October 10, 2009. Human stem cells may provide a means of creating a vaccine against colon cancer and other types of cancers.
Some 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer annually according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, the national trade orgganization. "Some 10 percent of cases in both men and women are colon cancer," notes Jesse Slome, executive director.
American and Chinese scientists reporting noted that cancer and stem cells share many molecular and biological features. Dr. Zihai Li, of the University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, said in a news release that by immunizing the host with stem cells, the researchers were are able to 'fool' the immune system to believe that cancer cells are present and thus to initiate a tumor-combating immune program. The research by Li and colleagues is the first to make the connection between human stem cells and colon cancer vaccination.
The study authors noted that, it has long been believed that immunizing people with embryonic materials may trigger an anti-tumor response by the immune system, but this theory has never advanced beyond animal research. The finding that human stem cells may help immunize against colon cancer is new and unexpected they added. The study was published online Oct. 7 in the journal Stem Cells.
The researchers vaccinated mice with human embryonic stem cells and found that the mice developed a consistent immune response against colon cancer cells. The vaccinated mice showed a dramatic decline in tumor growth, compared with non-vaccinated mice.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Vigorous Exercise Associated With Reduced Breast Cancer Risk
October 8, 2009. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there's good news for post-menopausal women. Engaging in moderate to vigorous exercise may result in a reduced risk of breast cancer.
Nearly 700,000 American women are diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. About one quarter (26%) have breast cancer recognized as the most common cancer affecting U.S. women,
Researchers writing the open access journal BMC Cancer investigated the link between breast cancer and exercise. According to the international team of researchers headed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, this new study is one of the first prospective investigations to look at the importance of various intensities of exercise at different stages in an individual's life.
Over 110,000 post menopausal women were asked to rate their level of physical activity at ages 15-18, 19-29, 35-39, and in the past 10 years. It was found, over 6.6 years of follow up, that women who engaged in more than 7 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise for the last ten years were 16% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were inactive.
No link was observed between breast cancer risk and physical activity in women who were active at a younger age. The findings could help inform the mechanisms of the physical activity-breast cancer relationship.
Nearly 700,000 American women are diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. About one quarter (26%) have breast cancer recognized as the most common cancer affecting U.S. women,
Researchers writing the open access journal BMC Cancer investigated the link between breast cancer and exercise. According to the international team of researchers headed by the U.S. National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, this new study is one of the first prospective investigations to look at the importance of various intensities of exercise at different stages in an individual's life.
Over 110,000 post menopausal women were asked to rate their level of physical activity at ages 15-18, 19-29, 35-39, and in the past 10 years. It was found, over 6.6 years of follow up, that women who engaged in more than 7 hours per week of moderate-to-vigorous exercise for the last ten years were 16% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who were inactive.
No link was observed between breast cancer risk and physical activity in women who were active at a younger age. The findings could help inform the mechanisms of the physical activity-breast cancer relationship.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
New Test Assesses Individual Breast Cancer Risk
October 7, 2009. Some 692,000 American women are diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. About one quarter (26%) have breast cancer.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a new report notes that analyzing individual breast tissue for specific structural characteristics may more precisely determine a woman's risk for developing breast cancer.
Reporting in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers report that the more acini a woman has and the larger her breast lobules, the higher the chance she will get breast cancer. Acini, the medical experts note, refers to a cluster of cells that in this instance are the sacs that produce milk.
Currently, factors such as family history of breast cancer, number of pregnancies and age at first pregnancy are helpful in predicting how often breast cancer will arise in a larger population. But, reserachers note, these same tools are poor indicators of individual risk.
Other than family history and genetics, the best tool experts have to predict individual breast cancer risk is the Gail model, which takes into account age and number of previous biopsies, as well as family history and pregnancy history. But, the authors of the report note that the Gail model is "only slightly better than chance alone.
Breast cancer originates in the breast lobules. The lobules are supposed to disappear as a woman ages, reducing her breast cancer risk, but this doesn't always happen. The researchers tissue from women with breast cancer (as well as earlier tissue samples taken before they developed the cancer). The more acini per lobule a woman had and the larger the lobule, the higher her risk for developing breast cancer, the researchers found. This new technique proved more accurate than the Gail model.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a new report notes that analyzing individual breast tissue for specific structural characteristics may more precisely determine a woman's risk for developing breast cancer.
