked if a prescription weight-loss option were available as part of a long-term weight-loss plan, more than half of the women said they would be somewhat or very likely to try it (31% and 29%, respectively).

To support women with their weight-loss goals, HealthyWomen provides an array of resources that can help women tackle their toughest weight-loss issues at www.HealthyWomen.org/obesity. This month HealthyWomen will launch its new Online Community, providing women a venue to connect with medical experts on a variety of health topics, including weight loss, fitness and nutrition, as well as to share success stories and get support from other women just like them.

[1] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Overweight, obesity and weight loss” Fact Sheet. Available at: http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/overweight-weight-loss.cfm#a. Accessed: April 23, 2012.

[2] NIH Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. “Fact About Healthy Weight” Fact Sheet. Available at:http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/obesity/aim_kit/healthy_wt_facts.htm. Accessed: April 27, 2012

The article What Do Women Know About Obesity? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Wisconsin, US -Kohl’s Department Stores announced that in celebration of life, survival, and a “Wish for a World with Less Breast Cancer and More Birthdays,” Kohl’s threw a “One Wish” Birthday Bash at the 2012 American Cancer Society Making Strides against Breast Cancer walk, May 5, 2012, on Milwaukee’s lakefront. Decorated with nearly 8,000 pink cake pops, balloons and giant birthday candles, the celebration represents the company’s greater commitment to the fight against breast cancer. More than 3,000 Kohl’s associates, friends and family took part in the walk.

“Kohl’s is proud of our partnership with the American Cancer Society in providing valuable information and resource tools to local women battling breast cancer. It is important that Wisconsin women – our mothers, daughters, friends and co-workers – have easy access to breast health care information for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.”

“In the three years since we began our partnership, our program has provided nearly 17,000 women in southeast Wisconsin with life-saving breast health information and more than 1,850 breast cancer patients have received services and information,” said Julie Gardner, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Kohl’s Department Stores.”

“This year our Kohl’s team included more than 3,000 associates, friends and family members – making it the largest corporate team in the history of the Making Strides against Breast Cancer Milwaukee walk. We know breast cancer has impacted thousands of families across the state and as a company, we are passionate about making a true difference in the fight against breast cancer and providing support to those when they need it most.”

“In 2012, more than 4,000 Wisconsin women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Our partnership with Kohl’s Department Stores provides Wisconsin women access to life-saving breast health information and the steps necessary to prevent breast cancer or find it early.

It’s a gift that is truly life changing,” said Jari Johnston-Allen, chief executive officer, American Cancer Society, Midwest Division. “The American Cancer Society is honored to partner with Kohl’s in the fight against breast cancer and together, are working towards creating a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays.”

In 2010, Kohl’s philanthropic program, Kohl’s Cares, announced a nearly $5 million donation to the American Cancer Society’s Midwest Division over three years. In addition to this contribution, Kohl’s offers its Kohl’s Cares women’s cause merchandise, a series of exclusively-designed products to support the fight against breast cancer.

This women’s health philanthropic initiative builds upon Kohl’s long history of charitable involvement in the communities it serves. Since 2000, Kohl’s and the Kohl’s Cares program have combined to give approximately $47 million to support charitable initiatives in the metro-Milwaukee area. Also, during the past 12 years, the company’s Kohl’s Cares kids cause merchandise program, which sells plush toys and books, has raised more than $208 million to benefit children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

The article Less Breast Cancer, More Birthdays appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.A.- A Chicago Tribune investigation reveals that corporations making halogenated flame retardant chemicals spent tens of millions of dollars on public relations firms, lobbyists, and front groups to deceive the American people and legislators into believing their toxic chemicals are both necessary and safe.

“We have flame retardant chemicals similar to banned pesticides like DDT in our furniture that end up in our bodies, our pets, and wildlife,” said Arlene Blum, PhD,  UC Berkeley chemist, and Green Science Policy Institute founder. “This investigation should help stop new flammability standards  that are designed to sell chemicals rather than to increase fire safety.”

“Studies on halogenated flame retardants find they can cause lowered IQ, learning disabilities, infertility, other reproductive problems, and endocrine system irregularities,” says Sharyle Patton from Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center.

“Scientific evidence is exhaustive, yet the flame retardant industry continues to deceive the public and policymakers,” says Martha Dina Arguello of Physicians for Social Responsibility-LA. ”It’s time we stop exposing ourselves to unnecessary toxics that can impede children’s ability to learn, can cause cancer, and are linked to many health problems low-income and communities of color face.”

“Firefighters have elevated rates of multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate, testicular cancer, malignant melanoma, brain cancer; many linked to halogenated flame retardants,” says Tony Stefani, cancer survivor, founder, San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation, and retired SF Fire Department Captain. “Lawmakers should stop listening to chemical industry representatives who misrepresent the facts.”

Judy Levin  with Center for Environmental Health comments, ”It is time that devious tactics used by the chemical industry are exposed to the public. Their drive for corporate profit trumps ethics, honesty, or concern for human health or the environment.”

“California leaders should be moved to stop the use of these dangerous chemicals,” says Janette Robinson Flint of Black Women for Wellness. ”Our community already has staggering health inequalities, and is overburdened with chemical exposure in our personal care and cleaning products, food, and now even furniture in our homes…enough is enough.”

“An obsolete CA. regulation (Technical Bulletin 117) de facto forces companies to use toxic chemicals in their products. Both business owners and consumers lose with this industry influenced scenario,” comments Richard Holober of Consumer Federation of California.

Info: http://toxicfreefiresafety.net/CaliforniansForToxicFreeFireSafety.php

The article Toxic Chemicals Promoted As Safe and Necessary appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

California, U.S.A. - Amgen announced that four individuals who have made a difference for others affected by cancer in their communities have been selected as Breakaway from Cancer Champions.

They will be honored at the seventh consecutive edition of the Amgen Tour of California as part of Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative. The Amgen Tour of California is America’s largest and most prestigious road cycling stage race, which will travel nearly 750 miles throughout California from May 13 – 20, 2012.

The four Breakaway from Cancer Champions were selected following a public call for nominations in four of this year’s host finish cities, followed by an online voting campaign that concluded in April. The 2012 Breakaway from Cancer Champions are:

Santa Rosa – Marc Van Riper for co-founding Kathy’s Camp for Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the children of cancer patients. Kathy’s Camp for Kids is a place where fear of cancer is replaced with fun, friendship and encouragement.

Livermore – Two-time testicular cancer survivor Bob Hammer for founding the “Have a Ball” Foundation, which has raised more than $1,000,000 since its start and benefits 20 cancer organizations, sends kids with cancer to camps and has established and granted scholarships for students.

Clovis – Susan Mott for acting as a tireless advocate for awareness and fundraising for blood cancers. Specifically, Susan has raised money and organized blood drives for her toddler granddaughter, Madyn, who was diagnosed with leukemia in June 2011.

Los Angeles – Cancer survivor Danielle McLaughlin for her work advocating for young adults with cancer and her extraordinary accomplishments as a paratriathlete. Danielle is currently the National and World Paratriathlon Champion for Female Below-Knee Amputees.

“Amgen is passionate about helping those with cancer and we are proud to honor individuals who make a positive difference in the fight against cancer,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology. “Breakaway from Cancer was founded on the belief that it takes a team to overcome this disease and the Champions program exemplifies this commitment to helping others.”

Founded by Amgen in 2005, Breakaway from Cancer is a national initiative to increase awareness of the important resources available to people affected by cancer – from prevention through survivorship. Breakaway from Cancer represents collaboration between Amgen and four nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering patients with education, resources and hope.

The Breakaway from Cancer Champions will lead the “Breakaway Mile,” an approximately one-mile march that celebrates cancer survivors and crosses the Amgen Tour of California finish line prior to the stage conclusion of the professional race. The Breakaway Mile will take place in four 2012 race host cities on race day: Santa Rosa, Livermore, Clovis and Los Angeles. Each Breakaway Mile will also feature an Amgen scientist who plays a crucial role in developing breakthrough medicines for patients affected by cancer and other serious illnesses.

At the conclusion of each stage of the Amgen Tour of California, the Breakaway from Cancer Champion or a local cancer survivor will present Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider jersey to the professional rider who best exemplifies the character of those engaged in the fight against cancer—courage, sacrifice, inspiration, determination and perseverance.

Also during the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, a local cancer survivor will officially start each day’s stage by firing the official start gun. He or she will also have the opportunity to meet the prior day’s recipient of Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous Rider jersey.

All Breakaway from Cancer programs benefit the initiative’s four nonprofit partners – Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community, Patient Advocate Foundation and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Representatives of these four organizations will travel with the Amgen Tour of California, hosting a Breakaway from Cancer information booth at the Lifestyle Festival held in each of the finish cities along the route.

Image Courtesy of   Amgen Tour of California

The article Four Honored as Cancer Champions at Amgen Tour appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

London, UK – Action on Bladder Cancer (ABC) releases findings from a new National survey^[1] exposing how little the general public knows about bladder cancer. Awareness around the main warning sign for bladder cancer – blood in the urine – is gradually increasing (50% in 2010 rising to 55% in 2012), but still only 5% of the public recognise that smoking is a main cause of bladder cancer.

