He was writing right up to a couple of years ago, as his latest book, the Widows of Eastwick was just published in 2008.

You can read more about John Updike and his work over the past decades in these articles:

Award-winning author John Updike dies at 76

‘No writer was more important to the soul of The New Yorker’

John Updike celebrated the ordinary American

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Tags: cancer blog, john updike, author john updike, author john updike lung cancer, john updike dead

Post from: Blisstree

Lung cancer claims author John Updike

According to an article published in last month’s issue of Archives of Surgery, only 69% of blacks who had operable lung cancer went ahead with the surgery, while 83% of whites did. This wasn’t due to lack of accessibility, as both groups were equal in healthcare access.

Although the author admits that there may be some issues with the way the study was adjusted to make the groups even and other issues affecting the lungs weren’t taken into consideration. However, that being said – there was still a surprising finding that there was no difference between the death and survival rate between the two groups, even though blacks had the lower surgery rate.

It will be interesting to see what future studies say when they try to prove or disprove this finding.

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Tags: cancer blog, lung cancer, operable lung cancer

Post from: Blisstree

Blacks more likely to refuse elective lung cancer surgery & results are surprising

The University of Michigan Health System has issued a release that discusses how lung cancer still plays a large role in North American society. According to their press release, lung cancer kills four times the number of Americans as does breast cancer. Not only tht, but lung cancer is the number one killer of both men and women.

Did you even know that November is Lung Cancer Awareness month? You surely new that October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know that US federal funding for research favors breast cancer over lung cancer 10 to 1? And that  $11,000 in breast cancer research is funded for every one person who dies of breast cancer, but for lung cancer, it’s closer to $1,000 per person?

Research for cancer is vital – but it’s vital for all cancers, not just one that has the most vocal activists. I used to work in palliative care. Many of my patients were dying of lung cancer. More had lung cancer than had breast cancer.

Why can’t the funding be more equitable, especially when one type of cancer kills MORE than another?

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Tags: cancer blog, breast cancer, lung cancer, lung cancer awareness, pink ribbon, pink ribbon overload

Post from: Blisstree

Is the Pink Ribbon taking away from lung cancer awareness?

Researchers are finding signs that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts, have a special effect on people who smoke, reducing their risk of developing cancer.

In a study that was presented at a recent conference, researchers found that the risk dropped from 20% to 55%, depending on the type of vegetable eaten and heavy a smoker the person was during the study period. The important point to take note of us that it was only these cruciferous vegetables that had this effect, not others.

So, if you’re a smoker but you’re not fond of these vegetables, maybe you can try cooking them in different fashions to hide their strong taste. I love my brussel sprouts drizzled in garlic butter. Why not give that a try?

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Image: MorgueFile.com

Tags: cancer blog, lung cancer, broccoli, smoking, smoker, cruciferous vegetables

Post from: Blisstree

What do broccoli and lung cancer have in common?

In Canada, we wear a poppy to symbolize the memories. Sadly, as the years pass, fewer and fewer people are wearing the poppy.

In keeping with the theme of this blog, I wanted to point out that even after someone finishes his or her tour of duty, they may be at higher risk of health issues that non-military people may not be.

Click here to read more.

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Image: Marijke Vroomen-Durning

Tags: cancer blog, remembrance day, veterans day, mesothelioma, lung cancer, veterans and cancer, veterans lung cancer, Vietnam veterans

Post from: Blisstree

Vets at high risk for lung cancer

Other surgeries that can be quite major have been improved upon by endoscopic surgeries. This type of surgery requires very small incisions and long instruments, with a camera on the end of one, to do the surgery. The surgeon’s hands never go inside. This cuts down on recovery time considerably. For example, gall bladder surgery used to set people back for six weeks or more done the old way. Done endoscopically, recovery is only a couple of weeks, at the most.

Lung surgery is more complicated because of the location of the lungs, but researchers have developed a new minimally-invasive lung surgery, called video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). This surgery is performed with 2 to 4 small incisions, no larger than 2 inches. The surgeons can do the same procedures as with the open surgery.

