Men still get cancer screening despite guidelines

The number of men getting screened for the PSA (prostate specific antigen) in their 50s has remained stable from 2010 to 2011.  This is interesting since the recommendations have changed from annual PSA tests to discussing the benefits with doctors.  For men in their 40s, this number was increasing until 2008.  However, the number has not decreased.

"The message has been 'get screened, get screened, get screened,'" said study researcher Dr. James Goodwin, director of the Sealy Center on Aging at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. "We were very, very successful in getting that message across," Goodwin said. "And then we can't just suddenly say 'stop.' "

One possibility of men still getting screened is the idea of active surveillance, where they keep getting screened to track their PSA levels.  They discuss the results with their doctor to determine next steps and if there is cancer, if it is becoming more aggressive.

For the full article, visit http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51201131/ns/health-mens_health/#.UW7o4LU3tKZ

Report projects big rise in cancer survivors

A study conducted by the National Institute of Health (NIH) states that over the next 10 years, cancer survivors will increase by about 1/3 from the numbers now.  This is great news, except for health care costs.  

“The increase in the number of survivors will be due primarily to an aging of the population. By 2020, we expect that two-thirds of cancer survivors are going to be age 65 or older,” says Julia Rowland of the National Cancer Institute.
As of January 2012, 13.7 million cancer survivors were in the United States.  More than half had survived over 5 years, considered "cured."  Even better news: 40% had lived 10 years, and 15% had lived 20 years.

Prostate cancer and breast cancer survival rates have increased, but lung cancer still needs much help.  Mostly, this is due to the symptoms can present like other minor health problems and can be ignored until the cancer spreads to other areas of the body.

For the full article, visit http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/27/17490379-report-projects-big-rise-in-cancer-survivors?lite. 

Smokers have worse colon cancer prognosis

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington has studied smoking and non-smoking colon cancer patients.  They have found that non-smokers are more likely to be alive 3 years after surgery to remove cancer.

Amanda Phipps, lead author of the study, states, "It's nice when you have findings that portray a consistent public health message." Ingredients in cigarettes can cause colon cancer.   In the study, 23% of patients who said they were currently smokers or had smoked in their lifetime were more likely to die or have cancer return within 3 years.  For those who said they were currently smokers, they were 47% more likely to have these effects.

For the full article, visit http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51420542/ns/health-cancer/#.UW6-vLU3tKY.

New metabolite-based diagnostic test could help detect pancreatic cancer early

A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention discusses the use of metobolomic analysis to screen pancreatic cancer patients and their prognosis.

Dr Masaru Yoshida, associate professor and chief of the division of metabolomics research at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine in Kobe, Japan, states, "Although surgical resection can be a curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, more than 80 per cent of patients with pancreatic cancer have a locally advanced or metastatic tumour that is unresectable at the time of detection. Conventional examinations using blood, imaging and endoscopy are not appropriate for pancreatic cancer screening and early detection, so a novel screening and diagnostic method for pancreatic cancer is urgently required."

Researchers measured the levels of metabolites in patients' blood and healthy patients.  They found 18 metabolites were different in cancer patients than healthy patients.

 For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2013/03/30/new-metabolite-based-diagnostic-test-could-help-detect-pancreatic-cancer-early/.

High Court notice on cancer causing agents

The High Court in Punjab and Haryana have admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) banning cancer-causing agents in those areas.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have published carcinogens and activist Hemant Goswami has submitted that India should ban these items.  "WHO and its affiliate IARC has, in its over 50 years of research, identified hundreds of agents (carcinogens)… Despite such carcinogens having been clearly identified, the government does nothing and such cancer-causing agents frequently make way to the market… and are used in various industries to which people are exposed, and thereby it has resulted in increased cancer prevalence in India” says Goswami.

In addition to the ban, he also wants to find compensation for those who come into contact with these carcinogens in the workplace.

For more information, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2013/04/08/hc-notice-to-centre-states-on-cancer-causing-agents/. 

Cabinet provides 54 crore to Rajiv Gandhi Super-specialty Hospital

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has approved 54 crores to Rajiv Gandhi Super-Speciality Hospital (RGSH).  These funds are to upgrade the current hospital in order to provide quality health services across the city.

The funds will also upgrade the building to the Green Building Concept guidelines.  This 650 bed hospital will also allow more health services in the area to be available for patients in the eastern part of the city and in nearby areas.

For the full article, visit http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/2013/4/10/56-Cabinet-provides-54-crore-to-Rajiv-Gandhi-Super-specialty-Hospital.html. 

More Evidence Shows Hormone Therapy May Increase Breast Cancer Risk

Dr. Rowan Chlebowski, medical oncologist at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, led a study published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute.  The study included 42,000 patients over 11 years.  In that time frame, 25,000 women had hormone therapy which included progestin and estrogen.  After the 11 year time period 2,200 women had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

"Women starting within months of menopause had about a threefold greater risk than women starting 10 years after menopause," Chlebowski said.

About two thirds of the women at the beginning of the study were already in their 60s, well into menopause.  About a third of them were just starting or coming close to menopause around age 50.

The main point of the study's results show that timing of the hormone therapy compared with menopause matters. 
For the full article, visit http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/breast-cancer/more-evidence-shows-hormone-therapy-may-increase-breast-cancer-risk.

More Genetic Insights Into 3 Types of Cancer

A study published in the journal Nature Genetics looked at 5 studies and over 160 research groups and determined that a person's DNA can help identify people who are at a higher risk to develop breast, prostate and ovarian cancers.

DNA bases, represented by A, C, G and T, don't always go "in order" and many people have what doctors call "spelling mistakes" or "snips" (single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs).