Reporting in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers report that the more acini a woman has and the larger her breast lobules, the higher the chance she will get breast cancer. Acini, the medical experts note, refers to a cluster of cells that in this instance are the sacs that produce milk.
Currently, factors such as family history of breast cancer, number of pregnancies and age at first pregnancy are helpful in predicting how often breast cancer will arise in a larger population. But, reserachers note, these same tools are poor indicators of individual risk.
Other than family history and genetics, the best tool experts have to predict individual breast cancer risk is the Gail model, which takes into account age and number of previous biopsies, as well as family history and pregnancy history. But, the authors of the report note that the Gail model is "only slightly better than chance alone.
Breast cancer originates in the breast lobules. The lobules are supposed to disappear as a woman ages, reducing her breast cancer risk, but this doesn't always happen. The researchers tissue from women with breast cancer (as well as earlier tissue samples taken before they developed the cancer). The more acini per lobule a woman had and the larger the lobule, the higher her risk for developing breast cancer, the researchers found. This new technique proved more accurate than the Gail model.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Dental Plaque May Raise Heart Risk in Black Men
October 6, 2009. Neglecting oral hygene could place black males at increased risk for heart problems a new study reveals.
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Dentistry studied women and men who were asked to neglect their oral hygiene as part of the study. The researchers were seeking to determine whether there would be equal buildup of dental plaque caused a change in total white blood cell count, a known risk factor for heart problems.
They found that the accumulation of dental plaque accumulation in black males was associated with a significant increase in the activity of white blood cells called neutrophils, an important part of the immune system, the researchers noted. An elevated white blood cell count is one of the major risks for heart attack, previous research has found.
Medical experts noted that when a bacterial infection occurs anywhere in the body, billions of neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow to defend against the intruder. The researchers observed that with poor dental hygiene, white blood cell activity increased in black men but not black women or whites of either sex.
The findings they note suggest both gender and racial differences in the inflammatory response to dental plaque. None of the study participants had periodontal (gum) disease. the study authors explained.
The study was published in the August issue of the Journal of Dental Research. For a no-cost quote for critical illness insurance, visit the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance's Consumer Information Center.
Researchers at the Indiana University School of Dentistry studied women and men who were asked to neglect their oral hygiene as part of the study. The researchers were seeking to determine whether there would be equal buildup of dental plaque caused a change in total white blood cell count, a known risk factor for heart problems.
They found that the accumulation of dental plaque accumulation in black males was associated with a significant increase in the activity of white blood cells called neutrophils, an important part of the immune system, the researchers noted. An elevated white blood cell count is one of the major risks for heart attack, previous research has found.
Medical experts noted that when a bacterial infection occurs anywhere in the body, billions of neutrophils are produced in the bone marrow to defend against the intruder. The researchers observed that with poor dental hygiene, white blood cell activity increased in black men but not black women or whites of either sex.
The findings they note suggest both gender and racial differences in the inflammatory response to dental plaque. None of the study participants had periodontal (gum) disease. the study authors explained.
The study was published in the August issue of the Journal of Dental Research. For a no-cost quote for critical illness insurance, visit the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance's Consumer Information Center.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Protect Yourself From Breast Cancer
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when survivors, advocates, and health organizations work to raise awareness of the progress being made in fighting this disease – and the ways women can protect themselves.
According to medical experts, since 1990, more and more women have been surviving breast cancer, largely because of early detection through mammography and improvements in treatment.
Despite the progress, some 1.4 million American women will be diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Breast cancer accounts for 26 percent of cancer in women and is still the second leading cause of cancer death exceeded only by lung cancer. Mammograms can find breast cancers earlier, when they are easier to treat and the chances of survival are higher.
That's why the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms and breast exams for women 40 and older.
Medical specialists also recommend eating a healthy diet to help control weight, since being overweight or obese may raise breast cancer risk. Get regular physical activity.
