Breast cancer cases shoot up in India

More in more women in India are coming to doctors offices, often in the late stages, with breast cancer.  It is though that now with a different lifestyle that breast cancer is on the rise.  It is important that women do not feel taboo about talking about breast cancer or checking because, "the good thing is it can be completely cured or controlled through proper treatment," says Dr. Sanjay Sharma, president of the Breast Cancer Foundation in India.

Lifestyle changes such as early puberty, late menupause, not breastfeeding their children and having children later in life increase the risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer incidence in India has doubled in the past 24 years.  Part of the issue is the detection process, but the problem still lies in that about 80% of the cases that are seen by doctors are in late stages.  Women feel like they cannot talk about this to their friends or family. 

The next important steps include increasing awareness and getting women tested.

For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2012/10/24/breast-cancer-cases-shoot-up-in-india/.

Do you know anyone affected by breast cancer?  Did they wait too long to go to the doctor?  What are your thoughts?

Enzalutamide is a drug that helps men with advanced stages of prostate cancer live longer.  The good news is it helped the men live 37% longer than without the pill.  However, this comparison increased their time from 13.6 months to 18.4 months.  Also, the drug will cost $6,000 USD per month.

While survival rate can be deceiving, the cost to the patient is very high.  Tests are being done to use the drug more efficiently so as to administer it sooner, so the drug could potentially increase the survival rate even more.

Even if the drug could be used in a different way, the cost may say the same.


For the full article, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48679807/ns/health-mens_health/

What do you think about this? What would you do if you were a patient, take it or not take it?

Breast cancer awareness drive: monuments to be lit in pink

Max India Foundation and Max Healthcare in India are bringing awareness to the masses by lighting up well-known monuments to highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Max Healthcare reports that 1 in 25-30 urban women and 1 in 65-70 women in rural India are affected by breast cancer. 

To literally "shine a light" on the subject, Safdarjung Tomb, Rahim Khane Khana Tomb and Subz Burj will be lit in pink this month.

For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2012/10/20/breast-cancer-awareness-drive-monuments-to-be-lit-in-pink/.


Did you see any of these monuments lit in pink?  Send us a picture!

Cuba tests prostate cancer vaccine

At the Center for Engineering and Biotechnology (CIBG) in Camaguey, researcher and urologist Ranfis Rodriguez has administed a vaccine to cancer patients.  Fifty-six patients have received the vaccine.  Their results show that a there is a decrease in their prostate specific antigen (PSA), but with no (or little) production of testosterone.  Another researcher, Jesus Junco, hopes to treat patients with stage 3 and 4 prostate cancer with this vaccine.

In Cuba, about 2,500 men of 60+ years in age developed prostate cancer.  Of those, the mortality rate is close to 60%.  This vaccine would help many patients.

Would you be willing to take a vaccine if you were diagnosed with prostate cancer?

Scientists develop "barcode" blood test for aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers at the Institute of Cancer Research in London and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust have designed a blood test to look at prostate cancer patients, or at least those who have not yet been diagnosed.  The test can distinguish agressive prostate cancer.  What researchers are thinking that this test, along with the PSA test (Prostate Specific Antigen), will allow doctors to select those patients that need to be treated more urgently. 

What do you think?  Would you be willing to have a blood test to determine if you have cancer, and if so, how aggressive?

For the full article, visit  http://www.aalatimes.com/2012/10/09/scientists-develop-%e2%80%98barcode%e2%80%99-blood-test-for-aggressive-prostate-cancer/.