In the latest of studies, the findings show that using and talking on a cell phone doesn’t increase your chances of developing melanoma of the eye.

An earlier, smaller study of just over 100 people said there was such a connection, but this larger study of 459 subjects did not come to the same conclusion. The results of the study were published in the online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Tags: cancer blog, cell phones and cancer, eye cancer, melanoma of the eye

Post from: Blisstree

No link between eye cancer and cell phone use

Erbutix was the subject of the EXTREME study, which was published in the the New England Journal of Medicine a few months ago. The researchers had found that there was a medial overall survival rate increase of almost three months among patients who took Erbutix.

To read more about Erbutix and its effect on head and neck cancer, you can go to the article, European Commission Approves Erbitux for First-Line Use in Head and Neck Cancer.

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Tags: cancer blog, head and neck cancer, erbutix, erbutix approval, erbutix european approval, ceftuximab

Post from: Blisstree

European Commission Approves Erbitux for First-Line Use in Head and Neck Cancer

Researchers have found that people who smoke and/or drink large quantities of alcohol increase their risk of esophageal cancer significantly. For example, for one subtype of cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, the risk was five times higher among people who drank four glasses of alcohol per day.

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Tags: cancer blog, esophageal cancer

Post from: Blisstree

Smoking increases risk of esophageal cancer

First, we read of research that says cell phone use cause brain cancer and not just any brain cancer, but a rare form of it. Then we read that it doesn’t cause the cancer because other researchers had different findings. But wait, yet more researchers say it does cause cancer. And what’s the latest? Apparently, we don’t know.

Click here to read more.

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Tags: cancer blog, glioma, meningioma, acoustic neurinoma, cancer of salivary glands, cell phones and cancer, cell phones, brain cancer, head and neck cancer

Post from: Blisstree

So, is that cell phone safe or does it cause cancer?

So, does cell phone use cause brain cancer? One study says yes, another says no. Then a while later, another couple of studies come out with opposite findings. So, who is right? According to a new study that’s going on in Sweden, the studies that say cell phones cause cancer are right.

The Swedish study has found that it is long-term use – over several years – that is the highest risk for cancer and they don’t stop there. They are also saying that the land-line cordless phones cause the same problem.

That all being said, other researchers are saying that if cell phones and cordless phones caused brain cancer, considering the ever increasing number of cell phones in the world, would the brain cancer rate be off the charts by now?

What do you think? Do you have a cell phone? Do you worry about kids using cell phones?

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Image: MorgueFile.com

Tags: cancer blog, cell phones and brain cancer, brain cancer, cell phones

Post from: Blisstree

Cell phone use and cancer research continues

Now, new data from a randomized, controlled trial found that acupuncture provided significant reductions in pain, dysfunction, and dry mouth in head and neck cancer patients after radical neck dissection.

According to David Pfister, MD, Chief of the Head and Neck Medical Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) — who led the study and who presented the results at the ASCO Annual Meeting:

“Chronic pain and shoulder mobility problems are common after such surgery, adversely affecting quality of life as well as employability for certain occupations.

Nerve-sparing and other modified radical techniques that preserve certain structures without compromising disease control reduce the incidence of these problems but do not eliminate them entirely.

Unfortunately, available conventional methods of treatment for pain and dysfunction following neck surgery often have limited benefits, leaving much room for improvement.”

While Barrie Cassileth, PhD, Chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), said:

“Like any other treatment, acupuncture does not work for everyone, but it can be extraordinarily helpful for many.

It does not treat illness, but acupuncture can control a number of distressing symptoms, such as shortness of breath, anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue, pain, neuropathy, and osteoarthritis.”

Read more the MSKCC News.

Post from: Blisstree

Acupuncture Against Pain of Head and Neck Cancer Surgery

Sometimes the reaction includes anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition characterized by a drop in blood pressure, fainting, difficulty breathing, and wheezing.

Now researchers funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have discovered that specific pre-existing antibodies cause the severe reaction to the drug.

Cetuximab is an immune-based therapy commonly used to treat persons diagnosed with head and neck cancer, or colon cancer, marketed as the popular brand Erbitux — a product of ImClone Systems Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Find more details from NIAD/NIH.