The American Cancer Society recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week. Forty-five to 60 minutes a day is even better for reducing breast cancer risk. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than 1 drink per day.
Alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. And perhaps most important, be sure to talk to your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts or have any other concerns. That conversation could save your life doctors note.
According to medical experts, since 1990, more and more women have been surviving breast cancer, largely because of early detection through mammography and improvements in treatment.
Despite the progress, some 1.4 million American women will be diagnosed with cancer according to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance. Breast cancer accounts for 26 percent of cancer in women and is still the second leading cause of cancer death exceeded only by lung cancer. Mammograms can find breast cancers earlier, when they are easier to treat and the chances of survival are higher.
That's why the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms and breast exams for women 40 and older.
Medical specialists also recommend eating a healthy diet to help control weight, since being overweight or obese may raise breast cancer risk. Get regular physical activity.
The American Cancer Society recommends 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week. Forty-five to 60 minutes a day is even better for reducing breast cancer risk. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink to no more than 1 drink per day.
Alcohol is clearly linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. And perhaps most important, be sure to talk to your doctor if you notice any changes in your breasts or have any other concerns. That conversation could save your life doctors note.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Drug Duo May Cut Risk Of Heart Attack and Stroke
A combination of cholesterol and blood pressure medicine can cut the incidence of attacks by up to 60 percent according to a new study.
According to Kaiser Permanente researchers, an inexpensive combination of one drug used to lower cholesterol and another medication used to lower blood pressure can reduce the incidence of heart attacks and strokes by as much as 60 percent.
"An American suffers a heart attack every 34 seconds," explains Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance, a national trade organization. "Every 40 seconds, someone has a stroke, making these two of the most common critical illnesses afflicting individuals."
Giving the drugs to nearly 70,000 people with cardiovascular disease or diabetes prevented an estimated 1,271 heart attacks and strokes in one year, Dr. James Dudl of Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute and his colleagues reported in the American Journal of Managed Care.
According to reports, the inspiration for the study resulted from the Archimedes Model, a sophisticated computer simulation of the human body that predicted that lowering blood pressure and cholesterol simultaneously in those at the highest risk for cardiovascular problems. The Model predicted that the combination could reduce the incidence by 71 percent. The report noted that no study had been performed to test the prediction.
The Kaiser team chose two generic drugs, lovastatin for cholesterol and lisinopril for blood pressure, and offered them to 170,000 members of their managed-care programs in Northern and Southern California who suffered from heart disease or diabetes.
Some of the patients were already taking one of the drugs, but none of those selected was taking both. About 75 percent were also taking daily aspirin, but the researchers did not include aspirin in the protocol because they had no way to monitor usage.
They began the program in 2004 with nearly 70,000 patients. The team monitored compliance for two years by checking whether and how often patients refilled their prescriptions, then monitored health effects in the third year through the patients' health records.
Some 47,268 patients had what the team termed "low exposure" to the drugs, taking them less than half the time. Their risk of hospitalization for heart attack or stroke was lowered by 15 events per 1,000 person-years, and an estimated 726 events were prevented.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Asian Spice Could Reduce Breast Cancer Risk
An estimated six million women in the United States currently use hormone replacement therapy to treat the symptoms of menopause.
Taking a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy has increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors note medical experts. According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance nearly 700,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with cancer this year and over one-quarter will have breast cancer.
University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy.
The results of the study showed that women could potentially take curcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors, researchers noted. In the study, researchers found that curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model.
Taking a combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy has increased their risk of developing progestin-accelerated breast tumors note medical experts. According to the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance nearly 700,000 U.S. women will be diagnosed with cancer this year and over one-quarter will have breast cancer.
University of Missouri researchers have found that curcumin, a popular Indian spice derived from the turmeric root, could reduce the cancer risk for women after exposure to hormone replacement therapy.
The results of the study showed that women could potentially take curcumin to protect themselves from developing progestin-accelerated tumors, researchers noted. In the study, researchers found that curcumin delayed the first appearance, decreased incidence and reduced multiplicity of progestin-accelerated tumors in an animal model.
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