After lung surgery, patients have a chest tube that allows drainage from the chest. In a study, researchers found that patients who had VATS were able to have their chest tubes removed after only 4 days, while those who had the usual surgery had the tubes removed after 5 days. The complication rate was also lower among VATS patients at 35% compared with 42% among patients who had the regular surgery.

The surgery is limited to some academic medical centers right now, but as surgeons become more familiar with the techniques, hopefully the surgery will become more available all over the continent.

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Tags: cancer blog, lung cancer, lung cancer surgery

Post from: Blisstree

New surgery for lung cancer, less invasive

A lung cancer cluster has been noticed in the British Columbia, Canada, town of Dawson Creek. It has even struck the town’s mayor, Calvin Kruk, when he died of non-small cell lung cancer only two months ago. He was 43 years old and leaves behind a 12-year-old child.

According to the province’s cancer agency, a town the size of Dawson Creek, with a population of about 11,000 people, the expected average number of lung cancer cases would be about 13 per year. According to town doctors, however, there have been 14 cases like Mr. Kruk’s in the past 3 months.

There is a vigorous debate going on as to what may be the cause. Initial blame is always put on smoking, but there is also the issue of sour, which is natural gas that contains hydrogen sulphide.

If you’d like to read more about the issue, you can go to the CBC.ca article, Spike in lung cancer concerns Dawson Creek doctor.

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Tags: cancer blog, lung cancer, non small cell lung cancer, dawson creek, calvin kruk

Post from: Blisstree

Lung cancer cluster in northern British Columbia town

Earlier this month, the old actor has been spotted being pushed on a wheelchair — making the ‘lung cancer rumors’ resurface.

Paul Newman was photographed in a wheelchair during a recent outing in New York following reports that the legendary actor has cancer.

The photos, taken on July 7, show a woman pushing Newman in a wheelchair.

Well…maybe he is sick. Due to lung cancer or just plain old age, who knows? Let us just wish him good health and peace.

Post from: Blisstree

So Maybe Paul Newman Has Lung Cancer?

Such were the findings of a UCLA study:

Increasing intakes of epicatechin, catechins, and quercetin, found in tea and vegetables were associated with significant risk reductions.

According to lead researcher Zuo-Feng Zhang from UCLA’s Jonsson Cancer Center:

“What we found was extremely interesting, that several types of flavonoids are associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer among smokers. The findings were especially interesting because tobacco smoking is the major risk factor for lung cancer.”

But still, tobacco smoke must be skipped altogether, because smoking remains a major factor for lung cancer risk. It just so interesting how smokers were protected against lung cancer risk because of increased intake of such flavonoids, while in non-smokers there wasn’t such benefits at all.

Findings were reported in the May 15 issue of Cancer.

Of course, large-based studies are necessary to further confirm the above observations.

Also, lung cancer isn’t the only cancer type that has been associated with flavonoids.

Read more from NutraIngredients.

Post from: Blisstree

Flavonoids Against Lung Cancer

When: May 22, 2008 – Thursday at 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Where: Largo Cultural Center, Parkview Room, 105 Central Park Drive, Largo, FL 33771

The Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa Bay, Florida) is inviting everyone (you, your family and your friends) to attend this semi-annual event which provides community education about lung cancer research, treatment, prevention and screening.

The Thoracic Program at Moffitt Cancer Center invites you, your family and friends to a special program, The LATTE (Lung and Thoracic Tumor Education) Forum on Thursday, May 22, 2008. The program will take place from 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Largo.

It will feature:

• “Cutting Edge Lung Cancer Treatments” by Eric Haura, M.D., Medical Oncologist, Moffitt Cancer Center
• Patient Testimonial
• “Ask the Experts” Panel Presentation, a Question & Answer session with Moffitt Cancer Center health professionals
• Faces of Lung Cancer, a collection of photographs and personal stories of lung cancer patients, their caregivers and health care professionals.

Reservations are required because there will be limited slots.

Take note of this instruction in order to reserve you a seat:

Please RSVP for the LATTE Forum by Thursday, May 16, 2008, by calling 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488).

Source: Moffit Cancer Center

[Thanks again to Patty Kim, for the heads up!]

Post from: Blisstree

Moffitt Cancer Center’s L.A.T.T.E. Forum