Tag: cancer (Page 5 of 10)

Breast Cancer Over-Diagnosis From Too Many Mammograms

April 3, 2012 / Staff

The potential for over-diagnosis and over-treatment from too many mammograms too early has become the subject of a recent study.

The Norwegian Study included nearly 40,000 women with invasive breast cancer.

The study allowed the researchers to compare the rate of breast cancers diagnosed through mammograms and those found because a tumor was palpable or produced symptoms.

Norway has data on virtually all women who get a diagnosis of breast cancer.

The researchers concluded that 15 percent to 25 percent of breast cancers were overdiagnosed — meaning 6 to 10 women were overdiagnosed for every 2,500 offered screening mammograms.
– Dr. Joanne Elmore of the University of Washington and Dr. Suzanne Fletcher of Harvard, in an editorial
Under current practice, those women get biopsies and treatment for breast cancers that would never have been detected otherwise. Either the cancers would have grown very slowly or not at all and never caused symptoms, or women would have died from something else before their breast cancer was diagnosed.

Health Care Policy, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

breast cancer cancer mammogram mammography Norwegian Breast cancer study women's health

Oncologists Call For An End To Tanning Beds

March 24, 2012 / Staff

Skin cancers constitute nearly half of all new cancers in the United States, with more than 3.5 million new cases annually.

In the past 3 decades, melanoma-related mortality has risen in the United States by 690%.

The scientific case against tanning beds is strong. Of note, a recent study linked tanning-bed use during adolescence and early adulthood with a 2-fold increased risk for melanoma (Int J Cancer. 2011;128:2425-2435). A study of nearly 1200 melanoma patients presented at the 2012 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting provided even more convincing evidence linking indoor tanning with invasive cutaneous melanoma, as reported by Medscape Medical News.

Nearly 26 bills intended to limit tanning bed use in the U.S have been vehemently challenged by the tanning bed industry. Nearly all were defeated.

Public safety, once again, takes a back seat to special interest.

Quality Control, Research, Wellness

cancer melanoma safety of tanning beds safety of teens tanning skin cancer Society of Surgical Oncology tanning tanning bed safety tanning beds teenagers tanning

One Person Dies Every Six Seconds From This

March 22, 2012 / Staff

Tobacco remains responsible as the number one killer in world.

As developed countries in the West are seeing a small decrease the rest of the developing world, especially those who are in the lowest socio-economic strata, are seeing a dramatic increase.

Tobacco companies prey on the lack of education and misinformation about tobacco to encourage young smokers.

Tobacco has killed 50 million people in the last 10 years, and tobacco is responsible for more than 15 percent of all male deaths and 7 percent of female deaths, the new Tobacco Atlas report found.
In China, tobacco is already the number one killer – causing 1.2 million deaths a year – and that number is expected to rise to 3.5 million a year by 2030, the report said.

Smoking causes lung cancer as well as several other chronic pulmonary diseases and is a major risk factor in heart disease, the world’s number one killer.

Quality Control, Research

cancer cancer deaths cardio-pulminary disease death from cancer heart disease lung cancer smoking addiction smoking deaths Tobacco

An Aspirin A Day To Keep The Cancer Away

March 21, 2012 / Staff

Aspirin therapy may be effective in preventing and even treating some cancers.

This is very promising news considering the high cost of medical care and the relatively inexpensive and highly accessible nature of aspirin.

There are drawbacks to using aspirin such as gastrointestinal bleeding, however these usally mild symptoms seemed to dissipate over time.

More studies need to be done, however the news is promising.

A new study finds that people who took a low-dose aspirin daily for at least three years were 25 percent less likely to develop cancer than people who didn’t take it.
Aspirin also reduced the risk of death from cancer by nearly 40 percent after five years, the researchers said.
The reduced risk of death may be due in part to a decrease in cancer’s ability to spread to other organs. In a second study, researchers found a daily dose of aspirin led to a 36 percent reduction in the risk of being diagnosed with cancer that spread to other organs.

Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

aspirin aspirin therapy aspirin to treat cancer cancer cancer cure cancer cures cancer treatment

Harvard Study Advises To Limit Red Meat Consumption

March 13, 2012 / Staff

Red meat just can’t catch a break.

More evidence is in about the harmful effects of red meat.

Incidence of heart disease and cancer can be linked to consumption of red meat.

It is advised to limit consumption and that limitation should be no more than 2-3 times per week.

Using data from two long-running studies of health professionals, researchers tracked the diets of more than 121,000 middle-aged men and women for up to 28 years. Roughly 20% of the participants died during that period.
On average, each additional serving of red meat the participants ate per day was associated with a 13% higher risk of dying during the study. Processed red meat products — such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami — appeared to be even more dangerous: Each additional daily serving was associated with a 20% higher risk of dying.

Nutrition, Quality Control, Research, Wellness

cancer causes of cancer Harvard Medical School Harvard study on red meat heart disease red meat red meat consumption