There are 100 lymph nodes in the neck region. That's what my radiation oncologist told me during my recent follow-up exam. At any given time, one or more of these nodes may be palpable. This isn't always bad news. A cold, allergies, even dental work can cause them to react. This is good news for me.

When I saw my medical oncologist eight weeks ago, he felt a swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck. He wasn't worried about it. I was. So we talked, and I learned that changes in lymph nodes are normal. He would know -- one of his primary diseases of study is lymphoma -- so I set my fears aside.

My enlarged lymph node slowly disappeared. At times, though, I'll feel it resurface. It's small when it presents itself, but it's still there. My radiation oncologist agreed: it's there. But it's elongated. It's not swollen in a round, tight, puffy way. These are the nodes that signal cancer.

Researchers have found a link between intake of fruits and vegetables and decreased risk of developing head and neck cancer. The study results were presented at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

The study included more than 490,000 individuals aged 50 or older. Over a five year period, 787 participants developed head and neck cancer. Individuals with higher intake of fruits and veggies were less likely to develop head and neck cancers. Overall, vegetables appeared to offer more protection than fruit.

Plant groups that were linked with a reduced risk included string beans, peas and dried beans. Apples, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears and strawberries were the important fruits.

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. This is just one more study to prove that eating a diet with fruits and veggies can help us to prevent cancer.

If your mom was one to harp on you about eating your vegetables, it was likely because she knew how good veggies are for the body. Moms everywhere now have research on their side.

A large study of 500,000 American retirees has shown that increasing consumption of fruits or vegetables is enough to reduce the risk of head and neck cancer. Specifically, eating six servings of fruit and vegetables per day per 1,000 calories cut the risk of these cancers by 29 percent compared to eating one and a half servings.

"It may not sound like news that vegetables protect from cancer, but there is actually some controversy in the literature," says Dr. Alan Kristal, associate head of the cancer prevention program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Clearly, diet plays a role in cancer. Experts believe that up to two-thirds of all cancer cases stem from lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, and diet. So keep crunching those carrots and growing those green beans. You'll make your momma proud.

ImClone Systems Inc.'s drug Erbitux has failed to help pancreatic cancer patients live longer. It's also failed to grow ImClone's market -- not surprising since it's the company's only drug.

Imclone, partnering with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., wanted to see Erbitux -- already cleared for use with colon, head, and neck cancers -- extend the lives of patients with cancer marked by a spread to the pancreas.

No one is giving up just yet, and Imclone plans additional tests on Erbitux's use in pancreatic cancer. A study using a combination of Erbitux and Avastin and chemotherapy is up next.

"There are reasons to think Erbitux works in pancreatic cancer, but the current results are not as dramatic as we hoped," said Alex Denner, lead for an executive committee that manages ImClone. "We remain committed to evaluating Erbitux in pancreatic cancer."

If approved, Erbitux will compete with Tarceva, sold by Roche Holding AG, Genentech Inc., and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. as a treatment for pancreatic and lung cancers.

About 37,170 new cases of pancreatic cancer are expected to occur in 2007 in the United States. And 33,370 people will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers, and there is no screening option that works at catching the disease in its early stages.

Only about 5 percent of patients with pancreatic cancer are still alive five years after being diagnosed.

According to an article published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, smoking is responsible for the majority of laryngeal cancer in Central Europe.

The majority of head and neck cancers are cancers of the larynx, or voice box. Central Europe has some of the highest incidence rates of laryngeal cancer in the world. Researchers are continuing to evaluate potential links between smoking and other environmental variables and the risk of laryngeal cancer.

Researchers from Europe recently conducted a clinical study to evaluate the potential role of both tobacco and alcohol in the development of this disease.

The study found:

• Approximately 87 percent of laryngeal cancer is attributed to the use of tobacco
• 75 percent of laryngeal cancer is attributed to current tobacco use
• 12 percent is due to past tobacco use
• Nearly 40 percent of laryngeal cancers are attributed to the interaction between alcohol and tobacco
• Stopping smoking for five years or longer protected individuals against the development of laryngeal cancer
• Alcohol use alone was not significantly associated with an increased risk of developing laryngeal cancer

The authors of the study states "Preventive efforts to encourage current smokers to quit are likely to be the most effective way to reduce the incidence of laryngeal cancer in this region"

Lance Mackey beat cancer back in 2001 and on Tuesday he won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Nome, Alaska. Mackey was diagnosed with neck cancer in 2001 and received surgery and radiation for his treatment.

