Information about Ovarian Cancer

It isn't talked about as much as other forms of cancer, but ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers. One in 57 women develop ovarian cancer and there have been several studies which have shown it runs in families. The major problem with ovarian cancer is it is usually found in the advanced stages and by that point the disease is very difficult to treat and the chance of five year survival is about 20%. Sadly 75% of women are diagnosed at this advanced stage. When ovarian cancer is detected early, before it is spread beyond the ovaries, more than 90% of women will survive longer than 5 years. Unfortunately, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are very vague. Feeling bloated, a sensation of being full even after eating just a small amount of food, low back pain, and fatigue are all signs, but obviously they can mean other things as well.

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Radiation Exposure from Medical Tests

Exposure to radiation from medical tests is a very important problem and in the New England Journal of Medicine, they took a look.  A study of 952,000 non-elderly adults found that over two-thirds were exposed to twice as much radiation as they would have received from natural sources because of medical imaging.  Women and older individuals were at greater risk for radiation exposure.  The study found that CT scans and nuclear tests accounted for three-quarters of non-treatment-based medical radiation exposure.  An accompanying editorial called for the clinical trials to prove whether or not diagnostic tests and imaging prevented major medical problems or reduced costs, or whether they're worth the inherent risk of developing cancer from radiation exposure.  A report by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, Americans are exposed to a great deal of radiation.  

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Study Suggests Optimists Live Longer

Optimists live longer.  Results from a government study showing nearly 100,000 women being followed adds to scientific findings saying that optimists live longer.  The report is from the American Psychosomatic Society meeting and the University of Pittsburgh.  Women aged 50 and above were in the study that started in 1994.  Optimists were defined as those who said they expected good things rather than bad things to happen.  Over the course of the study, optimists had a lower death rate in general and had a 30% lower death rate from heart disease.  In contrast, those who were more hostile had a higher death rate and a 23% greater risk of death from a cancer-related condition.  The results also suggested that optimism and hostility levels had a larger impact on black women's health.  The researchers say that finding needs more study due to low numbers of black women in the group

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Study Shows Even Light Smoking Carries Serious Risks

If you're a person who smokes casually, maybe you light up a cigarette a few times a day in social settings, you probably think it's safe, but you may want to look at it again.  That's according to a Norwegian study of 43,000 men and women.  They found that smoking fewer than five cigarettes a day, commonly known as light smoking, triples the risk of dying of heart disease or lung cancer in men.  In women, the increased risk of lung cancer was five times greater.  Researchers looked at a 32 year period.  This is not a small study and it shows the concerns we must look into.  

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Basal Cell Skin Cancer

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer.  It mainly affects the head and the neck.  The people at the greatest risk are males, people who tend to freckle easily, those with increased sun exposure or excessive use of tanning beds, and smokers.  Basal cell can be treated and although it can metastasize, or spread, it usually does not do that.  It usually stays local, close to where it originates.  People with basal cell near the ears, eyes and nose need to be watched very closely.  Those with it on the arms or legs still need to be treated, but local growth has less of a chance to attack vital areas.  Basal cell cancer is on the rise in this country and it's another reason why it's important to get regular skin checks.  It can't stress it enough.  You need to follow-up with your physician and do what you can to get all of that proper treatment.

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Can Drinking Coffee Help Fight Skin Cancer?

Can coffee help fight skin cancer?  The Journal of the National Cancer Institute recently took a look at the effects of caffeine intake. What they found is that people who drink coffee on a regular basis, four or more cups a day, had a 20% lower risk for developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, than those who drank less coffee.  The same did not hold true for decaffeinated coffee drinkers.  Malignant melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the United States and the leading cause of skin cancer deaths.  Coffee has been the subject of medical research quite a bit. In the past, researchers have found associations between coffee and protection against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, depression, and diabetes.

