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Posts with tag high
Posted Sep 14th 2007 8:23AM by Martha Edwards
Filed under: Testicular Cancer
There might be some bad news out there for men with above or below normal birth weights -- new studies are showing that
they might be at a high risk for testicular cancer than those who were born a more normal size. To be more precise, men with low birth weights were 18% more likely to develop testicular cancer than their normal-sized counterparts, and high birth weight men were 12% more likely to be diagnosed with the disease. It should be noted, however, that the findings are only try to seminoma testicular cancer, which is the most prevalent type.
Researchers are not indicating whether they believe there might be a reason to these findings. I wonder if some unhealthy habits of mothers that may have lead to low or high birth weights could be playing a role in the health of their sons later in life? What do you think?
Posted Jun 11th 2007 9:30PM by Kristina Collins
Filed under: Childhood Cancers, Leukemia, Teen Cancers, Young Adult Cancers
Young patients that are diagnosed with a form of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at an increased risk of relapse if they have a high body mass index at the time of diagnosis.
Dr. Anna M. Butturini, lead investigator of a study that reported the findings, said "Obesity is associated with lower probability of cure in pre-adolescents and teenagers with ALL. A current analysis suggests that the same is true for adults with the same disease".
Dr. Butturini thinks that there is a need for better understanding of why obese patients have an increased risk of relapse. If this is found out, then better therapies for these young patients could be potentially designed.
Posted Jun 3rd 2007 8:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Prevention, Diets, Cancer prevention foods, Sunday Seven
I'm still on a quest for guidance on the whole
fish topic. The same few questions keep cycling through my head.
How often should I eat fish? What kind of fish should I eat? What are the real health dangers surrounding fish consumption? I keep searching for answers. And now and then, I catch some good advice about the topic.
If you find yourself floundering at times, like me, here are seven tips you might find helpful.
- The National Academy of Sciences, the American Heart Association, and the World Health Organization all encourage regular fish consumption. Sure, there are legitimate concerns about environmental issues, but experts still say the benefits of eating a variety of fish far outweigh the risks. Eating fish protects the heart and reduces the risk for Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, strokes, depression, bipolar disorder, and our favorite topic here at this site: cancer.
Continue reading Sunday Seven: Seven catches while fishing for truth
Posted May 29th 2007 6:00AM by Kristina Collins
Filed under: All Cancers, Opinion, Environment, Stress Reduction
Yesterday I visited the High Points Monument at High Point State Park. It was a fitting day to visit the monument -- Memorial Day. The monument was built and dedicated to the memory of New Jersey's wartime heros. Construction was started in 1928 and completed in 1930.
My husband and I climbed the stairs up the 220- foot structure for a breathtaking view of the ridges of the Pocono Mountains, the Catskill Mountains and the Wallkill River Valley.
The high points in my life can come unexpectedly. I think we should all think about what the high points in our lives have been and cherish the memories. A camping trip in an RV, my husband and two dogs this weekend was definitely a high point in my life. High points don't have to be something monumental -- no pun intended. High points can be small things that make the day a joyful one.
Find as many high points in your life as you can.
Posted May 17th 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Prostate Cancer, Research, Vitamins and nutrients, Daily news
It's been suspected that taking too many vitamins may spike men's risk of dying from prostate cancer. On Wednesday, the biggest study yet to link high-dose multivitamins and prostate damage was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Government scientists have been looking at the diet and health of almost 300,000 men. One third reported taking a daily multivitamin. Five percent were heavy users, marked by use more than seven times per week. Within five years of the study's launch, 10,241 men had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. About 1,476 had an advanced form of the disease. And 179 died.
It seems heavy multivitamin users were nearly twice as likely to get fatal prostate cancer as men who never took the pills. Yet, oddly, researchers found no link between multivitamin use and early-stage prostate cancer. It could be that vitamins have little effect until a tumor appears -- and then it spurs growth.
More studies are on the horizon for this topic, which is becoming more and more pressing.
Posted Apr 17th 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: All Cancers, Research, Diets, Thought for the Day
Ever wonder what fish to eat, what fish to avoid, what fish is healthy, what fish is cancer-causing? I do.
I'm looking into this whole fish thing. And while my search for information is in no way exhaustive and my findings are far from conclusive, I have found some interesting fishy facts and figures.
Think about this:
Fish definitely has health benefits. It's low in fat, high in protein, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Americans love this. How do I know? Because on average, each of us eats a record 16.6 pounds of fish every year. Our intake of shrimp and salmon has doubled, in fact, since 1994.