Over 10,000 people are diagnosed every year in the UK^[2] and ABC, the only UK charity dedicated to bladder cancer, wants to encourage more people to understand how to recognise the warning signs and consult their doctor if they are concerned. Up to date information on the disease and advice on how people can help raise awareness is available through the ABC website (http://www.actiononbladdercancer.org).

The work of ABC supports the Be Clear on Cancer Campaign run by the Department of Health as well as Bladder Cancer Awareness Day which is organised out of the US (this year on May 5th).

Bladder cancer is the 4th most common cancer in men and the 11th most common in women^[2]. Across different areas of health, women are traditionally better informed. Yet, in the case of bladder cancer, one quarter (25%) of both men and women wouldn’t know what a sign of possible bladder cancer might be.

Over half of survey respondents have no idea what causes it. One in five people think it is caused by drinking too much alcohol rather than citing the most common cause of smoking. The main area where public awareness has increased over the last two years is around treatment options. More people recognise chemotherapy (32% in 2010 versus 38% in 2012) and radiotherapy (12% in 2010 versus 24% in 2012) as possible treatment approaches for bladder cancer.

Mr Colin Bunce, Chair of ABC and Consultant Urologist in Barnet says: “We don’t expect everyone to be an expert, but such a huge lack of understanding can lead to people being mis-diagnosed and/or diagnosed at a later stage in the disease which can narrow down the best treatment choices. Over the last 15-20 years bladder cancer has been in the shadows. Greater public attention is urgently needed to improve understanding about the disease so that people know when and where to go for help. We also need to help people take steps to reduce their risk of getting the cancer in the first place, such as giving up smoking.”

Dr Mary Archer, who has been affected by bladder cancer, supports the work of Action on Bladder Cancer: “If you notice blood in your urine, you should consult your GP as soon as possible. It may not be bladder cancer, but if it is, the earlier it is caught the better the chances of successful treatment”, comments Dr Archer. ”Blood in the urine is a sign that you need to be seen by a GP and a specialist urgently.”

ABC is working with healthcare professionals, patients, their carers and the general public, to help improve the treatment and prevention rates of bladder cancer through raising awareness, education and research.

Mr Tony Kirkbank, Trustee of ABC and a Service User, says: “The profile of bladder cancer and, as a result, the care of patients can be significantly improved by asking the public and healthcare professionals and providers to become involved in our dedicated advocacy group, ABC (http://www.actiononbladdercancer.org) – we want to work together”.

References:

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/cr_common/@nre/@sta/documents/generalcontent/crukmig_1000ast-2778.pdf

Survey Technical Details:

GfK NOP conducted a nationally representative face-to-face omnibus survey amongst 2055 adults aged 16+ in 2010.  In 2012 Gfk NOP commissioned TNS Research to conduct a face-to-face omnibus survey amongst 1015 adults aged 16+ in Great Britain.

Weighting was applied to the data in both surveys to ensure it matched known population profiles.

The article What Do the People Know about Bladder Cancer in UK? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Andover, England  – A survey of 11,785 British adults has found that 70% say they are unaware of any of the symptoms of mouth cancer. Simplyhealth’s Annual Dental Survey 2012 also found that only 3% of individuals think kissing can increase your chances of developing mouth cancer. The healthcare provider’s findings highlight the need to educate the population on the main risks and symptoms of a cancer that’s on the increase^[1].

James Glover, spokesperson for Simplyhealth says: “While 85% of people surveyed recognise that smoking tobacco can increase their chances of developing mouth cancer, there is a lack of awareness about other potential risks.

Our findings follow recent news from Cancer Research UK that high risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections which are spread through bodily contact could be the key reason for the increase in mouth cancer, particularly among younger people^[2]. Although this risk cannot be avoided in the same way as not smoking, it’s important for people to know what makes us all susceptible to this type of cancer.”

Michael Thomas, a practicing dentist says: “As well as knowing the risks, individuals should be educated in identifying the symptoms. As with all cancers, the sooner it is identified, the better. Worryingly, only 28% of those surveyed by Simplyhealth would consider consulting or have consulted with their dentist about concerns or queries over mouth cancer.

Dentists are integral to addressing any worries individuals may have about the health of their mouth. I’d encourage everyone to utilise their time in the dentist’s chair and speak up should they have any questions about the risks or symptoms of mouth cancer.”

Michael Thomas has put together the below ‘cut out and keep’ guide to the main risks and most common symptoms of mouth cancer:

The main risk factors:

• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Poor diet and nutrition
• Sun exposure (lips)
• Human papilloma virus (HPV) which affects the immune system and can be spread by kissing and bodily contact (most strains of HPV are harmless but a few are high risk)
• Previous cancer diagnosis

Most common symptoms:

• A mouth sore or ulcer that fails to heal or bleeds easily
• All red or red and white patches in the mouth that will not go away
• A lump or thickening in the mouth, tongue or throat
• Difficulty in chewing or swallowing food
• New persistent pain

With a Simply Cash Plan or Simply Dental Plan you can claim back money towards the cost of check-ups, treatment and emergencies. Our plans entitle you to claim for as many treatments as you want up to your annual limit. You simply pay a monthly premium and once you’ve attended your appointment you can claim the money back, by completing a claim form and sending off the receipt.

The Simply Dental Plan also includes a one off payment, in the unfortunate event that a person develops mouth cancer. For further information please visit http://www.simplyhealth.co.uk.

1. In the last ten years, cases have risen from around six cases per 100,000, to eight cases. Cancer Research UK – http://www.cancerresearchuk.org 

2. Cancer Research UK – http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/archive/pressrelease/2012-03-16-hpv-push-oral-cancer-cases-past-6000-a-year?rss=true 

The article British Unaware of Mouth Cancer Symptoms and Risks appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Boulder, CO, U.S.A. – An innovative nightly talk radio show devoted to health promotion in the face of cancer, Five to Thrive Live! will begin on The Cancer Support Network on April 30at 5 pm PST. Show hosts are respected naturopathic oncologist Dr. Lise Alschuler, N.D. and leading wellness publisher Karolyn A. Gazella. The two are also the authors of ‘Five to Thrive: Your Cutting-edge Cancer Prevention Plan and The Definitive Guide to Cancer’. 

“This show focuses on proactive, practical ways to utilize an integrative approach to health including diet, movement, rejuvenation, spirit and dietary supplements to help you to reduce your risk of cancer, heal from a cancer diagnosis, and gain optimal wellness,” explained co-host Dr. Alschuler. Alschuler and Gazella are not only accomplished authors and experts on cancer, they are cancer “thrivers” themselves.

“We will translate key scientific findings, introduce listeners to leading experts in the realm of integrative healthcare, and feature inspirational people diagnosed with cancer,” explained Gazella. “Join us every weekday at 5pm Pacific Time for an uplifting, motivating and informative show that helps you thrive, not merely survive.”

“Karolyn and I are on a mission to educate people with cancer, their loved ones, and their healthcare providers about integrative cancer prevention and treatment to reduce the suffering caused by this illness,” said Dr. Alschuler. “We’ve written books, given presentations throughout the world, and have reached many with our articles and website information. This radio show is a natural extension of our  joint mission.”

Starting on April 30 and taking place Monday through Friday every night of the week. People can listen live at www.w4cs.com [http://w4cs.com/] at 5 pm PST (8 pm EST).

The Cancer Support Network is devoted to supporting the whole patient, their caregivers and family. The Cancer Support Network is produced by The Intertainment Network, one of the largest internet radio show producers in the world with listeners in all 195 countries and all states within the United States.

“The Cancer Support Network is so pleased to have Lise and Karolyn join our team,” explained network producer Dean K. Piper. “We are determined to make a difference in people’s lives and Five to Thrive Live! will certainly help us do that.”

For more information visit www.Five2Thrive.com

The article Five to Thrive Live! Radio Show Devoted to Health and Cancer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

To many, cancer remains one of the most frightening diagnoses in modern medicine. But much of this fear is a result of myths that have circulated for years in spite of the good information that is available. Indeed, many of cancer’s mysteries have been solved, and a great deal of success has been achieved in curing patients and helping them live longer and better lives.

In spite of advances in cancer treatment and prognosis, many continue to believe in myths surrounding cancer.  In particular, studies have shown that African Americans are more likely than whites to maintain some erroneous beliefs about cancer.

It is important to separate fact from fiction.  Some of the most common cancer myths not only cultivate false ideas and fears but can interfere with how people think and behave when facing cancer in themselves or in a loved one. It is important that the health messengers within the family and community have the most accurate information about cancer.

In many African American families, that is often the woman running the household. It is good for these health messengers and the people who listen to them to at least be aware of some of the most common cancer myths so that misinformation doesn’t stand in the way of getting counsel from a medical professional.

What Will Happen to Me If I Get Cancer?

Myth––Cancer is a death sentence. The fact is that more than 12 million cancer survivors are living inthe United States. Thanks to improved treatments and earlier diagnosis of some cancers, more than 3 of every 5 cancer patients are alive 5 years after their diagnosis. For children, the 5-year survival rate is 4 in 5.

Who Gets Cancer and Why

Myth––Cancer is contagious. You cannot catch cancer from someone who has it. What can spread among people are microorganisms (viruses and bacteria), and a few of these can cause cancer.

Myth––If a parent or close family member had cancer, you will inherit it. Cancer develops when genes change in certain ways, but most of these changes occur later in life and are not inherited. But some cancer-causing gene changes are inherited, so if a certain cancer seems to run in your family it is important to discuss this with a doctor.