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Fruits, Vegetables and Cancer

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables doesn't help women with breast cancer and it doesn't necessarily reduce the risk of the disease returning.  The same can be said for prostate cancer and other forms of the disease.  But a recent study found, in colorectal cancer, that a diet that relied more on these foods plus whole grains fish and chicken did reduce the recurrence.  Here's our take on it.  We will definitely find that a diet like this helps in all cases, but it is difficult to get a clear association or correlation because diet has so many components and effects.  It also depends on the individual's genetics.  Nevertheless, it shows how we are looking more and more at diet and its role with cancer and other conditions.  That's the point we need to take home.  Diet plays a key role and a crucial role in how we evaluate cancer and other health issues. 

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Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Risk

Boosting levels of vitamin D and calcium in post-menopausal women did not help them reduce their breast cancer risk.  This is the first real test on whether vitamin D actually causes poor health as opposed to just being a marker for poor health, and it failed.  So far, we have a few good studies to show that people with low vitamin D levels are more prone to illnesses such as cancer and heart disease, but there is no evidence yet that giving people vitamin D supplements will reduce their disease risk.  In a study of more than 36,000 post-menopausal women, those taking vitamin D and calcium supplements for seven years did not have any lower risk for breast cancer than those taking a placebo.  However, the door isn't closed on vitamin D and breast cancer just yet.  It is possible women need to take the supplements when they're younger to get benefits, or perhaps they'll even need higher doses. 

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Worrying Too Much

Many people spend far too much of their time worrying.  We worry about our families, our money, our futures.  We even worry about how much we worry.  The health effects of all this worry can be devastating.  The stress of worry can increase our blood pressure, the risk of heart disease, even cancer.  According to the Trust for America's Health, we could be hurting our health by worrying about our health.  Now here are their statistics, statistics that are being looked at looked at very seriously by the American Medical Association.  Thirty-seven percent of people worry about cancer as their top health concern, 14% heart disease, 13% obesity, and 11% chemical terrorism.  Worry is appropriate in small doses.  It can help us anticipate problems down the line.  But let's face it, you don't want to overdo it. 

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Health Benefits of Green Tea

Water is the number one consumed fluid in the world.  But you already knew that.  What do you think the second most popular drink in the world is?  The answer might surprise you.  It's tea.  One of the reasons so many people drink tea may be due to the health benefits.  Tea, in particular, green tea, has many health advantages.  Chemicals called the polyphenols found in green tea are potent antioxidants.  They're helpful in fighting heart disease and inflammatory problems.  Green tea has been touted as a cancer fighter, but studies do not support this claim.  Overall, green tea might not be cure-all and it probably gets a great deal more press than it deserves as a treatment for all sorts of problems, but it is a healthy choice when you're thinking about a relaxing drink.  Clearly, we know this much.  Tea does have a calming effect. 

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Night Shift Work May Increase Risk for Breast Cancer

Very interesting news from Denmark where dozens of night shift workers are receiving cash settlements as a result of developing breast cancer.  There were 37 women involved and, according to reports, there were no other significant factors that might explain the development of breast cancer.  We know night shift work is believed to cause disturbed sleep, fatigue, and digestive problems and a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center revealed night shift work could increase the risk of breast cancer by up to 60%.  Other studies have not been so convincing, but it is a fascinating report.

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Ovarian Cancer Statistics

It isn’t talked about as much as other forms of cancer, but ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers. One in 57 women develop ovarian cancer and there have been several studies which have shown it runs in families. The major problem with ovarian cancer is it is usually found in the advanced stages. By that point, the disease is very difficult to treat and the chance of five-year survival is about 20%. Sadly, 75% of women are diagnosed at this advanced stage. When ovarian cancer is detected early, before it is spread beyond the ovaries, more than 90% of women will survive longer than 5 years. Unfortunately, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are very vague. Feeling bloated, a sensation of being full even after eating just a small amount of food, low back pain, and fatigue are all signs, but obviously, they can mean other things as well.

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.   