The study compared 200,000 people, half with cancer and half without.  The researchers found:
-for breast cancer, there were 29 SNPs
-for prostate cancer, 26 new SNPs
-for ovarian cancer, 8 new SNPs 

Researchers also found that environment, not just genetics, plays a part in these cancers.

For the full article, visit http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/breast-cancer/more-genetic-insights-into-3-types-of-cancer. 

Tofu-Rich Diet May Help Women With Lung Cancer Live Longer

A study conducted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center research associate professor Dr. Gong Yang shows for the first time that eating soy foods may help lung cancer patients live longer.
Lung cancer is a problem for women worldwide; it is estimated that breast cancer deaths will only be half of lung cancer deaths.  A major cause of lung cancer in the United States is smoking.  However, many never-smoking women in Asia develop lung cancer.  It is thought to be due to their, "predilection for developing mutations...that cause lung cancer to grow."

The study looked at women in China and found an association between soy foods and their lung cancer.  Soy foods include soy milk, tofu, fresh and dry soybeans and soy sprouts.

Isoflavones in soy beans act like selective estrogen modulators (SERMS) which act like a current breast cancer drug.

"Patients with the highest soy food intake had better overall survival compared with those with the lowest intake," said Yang.

Further research is needed to determine when soy foods are most effective.
For the full article, visit http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/breast-cancer/tofu-rich-diet-may-help-women-with-lung-cancer-live-longer.

When Breast Cancer Spreads to Lungs, Surgery May Increase Survival

Researchers at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany have studied the idea that patients with breast cancer, whose cancer has metastasized, would not benefit from surgery.

However, Dr. George Meimarakis conducted a study and found that patients who did undergo surgery benefited.

Currently, survival of breast cancer patients whose cancer spreads to the lungs have a survival of 12-24 months.

After 81 patients had tumors from their lungs removed, the average survival jumped to 103 months.  Even if after the surgery there was cancer still in the lungs, the survival was 20-23 months.  Both options provide more time for the patient.

"Too often patients with metastatic breast cancer are not considered for surgical treatment, as it is assumed that these patients would not benefit from surgical interventions for various reasons." However, Dr. Meimarakis suggests that patients are considered for surgery.

The study appears in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

For the full article, visit http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/breast-cancer/when-breast-cancer-spreads-to-lungs-surgery-may-increase-survival. 

10,000 Indians diagnosed with eye cancer each year

Indian eye experts Drs. Santosh G. Honavar and Mahipal S. Sachdev state at the two day eye conference by the Center for Sight (CFS) that 10,000 Indians are diagnosed with eye cancer each year.  And India has 30% of the eye cancer patients in the world.

“People are more aware about lung or skin or any other cancer but eye cancer usually gets neglected. There are a significant number of people that are diagnosed with this cancer. Our aim is to educate and update the practicing ophthalmologist about new advancements in the field,” said Dr Mahipal Sachdev.

Part of the reason of the problem, they say, is due to the lack of ophthalmologists, ophthalmetrics and cost-effective approaches to a solution.

For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2013/03/22/10000-indians-diagnosed-with-eye-cancer-each-year/. 

Delhi to have 12 more government hospitals

Health Minister Dr. AK Walia announced that 12 more hospitals would be opening in Delhi.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying in Shakarpur for a health center, he stated that they, “will provide OPD consultation, free medicines, basic investigations, immunization and referral services to government and 42 major private hospitals providing free treatment to the poor."  The 8 crore health center would be opened in one year.  

Other sites include Vasant Gaon, Shiv Vihar, Pandav Nagar and Bindapur.  

Hospitals to be opened include:
-Dwarka (750 beds)
-Vikaspuri (200 beds)
-Madipur (200 beds)
-Jwalapuri (200 beds)
-Ambedkar Nagar (200 beds)
-Sarita Vihar (100 beds)

The plans for the other 6 hospitals are underway.

For the full article, visit http://www.aalatimes.com/2013/03/29/delhi-to-have-12-more-government-hospitals/. 

More Women, Complications with Minimally Invasive Kidney Stone Surgery

Khurshid Ghani, MD of the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan has published a study in the Journal of Urology.

The study reviewed cases of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) over 10 years. This procedures removes kidney stones.  While minimally invasive surgery has become more popular over the years, Ghani has found more women have had PCNL than men, and blood infections have increased and overall complications have increased.

Results from the study include:
-PCNL increased by 0.03% in men and 2.54% in women 
-co-morbidity increased 
-complication rates increased from 12.2% to 15.6%
-blood infections (sepsis) increased from 1.2% to 2.4%

Dr. Ghani believes the increased use of this procedure in sick and older patients may play a role in the results of the study.

For the full article, visit http://www.henryford.com/body.cfm?id=46335&action=detail&ref=1842. 

Hospital Infections in Cancer Patients Climbed, Deaths Declined

Jesse Sammon, DO of the Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan has published a study in the journal Cancer.

The study looks at cancer patients and their healthcare-associated infections, or HAI.  Infections have increased over the past ten years but related deaths have decreased. Even though the latter is good news, race and insurance status come into play with infection rates.

The focus on HAI started when the 1999 publication, "To Err is Human" discussed the HAI problem.  Since then, hospitals and 27 states have placed laws to require hospitals to report HAI rates.

The study shows that infections have increased by 2.7% and deaths have decreased by 1.7%.  However, African Americans show a 27% increase in infections and if a patient uses Medicare, Medicaid or is uninsured, the HAI increases from 18% to 67%.

For the full article, visit http://www.henryford.com/body.cfm?id=46335&action=detail&ref=1840.