It's not yet clear if the drug Gardasil, the vaccine intended to prevent the human papillomavirus (HPV) in females, is effective for men. But some men are signing up for the chance to take the drug.

Gay and bisexual men in San Francisco are asking their doctors for the vaccine with hopes it will prevent anal and penile cancer, also caused by HPV.

"The prevalence of anal cancer among gay and bisexual men is very high," says Jason Riggs, spokesman for the STOP AIDS Project. "So that's why some people are looking at this as a possible preventive cure for anal cancer and HPV that causes anal cancer."

Anal cancer occurs among gay and bisexual men at a rate 35 times higher than that of the general population. And it occurs more in those infected with HIV.

Results of two studies, sponsored by the Adjuvant Breast Cancer (ABC) Trials Collaborative Group, conclude that adding chemotherapy to the estrogen-blocking drug tamoxifen improves survival for those with early-stage breast cancer. The same studies reveal preventing the secretion of estrogen from the ovaries does not offer much benefit for most women.

Researchers studied 1991 patients, ages 28 to 81. All had received five years worth of treatment with tamoxifen therapy with or without standard chemotherapy. Some premenopausal women were also treated with ovarian removal (ablation) or suppression, a technique used to stop the glands from secreting hormones.

While early results, appearing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, fell short of statistical significance, chemotherapy still reduced the overall risk of death by 17 percent, mostly for women younger than 50 and especially for premenopausal women not treated with ovarian ablation or suppression.

Of 1,500 foods tested in a University of Oslo study, blackberries were identified as nature's top cancer fighter.

Blackberries apparently have the highest antioxidant content per serving of any food tested. And a compound found in fresh blackberries appears to stop the development of skin tumors and lung cancer cells.

Think about this:

This sweet and juicy fruit, available year-round but plentiful and perfectly potent in April and May, was promoted in a television commercial that aired during the recent Michigan-Ohio State football game.

Ohio State University is a recipient of federal grants to study the health effects of blackberries, and the student who appeared in the TV ad plugged the school's research into the cancer fighting effects of blackberries. Now that's some good press.

It seems screening for lung cancer doesn't save lives and it doesn't prevent advanced disease. But it does lead to potentially unnecessary and harmful treatment.

This isn't the final word on the use of CT scans to screen smokers and former smokers for the disease. But right now, the hope some experts had for the special X-rays to detect tiny lung abnormalities has been diminished by a large study that is still in the works. And until conclusive evidence says the screening is useful, the American Cancer Society will not endorse the test.

While CT screening did increase diagnosis and treatment -- those screened were three times more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer and 10 times more likely to have lung surgery than predicted -- study co-author Dr. Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York says, "We don't see a trace of evidence that a single life was saved, that a single case of advanced cancer was avoided."

And because CT scanning led to more biopsies and surgeries, patients were put at risk for complications such as lung puncture, bleeding, and infection, according to Bach, whose work is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"Getting screened for lung cancer with CT scanning is not only unproven, it's potentially a risky endeavor," he said.

Until an effective screening tool emerges -- possibly still years away -- experts say there is one surefire way to protect yourself from lung cancer. Stop smoking.

Scientists have uncovered a gene they say may be cancer's master switch.

Like a circuit breast of sorts, the newly identified gene, CHD5, has an important job -- it's a tumor suppressor that prevents cancer from developing. But when it slacks on its job, cells begin to misbehave and tumors can form.

One professor of genetics says the gene, located on chromosome 1, governs the activity of a wide array of other genes involved in tumor-suppression. Its reach is large. And the implications of improper functioning are significant.

Cancers associated with the malfunctioning gene include brain tumors such as gliomas and breast, ovarian, prostate, and colorectal cancers.

A lot of people have been looking for this gene for decades. And now that it's been located, it will influence cancer research for years to come. The discovery will provide valuable new insight into targeted drugs and diagnostics and will turn up patients who need more aggressive treatment.

"We are really excited about our discovery," says the lead investigator of the research, which is published in the journal Nature.

Blogger Kristina Collins wrote on February 11 about three great steps for reducing the risk of cancer. Her suggestions -- eat well, get fit, and stop smoking -- are such good tips and could certainly account for major health changes in those who heed this advice.

Each one of these recommended lifestyle alterations is a major undertaking. And if you're like me and find big, swift, sweeping changes a sure recipe for defeat, then this short to-do list may seem a bit intimidating. So I'd like to offer a bit of my own advice for accomplishing these health feats -- take baby steps.

Kristina has taken baby steps. She first quit smoking -- I'm not sure there's anything small about this success, however -- and now she's taking on membership at a gym. Cutting down on red wine comes next, she says, as she pursues a life driven by health.

I have just recently taken a baby step myself. I stopped drinking soda -- or pop as I called it before relocating from Ohio to Florida. I'd known for some time I wanted to rid myself of the sugar that comes packaged in my favorite drinks -- Dr. Pepper and root beer -- but for some reason, I was dragging my feet when it came to giving up this vice. Yet I did it. I stopped drinking soda, replaced it with water, and now have no desire for sugary drinks of any kind.

