Anthrax toxin as cancer killer?-Health/Science-The Times of India

"Researchers have developed a mutated anthrax toxin, which may have implications as an effective cancer therapy. Researchers at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology created a mutated anthrax toxin, which could kill tumour cells in mice. In the study, Stephen Leppla and colleagues showed that Anthrax toxin was fairly selective in targeting melanoma cells, even though the risk of non-cancer toxicity prevents any clinical use. This mutated toxin could only be turned on by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), proteins that are overproduced only in cancer cells. "

Anthrax toxin as cancer killer?-Health/Science-The Times of India

"Researchers have developed a mutated anthrax toxin, which may have implications as an effective cancer therapy. Researchers at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology created a mutated anthrax toxin, which could kill tumour cells in mice. In the study, Stephen Leppla and colleagues showed that Anthrax toxin was fairly selective in targeting melanoma cells, even though the risk of non-cancer toxicity prevents any clinical use. This mutated toxin could only be turned on by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), proteins that are overproduced only in cancer cells. "

Tech Startups 3.0: Merry Xmas to our readers! Thank YOU

NCCN Updates Pancreatic Cancer Guidelines

"The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 21 leading cancer centers, has updated its guidelines regarding the care of pancreatic cancer patients. The updated guidelines include a new section on supportive care and a greater emphasis on use of neoadjuvant (before surgery) therapy for patients with cancers that are borderline resectable (cancers that can possibly be surgically removed, but that run a risk of incomplete removal).

The pancreas is an organ that is surrounded by the stomach, small intestine, bile ducts (tubes that connect the liver to the small intestine), gallbladder, liver, and spleen. The pancreas helps the body break down food and produces hormones, such as insulin, to regulate the body’s storage and use of food.

Each year in the United States, there are roughly 37,000 new diagnoses of pancreatic cancer and 33,000 deaths due to the disease.[1] Pancreatic cancer continues to have one of the highest mortality rates of all cancers.

To improve the care of patients with pancreatic cancer, the NCCN recently released updated guidelines regarding the treatment of pancreatic cancer.[2] Two notable changes are the addition of a section on “Principles of Palliation and Supportive Care” and greater emphasis on neoadjuvant therapy for patients with borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.

The section on Palliative and Supportive care is intended to “prevent and ameliorate suffering, while ensuring optimal quality of life.” The section addresses the management of biliary obstruction; gastric outlet obstruction; severe tumor-associated abdominal pain; depression, pain, and malnutrition; pancreatic insufficiency; and thromboembolic disease.

The section on neoadjuvant therapy notes: “The majority of NCCN institutions prefer upfront neoadjuvant therapy in the setting of borderline resectable disease.”

Patients with pancreatic cancer may wish to discuss these updated guidelines with their physician."

Researcher's Study Could Help Pancreatic Cancer Patients Respond Better to Chemo Drugs

"Pancreatic cancer patients face the worst survival rates compared to all other forms of human cancer as the disease is nearly impossible to diagnose at an early stage when successful treatments might be possible. Owing to late stage diagnosis, the remaining clinical options are limited to chemotherapeutic approaches involving the use of such drugs as gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The popular chemotherapeutic agents have produced limited clinical success and Northeastern University professor Robert B. Campbell wanted to know why.

Campbell and his graduate student investigated whether or not mucin overexpressed on the surface of human pancreatic tumor cells might act as a physical barrier, limiting the drug’s effectiveness.

The article discussing the experiment, titled “Mucin Impedes Cytotoxic Effect of 5-FU against Growth of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells; Overcoming Cellular Barriers for Therapeutic Gain” is published in this month’s issue of The British Journal of Cancer.

“In order to improve treatment approaches, we must consider the biology of pancreatic tumors at the molecular, cellular and physiological levels,” said Dr. Campbell, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Northeastern’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences. “Our experimental findings in this study suggest that mucin is in fact a cellular barrier limiting chemotherapeutic action of 5-FU against human pancreatic cancer cells, making 5-FU less effective.”

Normal epithelial cells are covered with mucin. In cancerous tumor cells, mucin is overexpressed on the cell’s surface. Dr. Campbell and his Ph.D., student Mr. Ashish V. Kalra were probing the effects of a single mucin variety, called MUC1, which is present on the surface of both normal epithelial cells and pancreatic tumor cells and is responsible for the overabundance of mucin on the latter. In order to find out whether or not mucin influenced the intracellular uptake of 5-FU, the researchers used inhibitors to limit the amount of MUC1 and reduce the mucin glycation mesh surrounding cells. Campbell and Kalra observed that the exposure to inhibitors did not harm the healthy physiology of cells, however, the reduction of mucin mesh on the tumor cells enhanced the cell killing effect of 5-FU. "

Check for cancer by 30 call to women

"WOMEN from families with a history of breast cancer should start going for regular check-ups by the time they are 30, according to a top health professional.