Post from: Blisstree

Allergic Reaction To Cancer Drug Cetuximab (Erbitux), Found

If you do not know a low-carb diet didn’t start as a fad that it turned out to be. It is a desperate diet method for the clinically obese. Especially the ones that need to lose weight in a short period, maybe because so that they will qualify for a lap-band surgery or something.

But lets us not forget that our body needs carbs. It is like an energy fuel. For the diabetic and the obese, too much carbs is bad, especially the refined carbs. But I do love carbs. Although these days, I choose the kinds of carbs I eat. Believe me, I have never done this before. It’s just that my metabolism is not the same today as when I was 15.

Not that my family has a history of obesity or diabetes, but we have a history of cardiovascular conditions and kidney disease. I just wanna live longer, that’s all.

I have always mentioned in my several health blogs that cardiovascular diseases is one endpoint of not eating healthily. However, the most dangerous path that concerns cabs is the high carbs-obesity/metabolic syndrome-cardiovascular event/diabetes event path.

Well as far as I know anyway. Now, a new study has a variation of such path. Yes, it involves cancer!

It has been found that increased carbohydrate intake and obesity is linked to of cases of esophageal cancer.

A new study illustrates what may be a public heath concern as the composition of U.S. diets changes and total carbohydrate and refined carbohydrate intakes increase.

Obesity is a risk factor for many types of cancer, and a diet that includes a high percentage of calories from refined carbohydrates is a common contributor to obesity. Carbohydrates were also unique in that no other studied nutrients were found to correlate with esophageal cancer rates.

The causes of esophageal cancer remain largely unknown. Despite recent advances in treatment, esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis. The five-year rate of survival for esophageal cancer remains below 20 percent and is the eighth-leading cause of cancer related death in American men.

You can read more about it from this report.

Post from: Blisstree

Carbs, Obesity and Esophageal Cancer

The researchers collected the rinsed saliva and filtered out cells thought to contain one or more of 21 bits of chemically altered genes common only to head and neck cancers. Tumor and blood samples also were collected.

The cellular mishaps occur when small molecules called methyl groups clamp on to the DNA ladder structure of a gene. In the grip of too many methyl groups, these genes can incorrectly switch on or off in a process called hypermethylation.

The said findings suggest that the gargle test could be a potential screening procedure for people at high risk for developing head and neck cancer (i.e. heavy smokers, alcohol drinkers).

According to lead investigator Joseph Califano, M.D. – associate professor of otolaryngology — head and neck cancer and oncology at Johns Hopkins:

“Mass-methylation” of particular genes can lead to cancer. Methylation mistakes in other genes could be triggered simply by aging and amount to no more than fine lines and wrinkles.

The challenge is to predict which hypermethylated genes are most specific to cancer. And because every cancer process involves a unique genetic fingerprint, combining several gene signatures for the disease rather than using single ones may identify a larger percentage of cancer patients.

Cool eh? Thus, your morning gargle is not just breath freshener after all.

Find more detail from Science Daily.

Post from: Blisstree

Your Morning Gargle Can Be Used to Accurately Detect Head and Neck Cancer

According to Samuel J. Wang, M.D., Ph.D., principal investigator, Holman Pathway Resident in the Department of Radiation Medicine, OHSU School of Medicine:

“This new tool can help us make personalized predictions of conditional survival for an individual patient depending on his or her specific situation.

This is the first time we have the ability to make a customized prediction of conditional survival probability for an individual head and neck cancer survivor, based on his or her specific characteristics.

Now that cancer researchers are beginning to collect more specific information about patients’ tumors, such as tumor markers and genetic information, there is increasing interest in the development of these types of tools for making more specific predictions of a patient’s prognosis.”

For cancer researchers at OHSU, this is just the beginning. They hope to build similar software tools for other cancers that will enable physicians to give cancer patients more individualized prognosis and treatment recommendations.

Source: OHSU News

Post from: Blisstree

OHSU’s Web-based Software Predicts Long-term Survival for Head and Neck Cancer Patients