Tag: cancer (Page 3 of 10)

      New Test May Detect Early Signs Of Pancreatic Cancer

      May 23, 2012 /

      A test to detect the early signs of pancreatic cancer is good news for those at risk for the disease.

      Known as one of the deadliest cancers, pancreatic cancer has, up to this point, been difficult to diagnose in it’s earliest stages when possible life saving treatment would be most effective.

      In recent years, researchers have been investigating minimally invasive ways to find cancer by looking for so-called “field effects,” which are changes that occur in nearby tissues as a result of cancer growth. For instance, tumors require an increased blood supply. This means tissue in the vicinity of a cancer might have enlarged blood vessels, and a depletion of oxygen in the blood. Wallace likened the test to a metal detector that beeps faster the closer you get to the cancer.

      Research, Wellness

      Routine PSA Tests For Men Rejected By Expert Panel

      May 21, 2012 /

      The definitive answer is in on regular PSA screening for men.

      The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggests that the prostate-specific antigen test is not providing ample benefit and the risks of population-wide screening outweigh the benefits.

      The test, which measures a protein in the blood, does not diagnose cancer. It looks for a tell-tale sign that cancer may be present. (The other commonly used technique, a DRE, or digital rectal exam, is used by doctors to feel for prostate abnormalities that have already become palpable.) A positive test usually kicks off a series of events such as a confirming biopsy, and then treatments including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone deprivation.
      Because the test often results in false positives, and because it can’t tell how aggressive or benign a cancer may be, doctors and patients are often in the dark about whether the tumor requires treatment. So, out of caution, most men with positive PSA tests are biopsied and, if cancer is found, treated.
      “Thus,” the task force stated, “many men are being subjected to the harms of treatment of prostate cancer that will never become symptomatic. PSA-based screening for prostate cancer results in considerable overtreatment and its associated harms.”

      This decision, however, is met with controversy and you should always consult with your physician.

      All cases are different and mitigating circumstances come into play with the health of each individual.

      Health Insurance, Research, Resources

      Sunscreen Primer

      May 16, 2012 /

      Everything you needed to know about sunscreen with guidelines from the FDA.

      The news has been confusing in the past but the FDA is offering new rules to ensure that we get the protection we need and the protection level we pay for.

      The FDA announced that it is giving sunscreen manufactures six months to comply with regulations meaning that the changes won’t be in stores this summer.

      Key fixes: Sunscreens will be labeled “water resistant” (as opposed to waterproof or sweatproof); they can no longer be called “sunblocks” (as it overstates their effectiveness); and they can no longer claim to provide instant sun protection or to last more than two hours without reapplication.
      On top of that, sunscreens can be labeled “broad spectrum” only if they protect equally against UVB (the main culprit of skin cancer) and UVA rays, which cause aging.

      Read the whole article for advice from dermatologists.

      Quality Control, Resources, Wellness

      One In Six Cancers Caused By Treatable Infections

      May 10, 2012 /

      A few treatable infections lead to over 2 million cancers a year.

      Human papillomavirus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori are the leading infections which can cause cancer as well as HIV.

      Merck’s Gardasil vaccine is used to prevent the human papillomavirus ,which is responsible for cervical and some head and neck cancers, is available for both men and women.

      The expectation is that eliminating the virus will help to end the cancers.

      In terms of deaths, the study authors estimated that 1.5 million of the 7.5 million cancer deaths that occurred worldwide in 2008 – or about one in five – were related to infectious diseases.

      How do researchers know if a cancer is caused by an infectious disease? Viruses such as HPV and Hepatitis B and C actually invade a person’s DNA and leave their signature in the genetic sequence. Helicobacter pylori does not, but the bacterium can be found in gastric tumors.

      Health Care Policy, Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

      Dangers Of Second Hand Smoke Are Real

      April 27, 2012 /

      For those who doubt the dangers of second hand smoke consider the statistics.

      The biggest benefit from limiting secondhand smoke is from the reduction in cardiac disease.

      It has been demonstrated several times that towns initiating laws limiting public and workplace smoking see a decrease in heart attack rates within one year of enacting the laws.

      Numerous studies of secondhand smoke have been completed over the past 40 years. A meta-analysis of 52 studies prepared for the 2006 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health showed that nonsmokers who had long-term (more than 20 years) exposure to secondhand smoke were 1.21 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with nonsmokers who were never exposed to secondhand smoke.

      A second meta-analysis of 25 studies showed that nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke were 20% more likely to develop lung cancer compared with nonsmokers working in a smoke-free environment.

      There is no way to “smoke in moderation”.

      And there is no amount of “safe” second hand smoke.

      Quality Control, Research, Wellness

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