This just in from Newsmax via e-mail to me. No URL on this one.
1. Beer Fights Cancer
Researchers are always looking for the magic bullet to kill cancer, and now they may have found it in a surprising place — a glass of beer! (Who knew?) It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol.
Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages. Scientists are trying to produce hops that contain even more xanthohumol, and the Germans are racing to develop a “health” beer.
But wait – there’s more! Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.
Beers that provide the most benefits contain the most hops, and include strong brews such as ale, stout, and porter. In general, the darker the beer, the better. For those who can’t stand beer, herbal supplements made from hops contain the highest concentrations of beneficial elements.
Editor's Note:
Can Eating the Right Foods Prevent Cancer? Yes!
Discover Details Here.
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2. RFA Increases Lung Cancer Survival Time
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) — an interventional treatment that “cooks” and kills lung cancer tumors with heat — greatly improves survival time from primary or metastatic inoperable lung tumors, according to a study released today at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting. Of the 244 patients suffering from lung metastases (195 patients) or primary non-small cell lung cancer (49 patients), 70 percent were still alive at two years, including 72 percent for lung metastases and 64 percent for primary lung cancer. These survival results are similar to surgical results from other studies, but the interventional treatment is less invasive and has far fewer side effects and less recovery time. The researchers found that RFA often can completely destroy the primary tumor and, therefore, extend a patient’s survival and greatly improve his or her quality of life. Survival thus becomes dependent on the extent of disease elsewhere in the body.
Of the 49 patients (ages 27–85) with non-small cell primary lung cancer who were treated with RFA, 85 percent had no viable lung tumors after one year on imaging, and 77 percent had no viable lung tumors after two years, which indicates a cure. This study was conducted in tumors four centimeters in diameter or smaller, and even better results were obtained for tumors smaller than two centimeters.
“About two-thirds of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer are ineligible for surgery and typically have less than 12 months to live. A subset of these patients ineligible for surgery can be treated with RFA with the intention of curing the primary tumor. Thus, 70 percent of my patients gained at least another two years. This new outpatient treatment is effective, allowing us to treat patients who historically have only palliative options, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy,” said Thierry de Baere, M.D., interventional radiologist with the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France.
These results are similar to studies in the United States and add to the growing body of evidence for RFA in extending survival time.
RFA is effective for local control of lung cancer, providing an attractive option for patients who may not be ideal surgical candidates, who wish to avoid conventional surgery or who have failed conventional treatments. A trial is needed to define if RFA can replace surgery in a subset of patients.
By the time lung cancer becomes symptomatic, 85 percent of patients are incurable, often due to serious coexisting health conditions or poor respiratory function. Most patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer are not surgical candidates at the time of diagnosis. For these patients, minimally invasive interventional radiology procedures can improve survival, reduce pain and improve quality of life. Interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using imaging guidance to deliver targeted cancer treatments throughout the body.
Radiofrequency energy can be given without affecting a patient’s overall health, and most people can resume their usual activities in a few days. It is a safe, minimally invasive tool for local pulmonary tumor control with negligible mortality, little morbidity, short hospital stay and positive gain in quality of life. Lung function is generally better preserved after RFA than after surgical removal of a tumor. This is especially important for those whose ability to breathe is impaired, such as current or former cigarette smokers. It can also be repeated if necessary or combined with other treatment options.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RFA for the treatment of tumors in soft tissue that includes the lung.
Editor's Note:
'Good Bacteria' May Save Your Stomach, Colon and Stop Cancer.
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3. Cancer Detected Earlier With New Imaging
Doctors may one day be able to detect early stages of colon cancer without a biopsy, using a new technique developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
This imaging technology is one of many new ways of detecting cancers in the body in real time, said Christopher Contag, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics and of microbiology and of immunology, who led the study. Contag said he hoped it might be one of the first to be used routinely for early detection of cancer.
"Detecting colon cancers is just the first step," said Contag. He predicted similar techniques will eventually be able to find a wide range of cancers, monitor cancer treatment, and deliver chemotherapies directly to cancerous cells in the colon, stomach, mouth and skin. The study will be published online March 16 in Nature Medicine.
Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in men and women, with about 150,000 people diagnosed each year. Although colonoscopy isn't perfect, it's currently the best way of finding colon cancers when they are still at the most treatable stage.