Terminal Illness and Discussing Death

Terminally ill patients may be better off discussing death with their doctors.  A study of 322 terminally ill cancer patients finds those who had discussions with their doctors about their impending deaths received less aggressive medical care and had a better quality of life in their remaining days.  Discussing their deaths with their doctors did not cause patients to be more psychologically distressed.  It did result in lower rates of resuscitation and intensive care visits.  Patients who talked with their doctors about their deaths entered hospice sooner and had a better overall quality of life. 

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Preventing Colon Cancer

There are many preventive tests out there, but some are more crucial than others because they can make a dramatic impact.  Take colonoscopy.  One in 20 people will develop colon cancer at some point in their lives and the early detection of polyps is crucial to preventing and controlling it.   Colonoscopy is recommended for everyone over age 50, but for people with a family history of colon cancer, it's recommended at 40.  Colonoscopy is done even earlier if a family member suffered colon cancer at an early age. 

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Low-Tar Cigarettes May Be Linked to a Certain Form of Lung Cancer

The news that there may have been changes in the way certain cigarettes are formulated, and the suggestion that this could affect lung disease, is downright frightening.  According to a University of California researcher, up to 50% of our nation's lung cancer cases could be due to this.  The research is ongoing, but the thought is that a form of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma may be linked to so-called low-tar cigarettes that have chemicals called nitrosamines. Adenocarcinoma attacks small air sacs far deeper in the lungs.  The theory is that people who smoke low-tar cigarettes need to breathe in deeper.  

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Pomegranate Is the Fruit du Jour

The pomegranate was one of the earliest cultivated fruits.  Historical evidence says it was used between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C.  In the past five years, the juice it produces has become very popular.  People think it might fight cancer and heart disease.  Go to a cocktail party and you will hear people having pomegranate martinis.  We bring up pomegranate because it's the fruit du jour.  As is the case with many of these remedies, the truth lies in that it doesn't do everything, but it may potentially help.  Of course, back off on the martinis.

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Update on Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is not that common of a form of cancer but when it hits, it is extremely aggressive. There are about 16,000 to 17,000 new cases in the United States each year. The problem is, it can also run in families, but for some, it occurs sporadically. We don’t really have great warning signs for ovarian cancer. There are certain things that can tip it off like feelings of the stomach being bloated and distention. But those types of things can occur for other reasons as well.  

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More Benefits of Green Tea

There are numerous benefits of drinking green tea, and now you can add one more. According to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, drinking several cups of green tea a day could reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer. Japanese scientists said a substance called catechin in green tea may be contributing to reducing risk by curbing levels of testosterone, a male hormone seen as a risk factor to prostate cancer. Now, the incidence of prostate cancer is much lower in Asian than Western populations. The study began on the assumption that this may be linked to the high consumption of green tea in Asian populations. This particular study was small and there are plans for a larger study looking at the amount of green tea. There could be other ways to use it.

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Americans Are Not as Healthy as Europeans

This clearly is not good news. Americans are not as healthy as Europeans. Americans are more likely than Europeans to be diagnosed and treated for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The United States was compared with ten European countries and there were some important findings that may help predict problems down the road. Americans are twice as likely to be obese. That’s twice as likely as Europeans. Also, more than 50% of Americans have a smoking history, while it’s only 40% in Europe. Now, there is a potential good side. The United States has better screening than Europe. If diseases are detected earlier, then they can be treated more effectively. The United States spends more on health care than any country in Europe, and that’s a very important point. We need to be more aware of what we’re spending, how we’re using it, and how effectively we can make it to help others.

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Breast Cancer Facts and Figures

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. Now, to give you an idea of the toll it takes, in 2000, there were 182,000 new cases and over 40,000 deaths. Breast cancer affects one out of eight women but there is good news. With improvements in early detection and treatment, there is a cure rate of over 50%. Physicians are often asked, ‘Who is at greater risk for breast cancer?’ The biggest risk factor is family history. Did someone in the family have it? Also, if you’ve had breast cancer before, there’s an increased risk of getting it in the other breast.

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