Myth––People get cancer from . . . (just fill in the blank as to what you have heard). Scientists are continuously doing research to determine whether particular natural or manmade substances cause cancer. Research shows that the following are not likely to cause cancer: cell phones, microwaves, fluoridated water, hair dyes, deodorants, sugar, artificial sweeteners like saccharin and aspartame, and low-frequency magnetic fields produced by power lines and household electric appliances.

What You Can Do About It

Myth––You have no control over your own cancer risk. Although scientists haven’t figured out how to completely prevent cancer, there are things you can do to reduce your risk of certain cancers. For example:

• Not smoking or quitting smoking greatly reduces your risk of developing and dying from lung cancer.
• Maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active cuts your risk of several cancers.
• HPV vaccines prevent infection with the virus that causes most cervical cancers. And regular cervical cancer screening detects most cervical abnormalities so that they can be treated before they become cancer.
• Colorectal cancer screening reduces the risk of developing and dying from colorectal cancer.
• For women age 40 and older, getting regular mammograms reduces the chance of dying from breast cancer.

Myth––Your attitudes and beliefs can help you beat cancer. Unfortunately, despite many studies, this appears to be a myth. But a positive attitude may improve the quality of your life during and after treatment. Many people say that focusing on the joys in life and things that they can control helped them get through cancer treatment.

Spending time with family and friends, taking part in hobbies and activities when possible, and enjoying the little things in life may help one better manage the stresses and worries of cancer.

These are only some of the false and misleading ideas that can confuse and mislead people about the progress being made in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment. You can learn more from NCI about cancer prevention and screening.

NCI leads the National Cancer Program and the NIH effort to dramatically reduce the burden of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers.

For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI web site at www.cancer.gov or call NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). More articles and videos in the culturally relevant Lifelines series are available at www.cancer.gov/lifelines .

The article Myths, False Beliefs and Fears About Cancer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

This past Tuesday, British group Florence + the Machine took to the stage at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust. Led by front-woman Florence Welch, the BRIT Award-winning and Grammy-nominated performed a selection of tracks during the 60 minute show, incorporating fan favourites from debut LP ‘Lungs’ as well as new music from 2011′s follow-up LP ‘Ceremonials’.

The concert was streamed live on YouTube in partnership with HP Live, attracting a worldwide audience on top of the thousands present in the Hall. Welch commenced with the band’s well-known cover of The Source and Candi Staton’s ‘You Got the Love’ and then moved into ‘Only If for a Night’, the first track from ‘Ceremonials’.

Despite Welch and her bandmates being known for soaring sounds and anthemic beats, every track was performed with a certain degree of restrained understatement, fitting for the venue and for the melancholic nature of the charity of which they were supporting. Welch, however, kept things light and was happy to engage with the audience.

It’s so amazing to be here tonight. Thank you so much … It’s just this space and the people and for this cause, it really means so much to me, so thank you. I’ve never been so nervous in my life! Even while I’m singing, it’s just looking up and seeing thing, and then it’s like, ‘Oh! I’ve got to remember the words and keep singing! Don’t get distracted by the beautiful arches!’.

As the show went on, Welch switched seamlessly between her back catalogue, from the ethereal ‘Between Two Lungs’ to piercingly vivid ‘Cosmic Love’. She joked repeatedly that she was ‘trying to practise being poised and … orchestral’, but from the audience’s perspective she was doing just fine.

With her tall, lean frame, and her simple, elegant dress, Welch fit right in with the classical aura, and might very well find herself fielding offers from the BBC Proms next year, considering how well she adapted to the evening’s proceedings while in the middle of an arena-filling world tour.

For her encore, Welch returned to the stage and belted out ‘Shake It Out’, the lead single from ‘Ceremonials’. This was an incredibly apt track on which to end to concert, as it speaks about new beginnings, letting go of the past, and looking to the future – a message suited well to the teenagers benefiting directly from the proceeds of this event. The organisation’s mission statement is:

We don’t believe that teenagers should have to stop being teenagers, just because they have cancer. So we fund and build specialist units for young people in NHS hospitals. Our units bring teenagers with cancer together with loads of new friends of their own age so they can support each other … Teenage Cancer Trust aims to ensure that every young person with cancer and their family receive the best possible care and professional support throughout their cancer journey.

For more information, visit their website. Meanwhile, ‘Florence + the Machine”s full concert can be viewed on HP Live’s YouTube channel.

The article Florence + the Machine Shine at Teenage Cancer Trust appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and fostering community cancer care, has released a new report (http://tiny.cc/9gw8bw) documenting cancer clinic closings and the stresses to the cancer delivery system.

This latest report comes on the heels of studies released by Avalere and Milliman documenting lower costs to patients and payers of cancer treatment provided in community clinics and widespread media reporting of the cancer drug shortage gripping the nation.

The COA report reveals the continuance of a dire negative trending: 241 community cancer clinic sites have closed during the past four and a half years, and 442 practices (often with multiple clinic locations) are struggling financially. Consolidation of cancer care is documented by 392 practices that have been purchased by hospitals, or formed a financial arrangement, and 132 practices that have merged or been acquired by a corporate entity.

“As a practicing oncologist, I am critically concerned about the adverse impact on patients of the dramatic changes in our delivery of cancer care,” said David Eagle, MD, president of COA and an oncologist in Lake Norman, NC. “Patients are falling through the treatment cracks and now we are struggling to find essential cancer care drugs. Forty years ago we declared the war on cancer, and I never thought I would see the day when we would be at risk of losing the war.”

In 2005, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented significant Congress-mandated changes to the way Medicare, which accounts for close to half of all cancer treatment costs, reimburses for cancer care. Unlike other areas of medicine, Medicare has an inordinate influence on how private payers reimburse for cancer care.

This initiated a change in the cancer treatment landscape, as documented by the latest COA report just released. Recent studies by Avalere (http://tiny.cc/ejw8bw) and Milliman (http://tiny.cc/lkw8bw) have documented the lower costs to patients, Medicare, and private payers when care is delivered in oncologists’ community practices.

“Our practice has had to close a clinic in Wyoming because of unworkable changes to payment for cancer care,” said Patrick Cobb, M.D., an oncologist in Billings, MT, and immediate past president of COA. ”The overall crisis in cancer care is hurting patients and increasing costs for them and every American taxpayer. Congress has to act swiftly or we will end up with less access to quality cancer care and higher costs — the exact opposite of healthcare reform.”

“An imploding cancer delivery landscape and drug shortages, combined with the debacle of SGR-based physician Medicare payment cuts, are a recipe for disaster,” said Ted Okon, Executive Director of COA. “We have solutions but the Administration and Congress are more interested in political infighting and short-term patching than stabilizing and strengthening the cancer care delivery system, now and for generations of Americans to come.”

By 2020, there will be an estimated shortage of 4,080 oncologists, the equivalent of one in four cancer patients without an oncologist. National Analysts released a study reporting that 20% of oncologists would discourage a medical student/resident from pursuing a career in oncology, versus only 3% in 2003, prior to the problems caused by severe Medicare payment cuts.

About Community Oncology Alliance (COA)
Formed in 2003 by community oncologists, COA is a non-profit organization dedicated solely to community oncology, where four out of five Americans with cancer are treated.   COA advocates for patients’ access to quality, affordable cancer care in the community setting.  The organization is currently advocating for a solution to the nation’s drug shortage crisis.

COA Past President Dr. Patrick Cobb and COA Executive Director Ted Okon have both been asked to testify before Congress on the reasons for the shortages and their impact on cancer treatment.  COA also has a multi-stakeholder group involved with the implementation of the Oncology Medical Home, a cancer care model that fosters quality and value in cancer care.

The article COA Report Shows Consolidation in Cancer Care Landscape appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Life Technologies Corporation will exhibit products across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical cancer research during the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2012, taking place March 31 – April 4, in Chicago, Illinois. In addition, several of Life’s customers and collaborators will present research findings.

“From basic discovery of biomarkers to validation of new drug targets and the application of genomic sequencing in clinical trials, Life Technologies provides optimized solutions specific for cancer research,” said Ronnie Andrews, president of medical sciences at Life Technologies. “We share with our customers a commitment to accelerating our scientific understanding of cancer, driving to a world in which cancer becomes a manageable disease.”

DNA sequencing live on the Ion Bus – The Ion Bus offers a unique opportunity to view the game-changing Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system in action. The Ion Bus will be parked outside the Chicago Hilton at the intersection of Wabash and Balboa streets. The Ion Bus will be open for tours from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 1 – 3.

Presentations:

Triple negative breast cancer - Triple negative breast tumors, which make up nearly 20 percent of breast cancers, do not respond to treatment with targeted therapies such as Herceptin (trastuzumab).

To investigate new options for these patients, the first clinical trial of whole-genome sequencing for women with triple negative breast cancer was initiated in March 2010; early results will be presented by John Carpten, Ph.D., head of the Integrated Cancer Genomics Division at the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) on Monday, April 2 at 10:30 a.m. Life Technologies is supporting the study, which is revealing the diversity of genetic mutations in triple negative tumors.

Semiconductor sequencing of melanoma samples – George Watts, Ph.D., research assistant professor and co-director of the Genomics Shared Service at The University of Arizona Cancer Center, will present a poster demonstrating accurate, cost-effective sequencing of six commonly mutated genes in archived research samples from metastatic melanoma patients using the Life Technologies Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system.