New guidelines from the American Cancer Society suggest those with an increased risk of breast cancer could benefit from additional screening from 30 years or even sooner.

Yearly mammograms are already recommended for women aged 40 and above, said Bahrain Cancer Society support group head and Bahrain Nursing Society president Rula Al Saffar.

However, she warned that women could be at increased risk if they have a family history of breast cancer, have already had the disease or are genetically more susceptible to developing it.

"In Bahrain, they (women) should inform their doctor if they have a history of breast cancer," said Ms Al Saffar.

"But doctors also need to.."

The Associated Press: Skin Cancer Drug Said to Show Promise

"A very early test of an experimental drug seemed to slow the spread of advanced deadly skin cancer in a small study, the drug's U.S. developer reported in preliminary findings Wednesday. Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. of Lexington, Mass., reported that patients with advanced melanoma who got the drug survived an average of 3.7 months without new cancer lesions, compared to 1.8 months for those who got the standard treatment. The treatment, given as a pill, is so early in development it doesn't have a name. It must pass muster in much more rigorous testing before the company seeks U.S. approval. Synta's drug is one of several in development by other companies trying a new strategy against cancer — killing tumor cells by overloading them with oxygen. 'We are taking advantage of the Achilles heel of cancer cells,' said Dr. Anthony Williams, vice president of clinical research at Synta Pharmaceuticals. The drug has no effect on normal cells, which can adjust to higher levels of oxygen that cause cancer cells to self-destruct."

Breast cancer death rate drops more: report | Science & Health | Reuters

"The death rate from breast cancer continues to drop steadily by about 2 percent a year, but black women are not seeing the same benefits as whites, the American Cancer Society said on Tuesday. The group found that during 2001 through 2004, breast cancer diagnoses fell by an average of 3.7 percent a year -- in part because women stopped taking hormone replacement therapy and in part because fewer got mammograms and therefore were not diagnosed. Death rates fell by 2 percent during that period."

New test for prostate cancer

"A new genetic test for prostate cancer with the potential to transform the way the disease is detected and monitored was launched in the UK.
The test, the first of its kind, measures the activity of a gene closely linked to prostate cancer.
Doctors hope it will make diagnosis of the disease more accurate and reduce the unnecessary removal of tissue samples.
About 35,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK and 10,000 die from the disease.
Currently the standard diagnostic tool is the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test, which looks for raised levels of a protein in the blood that leaks out of the prostate gland.
But the PSA test is notorious for providing misleading results. Men with cancer might have low PSA scores, while others with benign conditions have high readings.
The uncertainty of the PSA test has led doctors to nickname it the "Producer of Stress and Anxiety" test.
The new test measures a genetic chemical, messenger RNA, which transfers DNA "instructions" from the PCA3 gene.
Elevated scores are only produced when prostate cancer is present, making the test highly specific."

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Beats Expectations

"The Gardasil vaccine offers protection against viruses that cause 90 percent of cervical cancers, researchers report. Gardasil came on the market last year for preventing infection with two strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), 16 and 18, that are responsible for up to 70 percent of all cervical cancers, and HPV 6 and 11, which account for 90 percent of genital warts. The new study, which involved about 11,000 young women aged 15 to 26, shows that the vaccine is also 38 percent effective against 10 additional HPV types, which are responsible for an additional 20 percent of cervical cancers. "The new study shows that Gardasil affords an extra degree of protection for young women," says researcher Darren R. Brown, MD, professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. "

Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Using Light

"Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest diseases in the US. Out of almost 38,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year there are an estimated 34,000 deaths. Pancreatic cancer is hard to detect and requires invasive procedures, which are not always accurate and are usually performed too late. A group of researchers from Evanston, Illinois developed a way of detecting the deadly cancer in its early stages using a simple endoscopy. "

NYTIMES : San Francisco to Offer Care for Uninsured Adults

"Since contracting polio at age 2, Yan Ling Ho has lived with pain for most of her 52 years. After she immigrated here from Hong Kong last year, the soreness in her back and joints proved too debilitating for her to work.
That also meant she did not have health insurance. Not wanting to burden her daughter, who was already paying her living expenses, Ms. Ho delayed doctors’ visits and battled her misery with over-the-counter medications.
“Sometimes the pain was so bad, I would just cry,” she said. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
Last month, unable to bear her discomfort any longer, Ms. Ho went to North East Medical Services, a nonprofit community clinic on the edge of Chinatown, and discovered to her delight that she qualified for a new program that offers free or subsidized health care to all 82,000 San Francisco adults without insurance."