Lance owns a kennel named Lance Mackey's Comeback Kennel. He indeed made a comeback, he has back to back wins in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

Mackey's status as a cancer survivor and champion musher will inspire other people with cancer, said Christine Schultz, 42, of Nome, a medical social worker who stood out in subzero temperatures with co-workers from Norton Sound Regional Hospital to watch Mackey cross the finish line. "I think it gives people hope they can overcome cancer and live their dreams," she said.

Don't ever doubt I can't do something," Mackey said in Nome after his win. "I lived through cancer."

Dry mouth (xerostomia), is most commonly caused by radiation therapy directed at the head and neck region of the body. Radiation may irreversibly affect the production and quality of saliva in the salivary glands. A number of medications can also induce xerostomia. Dry mouth may affect the patients speech, taste sensation and ability to swallow.

Many patients complain of a sore or burning sensation, cracked lips, and fissures in the corners of the mouth. There is also an increased risk of cavities and mouth disease due to less saliva to cleanse the teeth and gums.

There are now some means of preventing xerostomia that were not available a few years ago. Amifostine, a radiation protector of normal tissues, has been shown to protect the salivary glands when given daily with radiation therapy. Also, a treatment known as Proton therapy may allow the radiation oncologist to spare the salivary glands from getting significant radiation doses. This may prevent dry mouth in the future. If you are getting radiation therapy to the head and neck region, you should discuss these options with your radiation oncologist. If you have developed xerostomia, there are management strategies that can effectively deal with your dry mouth and prevent cavities and periodontal disease.

Try to follow these simple guidelines:

• Perform oral hygiene at least four times a day. (After each meal and before bedtime)
• The oral cavity should be rinsed and wiped immediately after meals
• Dentures need to be brushed and rinsed after meals
• Only use toothpaste with fluoride when brushing
• Keep water handy to keep the mouth moist at all times
• Apply prescription strength fluoride gel at bedtime
• Rinse with salt and baking soda solution 4-6 times a day
• Avoid liquids and foods with high sugar content
• Avoid rinses containing alcohol
• Use moisturizer regularly on lips
• Oral pilocarpine (Salagen) is the only drug approved by the FDA to stimulate saliva secretion from the remaining salivary glands.

Longtime NASCAR driver Bobby Hamilton -- winner of the 2001 Talladega 500 and champion of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series -- died Sunday of cancer. He was 49.

Hamilton was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in February 2006 after a malignant growth was found when swelling from dental surgery did not resolve.

Despite his diagnosis, Hamilton went on to race in the year's first three events, with a best finish of 14th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

"I love what I do; I love this business," Hamilton said. "NASCAR has been good to me, and I just don't feel comfortable when I am not around it."

Hamilton did turn over the wheel to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., for a short time while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation -- and then he was back to the races in August when CAT scans revealed he looked healthy.

But he learned all too quickly that microscopic cells remained on the right side of his neck.

"Cancer is an ongoing battle, and once you are diagnosed you always live with the thought of the disease in your body," Hamilton said. "It is the worst thing you could ever imagine."

Hamilton, who drove in all of NASCAR's top three divisions, had four wins under his belt in what is now the Nextel Cup series. His wins came at Talladega, Phoenix, Rockingham, and Martinsville, and his best ever season was in 1996 when he finished ninth in the points standings. Also winner of 10 truck races and one Busch Series race, Hamilton boasted earnings of $14.3 million, raced to 20 top-five finishes, and became a full-time driver-owner in the truck series in 2003.

Another NASCAR favorite, Benny Parsons -- 1973 Winston Cup champion -- was diagnosed with lung cancer in July. He was admitted to intensive care last week at a North Carolina hospital.

The drug sildenafil, better known as Viagra has been shown in mice to support the immune system's response to cancer cells. Mice with colon and breast tumors showed that the tumor size decreased two and threefold when treated with sildenafil compared with the mice that did not receive the drug. The researchers also believe that they have evidence that sildenafil is effective on the immune system because in mice engineered to lack an immune system the tumors were unaffected. Tissue samples taken from head and neck cancer and multiple myeloma patients showed similar results.

Viagra is a class of drugs used to treat impotence. It is known to stimulate nitric oxide which hinder the effects of a specialized cell that can divert the immune system away from the tumor. The researchers are trying to figure out how cancer cells can avoid detection by the immune system. T-cells that mount the attack on cancer cells are manipulated by the cancer cells and prevent them from being seen by the immune system. Viagra can unmask the cancer cells and let the immune system recognize and attack them.