The authors state that the study represents proof of principle for “next-generation sequencing to provide robust detection of mutations in fixed tumor samples.” The poster will be presented April 2, Monday morning, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

AmpliSeq panels accurately identify more than 700 mutations in patient samples – Marilyn Li, Ph.D., professor of molecular and human genetics and director of the Cancer Genetics Lab at Baylor College of Medicine, will present a poster demonstrating use of the Life Technologies Ion AmpliSeq cancer panels to sequence 12 archived tumor research samples including FFPE, bone marrow and cell line samples.

The authors report that the panel accurately identified all known mutations previously detected using Pyrosequencing or Sanger sequencing and was sensitive enough to detect mutations at frequencies as low as 5% with 99% confidence. The poster will be presented April 3, Tuesday morning from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Single tube, ultra-multiplexed PCR with Ion AmpliSeq technology for amplicon resequencing on the Ion Personal Genome Machine System – Gianluca Roma, a senior product manager at Life Technologies, will present data highlighting the accuracy, simplicity and speed of mutation detection in research oncology samples using the Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) and Ion AmpliSeq cancer panel (see below). Roma will present a poster April 3, Tuesday morning from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

New Products:

Life Technologies offers cancer researchers the ability to detect mutations in cancer-associated genes using both PCR and sequencing platforms.

castPCR – TaqMan Mutation Detection Assays can help detect 44 mutations in three key cancer genes (BRAF, EGFR, and KRAS). In April 2012, Life will expand the number of assays covered by the existing/current research tool to an additional 241 key mutations in another 21 cancer genes. Powered by an innovative technology known as competitive allele-specific TaqMan PCR (castPCR technology), these assays help researchers detect key mutations in the highly heterogeneous samples typical of cancer tissue.

AmpliSeq panels – The Ion AmpliSeq Cancer Panel, made available for sale in the fall of 2011, allows scientists to sequence dozens of genes in cancer research samples within several hours, starting with as little as 10 ng of DNA. The panel detects more than 700 mutations across 46 known cancer genes. This week, Life Technologies announced the availability of Ion AmpliSeq Custom panels, which will allow researchers to design custom panels for genomic regions up to 250 Kb in size, expanding to 1 Mb later in 2012.

These products are available as Research Use Only, Not for Diagnostic Use.

Visit Life Technologies in Booth #4419 on the Exhibits floor of McCormick Place West. For more information about Life Tech activities at AACR Annual Meeting 2012, please visit:

http://www.lifetechnologies.com/global/en/home/about-us/news-gallery/events/Join-Life-Technologies-at-AACR.html?CID_AACR_blog_32012

The article New Technologies for Cancer Research at AACR Annual Meeting 2012 appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The ancient mind-body exercise of tai chi is becoming a modern health management tool. Doctors have discovered that performing tai chi can speed recovery of cancer survivors, reduce bone fractures in older people, and improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease and fibromyalgia.

Tai chi evolved as a martial art, like kung fu and taikwondo. It combines traditional patterns of slow, graceful movements with mindfulness and controlled breathing. As a fighting style, tai chi emphasizes balance and concentration, meeting force and aggression with calmness and flexibility to deflect the opponent’s energy rather than trading blows. Those same elements have made it a popular low impact exercise with obvious health benefits.

But doctors at the University of Missouri wondered if those health benefits could be used to help cancer patients regain some of the cognitive function (the ability to pay attention), that is lost from battling the disease. They asked 23 women with a history of cancer, including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and leukemia to participate in tai chi Classes two times per week. After 10 weeks the women reported improved concentration with reduced stress, better mood, and more energy.

In a report published this month in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, the doctors who designed the study, Stephanie Reid-Arndt, Sandy Matsuda, and Cathy Cox said that loss of cognitive function occurs in about 30 percent of patients recovering from a severe form of cancer.

Cognitive loss can cause stress and harm psychological well being. They said that many cancer survivors have traditionally used drugs to overcome these problems. Tai chi may provide an alternative therapy to speed recovery and restore psychological well being, they said.

In a different study at the Oregon Research Institute, patients with Parkinson’s disease had substantial improvement in their balance after twice-weekly tai chi sessions for 24 weeks. Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease of the nervous system that causes tremors and loss of muscle control. It affects over six million people worldwide. As the disease progresses, people frequently lose the ability to keep their balance and perform simple tasks.

Traditional treatments to prevent these problems, such as stretching and weight training, provide some relief. But the research team of doctors Fuzhong Li, Peter Harmer, Kathleen Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Eckstrom, Ronald Stock, Johnny Galver, Gianni Maddalozzo, and Sara S. Batya speculated that tai chi might provide better results.

“Because the program emphasized rhythmic weight shifting, symmetric foot stepping, and controlled movements near the limits of stability, we hypothesized that tai chi would be more effective in improving postural stability in limits-of-stability tasks than a resistance-based exercise regimen or low-impact stretching,” they said.

They suggested that the constant shifting of body weight and flexibility required by tai chi helped patients develop better reflexes to respond to the dyskinesia (loss of body control), caused by Parkinson’s. More work needs to be done, they said, but their results “show that tai chi is more effective than low-intensity, low-impact exercise programs in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and improving functional ability.”

In two other recent studies, people with fybromyalgia and osteopenia showed improvement in their ability to cope with their disease after practicing tai chi.

Fybromyalgia is a disease that causes widespread pain, fatigue, cognitive disturbance (lack of concentration), and joint stiffness. With no known cure, patients frequently require medication to control their symptoms. Doctors from five medical institutes in Germany asked 362 of their patients with fibromyalgia to engage in “meditative movement therapies” which include yoga, tai chi, and Qigong, an exercise similar to tai chi.

The patients reported less fatigue and depression and fewer sleep disturbances. It wasn’t clear if the results would last, but the researchers concluded that meditative movement therapies like tai chi could provide a safe alternative to drug therapy for many people suffering from fibromyalgia.

Finally, doctors at Harvard Medical School reported in February that older women with osteopenia (reduced bone density), showed significant improvement in their bone density and their loss of mobility due to aging after completing a nine month course of tai chi.

Osteopenia occurs frequently in women after menopause, making them much more prone to bone fractures even from minor stumbles and falls. In the Harvard study, the womens’ bone density was monitored as well as their “bio-motion,” their ability to keep their balance while moving. In both measures the women who practiced tai chi showed clear improvement over a control group who received only the usual care for osteopenia.

Why was tai chi better than standard, low-impact exercises such as walking and stretching? The doctors suggested that the exaggerated movements of the hips and lower legs required by tai chi exerted more pressure on the bones and muscles, causing them to gradually strengthen.

Tai chi clearly shows promise as a safe, life-enhancing alternative to traditional medical techniques for helping older women maintain the strength and mobility, they said.

The article Tai Chi May Help Patients Overcome Serious Diseases appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

People are relying on sleeping pills more than ever to get a good night’s rest, but a new study by Scripps Clinic researchers links the medications to a 4.6 times higher risk of death and a significant increase in cancer cases among regular pill users.

The results, published on February 27 by the open-access online journal BMJ Open, cast a shadow over a growing segment of the pharmaceutical industry that expanded by 23 percent in the United States from 2006 to 2010 and generated about $2 billion in annual sales.

“What our study shows is that sleeping pills are hazardous to your health and might cause death by contributing to the occurrence of cancer, heart disease and other ailments,” said author Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., of the Viterbi Family Sleep Center in San Diego.

(View the paper here: http://press.psprings.co.uk/Open/february/bmjopen850.pdf)

The research is the first to show that eight of the most commonly used hypnotic drugs were associated with increased hazards of mortality and cancer, including the popularly prescribed medications zolpidem (known by the brand name Ambien) and temazepam (also known as Restoril), Dr. Kripke said. Those drugs had been thought to be safer than older hypnotics because of their shorter duration of action.

Study participants who took sleeping pills were matched with control patients of similar ages, gender and health who received no hypnotics in order to eliminate the possibility that other factors led to the results.

“We tried every practical strategy to make these associations go away, thinking that they could be due to use by people with more health problems, but no matter what we did the associations with higher mortality held,” said co-author Robert D. Langer, M.D., M.P.H., of the Jackson Hole Center for Preventive Medicine in Jackson, Wyoming.

Even among patients who were prescribed 1 to 18 sleeping pills per year, the risk of death was 3.6 times higher than among similar participants who did not take the medications. The study looked at patients aged 18 years and older, and found the increased risk in all age groups.

Rates of new cancers were 35 percent higher among patients who were prescribed at least 132 hypnotic doses a year as compared with those who did not take the drugs.

Using data stored in an electronic medical record that has been in place for more than a decade, the researchers obtained information on almost 40,000 patients cared for by a large integrated health system in the northeastern United States.

The study included 10,531 sleeping pill users who were prescribed the medications for an average of 2.5 years and 23,674 control participants who were not prescribed the drugs. Information came from outpatient clinic visits conducted between Jan. 1, 2002, and Sept. 30, 2006.

“It is important to note that our results are based on observational data, so even though we did everything we could to ensure their validity, it’s still possible that other factors explain the associations,” said co-author Lawrence E. Kline, D.O., who is medical director of the Viterbi Family Sleep Center. “We hope our work will spur additional research in this area using information from other populations.”

Funding for the study came from the Scripps Health Foundation and other philanthropic sources.