Young blogger loses battle with cancer

"So when he died Sunday, six days before his 19th birthday, he had blogged a lifetime of thoughts and dreams, words that somehow pierced through cyberspace and moved tens of thousands of readers to respond.
Miles blogged on the Web site of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.
He isn't the only person to have written about a dying man's journey, but his wit and wisdom and choice of words, captured the imagination of his readers.
His story was circulated well beyond the world of cancer patients and was told by mass media including the Detroit News and CNN. "

ScienceDaily: Compounds That Color Fruits And Veggies May Protect Against Colon Cancer

"Evidence from laboratory experiments on rats and on human colon cancer cells also suggests that anthocyanins -- the compounds that give color to most red, purple and blue fruits and vegetables -- appreciably slow the growth of colon cancer cells. The findings also bring scientists a step closer to figuring out what exactly gives fruits and vegetables their cancer-fighting properties. “These foods contain many compounds, and we're just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits,” said Monica Giusti, the lead author of the study and an assistant professor of food science at Ohio State University. Giusti presented the findings, which represent the collaborative efforts of Giusti and her colleagues, on August 19 at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston. Giusti and her colleagues found that in some cases, slight alterations to the structure of anthocyanin molecules made these compounds more potent anti-cancer agents."

Cancer Cure?

"Ontario announced Thursday it will begin to offer a vaccine that could help prevent cervical cancer to girls in Grade 8, a day after an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal argued it is premature to offer the immunizations on a universal basis.

Ontario's free and voluntary program, which is to commence in classrooms this fall, will offer the Gardasil vaccine to about 84,000 young women at a cost of about $39 million a year or $117 million over three years -- Ontario's share of the $300 million announced in the last federal budget for the vaccine."

AP: ABC's Robin Roberts Has Breast Cancer

"ABC "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts discovered she had breast cancer after following her own advice about early detection in a story about former colleague Joel Siegel's cancer death. Roberts, who announced her diagnosis on Tuesday's show, will undergo surgery on Friday.

"Hearing the words and saying it and seeing - it's surreal," Roberts, 46, told viewers in an on-air conversation with co-anchor Diane Sawyer.

Siegel, the ABC morning show's longtime film critic, died of colon cancer last month. During an ABC tribute to him, Roberts did a story about how early detection is key to surviving cancer. She went home that night and examined her breasts."

Very Low LDL May Mean More Cancer Risk, But Study Is Not Conclusive And Does Not Mean Those Taking Statins Should Stop - CBS News

"New research suggests a link between very low cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cancer, but the findings are far from conclusive, researchers say.

The analysis of studies examining outcomes in patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to lower their low density lipoprotein (LDL) 'bad' cholesterol found an elevated risk of cancer among those who achieved the very lowest LDL cholesterol levels while taking the drugs. "

Forbes: Chemical 'Paint' Helps Surgeons See Cancer's Borders

"Researchers say they've developed a tumor "paint" that illuminates cancerous cells and help surgeons spot the borders of tumors.
A team at Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that the paint -- a protein derived from scorpions called chlorotoxin -- helped surgeons distinguish between brain tumor cells and normal brain tissue during surgery.

"My greatest hope is that tumor paint will fundamentally improve cancer therapy. By allowing surgeons to see cancer that would be undetectable by other means, we can give our patients better outcomes," study senior author Dr. James M. Olson said in a prepared statement."

Brain Cancer Vaccine

"Northwest Biotherapeutics Inc., a Bothell-based biotechnology company, won Swiss approval for its brain-cancer treatment, the first vaccine to harness a patient's immune system to fight the disease.
The product will be produced in the U.S., and made available to patients at treatment centers in Switzerland, Northwest Biotherapeutics said Monday in a prepared statement.
The company is working to win approval in the U.S. and Europe to gain access to the $35 billion market for cancer treatments. In clinical trials, patients treated with DCVax-Brain survived twice as long as those who didn't receive the vaccine, without major side effects, the company said.
"This is an unprecedented product," said Navid Malik, an analyst at Collins Stewart. "The whole field has opened up with this vaccine."
Though the vaccine has only been approved in Switzerland, patients from all over Europe are likely to travel for treatment, Malik said."

This may save your life cancer?

"Interim study results show prolonged survival for Pfizer's axitinib in advanced pancreatic cancer.

While final results need to be corroborated in an upcoming Phase III study, Pfizer's axitinib shows early potential to fulfill the great unmet need associated with pancreatic cancer. Given that OSI Pharmaceuticals/Genentech/Roche's Tarceva was granted FDA approval in this indication based on a two-week survival benefit, it is likely positive results would be met with great enthusiasm."

Exercise Grows New Brain Cells - Yahoo! News

"Exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells, a new study on rats finds. The new cells could be the key to why working out relieves depression. "

Low carb diet ups colorectal cancer risk

"Long term use of a diet with very low carbohydrate such as Atkins diet may increase risk of colorectal cancer in humans as low carb diet reduces the amounts of beneficial bacteria, according to a new study.