Fish definitely has its drawbacks too. Headlines repeatedly warn us of dangerous contaminants in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Don't forget about mercury, the biggest fish health hazard. It's been linked to neurological problems in developing fetuses and children, making consumption of shark, swordfish, tilefish (aka golden snapper or golden bass), king mackeral, canned albacore tuna, and tuna steaks a no-no for hoards of women and children.
For just about everyone else, the benefits of eating moderate amounts of seafood greatly outweigh the risks. Just watch out for those PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) -- possible carcinogenic chemical compounds that end up in some seafood.
To avoid PCBs, steer clear of farmed salmon which contains high levels of these compounds or limit your intake to less than one single eight-ounce meal per month. Opt for the wild variety of salmon to avoid this concern altogether. Or take the side of the FDA. Their reports say salmon is a powerhouse when it comes to protecting heart and developing cancer from this source is much lower than the risk of heart disease.Source:
Good Housekeeping, April 2007
Posted Apr 3rd 2007 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Fundraisers, Opinion, Daily news
All Samantha Kuehn had on her mind when she wore her new t-shirt to school -- with the slogan
save the ta-tas plastered across the front -- was her mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last month and just received a mastectomy two weeks ago.
But officials at Oklahoma Union High School in Nowata County are not happy about the senior student's decision to wear such a shirt to school. The moment they saw it, in fact, they sent her home. And they told her not to return until she changed the shirt.
Kuehn and her mom, Michelle Bishop, are stunned that the shirt caused such an uproar.
"I was so surprised that my shirt would cause so much trouble," said Samantha. "Other girls wear low cut shirts or belly shirts and the boys wear shirts with put downs on them and no one bothers them. My shirt isn't really vulgar or offensive at all, and it means something to me. The principal told me 'It could be taken the wrong way'."
Principal Steven Barth believes he made the right call.
"If you check the Web site, the clothing sold there is suggestive," explained Barth. "I feel for the condition of her mother, but the shirt was inappropriate to wear to school."
Kuehn and her mom plan to take the matter to a Board of Education meeting on April 11. And you can bet Kuehn will be wearing her shirt.
Visit
savethetatas.com for more information on this breast cancer initiative. Sales of all clothing items -- pick your size, slogan and color -- benefit the fight against the disease.
Posted Mar 29th 2007 10:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Daily news
I get mammograms every six months. I get ultrasounds every six months. I get a breast MRI every year. That's my typical screening routine, intended to keep breast cancer from invading my life for a second time.
This combination of testing -- primarily the MRI part -- has not been typical for all at-risk women. It's just the plan my doctors have determined is the best insurance policy for me. But as of yesterday, the
American Cancer Society began recommending regular use of MRI scans, rather than conventional mammograms, for women facing a breast cancer risk of 15 percent or more.
Family history places one to two percent of women at a 20 percent higher risk of developing the disease than women without such a history. Women carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation face a lifetime risk of up to 65 percent. And women with a personal history of the disease are at risk of a repeat diagnosis. These are the women MRI screening can help.
Recent studies show MRI to be much more sensitive than mammograms. And in an investigation of 969 women diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast, MRI found 30 additional tumors in the opposite breast previously missed by mammograms and physical exams.
Not typically used for routine screenings due to cost and a few false alarms -- sometimes the scans detect suspicious areas that once surgically tested turn out to be benign -- MRI is still the best tool for detecting more cancerous tumors earlier.
There is no proof yet that the cancers detected by MRI will translate into longer lives for patients. Life-extending benefits will become clear only after women are followed for a longer period of time.
Posted Mar 27th 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: All Cancers, Research, Diets, Vitamins and nutrients, Daily news, Thought for the Day
I'm never quite sure what to do about vitamin supplements. Should I take them? Or should I leave them?
Sometimes I think supplements could surely help me with whatever I'm lacking in my diet. Other times I don't want to mess with what might be working just fine in my body. Now if a doctor tells me my iron is low, I'll take a supplement to boost my levels. But if there is nothing apparently off kilter in my system, I tend to just leave things alone.
I'm glad at the moment for my current plan. Because nutritionists now suspect that high doses of vitamins and minerals -- believed by some to prevent cancer -- might actually be harmful.
Think about this:
The American Medical Association journal JAMA recently reported that high doses of antioxidant supplements can be harmful. Vitamin advocates challenged the analysis, saying it excluded large studies from China and Italy showing antioxidant supplements lowered mortality risk.
Consumers still should read labels carefully.
