Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of cancer death in the United States, recently surpassing breast cancer, according to an article in the Mayo Clinic News Network. The article cites statistics that 53,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are expected by the end of 2016, and an estimated 42,000 deaths occur annually. “Although… Continue reading The Latest on Pancreatic-Cancer Diagnosis
Tag: cancer
White Blood Cells Can Help Prevent Cancer
Belgian researchers have discovered that a type of white blood cell can be “fine-tuned” to help prevent the spread of cancer. The team of scientists at VIB and KU Leuven, led by professor Massimiliano Mazzone, demonstrated that the metabolism of macrophages, a particular type of white blood cell, can be attuned to prevent the spread… Continue reading White Blood Cells Can Help Prevent Cancer
What to Do when A Loved One Says, “I Have Cancer”
Anyone who has been given a cancer diagnosis makes an immediate recalibration of every previously held ambition. Friends and loved ones often don’t understand how priorities held for a lifetime can change overnight when someone learns that he or she has cancer. Reactions to a cancer diagnosis, regardless of the prognosis, will vary according to… Continue reading What to Do when A Loved One Says, “I Have Cancer”
Targeting Fat to Treat Cancer
Researchers at the Salk Institute in California have found a way to block the creation of fat molecules in cells so that the growth of cancer can be stifled. The details of the research were published in the journal Nature Medicine. “Cancer cells rewire their metabolism to support their rapid division,” says Salk Professor Reuben… Continue reading Targeting Fat to Treat Cancer
Can Cholesterol Be Used in Cancer Therapy?
Researchers have identified a “metabolic vulnerability” in the aggressive and incurable brain cancer glioblastoma (GBM) and shown how it can potentially be exploited for therapy. The study, led by Paul Mischel of Ludwig Cancer Research San Diego and Benjamin Cravatt of The Scripps Research Institute, demonstrates that GBM cells import vast amounts of cholesterol to… Continue reading Can Cholesterol Be Used in Cancer Therapy?
Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools
According to the World Nuclear Association, more than 10,000 hospitals worldwide use radioisotopes in medicine. Molybdenum-99, the parent isotope of technetium-99m, is the most widely used radioisotope for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, production costs and the limited viability of the isotope can be a challenge for clinicians and healthcare providers. Now, nuclear… Continue reading Recycling Cancer-Fighting Tools
Researchers Link Obesity to More Kinds of Cancer
There’s yet another reason to maintain a healthy weight as we age. An international team of researchers has identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity: stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma (a type of brain tumor), thyroid cancer and the blood cancer multiple myeloma. Limiting weight gain over the… Continue reading Researchers Link Obesity to More Kinds of Cancer
Do French Fries Cause Cancer?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the average American eats 48 pounds of potatoes per year. It’s estimated that about half of those spuds are fried. Research shows that potatoes fried at high temperatures may cause cancer in lab rats. Does this mean humans are at risk? Reporter Vivien Williams talks to Mayo Clinic nutrition expert Dr.… Continue reading Do French Fries Cause Cancer?
A Method to Map Cancer Progression
A team of scientists at New York University has developed a computational method to map cancer progression, an advance that offers new insights into the factors that spur this affliction as well as new ways of selecting effective therapies. A release from the university quotes New York University Professor Bud Mishra, one of the study’s… Continue reading A Method to Map Cancer Progression
Preventive Steps Substantially Reduce Cancer Risk
If people follow cancer prevention recommendations on diet and physical activity, overall cancer incidence and mortality will be reduced, according to results of a systematic review published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Adherence to the guidelines set by leading cancer organizations also was associated with… Continue reading Preventive Steps Substantially Reduce Cancer Risk
Another Purpose for A Lifesaving Cancer Drug
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai say that tiny doses of a cancer drug may stop the raging, uncontrollable immune response to infection that leads to sepsis and kills up to 500,000 people a year in the U.S. The new drug treatment may also benefit millions of people worldwide who are… Continue reading Another Purpose for A Lifesaving Cancer Drug
A Type of Thyroid Cancer Is Reclassified
An international panel of pathologists and clinicians has reclassified a type of thyroid cancer to reflect that it is noninvasive and has a low risk of recurrence. The name change, described today in JAMA Oncology, is expected to reduce the psychological and medical consequences of a cancer diagnosis, potentially affecting thousands of people worldwide. The… Continue reading A Type of Thyroid Cancer Is Reclassified
Colorectal Cancer: What You Need to Know
Last year in the United States, more than 136,000 people were diagnosed with—and more than 50,000 died from—colorectal cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. It is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, striking some groups more often than others. The toll this disease takes on minorities is especially high,… Continue reading Colorectal Cancer: What You Need to Know
FDA Proposing New Tanning-Bed Regulations
There are many risks from indoor tanning devices: Using sunlamp products such as indoor tanning beds or booths exposes you to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and increases your risk of eye injury, skin damage, and skin cancer—including melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer. Due to these risks, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) already requires indoor… Continue reading FDA Proposing New Tanning-Bed Regulations
Make Your Home Smoke-Free in 2016
It’s not unusual for restaurants or other public buildings to be smoke free – either voluntarily or by state law – to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. But the secondhand-smoke problem persists in private homes where each family sets its own rules. While the family smoker sometimes is banished to the patio, that’s not always… Continue reading Make Your Home Smoke-Free in 2016
Caregiving and Cancer
Caregiving is more often than not an unexpected event. Many caregivers have a daily routine caring for a loved one. Some caregivers continue working; some stay at home to caregive. Most important is the caregiver’s ability for self-care including attending to healthcare and medical needs. Care-receiving is also an unexpected and unwelcome event; who wants… Continue reading Caregiving and Cancer
Optimal Care for Older Cancer Patients
In a paper published in November 2015 in the European Journal of Cancer, EORTC, researchers identified health related quality of life (HRQOL) components that should be considered as most relevant for achieving optimal care for older cancer patients. A release from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quotes Dr. Andrew Bottomley, Head… Continue reading Optimal Care for Older Cancer Patients
A Key Anti-Cancer Protein
Researchers are gaining a better understanding of how the protein connexin can “put the clamps on cancer.” Study senior author Jean X. Jiang, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said connexin tethers itself to a cell-proliferating molecule called Skp2. This prevents the Skp2 from traveling to… Continue reading A Key Anti-Cancer Protein