Cancer Commentary Links 3-March-2008
Amidst last week’s frenzy, I might have overlooked some important stuff involving cancer.
The following are still in my week-old (!!) notes:
Smokers Might Benefit From Earlier Colon Cancer Screening
New evidence suggests screening for colorectal cancer, which is now recommended to begin at age 50 for most people, should start five to 10 years earlier for individuals with a significant lifetime exposure to tobacco smoke, a University of Rochester Medical Center study said.
An examination of 3,450 cases found that current smokers were diagnosed with colon cancer approximately seven years earlier than people who never smoked. The study is also one of the first to link exposure to second-hand smoke, especially early in life, with a younger age for colon cancer onset.
What’s Good For The Heart May Be Good For The Prostate
Men who eat a diet low in fat and red meat but high in vegetables and lean protein and who drink alcohol in moderation may not just be doing their hearts a favor. A new study shows that such a heart-healthy diet may also be good for the prostate.
Specifically, such a diet significantly decreases the risk of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH. The bothersome condition is associated with frequent and painful urination that affects about half of all men by the time they reach 50 and nearly all men by age 70.
Novel Highly Potent Anticancer Drug From The Sea Identified
A collaborative team of researchers spearheaded by Dennis Carson M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has identified a potent new anti-cancer drug isolated from a toxic blue-green algae found in the South Pacific. The properties of somocystinamide A (ScA) are described in a paper that will be published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science the week of February 11 -15.
“We are excited because we have discovered a structurally unique and highly potent cancer-fighting compound,” said Dwayne G. Stupack, associate professor of pathology at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center. “We envision it will be perfect for emerging technology, particularly nanotechnology, which is being developed to target cancerous tumors without toxic side effects.”
Vaccination Of Adolescent Girls Is An Effective Strategy Against Cervical Cancer, Report Says (a pdf file)
A scientific report published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) finds that vaccination against the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is an effective prevention strategy against cervical cancer. Available HPV vaccines protect against two high-risk HPV types that are estimated to be responsible for 73% of cervical cancer cases in Europe, and are spread by sexual contact.
The report identifies young adolescent girls who have not yet become sexually active as the key group to be vaccinated, though “catch-up programmes” for slightly older girls could be helpful in bringing forward the benefits of the vaccine. The report nonetheless stresses that vaccination is complementary to cervical cancer screening and that a strong emphasis on national screening programmes must be maintained.
Well…that’s all for now, folks. Hope your Monday is great! Mine is almost over.
Stay tuned.
Tags: cervical cancer vaccination, cervical-cancer, cervical-cancer-vaccine, colon cancer screening, prostate-cancerRelated Stories
POSTED IN: general commentary
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