A new study shows certain genes may make some lung cancer patients more sensitive to chemotherapy. This is a good thing -- increased sensitivity in this case means lower doses of drug therapy work as good or better than higher doses.

Researchers looked at more than 21,000 genes in cells common to non-small-cell lung cancer, the most common type of the disease. Of these genes, 87 came up with heightened sensitivity to the chemotherapy drug Taxol. To be exact, the genes were 1,000 times more sensitive when exposed to the drug for 48 hours.

Chemotherapy is a very blunt instrument, says one researcher. Locating genes that make chemotherapy drugs more potent at lower doses is a critical step toward tailoring treatment and minimizing side effects for patients.

Two other drugs -- Navelbine and Gemzar -- were tested on six of the Taxol-sensitive genes. The genes did not respond to these drugs.

Pizza just might have the power to fight cancer -- not the pizza loaded with cheese and pepperoni and tons of tempting toppings, the kind that may have your mouth watering at this very moment. But a version of pizza as we know it may fend off heart disease, obesity, and cancer.

The secret is in the crust -- the cooking of the crust, that is.

Think about this:

It seems baking pizza faster and at higher temperatures can release disease-fighting antioxidants. And it's this one small change to pizza preparation that has scientists at the University of Maryland claiming there is such a thing as a healthy pizza.

Scientists baked pizza at 500 degrees for six minutes and were able to increase antioxidant levels 100 percent. They used whole wheat dough, already high in antioxidants, and let it rise overnight before using their hotter, quicker cooking approach.

One researcher says this study is more a lab curiosity than anything else and might not really lead to a healthier pizza -- because it's unlikely pizza joints will change cooking methods to turn out healthier products.

If you are tempted to try this technique, be aware that the toxin acrylamide can be released if the pizza is baked too long. And don't forget to cut way back on those tasty toppers.

It's been reported before and sadly, it's still true -- African-American cancer death rates are higher than for the overall population.

A new report from the American Cancer Society reveals the death rate is 35 percent higher in African-American men and 18 percent higher in African-American women. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among this population.

While the cancer plight of this group is improving, African-Americans are still more likely to be diagnosed at later stages of the disease. And late diagnosis often translates into a decreased chance for survival.

If clinical trials go well, a new drug simulating the effects of normal sunlight and increasing the life expectancy of prostate cancer patients, could be available in 2009.

The drug, Asentar, provided levels of vitamin D between 50 and 100 times higher than levels delivered by the sun and could double life expectancy from nine to 18 months for those taking the pills. Absent would be any of the consequences associated with such an overdose.

"An extension of nine months would be very significant in my view," said Nick James of the University of Birmingham. "If the results of the phase III trial are as good as those of the phase II trial, that would be significant."

Details about this study can be found in the journal Chemistry & Industry.

More evidence shows that dose-dense chemotherapy is better than conventional treatment in early breast cancer. The results were presented at the 2006 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

Chemotherapy for breast cancer given at shorter intervals between doses can increase survival rates. The researchers want to keep evaluating this method of treatment to see if there are any long term side effects.

A Phase III trial conducted in Germany studied 1284 patients under the age of 65 who had at least four lymph nodes containing metastatic cancer. Patients were assigned to receive either dose-dense chemotherapy or conventional treatment.

At five years the relapse-free survival was 70 percent in the dose-dense arm, compared with 62 percent in the conventional-dose arm. Patients did seem to have a lower quality of life with the dose-dense method of treatment but recovered after a few months.

Researchers concluded that updated results continue to demonstrate better efficacy with dose-dense chemotherapy than with conventional therapy in early breast cancer.

Breast density has something to do with breast cancer. This is not really news. It's clear there is some kind of link, some kind of relationship, some kind of risk related to breast density for both pre- and post-menopausal women. It's just not clear how exactly breast density -- how much fat tissue fills the breast compared to other tissue -- contributes to breast cancer risk. But once it is clear, medical professionals will have a whole new arsenal of power in the fight against this deadly disease.