I am a creature of habit. I know this because I spent years drinking only water. But when cancer struck, I turned to the carbonation of soft drinks to settle my upset stomach. With time, my stomach stopped bothering me. But I didn't stop drinking soda. I kept drinking it for no other reason than pure habit. And when I convinced myself this practice was not necessary in my life, I cut it out.

Perhaps I'll tackle chocolate next. Or exercising more. Who knows. I'm just happy I accomplished one small task. And I hope you'll consider taking baby steps in your pursuits for better health. Just remember, we didn't hop up one day and start sprinting in infancy. It took years to fine-tune our ability to run on our own. And it may take years to carve out a healthful way of living.

In the January issue of Blood, a study shows that in rare cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), treatment with Gleevec can be discontinued.

The researchers think that some patients treated with Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) that go into extended remissions can stop the drug. They add that patients continue strict monitoring for relapse.

Twelve patients were put into remission with Gleevec for over two years. Six of these patients experienced a relapse within five months after being taken off the drug. When Gleevec was restarted, residual disease again declined.

The other six patients remain in remission after nine to twenty four months follow up.

Despite these results the researchers say 'we do not widely recommend imatinib discontinuation at the present time".

I do have a few questions myself that the article did not address:

Does Gleevec have severe side effects that warrants stopping it at all?

Do they think that Gleevec can potentially cure the patient and some might be able to stop treatment all together?

Nearly a decade ago, women in Long Island began to worry about their high rates of breast cancer. So they advocated and lobbied and pushed until a public law was passed that allowed for the creation of the Long Island Breast Cancer Project. Funded by both the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, great data has emerged from this project -- like the data linking breast cancer and household pesticides.

Although much research has linked cancer with pesticides in work and industrial settings, few studies have investigated what these chemicals can do in households -- until now, thanks to research conducted as part of The Long Island Breast Cancer Project.

Published online in the December 13 American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found an association between lifetime residential pesticide use and breast cancer risk in a sample of 1,508 Long Island women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1996 and 1997. These women were compared to 1,556 random controls. All women were asked to self-report their pesticide exposure and to offer blood samples for the study of organochlorine compound levels -- found in lawn and garden products.

As expected, researchers found an increased breast cancer risk for women whose blood samples showed the highest levels of organochlorine compounds. They also found it hard to find women who did not use lawn and garden pesticides to some degree.

Use of household pesticides has infiltrated our society, says researcher Susan Teitelbaum, assistant professor in the department of community medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, who reports she is happy to see a movement toward use of alternative methods, like integrated pest management.

Teitelbaum has just one recommendation as result of this study. It's quite simple really -- stop using pesticides.

Breast, lung and colorectal cancer diagnosed and treated early can be surgically removed with success, but if the cancerous cells have already entered the bloodstream at the time the tumor is surgically removed, the danger of a secondary tumor elsewhere in the body is a serious cause for worry.

But not all roaming cancer cells become a secondary tumor, which leaves the question as to what is happening to encourage or suppress additional cancer. According to University of Liverpool researchers, the answer is found in a large protein called MUC1.

MUC1 acts as a protective shield, thereby allowing our immune system a chance to destroy the rogue cancer cells. When the protein shield fails, cancerous cells can begin to develop into a new tumor.

University's School of Clinical Sciences Dr Lu-Gang Yu explains, "MUC1 on the cell surface prevents the cancer cells from attaching to the blood vessel wall which causes secondary tumors. We have discovered that a small protein called galectin-3, attacks MUC1 and breaks up its protective shield, forcing large areas of the cancer cell to become exposed. The exposed areas of the cell allow the cancer to attach to the blood vessel wall. The cancer cells then eventually penetrate the blood wall to form tumors at secondary sites."

As more scientific discoveries into the mechanisms and spread of cancer are revealed, the less mysterious it will be in determining ahead of time who is at most risk of cancer recurrence. More importantly, new treatments might be developed that stop the process in those most at risk for a secondary cancer.

Beginning January 1st, an additional $1 dollar cigarette tax will be added to each pack of cigarettes purchased in Texas. CBS 11 News is reporting that this will raise the price of a pack of cigarettes to $4 dollars, or ten more dollars a carton, and smokers are stocking up on cartons of cigarettes before the tax hike goes into effect.

In the past, states that have increased taxing of cigarettes have seen a positive effect on the number of people who quit smoking, for no other reason than purchasing cigarettes becomes too cost prohibitive. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is looking forward to this happening, as they predict it will keep 300,000 people from starting up and cause 100,000 current smokers in Texas to quit.

Smoking has indeed become an expensive habit since the days when the government gave away cartons of cigarettes to World War II soldiers in the belief it calmed their nerves.

Meanwhile, back in Texas, CBS 11 News quoted Discount Cigarettes manager Patrick Ingram as saying, "Every state has their own tax, so you're not supposed to take large quantities across the border. So, people will go buy truck loads and bring across the border, or just steal."

That's probably true, to a lesser extent, but the ACS is right, the increased overall price for a pack of cigarettes when the new tax is implemented will prompt more people to quit smoking and deter even more from starting a habit that is not only increasingly expensive but just plain bad for your health.