"Some of the things called daily vitamins can be higher than what we think is desirable," says one researcher who urges consumers to look for something about 100 percent of the daily value. That's really all people need, she declares. But a healthy diet is still most important and can prevent the need for supplements altogether. Yet for those who are sick, don't have access to nutritious food or for some other reason cannot eat well, the 100-percent rule is a good guide.
Posted Mar 26th 2007 4:30PM by Kristina Collins
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Chemotherapy, Research, Cancer Survivors
The OncotypeDX test usage to guide treatment decisions among women with node-negative, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer is resulting in good outcomes according to a study reported in the journal Cancer.
The OncotypeDX test evaluates the activity of twenty one genes from a sample of the patients' cancer to determine their Recurrence Score -- the risk of a patient experiencing a recurrence ten years following diagnosis. This test gives a more individualized treatment for women with early stage breast cancer and would allow women who are unlikely to benefit from chemotherapy to avoid the toxic effects of treatment. The Recurrence Score ranges from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating a greater risk of recurrence.
Using the Recurrence Score guided approach, low-risk women would be treated with Tamoxifen alone, and intermediate and high-risk women would be treated with Tamoxifen and chemotherapy. The study results suggest that among women with early stage, ER positive breast cancer, use of the OncotypeDX test to individualize treatment decisions appears to produce good outcomes at an acceptable cost.
Posted Mar 21st 2007 9:00AM by Jacki Donaldson
Filed under: Skin Cancer, Research, Daily news, Thought for the Day
Oh no. I think I 'm headed for melanoma. At the very least, I seem to have a very high risk for developing the disease, thanks to my once-stubborn pursuit of a silly tan.
Think about this:
A review of seven different studies concludes that using a tanning bed under the age of 35 -- I'm so guilty -- can increase the risk of melanoma by 75 percent. Even those who have ever used indoor tanning were 15 percent more likely to develop the disease.
We're talking the deadliest form of skin cancer here. So deadly some experts are recommending strong measures to restrict the use of tanning beds by young people. Adults should be discouraged from tanning, some say, but access should be limited for those under the age of 18.
New Jersey already has regulations in place -- those under 14 are banned from tanning salons and anyone between 14 and 18 must have parental consent.If I could turn back time, I would listen to my grandma. She told me the sun -- and tanning beds too -- were no good. But I was young. And I didn't care.
Now I'm older. And I care. But it may be too late. It seems this could be one lesson I learn the hard way.
Posted Mar 19th 2007 7:29PM by Kristina Collins
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials, Research, Cancer Survivors
The American Journal of Public Health published a study that states women with early-stage breast cancer have a better survival if they undergo surgery at a hospital that performs large numbers of breast cancer surgeries.
To explore the link between hospital volume and breast cancer survival, researchers conducted a study among more than 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgery for Stage I or Stage II breast cancer. These surgeries were performed at 457 different hospitals in the United States.
Hospital volume of the number of breast cancer surgeries was defined as:
- low volume -- zero to nineteen cases per year
- medium volume -- twenty to thirty nine cases per year
- high volume -- forty or more cases per year
Study participants were followed for roughly five years after surgery:
- Compared to women treated at a low-volume hospital, women treated at a high-volume hospital were 17 percent less likely to die of any cause and 20 percent less likely to die of breast cancer.
- Surgery at the high-volume hospital was linked with better survival among women with lymph-node negative cancer as well as among women with lymph node positive disease.
It appears that the treatment at a hospital that performs a greater number of breast cancer surgeries appears to result in better survival among women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
Posted Feb 28th 2007 12:00PM by Kristina Collins
Filed under: Breast Cancer, Events, Cancer Caregivers, Cancer Survivors, Cancer Pre-vivors
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) is hosting a free educational teleconference for women affected by breast cancer, women at high risk for developing breast cancer and caregivers.
Breast Cancer Genetics: The Role of Genetic Tests and Family Risk Assessment will give the facts about genetic counseling and testing. Learn how the results could impact your health choices and your life.
Topics to be discussed:
- When and why to consider genetic testing
- Goals of genetic counseling and how it can help you understand your risk and test results
- Effectiveness of medical and surgical prevention methods
- Strategies for monitoring the health of women at risk for developing a second breast cancer or other cancers
- Ways to lessen anxiety about testing and communicate effectively with family members
- Laws that protect you from insurance and job discrimination
All LBBC teleconferences begin with brief speaker presentations followed by question and answer sessions with participants.
The teleconference will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2007. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT
Next Page >
Post-menopausal women: stay away from barbecued and smoked meat. Or at least increase your intake of fruit and vegetables.
An independent report revealed recently that women employed at the Toowong site of ABC's former Brisbane studios in Australia were six times more likely to develop breast cancer than other women.