The BMJ Open report should prompt physicians to consider alternatives to hypnotic medications, Dr. Kline said.

Clinicians at the Viterbi Family Sleep Center focus on cognitive therapy that teaches patients to better understand the nature of sleep. For example, some people suffering from insomnia might require less than the eight hours of sleep commonly recommended for each night.

Patients also can benefit from practicing good sleeping habits and relaxation, as well as taking advantage of the body’s natural clock, which is driven by the rising and setting of the sun, Dr. Kline said. “Understanding how to use the circadian rhythm is a very powerful tool that doesn’t require a prescription,” he said.

When insomnia results from emotional problems such as depression, doctors should treat the psychological disorder rather than prescribe sleeping pills that could prove to be harmful, Dr. Kripke said.

About  Scripps Health

Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2.5 billion non-profit community healthcare system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,600 affiliated physicians and 13,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, and an ambulatory care network of physician offices and 23 outpatient centers and clinics.

Scripps is also at the forefront of clinical research, genomic medicine, wireless health and graduate medical education. With three highly respected graduate medical education programs, Scripps is a longstanding member of the Association of American Medical Colleges. More information can be found at www.scripps.org.

The article Sleeping Pills Increase Death Risk and Cancer Cases appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

That our chromosomes can break and reshuffle pieces of themselves is nothing new; scientists have recognized this for decades, especially in cancer cells. The rules for where chromosomes are likely to break and how the broken pieces come together are only just now starting to come into view.

Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston and the Immune Disease Institute (IDI) have helped bring those rules into clearer focus by discovering that where each of the genome’s thousands of genes lie within the cell’s nucleus – essentially, the genome’s three-dimensional organization – holds great influence over where broken chromosome ends rejoin, knowledge that could shed light on fundamental processes related to cancer and normal cellular functions, for example in immunity.

The study team, led by Frederick Alt, PhD, director of the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston and the IDI; and Job Dekker, PhD, co-director of the Program in Systems Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, reported their results online on February 16 in the journal Cell.

In cancer cells, the process of chromosome rearrangement, or translocation – marked by stretches of DNA physically breaking and swapping – often results in the creation of new cancer-promoting “fusion” genes. Similarly, when a naive B cell starts to produce antibodies for the first time, it establishes its choice of target by breaking and recombining genes for antibody diversity.

“While chromosomal breaks and translocations are fundamental to many cancers, historically we’ve had no approaches to systematically study how they are generated,” said Alt, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and the Charles A. Janeway Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. “About five years ago, our group set out to generate a high-throughput approach to address this important problem in cancer biology.”

To accomplish this goal, the Alt lab developed high-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing (HTGTS, which maps “hot spots” in the genome where chromosome breaks and translocations are more likely to occur) and at a level of resolution not previously thought possible.  In early HTGTS studies, they found that broken chromosomes often rearrange within themselves, as opposed to sharing pieces across different chromosomes.

To probe these findings more deeply, his laboratory joined forces with Dekker’s to combine HTGTS with a method called Hi-C. Developed by Dekker’s group, Hi-C measures how all the sequences in the genome are organized relative to one another in three dimensions.

The combined data revealed several related but distinct principles of how genomic organization governs chromosome rearrangements. The first is based on the slight differences in how each cell organizes its genome compared to its neighbors (referred to as cellular spatial heterogeneity of genome organization).

While the genome is organized in an average fashion that is largely common across all cells of a population, each individual cell harbors small deviations from that average. This latter property allows many genes to be physically close to each other in just a small subset of cells, even if they are not close to each other in the majority of cells.

The second principle involves proximity. If two broken chromosome strands lie in close proximity within the three-dimensional space of a given cell’s nucleus, they are more likely to connect. This finding is of particular importance for translocations involving DNA sequences that do not break frequently, such those involved in translocations found in various non-lymphoid tumors.

The third principle applies the first two to DNA sequences that do break frequently (such as those that drive antibody gene rearrangements during B cell development). Such sequences tend to reshuffle with the same partner sequences in those subsets of cells where the partners lie physically close together, even if the partners do not within most cells. This can fuel recurrent translocations like those seen in many lymphoid tumors.

Together, the principles highlight the relationship between proximity, genomic organization, and break frequency. “Two sequences have to be broken and physically proximal to join,” Alt explains. “If two sequences are together in most cells and frequently broken, they will translocate in many cells.

If they are frequently together but one of them doesn’t break, or if they both break frequently but always lie on opposite sides of the nucleus, the chances that they will translocate are very low or zero. However, if both sequences break very frequently and are close together in a subset of cells, they will very frequently translocate in that subset, contributing to recurrent translocations.”

“Our finding that broken chromosome segments are more likely to join with other segments within the same chromosome, rather than other, more physically distant segments from other chromosomes, likely has great relevance to cancer genomes,” Alt continued. “For example, cancer treatments that cause breaks may preferentially lead to intra-chromosomal rearrangements.

It may also have relevance for ‘chromothripsis,’ a recently discovered phenomenon in many cancers in which the sequences of one chromosome become scrambled.”

The new understanding of the roles of physical spatial proximity and overall three-dimensional genome structure in chromosomal translocations opens up new avenues for deciphering how the way a cell’s nucleus is organized affects the genomic disarray found in cancer and other diseases characterized by chromosome reshuffling.

The study also shows the power of combining two high-throughput genomic assays – Hi-C and HGTGS – for studying how the organizational plan within the nucleus influences fundamental biological processes. ”We feel that our findings and the application of our approaches will provide a new lens through which to view the genomes of many different types of cancer,” Alt concluded.

This study was supported by the National Cancer Institute, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Cancer Research Institute, and the German National Merit Foundation.

The article Genomes 3D Structure Helps Understand Chromosome Reshuffling appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Seventy-five percent of integrative medicine centers included in a new study about integrative practice reported success treating chronic pain. More than half of centers reported successfully using integrative medicine to treat gastrointestinal conditions, depression/anxiety, cancer and stress.

“Integrative Medicine in America: How Integrative Medicine Is Being Practiced in Clinical Centers Across the United States”, a new study from The Bravewell Collaborative, looked at the patient populations and health conditions most commonly treated with integrative medicine.

“With chronic health issues costing the economy more than $1 trillion a year, it’s essential to find the best treatments and preventive practices,” said Donald Abrams, MD, co-author of the report and professor of clinical medicine at the University of California San Francisco. “The broader use of integrative medicine could fundamentally change how patients are being served in this country.”

Twenty-nine integrative medicine centers were surveyed, including programs at Cleveland Clinic, Duke, Mayo Clinic, Stanford and MD Anderson Cancer Center. All participating centers reported being affiliated with hospitals, health systems and/or medical and nursing schools, suggesting that integrative medicine has now become an established part of healthcare in the U.S.

All of the centers in the study served adult patients and many treated older people (97%), adolescents (86%), children (62%) and individuals at the end of life (66%).

Integrative medicine is an evidence-based approach to care that puts the patient at the center and addresses the physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences on health. The center directors reported that their centers most frequently prescribe, often in tandem, food/nutrition therapies (65%), supplements (60%), yoga (55%), meditation (51%), traditional Chinese medicine/acupuncture (50%), massage (49%), and pharmaceutical interventions (46%).

Sixty-two percent of the centers have also incorporated lifestyle change programs that emphasize healthy behaviors and actions. As shown in many studies published over the past five years, attention to healthy diet, exercise and stress reduction can help prevent major health issues.

“There is great potential for integrative medicine to help prevent illness and foster lifelong health,” explained Christy Mack, President of The Bravewell Collaborative. “This report suggests that integrative approaches offer promise for increasing the effectiveness of care.”

To view the full report, Integrative Medicine in America, online, visit www.bravewell.org.

The article Integrative Medicine’s Success in Treating Chronic Pain appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Citing the significant quality of life benefits that oral chemotherapy drugs can provide over intravenously (IV) administered chemotherapy, Maryland’s cancer community, patient advocacy representatives and patients themselves called on the state legislature this week to pass key legislation that would ensure Maryland’s cancer patients are able to access their prescribed chemotherapy regimen of choice.

IV chemotherapy can lead to side effects including pain, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and anemia, and can lead to added costs and logistical issues as patients must travel to cancer care facilities for treatment. Although oral chemotherapy drugs taken at home often result in fewer side effects, many health insurance plans’ coverage of orally administered chemotherapy is prohibitive due to higher copays, expensive deductibles or restrictive coverage limits.

“Oral chemotherapy drugs can often provide substantially greater comfort and convenience than IV administered chemotherapy, and Maryland’s cancer patients should have access to the treatments they prefer,” said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, founder and CEO of the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) and the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF).

“We urge Maryland’s legislature to create parity in coverage and help individuals fighting cancer access the chemotherapy treatment of their choice without cost being an unrealistic barrier.”

The Kathleen A. Mathias Chemotherapy Parity Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 179) would prohibit insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and  health maintenance organizations (HMOs) from covering orally administered cancer chemotherapy on terms that are less favorable than coverage for IV administered cancer chemotherapy.

The bill is named in honor of the late Kathy Mathias, wife of Sen. Jim Mathias (D-38), who lost her 14-year battle with cancer last August. The legislation currently has 26 cosponsors in the Senate and will be heard before the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee on February 9.