This past summer, a man in the business of helping smokers quit, was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Just months later, anti-smoking guru Allen Carr lost his battle with cancer. On November 29th, Carr died at his home in Malaga, Spain.

A heavy smoker for 33 years before quitting 23 years ago, Carr claimed to have found an easy way to quit smoking. From that discovery, he founded The Easy Way to Stop Smoking Program, which would eventually grow into 70 clinics in 30 countries. In addition, his company publishes how-to quit smoking books, CDs, tapes and DVDs.

Using cognitive therapy, Carr told smokers interested in quitting that they could do it without willpower, without suffering withdrawal and without gaining weight. The celebrity endorsements for his program include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sean Bean, Marie Helvin, Johnny Cash, George Harrison, Lisa Stansfield, Sir Richard Branson, Britney Spears, Susannah York, Bruce Oldfield, Stefano Gabbana and Julie Christie.

Carr is credited with helping over 25 million people to quit smoking.

An Easy Way to Stop Smoking Program clinic spokesperson was quoted as saying, "Allen spent many years in smoke-filled rooms after he quit, while treating smokers for addiction. He is certain that had he not quit, he would have died 20 years ago." Near the time of his death, Carr wrote a letter to Tony Blair urging his government and NHS to accept the easy method program. Carr was 72.

A report has been released by Breast Cancer Action (BCA), a grassroots education and advocacy organization, on the side effects of aromatase inhibitors (AIs). The report is called "Side Effects Revealed: Women's Experiences with Aromatase Inhibitors". The study analyzed 612 women's responses to an online survey of AIs and their side effects. You can find the report online at http://www.bcaction.org/AIreport.

The results showed that 92 percent reported at least one side effect. Nearly 30 percent reporting stopping the use of AIs--84 percent of those that stopped taking the drug reported that it was because of the intolerable side effects. Almost fifty percent of those that stopped taking the drug because of side effects complained of joint-related problems. Other side effects included stroke, cough, swelling of extremities, flu-like symptoms, and anxiety. Many women said they had joint related issues, vaginal atrophy and dryness and general pain.

Many of the women said they did not receive information about short or long term side effects from their physicians. Executive Director of BCA, Barbara Brenner, said "Patients know about the side effects before their doctors do--they experience them firsthand. Now that hundreds of women taking aromatase inhibitors have spoken, it's time for the medical research community to respond with additional research on the side effects of these drugs."

A previous post related to this topic:

Breast cancer survivors reject chemoprevention drugs

In a recent study, researchers found that the opiate blocking drug naltrexone, used to treat alcoholics and heroin addicts, was effective in helping some women kick the smoking habit. In addition, the researchers reported that naltrexone prevented the weight gain that often follows when women quit smoking.

Participants in the study were divided into two groups. One group was given a combination of drug therapy, behavioral counseling sessions, and nicotine patches. The other group was given a placebo, behavioral counseling sessions, and nicotine patches. For women receiving naltrexone, 58 percent were still not smoking eight weeks later. Six months later, some had taken up the smoking habit again, but some had remained free of the habit.

Naltrexone did not appear to provide a benefit for men trying to quit smoking.

"Women have historically had less success than men in giving up cigarettes," said study author Andrea King, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago. "In this small study, naltrexone seems to have closed that gap."

The study, Efficacy of Naltrexone in Women's Smoking Cessation, is currently ongoing and recruiting new patients.

In the August issue of Archives of Dermatology there is a report on research done showing three ways to remove precancerous skin growths. Acid skin peel, laser resurfacing and chemotherapy cream all removed precancerous growths. What is also really exciting is the fact that these procedures can also slow the development of new skin cancers.

Physicians usually will burn off the growths with liquid nitrogen but this study shows that there are other ways that work just as well. Larger studies need to be done to confirm their findings.

The study showed that all the treatments worked, reducing the number of precancerous skin growths by 83 percent for the chemo cream, 89 percent for the skin peel and 92 percent for the laser treatment.

ABC World News Tonight partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute and the North American Quitline Consortium to present a special series Quit to Live. According to statistics, approximately 440,000 Americans will die from smoking-related illnesses this year. A more encouraging statistic is while there are 46 million smokers, for the first time, there are more ex-smokers than smokers.

The Quit to Live series is a comprehensive resource for the 70 percent of smokers who have indicated they are interested in quitting. At Quit to Live, you can watch the complete special series coverage in video broadcast reports; watch broadcast plus exclusive web-only content; view the videoblogs of Tracy, Jose, Meg and Alyce; how to quit thinking about quitting and compare different methods and find groups that can help.

You can read ABC medical editor Dr. Tim Johnson and experts from the nation's leading cancer centers answers to questions about smoking at Ask Tim. In addition to original reports and reviewed resources, they offer community to connect with others. This week, ABC News revisited the Quit to Live special series on the anniversary of Peter Jennings death to lung cancer. Any smoker interested in quitting will find this special series of great value -- you might want to start by watching the video Expert Interview on How to Quit.