Cancer News in Context, a regular series of podcast commentaries produced by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention, highlights two recent studies that add weight to the fact that breast density is an important tool in breast cancer prediction and identifies two areas that with futher study might help determine why breasts that are very dense are associated with higher risks for breast cancer -- and why density may be as important a factor as age in determining risk.

Currently, mammograms are the chosen method for measuring breast density. But measurement is not required, and there are no national standards for how to measure. Once federal groups issue requirements and direction on how to classify density, women will receive more accurate assessments of their personal risk.

There is also speculation that altering breast density through hormonal therapy may lower risk. Perhaps genetics are the strongest indicator of risk, making short-term solutions ineffective, but perhaps certain interventions can override genetics, helping women protect themselves from breast cancer.

There are many issues that must be ironed out before we really understand how breast density affects breast cancer. There is no doubt that density, when added to other risk factors, will surely help improve the accuracy of prediction. It's one tool, among many, that is poised to open all sorts of doors.

Teenager Abraham Cherrix made national headlines recently with a legal battle that earned him the right to fight cancer on his own terms. Cherrix, 16, who chose to treat his disease with alternative treatments after traditional therapy failed to cure him of Hodgkin's disease, was told by the courts that his choice was not acceptable -- that he must undergo higher doses of chemotherapy in combination with radiation and followed by stem cell transplant. Cherrix ended up a winner in court and is currently receiving the therapy of his choice. But despite the legal win, Cherrix and his family are losing financially.

The Cherrix family owns a kayak company in Virginia, and spring and summer are peak seasons. Since the family had to close shop on many occasions due to court appearances, profits suffered. So on Sunday afternoon, local musicians headlined a fundraising concert -- billed as Voices for Choices -- to help with medical and court costs. Cherrix could not attend -- he's in the midst of treatment in Mississippi -- but the show went on. And while the money raised is not enough to cover all outstanding bills, it is enough to remind the family of all the caring people in the world.

Reports from family indicate Cherrix is doing well with treatment and that his tumor is shrinking. If he continues to make progress, he may be able to return home soon -- so he can thank those whose support is so much more than money can buy.

Many college students are beginning their pursuits in higher education with private scholarships. Each year, millions of dollars are awarded to college students as a result of private gifts that flow from alumni and donors. These scholarships help universities compete for the best and brightest students. And the beneficiaries of these scholarships are many. Universities get what they want -- good students. Students get what they want -- funding for college. And the community gets something too.

Lauren Mareno, a senior at Kent State University and recipient of a Reach for Excellence scholarship, has been reaching into her community and is leading campus-wide efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society -- an experience that has exposed her to new career opportunities. While she pursues a psychology degree and a certificate in non-profit management, Mareno -- who lost her own father to cancer at the beginning of her freshmen year -- serves as co-chair for the Relay for Life event. In April she saw the fruits of her labor blossom as more than 60 student groups participated in the 24-hour campus walkathon that raised more than $75,000.

Mareno sees more community outreach in her future and she is eager to continue raising funds for causes that are meaningful to her -- and to so many others too.

Proton therapy can allow doctors to produce higher levels of radiation while zeroing in on the tumor. Traditional radiation treatment can also pinpoint the tumor but it does so with a lower level of radiation. What is promising about Proton therapy is that it targets the cancer but can spare the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor. Proton therapy can also decrease side effects such as loss of appetite, diarrhea and headaches.

Proton therapy does not come cheap. It is about three times the cost of traditional radiation. Doctors at MD Anderson are using Proton beam treatments mostly on patients who's cancers are very early in development.

At this point more studies need to be done to see if the Proton therapy is better and worth the higher cost. Traditional radiation has come a long way over the years and recent developments have made it safer to use.