In testimony this week before the Maryland Senate Finance Committee, Larry L. Lanier, NPAF Vice President of State Government Affairs, noted that parity in chemotherapy drug coverage remains an important issue for patients, with many contacting PAF on a regular basis in need of assistance to cover the cost of oral chemotherapy medications.

Additional testimony was provided by representatives from The Maryland/District of Columbia Society of Clinical Oncology, the Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), additional Maryland-based advocates, and patients who would benefit from the passage of this legislation.

“Senate Bill 179 would help Maryland’s cancer patients receive the prescribed chemotherapy treatment of their choice, and could help many individuals experience fewer side effects, maintain their jobs, and spend more time at home with their loved ones during a very challenging time,” said Mary Edwards, a registered nurse from Owings Mills who has worked with numerous cancer patients over the years.

“We hope that our lawmakers will join the 15 other states and the District of Columbia in passing similar legislation, and help improve Maryland cancer patients’ physical and emotional well-being while providing them with the treatment choices they deserve.”

The article State Legislature Urged to Create Parity in Coverage for Cancer Drugs appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Recently, Erivedge was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients with basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. The drug is intended for use in patients with locally advanced basal cell cancer who are not candidates for surgery or radiation and for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).

Erivedge, reviewed under the agency’s priority review program, is the first FDA-approved drug for metastatic basal cell carcinoma. Erivedge was reviewed under the FDA’s priority review program that provides for an expedited six-month review of drugs that may offer major advances in treatment. The drug is being approved ahead of the March 8, 2012, prescription user fee goal date.

Basal cell carcinoma is generally a slow growing and painless form of skin cancer that starts in the top layer of the skin (epidermis). The cancer develops on areas of skin that are regularly exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation.

Erivedge is a pill taken once a day and works by inhibiting the Hedgehog pathway, a pathway that is active in most basal cell cancers and only a few normal tissues, such as hair follicles.

“Our understanding of molecular pathways involved in cancer, such as the Hedgehog pathway, has enabled the development of targeted drugs for specific diseases,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approach is becoming more common and will potentially allow cancer drugs to be developed more quickly. This is important for patients who will have access to more effective therapies with potentially fewer side effects.”

The safety and effectiveness of Erivedge was evaluated in a single, multi-center clinical study in 96 patients with locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma.

The clinical study’s primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) or the percentage of patients who experienced complete and partial shrinkage or disappearance of the cancerous lesions after treatment. Of the patients with metastatic disease receiving Erivedge, 30 percent experienced a partial response and 43 percent of patients with locally advanced disease experienced a complete or partial response.

The most common side effects observed in patients treated with Erivedge were muscle spasms, hair loss, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, distorted sense of taste, decreased appetite, constipation, vomiting, and loss of taste function in the tongue.

Erivedge is being approved with a boxed warning alerting patients and health care professionals of the potential risk of death or severe birth effects to a fetus (unborn baby). Pregnancy status must be verified prior to the start of Erivedge treatment. Male and female patients should be warned about these risks and the need for birth control.

3�r
��P�� lse’s mistake. “Tattoo Nightmares” is created by Sally Ann Salsano (“Jersey Shore”) and 495 Productions.

“Rat Bastards” – An invasive species of giant swamp rats are ravaging America’s Southern wetlands and are especially dangerous to the tenuous ecological system of the Mississippi delta region.  This non-scripted series follows a pack of industrious guys dubbed the “Cajun Commandoes” in Louisiana who hunt these elusive 40-pound menaces both to sell and to eat.

These determined rat hunters compete over a limited four month window to earn big bucks by capturing these loathsome pests for a bounty.  The series is co-created by Eli Holzman and Stephen Lambert of Studio Lambert and Royal Malloy, Duke Straub andColt Straub of American Chainsaw. They are also the production team behind the upcoming Spike series, “Diamond Divers.”

Spike will also create new episodes of “World’s Wildest Police Videos,” which will give viewers access to shocking and outrageous police footage never-before-seen on television.  From high-speed car chases that turn deadly and bank robberies gone wrong to international hostage holdups, the wildest police videos from around the world are on display.

Retired Sheriff John Bunnell hosts the series that is produced by Pilgrim Studios and Pursuit Productions. Executive Producers are Pilgrim Studios’ Craig Piligian andScott Popjes, and Pursuit Productions’ Paul Stojanovich, Jr., Robert Ballantyne and John Bunnell.  The original version was created by Paul Stojanovich Sr. and aired on FOX from 1998-2002.

Spike will air a two-part special, “Urban Jungle Man,” which follows the country’s preeminent extreme animal handler, John Brennan, who rescues, captures and relocates dangerous and exotic animals in New York City’s urban jungle. This non-scripted series chronicles Brennan’s daily adventures as he runs the Urban Animal Relocation team, a privately-owned exotic and dangerous animal relocation service whose perilous missions runs the gamut from removing an alligator from a bathtub to capturing an escaped deadly python.  

Bitten or stung by nearly every animal in existence, Brennan is fearless when it comes to apprehending nature’s deadliest creatures.  “Urban Jungle Man” is produced by Asylum Entertainment and will be shot throughout the country.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianacare/

The article FDA Approves New Treatment for Most Common Type of Skin Cancer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The percentage of U.S. citizens screened for cancer remains below national targets, with significant disparities among racial and ethnic populations, according to the first federal study to identify cancer screening disparities among Asian and Hispanic groups.

The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, was published in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

In 2010, breast cancer screening rates were 72.4 percent, below the Healthy People 2020 target of 81 percent; cervical cancer screening was 83 percent, below the target of 93 percent; and colorectal cancer screening was 58.6 percent, below the target of 70.5 percent, according to the study, “Cancer Screening in the United States – 2010.”

Screening rates for all three cancers were significantly lower among Asians (64.1 percent for breast cancer, 75.4 percent for cervical cancer, and 46.9 percent for colorectal cancer) compared to other groups, the study found.  Hispanics were less likely to be screened for cervical and colorectal cancer (78.7 percent and 46.5 percent, respectively) when compared to non-Hispanics (83.8 percent and 59.9 percent, respectively).

“It is troubling to see that not all Americans are getting the recommended cancer screenings and that disparities continue to persist for certain populations. Screening can find breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers at an early stage when treatment is more effective,” said Sallyann Coleman King, M.D., an epidemic intelligence service officer in CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control and lead author of the study.

“We must continue to monitor cancer screening rates to improve the health of all Americans.” Healthy People 2020 sets national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Such objectives include the use of screening tests recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers.

Women aged 50-74 years should be screened for breast cancer with a mammogram every two years. Women who have been sexually active for three years or are aged 21-65 years should be screened for cervical cancer with a Pap test at least every three years.

Colorectal cancer screening is recommended for average-risk men and women aged 50-75 years, using high-sensitivity fecal occult blood test (FOBT), done at home every year; sigmoidoscopy every five years, with high-sensitivity FOBT every three years; or colonoscopy every 10 years.

To assess the use of currently recommended cancer screening tests by age, race, ethnicity, education, length of residence in the United States, and the source and financing of health care researchers analyzed data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, which tracks progress toward the achievement of  Healthy People 2020 objectives.

For the ethnic subgroups, Asians were classified as Chinese, Filipino, or other Asian and Hispanics as Puerto Rican, Mexican, Mexican-American, Central or South American, or other Hispanic.

Significant findings include:

• Screening rates for breast cancer remained relatively stable and varied no more than 3 percent over the period 2000-2010.
• From 2000-2010, colorectal cancer screening rates increased markedly for men and women, with the rate for women increasing slightly faster so that rates among both sexes were nearly identical (58.5 percent for men and 58.8 percent for women) in 2010.
• From 2000-2010, a small but statistically significant downward trend of 3.3 percent was observed in the rate of women who reported getting a Pap test within the last three years.
• Considerably lower breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening use was reported by those without any usual source of health care or health insurance.

The authors note that this study reinforces the need to identify and track cancer screening disparities. Additionally, the report provides guidance for the development programs to increase the use of screening tests in order to meet Healthy People 2020 targets and simultaneously reduce cancer morbidity and mortality.

“Healthy People objectives are important for monitoring progress toward reducing the burden of cancer in the United States. Our study points to the particular need for finding ways to increase the use of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening tests among Asians, Hispanics, as well as adults who lack health insurance or a usual source of health care” said Carrie Klabunde, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences and a co-author of the study.

According to the authors, the Affordable Care Act is expected to reduce financial barriers to care by expanding insurance coverage. Other efforts are needed such as developing systems that identify individuals eligible for cancer screening tests, actively encouraging the use of screening tests, and monitoring participation to improve screening rates, they say.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianacare/

The article Racial and Ethnic Discrepancies in Cancer Screening Rates appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have found a new indicator that may predict which patients with a common type of throat cancer are most likely have the cancer spread to other parts of their bodies.

Patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma who had “matted” lymph nodes – nodes that are connected together – had a 69 percent survival rate over three years, compared to 94 percent for patients without matted nodes, according to a study published online ahead of print publication in Head & Neck.

The oropharynx is an area that includes the back of the tongue, soft palate, throat and tonsils. ”The spread of cancer throughout the body accounts for about 45 percent of the deaths from oropharyngeal carcinoma,” says the study’s senior author, Douglas B. Chepeha, M.D., M.S.P.H., an associate professor of otolaryngology head and neck surgery at the U-M Medical School.