Cell phones don't cause cancer, according to a major study from Denmark that tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users -- many of them users for more than 10 years and some for more than 20 years.

In the largest ever study to yield good news about the safety of cell phones, scientists matched phone records to the Danish Cancer Registry -- a listing that records every citizen who gets the disease -- and on Tuesday, the study results were revealed.

Cell-phone users are no more likely than anyone else to develop cancer.

But the lead researcher of this massive investigation says doubts will surely linger. There is really no biological basis for concern about radio waves, he says. But people still worry.

Cell phones beam radiofrequency energy that can penetrate the outer edge of the brain, causing suspicion about the origin of various cancers. Most research has found no link between cell phones and cancer, but the phones have never been given a definite clean bill of health either.

"As the body of evidence accumulates, people can become reassured that these devices are safe," says one cell phone researcher.

The National Cancer institute reports that about two to five percent of all malignancies diagnosed in the United States are head and neck cancers. About 39,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. In a long term study aspirin use taken over a long duration cut the risk of head and neck cancer by 30 percent. It wasn't so much the amount of aspirin that was taken but the length of time that people were on the drug that mattered.

Aspirin is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS). Experts believe that aspirin could be a cancer preventing medication but more studies need to be conducted to see if the rewards outweigh the risks of taking aspirin on a daily basis. There is a chance of gastrointestinal bleeding associated with daily use and it is not recommended that anyone start on an aspirin regime without discussing it with his or her physician first.

Esophagitis is a condition that happens when the esophagus is inflamed and can cause pain and discomfort when swallowing. This is a common side effect when treated with radiation to the chest and neck area and can also be caused by chemotherapy treatments.

Patients receiving radiation for lung cancer, Hodgkin's disease, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and head and neck cancer could be at risk for developing esophagitis. After about two weeks receiving the radiation patients might complain of a burning sensation along with pain when swallowing. Usually this condition clears up after a month or so after radiation treatments. When esophagitis occurs with chemotherapy treatments it usually will appear in a few days after treatment.

Some ways to help deal with the symptoms of esophagitis:

• Avoid hot and spicy foods
• Avoid acidic foods such as tomato sauce and orange juice
• drink plenty of cool liquids
• Cold foods are easier to tolerate
• Avoid eggs, ice cream, milk shakes
• Use nutritional supplements to maintain weight
• Ask your doctor about medications to help with esophagitis

In 2006, 174,470 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer in the United States. About 92,700 men and 81,770 women will develop the disease -- the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women.

An estimated 162,460 men and women will die of lung cancer this year, accounting for 28 percent of all cancer deaths and taking more lives than colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. While most people diagnosed with lung cancer will die within the first two years of diagnosis -- this has not changed in 10 years -- some people are cured. There are currently about 333,000 long-term survivors.

Last week The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Taxotere (docetaxel) for the use in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil prior to radiation therapy for the treatment of patients with inoperable, locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

A trial was conducted that included 358 patients with previously untreated, inoperable, locally advanced head and neck cancer. The patients were divided into two groups. One group received Taxotere in combination with cisplatin and fluorouracil and the other group received only cisplatin and fluorouracil. Chemotherapy was administered before radiation treatments. The patients that received the Taxotere experienced a longer survival time and a longer time to disease progression.

Steven Galson, M.D., director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said "Today's approval will provide prescribers with a new treatment option that has been shown to help slow the spread of the disease and prolong patient's survival."

The Lung Cancer Alliance -- the only national non-profit organization dedicated entirely to lung cancer patient support and advocacy -- asked pulmonary clinical nurse specialist Donna Wilson to help educate the lung cancer community about healthy breathing. Wilson agreed and her breathing tips, available on podcast, are intended to relieve shortness of breath related to pain or activity. Her three breathing techniques -- detailed here -- are simple, easy-to-understand, and truly relaxing.

Before beginning this series of breathing exercises, stop whatever you are doing and sit down or lean against a wall.

• Place chin to your chest to relax your neck muscles. Breathe 10 short bursts of air in and out of your lips. As you expel air, neck and chest muscles should relax.
• Place chin to your chest. Breathe three times in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Place chin to your chest. Close your mouth, and breathe four times in and out only through your nose.
  

After completing these exercises, lift your head, breathe normally, and let your shoulders relax. In a few minutes, your entire body should start to relax -- and shortness of breath will resolve.

I don't have lung cancer -- but I do have moments of anxiety and panic. So I plan to save these tips. And I plan to use them. And I plan to share them. Because we all can benefit from a dose of relaxation.