"It's said that chemotherapy is like skiing in front of an avalanche. You do one thing wrong, and the avalanche is going to get you." -- Harvey Rushfeldt

Using the principles he learned in Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, helped Harvey Rushfeldt, 72, diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last October, create a strategy for successfully living through the often grueling ordeal of chemotherapy. Rushfeldt sees both cancer and alcoholism as mortal threats and he approached his cancer treatments with the same 12 step attitude and perspectives alcoholics adopt on the one-day-at-a-time road to recovery.

Women who smoke are twice as likely than men to be diagnosed with lung cancer but less likely to die from the disease.

This is the result of a study done by New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center researchers who cannot explain why women who smoke are at greater risk for lung cancer -- only that this is the conclusion of the research data.

As a result, they are recommending women who smoke be tested earlier and more frequently for lung cancer. In addition, they feel earlier intervention in warning campaigns about smoking and smoking cessation programs should be made available to women at a younger age -- ideally when they are still teens.

Early intervention is always a good idea. Even if you only reach some of the minds of young women and prevent them from starting a habit with the potential to kill them, it's worth the effort. Here's the problem as I see it. Unless I am wrong, and missed something, there is no really great method to screen for the earliest stage of lung cancer.

I think obesity will always carry with it a risk for health problems. And according to a new study released on Monday, men with prostate cancer who are overweight have a higher risk of tumor recurrence after radiation treatment than thinner men do. Specifically, moderately and severely overweight men had a 70 percent higher risk of recurrence than men who were not overweight -- as indicated by rising levels of PSA, a blood protein that can signal prostate cancer. It is not clear how exactly obesity affects the success of radiation treatment -- perhaps it's the fat tissue that secretes certain hormones that helps the cancer progress at a later time. Regardless, the study suggests that men who are overweight do not fare as well as those who are at an average weight -- and this gives men a definite reason to trim down.

Obesity in this study was characterized by body mass index -- BMI -- a statistic that takes into account height and weight. A man five feet, 10 inches tall would be considered normal weight at or below 184 pounds. He would be overweight at 185 to 209 pounds, mildly obese at 210 to 244 pounds, and moderately to severely obese at above 244 pounds. Moderately to severely obese men had almost twice the risk of developing elevated PSA levels, according to an epidemiologist who led research in the study -- which will be published in the August 1 issue of the scientific journal Cancer.

Compared to cancer rates in England and other parts of Wales, young women under 50 years of age living in the vicinity of the Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in north Wales are diagnosed with breast cancer at a rate 15 times higher than the national averages.

For all other cancers, the rate is double was it is in other communities. The power plant is shut down but the effects from the radioactive waste are still being felt in cancer diagnosis.

I went to a yoga class once -- it was when I was bald from chemotherapy because I remember wearing my wig and hat and hoping desperately that nothing would topple off my head while I stretched and balanced and folded my body into various positions. My bald head did stay covered and I was able to depart from the class with my dignity intact -- but for some reason, I never went back for another yoga class. Perhaps it was the difficulty I had relaxing while trying to manage the security blanket that masked my bare head. If I ever have to do it again, I think I will leave my hair and hat at home so I can give my undivided attention to the yoga experience -- which is becoming more and more recognized for its healing power.

New findings from a pilot study reveal that women going through treatment for breast cancer feel better, sleep better, and have less fatigue when they practice yoga. Side effects of treatment also seem to fade as a result of this ancient discipline. Lorenzo Cohen, a psychologist, led researchers at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and studied 61 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Thirty women were placed in a test group and took yoga twice per week for six weeks. The others did not take yoga. Once the study was complete, the participants completed questionnaires grading their physical abilities -- ability to lift groceries, walk a mile, and complete other physical tasks -- and also their feelings about fatigue, sense of well-being, and quality of life. The yoga group consistently scored higher on almost all physical components. No difference was found between the groups in the areas of depression or anxiety.

There is no doubt that exercise contributes to a healthy lifestyle in general. And it seems yoga is no different. Focused on meditation, imagery, controlled breathing, stretching, and physical movements, yoga is sure to benefit breast cancer patients. And I think I need to give it another try.