“Our findings may help doctors identify patients who are at higher risk for having their cancer metastasize and who would benefit from additional systemic therapy. Conversely, some patients without matted nodes may benefit from a reduction of the current standard treatment, which would cut down on uncomfortable side effects.”

Notably, the findings indicate an increased risk independent of other established prognostic factors, such as the patient’s history of smoking or whether they have the Human papillomavirus (HPV), the study found. Smoking (tobacco and marijuana), heavy alcohol use and HPV infection have each been linked to the development of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Matted nodes appear to be an especially strong indicator of increased risk among patients who are HPV-positive, even though HPV-positive patients had better overall outcomes than their HPV-negative peers. The patients with the best outcomes were HPV-positive non-smokers.

“It’s not clear why we’re finding these survival differences for patients who have matted nodes,” says study lead author Matthew E. Spector, M.D., a head and neck surgery resident at U-M who won a national award from the American Head and Neck Society for this work. “It is possible that there are biological and molecular differences in these types of tumors, which can be explored in future research.”

The results affirm the value of having a team of doctors and researchers from different specialties, radiology, oncology, biostatistics and surgery, working together to find advances that can directly benefit patients, Chepeha says. “This was a collaborative effort and all of the authors made important contributions,” he adds.

The study tracked 78 cancer patients who were part of a clinical trial evaluating two cancer drugs in combination with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. All the patients had stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx and had not had any previous treatment. Sixteen of the 78 patients had matted nodes.

“It’s significant that we’ve identified this new marker that can help us predict which patients have worse survival odds,” Chepeha says. “Now we need to go one step further and figure out what mechanisms are at work and how we can use this knowledge to improve survival rates.”

The article New Indicator May Help Identify Patients With Throat Cancer appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Researchers have discovered that a subtype of leukemia characterized by a poor prognosis is fueled by mutations in pathways distinctly different from a seemingly similar leukemia associated with a much better outcome. The findings from the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project highlight a possible new strategy for treating patients with this more aggressive cancer.

The work provides the first details of the genetic alterations fueling a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) known as early T-cell precursor ALL (ETP-ALL). The results suggest ETP-ALL has more in common with acute myeloid leukemia than with other subtypes of ALL. The study appears in the January 12 edition of the journal ‘Nature’.

ALL is the most common childhood cancer and about 12 percent of patients have T-ALL. T-ALL arises from T-lineage white blood cells that make up one branch of the immune system. ETP-ALL was discovered by St. Jude researchers and accounts for about 12 percent of T-cell ALL. Many ETP-ALL patients fail to respond to current therapy and never enter remission. Only 30 to 40 percent of these patients become long-term survivors, compared to about 80 percent of children battling other T-ALL subtypes.

“The mutations and gene expression profile we identified in this study suggest that patients with ETP-ALL might benefit from treatment that includes drugs developed for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia,” said Charles Mullighan, M.D., Ph.D., an associate member of the St. Jude Department of Pathology and one of the study’s corresponding authors.

Mullighan said ETP-ALL was selected for inclusion in the pediatric cancer genome project due to the poor outcome and the lack of information on the genetic lesions that underlie this aggressive subtype of leukemia. “St. Jude is a pioneer in increasing overall ALL survival rates, which today exceed 90 percent for St. Jude patients. Now, we are working toward similar progress against this rare form of the disease,” he said.

The human genome is the complete set of instructions needed to assemble and sustain human life. Leukemia and other cancers develop when normal cells accumulate mutations in the genome that cause the unchecked cell growth that is a hallmark of cancer. The three-year Pediatric Cancer Genome Project is sequencing the genomes of tumor cells and matched normal DNA samples of 600 children with some of the most poorly understood and aggressive cancers. Investigators believe the findings will be the foundation for the next generation of clinical tools.

For this study, researchers sequenced and analyzed the normal and cancer genomes of 12 St. Jude patients with ETP-ALL. Investigators then checked for some of the same mutations in an additional 94 young leukemia patients with either ETP-ALL or other types of T-cell ALL.

“We found mutations unique to ETP-ALL that are not seen in other forms of ALL,” said co-author Richard Wilson, Ph.D., director of The Genome Institute at Washington University. “The results provide new targets for therapy and a way to use genetic tests to identify ETP-ALL patients early and earmark them for more aggressive therapy.”

The pattern of mutations identified in ETP-ALL was reminiscent of changes associated with AML, Mullighan said. The alterations were concentrated in genes in the cytokine receptor and RAS signaling pathways that are involved in the type of cell regulation disrupted in cancer. The mutations, which included NRAS, FLT3, JAK3, IL7R, and other genes, were found in about 67 percent of patients with ETP-ALL, but in only 19 percent of other T-ALL patients.

In addition, mutations in genes known or predicted to disrupt normal development of blood stem cells or lymphocytes were identified in 58 percent of ETP-ALL patients, but in just 17 percent of other T-ALL patients. The affected genes included ETV6, RUNX1, IKZF1, and GATA3. GATA3 helps regulate the early stages of T cell development, and mutations in the gene were found exclusively in ETP-ALL patients.

Epigenetic mutations, which are alterations affecting genes that indirectly influence the activity of other genes, were also more common in ETP-ALL patients. These genes, including EZH2 and SUZ12, were mutated or deleted in 45 percent of ETP-ALL patients, but in just 11 percent of the comparison group. The targeted genes modify proteins known as histones, which control gene activity through DNA binding.

Researchers also showed that ETP-ALL includes recurring mutations in about a half-dozen genes not previously linked to blood cancers. The list includes the genes RELN and DNM2. “The pattern of mutations we found in those genes suggests they function as tumor suppressors and their loss contributes to the malignant transformation of developing blood cells,” Mullighan said.

Mullighan said work is underway to develop laboratory models of human ETP-ALL and to use these models to identify AML drugs that are most likely to benefit ETP-ALL patients. The list of possible drugs includes high-dose cytarabine and targeted chemotherapy agents that inhibit activity in the cytokine receptor and JAK signaling pathways found in this study to be disrupted in ETP-ALL patients, researchers said. Those pathways help regulate cell division and normal development of the blood system.

“This is the first of a series of important discoveries on the genomic basis of childhood cancers that are emerging from the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which is on schedule to fully sequence 600 pediatric cancer genomes by 2013,” said Dr. William E. Evans, St. Jude director and CEO.

James Downing, M.D., St. Jude scientific director, St. Jude PCGP site leader and a corresponding author of the study, added, “This study highlights how the genome project is generating new insights into the genetic alterations that underlie some of the most aggressive childhood cancers and in turn is pointing us toward new therapeutic options that may increase the survival rates for children with these cancers.”

The article Different Approaches Explored to Combat Aggressive Leukemia appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

As the War on Cancer enters its fifth decade and the number of people being diagnosed with cancer continues to rise, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) called for more aggressive integration of advanced imaging technology and biomedical research to improve prevention, earlier detection and treatment of cancer.

“We have developed remarkable new tools for imaging and biomarker identification that can bring about enormous changes at this moment in time and drive rapid improvements in the entire continuum of care in cancer,” said Laurie Fenton-Ambrose, President and CEO of Lung Cancer Alliance.

“But imaging and biomedical research must be linked together,” she said.

In 1975, when Congress passed the National Cancer Act, dubbed the War on Cancer legislation, 400 new cases of cancer were being diagnosed each year for every 100,000 people in the population. According to the latest figures, in 2008 that number rose to 463 new cases for every 100,000 people.

Over 1.6 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year.

While the rate and number of people being diagnosed with cancer overall continues to climb, some progress has been made in reducing the percentage of people who die from cancer, primarily because of screening and better treatments. However the decline is uneven.

The drop in lung cancer death rates among men reflects the drop in the number of men smoking and being diagnosed with lung cancer, but not a reduction in the lethality of lung cancer, which continues to kill three times as many men as prostate cancer.

For women, incidence or mortality rates are still twice as high as they were in 1975 and nearly twice as many women will die of lung cancer than breast cancer.

In addition the percentage of women with lung cancer who have never smoked is twice as high as men.

“The overall numbers are staggering,” said Fenton-Ambrose.

Of the 577,000 people who will die of some form of cancer this year, one in four women and three in ten men will die of lung cancer – more than the combined total of deaths from breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers.

“However, this past year has also brought us the most significant advance we have ever seen for lung cancer – the validation of CT screening as a life-saving tool that can dramatically reduce lung cancer mortality among those at high risk,” she said.

According to several national and international studies, that reduction would be at least 20% and possibly as high as 50-60%, which translates to 35,000 to 95,000 lives saved a year.

Screening can also stimulate research into precancerous conditions, genetic mutations and biomarkers that will improve risk assessment, diagnosis and treatment for all types of lung cancer, including lung cancers not associated with smoking.

The article War on Cancer Nears 50 Years appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

New anti-tumor compounds produced by Dr.Aleem Gangjee, Distinguished Professor of Medicinal Pharmacy at Duquesne University’s Mylan Schoolof Pharmacy, show such promise for fighting hard-to-treat tumors that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has placed them on its fast track for development.

These agents fight breast and other cancers that become resistant to Taxol and other medications. Preliminary data show that the compounds kill tumor cells without toxicity to normal cells—avoiding the sickness that accompanies most existing cancer-fighters.