If doctors find suspicious growths during a routine colonoscopy, they take a sample, called a biopsy, and send it to a pathology lab to screen for cancer. That step takes time and not all people have ready access to a nearby pathologist. What's more, doctors biopsy only the cancers that form easily visible growths called polyps. Early stage cancers that remain flat aren't detected.
The trick to picking up cancer without a biopsy is to find a way of seeing which cells are cancerous while they are still in the body. That's what Contag and his group succeeded in doing.
In the initial trial with 15 patients, the technique detected 82 percent of the polyps that were considered cancerous by a pathologist.
Contag thinks this technique, developed in part through the cancer imaging program at the Stanford Cancer Center, could also be adapted to detect cancers in the mouth, esophagus and stomach. In addition, real-time screening could be used as a way of assessing whether a chemotherapy regimen is working. Contag said that if a tumor responds to a given chemotherapy, changes in the cells might be visible immediately. That response could allow doctors to switch patients to a new, more effective treatment if the first one results in no improvement. Currently people go through several rounds of chemotherapy before the first screen to find out if the treatment is working, a delay that prevents people from moving on to an effective treatment as soon as possible.
Editor's Note:
You Could Be Getting the Wrong Tests — These Are the Ones You Really Need.
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4. Some Memory Loss Common in Dementia-free Elderly
In 2002, more than 5 million older Americans had cognitive impairments that did not reach the threshold for dementia, according to research findings published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week. These impairments include some loss of memory and thinking ability.
The findings also indicate that about 12 percent of individuals progress from cognitive impairment to dementia each year.
"Cognitive impairment both with and without dementia can be a problem in late life, but the number of individuals affected by these conditions in the U.S. is unknown," Dr. Brenda Plassman, from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, told Reuters Health.
In a study of 856 people age 71 years and older evaluated between 2001 and 2003, Plassman's team found that 22 percent had some cognitive impairment that did not reach the level of dementia.
Among 180 subjects with cognitive impairment without dementia who were re-assessed 16-to-18 months later, 39 had progressed to dementia.
Plassman's group estimates that in 2002, about 22.2 percent (5.4 million) of individuals in the US age 71 years or older had cognitive impairment without dementia and that the annual rate of progression to dementia was 12 percent, as mentioned.
Plassman said her team is involved in many different types of studies looking, for example, on "how cognitive impairment with and without dementia affects families and the US health care system — so we will be able to see the true human and economic costs of these conditions."
"Hopefully this research will also lead toward developing interventions and treatments, so that cognitive impairment is not one of the leading concerns in late life when our children are in their 70's and 80's."
SOURCE: Annals of Internal Medicine, March 18, 2008.
Copyright Reuters
Editor's Note:
Doctor: You Can Prevent Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Worse . . .
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5. Exercise Reduces Heart Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Aerobic exercise significantly decreased the chemical imbalances that can lead to heart disease and stroke in postmenopausal women according to a study in the spring issue of the Journal of Women and Aging.
Estrogen is known to reduce the chemical imbalances that can lead to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke in postmenopausal women. However, recent studies have reported detrimental effects of long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or estrogen replacement therapy, including an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and breast cancer. Faced with these potential consequences, more women are turning to exercise as a natural way to combat postmenopausal effects.
The study found that HRT users and non-HRT users benefited equally from the exercise.
“Given the controversy with HRT, postmenopausal women can now use aerobic exercise training to lower chemical stress levels, thus reducing another risk factor for chronic disease,” said Michael D. Brown, Ph.D., a co-author and associate professor of kinesiology at Temple University’s College of Health Professions.
The chemical imbalance or stress — called oxidative stress — occurs when oxidants, harmful chemicals that damage tissue and cells, outnumber antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants protect cells and tissues against oxidants. Postmenopausal women have higher levels of oxidative stress.
A single bout of intense exercise acutely raises oxidative stress by increasing the production of oxidants. Conversely, regular exercise of moderate intensity appears to reduce oxidative stress through an adaptive process that increases antioxidant activity.
The study followed 48 sedentary postmenopausal women (21 on HRT and 27 not on HRT) through an exercise program consisting of three supervised sessions of aerobic exercise per week for 24 weeks. Participants were between 50 and 75 years of age and were postmenopausal for at least two years.
“No one is too old to begin an exercise program, but it is imperative to consult your physician before taking part in any exercise program. It is important to start off slow and build your program to your comfort level. Exercising is not difficult. You just have to want to do it,” Brown added.
Editor's Note:
Heart Disease Caused by Your Salt and Sugar-Filled Diet.
Doctor Discusses Findings Here.