“One of the limitations of current cancer treatment is drug toxicity; it necessitates discontinuation of the drug, even if it is effective,” Gangjee said. “Because our compounds are not expected to sicken patients and normal cells, it could be continued without toxicity.”

The NIH’s National Cancer Institute checks hundreds of promising compounds and those showing the greatest potential are fast tracked. Three compounds from Gangjee are in this category.

These water-soluble compounds are easy to make and inhibit tumor cells at low concentrations. The agents are like Trojan horses, effective at tricking cancer cells into accepting them as a building block used to feed tumors.

With more than 1.5 million new cases of cancer diagnosed a year, Gangjee’s compounds could positively impact many lives.

Gangjee, who holds four concurrent NIH grants, has received more than 25 patents in 20 years of research at Duquesne, including a recent patent for treatment of ovarian cancer. Ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers are difficult to detect until later stages—and this drug works particularly well in late-stage treatment, unlike many current therapies.

During the past 40 years, Gangjee’s research has sprung from the inspiration of his family’s own experience. When Gangjee was 20 years old, his grandmother died from breast cancer. The loss turned Gangjee away from a corporate future as an industrial chemist and propelled him into medicinal chemistry and a career focused on fighting cancer.

The article Cancer: Nontoxic Anti-Tumor Compounds Developed by Researcher appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The American Lung Association applauds the Obama Administration for adopting public health safeguards to reduce mercury and toxic air pollution from power plants.  The new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants are long overdue and will reduce the harm from air pollution like mercury, lead, arsenic, and a host of other pollutants.

“Since toxic air pollution from power plants can make people sick and cut lives short, the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are a huge victory for public health,” said Albert A. Rizzo, M.D., National Volunteer Chair of the American Lung Association, and pulmonary and critical care physician in Newark, Delaware.

“The Lung Association expects all oil and coal-fired power plants to act now to protect all Americans, especially our children, from the health risks imposed by these dangerous air pollutants.”

The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will reduce toxic emissions from coal- and oil-fired power plants that are found in more than 40 U.S. states and are the largest producers of mercury pollution. Air pollution emitted by coal-fired power plants contains 84 of the 187 hazardous pollutants identified for control by the Clean Air Act.

Many of these pollutants, such as, dioxins, arsenic, and lead, can cause cancer and cardiovascular disease; harm the kidneys, lungs, and nervous system; and even kill. The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will reduce these pollutants and prevent 130,000 childhood asthma attacks and 11,000 premature deaths each year.

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments required the tighter standards on power plants in an effort to reduce toxic emissions in communities across the country. However, big polluters have fought for and won delays for more than 21 years.

“Attempts to delay or dismantle the Clean Air Act, or rules like the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, reward industry polluters and punish those most vulnerable to dirty air,” said Dr. Rizzo. “These new standards mark a huge step forward in clean air protections and will be responsible for saving thousands of lives each year.”

The article Obama Administration Finalizes Mercury and Air Toxics Standards appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

On December 19, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) praised Senator Scott Brown for his support for the first comprehensive lung cancer legislation now pending action in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act, S. 752 and H.R. 1394, is a bicameral, bipartisan call to action on the leading cause of cancer death.  Senator John Kerry is one of the primary sponsors of the Senate bill that was introduced earlier this year. Other supporters from the Massachusetts congressional delegation include Congressman Barney Frank, Stephen Lynch, John Olver and John Tierney.

Lung Cancer Alliance’s President & CEO Laurie Fenton-Ambrose said, “We are thrilled to see this strong bi-partisan recognition of the urgent need to have a better plan of action to address all aspects of lung cancer which we hope will continue to grow and include all members of the Massachusetts delegation.”

Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, nationally and in every ethnic group. According the National Cancer Institute estimates, this year, in Massachusetts more people will die of lung cancer – 3,490 – more than the combined total of deaths due to breast cancer (760), colon cancer (980) and prostate cancer (640).

Diane Legg, LCA-New England Co-Director said, “As a seven year survivor of lung cancer, it is reassuring to know that our elected leaders have heard our stories, have become better educated about the disease and have become proponents of a call to action that would put life-saving, cost-saving, cancer reducing benefits in motion.”

Rich Monopoli, LCA-New England Co-Director said, “Sadly, the impact of lung cancer goes beyond epidemic yet few people even know that today 80% of lung cancer patients have never smoked or had already quit, often decades ago.  That is why support for a more coordinated and comprehensive plan for this disease is so important – as it will help reduce lung cancer’s stigma and reverse decades of neglect.

The Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act is win-win for all and I am hopeful that the entire Massachusettsdelegation and their New England colleagues will join our call to action.” LCA has been building a network of support for the call to action which includes leading research, veterans, and minority health and labor organizations.

The legislation, H.R. 1394 in the House and S. 752 in the Senate, calls for the Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense and Affairs to develop a coordinated research, prevention, early detection and treatment effort with the specific goal of cutting lung cancer mortality in half by the end of the decade.

Lung Cancer Alliance is the only national non-profit dedicated to providing support and advocacy for those living with or at risk for lung cancer.  LCA is committed to reversing decades of stigma and neglect by empowering those with or at risk for lung cancer, elevating awareness and changing health policy at both the federal and state level. For more information visit: www.lungcanceralliance.org.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/massgovernor/

The article Lung Cancer Alliance Praises Senator Scott Brown for Support appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) announced that its efforts to secure continued increases in federal research funding for lung cancer achieved another victory as an additional $10.2 million was included in the Department of Defense (DOD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) which was part of the FY2012 budget compromise worked out late last night by the House and Senate.

This $1 trillion omnibus spending package includes nine appropriations measures which establish budgets for hundreds of programs across ten Cabinet agencies including the Department of Defense. The President is expected to sign the bill.

The $10.2 million in DOD research funding is in addition to $47.8 million secured to date by LCA since it first established the DOD lung cancer research pipeline three years ago which  targets research for early detection with special emphasis on high risk military bringing the total appropriated to date to $58 million.

“We are proud to share that our advocacy work to date has secured $58 million for lung cancer research funding via this new program,” said Laurie Fenton-Ambrose, President and CEO of LCA.  “Increasing the federal research pipeline for lung cancer has been – and will continue to be – LCA’s core mission.”

The omnibus spending package also includes a $30.7 billion increase in funding for research programs including lung cancer research within the National Institutes of Health – an increase strongly advocated for by LCA.

“Even in times of tight fiscal restraint,” continued Fenton-Ambrose, “we will continue these efforts for patients and survivors as well as our research community because it is essential and critical life-saving work. I thank our congressional leadership for continuing support for this program.”

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men and women and every ethnic group and among our military who are at an increased risk in comparison to their civilian counterparts. Lung cancer has a 15% 5-year survival rate with the vast majority of cases found late stage.  In addition, nearly 80% of those diagnosed with lung cancer today are former or non-smokers.

Military personnel have a higher exposure to lung cancer carcinogens and thus are more susceptible than the general public. The FY2012 language calls for continued research focus on screening and early disease management, especially among high risk military. For more information go to www.lungcanceralliance.org.

The article Lung Cancer Alliance Increased Federal Research Funding appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

A report published this week by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization, cautions that eating meat daily can contribute to obesity, heart disease and cancer.

“Although this issue has been reported on for a long time, Americans continue to have really high rates of meat consumption, particularly children,” said Kari Hamerschlag, senior analyst at EWG and author of the new report. “As a country, we’re producing and consuming 60 percent more meat per person than Europeans.”

For the study, EWG looked at the environmental impact of production, processing, transportation, cooking and waste of meat. Nearly 20 percent of edible meat ends up in landfills while millions of people go to bed hungry. The conclusion of the study is that people should eat less meat and dairy. In particular, the EWG points to lamb, beef, pork, cheese and farmed salmon as the protein-packed foods that take the largest toll on the environment.

The high rate of meat eaters in the United States is known to have significant detrimental effects on human health. Increases rates of heart disease, cancer and obesity have been linked to heavy meat eating. Eating significant amounts of meat also harm the environment, releasing greenhouse gases in the air.

“We’re not advocating that people stop eating meat and cheese, we’re just suggesting that people consider eating less,” said Hamerschlag. “Ultimately, we need better policies and stronger regulations to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock production. But personal shifting of diets is an important step.”

The report points out that minor changes can have a significant impact on the environment. If each American cut meat and cheese from their diet one day a week, it would be the equivalence to taking 7.6 million cars off the road.  “The world is better off with than without cattle,” said Gidon Eschel, a professor of climate physics at Bard College in New York, who was not involved in the new report. He explained that optimal land use includes predominantly plants — “foods that feed people directly rather than indirectly through animals.” But cattle, he added, are key for cycling the nutrients in the soil and maintaining long-term crop fertility.

Production for the feed of cattle takes up nearly 150 million acres of U.S. land. “Even if you don’t directly clear land to grow feed crops, you are using land that could otherwise go to other purposes like food or biofuels. Somewhere forest or grassland will be cleared and carbon will be released into the atmosphere,” added Simon Donner, a climate and agriculture expert at the University of British Columbia in Canada, who was not involved in the report.

Although typical carnivores hate to hear about studies and data like this, the fact is that Americans eat way too much meat. The world is unsustainable as it is and we have to change things in order to continue to exist. With so many soy-based meat alternatives, there is no reason why meat must be consumed every single day. And there are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t eat meat every day.

The article Eating Meat Leads to Cancer, Heart Disease appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.