Scientists at Aberdeen's Rowett Research Institute found that a very low carbohydrate weight loss diet causes a four-fold reduction in the numbers of certain types of bacteria in the gut of obese men. These bacteria are known to produce a chemical known as butyrate, which has been shown to be protective against colorectal cancer.

Butyrate, a short chain fatty acid, is produced in the gut only when the bacteria ferment the carbohydrate present in food. It can be used by the bacteria as a source of energy and also is used by the cells which line the gut wall. "

Pancreatic Cancer Wellness Research

Pancreatic Cancer Wellness Research

Pancreatic Cancer Patients Don't Get Surgery

"A new study says nearly 40% of patients with early pancreatic cancer who could be treated with surgery don't get the operation.

One of the study's co-authors says the complicated operation is tricky but safer than previously thought and can extend life, although chances of surviving five years are still not great.

The study found that about 30% of patients with early stage disease who get the operation can be expected to survive at least five years, compared with less than five percent of early stage patients who don't get the operation.

The study is based on an analysis of a national cancer database maintained by the American College of Surgeons."

Think Secret - Memo from Steve Jobs to Apple employees

"August 1, 2004 - Earlier today, Reuters reported that Apple CEO Steve Jobs successfully underwent surgery for a "very rare" type of pancreatic cancer. The rare form can be cured if treated in time, as was the case with Jobs. As the CEO will be back on the job in September, it's unclear whether Jobs will keynote Apple Expo Paris on August 31.

The full text of Jobs' email to employees:"

"Enormous Failure" In Treatment Of Early Pancreatic Cancer

"More than half of eligible patients with operable, early-stage pancreatic cancer don't undergo potentially life-extending surgery, suggests a study published online this week by the Annals of Surgery, published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

'The only opportunity for cure in early-stage patients is surgical resection, but nihilistic attitudes toward pancreatic cancer likely contribute to this striking underuse of curative resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma,' according to the new report. The lead author was Dr. Karl Y. Bilimoria of Northwestern University, Chicago.

The researchers analyzed data on more than 9,500 patients with early-stage cancers of the pancreas treated between 1995 and 2004. All patients had 'potentially resectable' cancers that had not yet spread to the lymph nodes or elsewhere. Data for the study came from the American College of Surgeons National Cancer Data Base (NCDB).

The study looked at how many patients underwent surgery, called pancreatectomy, to remove the cancer. If surgery was not performed, the researchers evaluated the reasons why."

Natural Products Industry Insider - Natural Products Industry Insider-Dietary B’s May Drop Pancreatic Cancer Risk

" BOSTON—Data from four large cohorts suggests plasma levels of the B vitamins folate, B6 and B12 may not reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer; however, there was an inverse association seen among adults whose only source of the nutrients was the diet—not dietary supplements (Cancer Res, 67(11):5553-60, 2007; DOI:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-4463). Researchers from Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School conducted a prospective, nested, case-control study to examine plasma concentrations of folate, B6, B12 and homocysteine in relationship to pancreatic cancer. Among 208 cases and 623 controls, there was a modest trend between greater nutrient intake and reduced pancreatic cancer risk in subjects who did not report multivitamin use..."

"Failure" in Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

"More than half of eligible patients with operable, early-stage pancreatic cancer don't undergo potentially life-extending surgery, suggests a study published online this week by the Annals of Surgery.

'The only opportunity for cure in early-stage patients is surgical resection, but nihilistic attitudes toward pancreatic cancer likely contribute to this striking underuse of curative resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma,' according to the new report. The lead author was Dr. Karl Y. Bilimoria of Northwestern University, Chicago"

Associated Press: Study: Liver Cancer Breakthrough Found - MSN Money

"For the first time, doctors said Monday they have found a pill that improves survival for people with liver cancer, a notoriously hard to treat disease diagnosed in more than half a million people globally each year.
The results in a multinational study of 602 patients with advanced liver cancer are impressive and likely will change the way patients are treated, say cancer specialists, including the study authors."

Cancer expected to skyrocket in Asia

"Asia is bracing for a dramatic surge in cancer rates over the next decade as people in the developing world live longer and adopt bad Western habits that greatly increase the risk of the disease.

Smoking, drinking and eating unhealthy foods — all linked to various cancers — will combine with larger populations and fewer deaths from infectious diseases to drive Asian cancer rates up 60 percent by 2020, some experts predict.

But unlike in wealthy countries where the world's top medical care is found, there will likely be no prevention or treatment for many living in poor countries."

AM - Scientists discover further breast cancer genes

" A study led by Australian scientists has identified four genes that may increase the risk of women developing breast cancer.

Scientists say it's too early to screen women for the genes but they hope that this latest finding will take them further down the track to determine what role genetics play in causing cancer.

Gavin Fang reports.

GAVIN FANG: The findings of the study are published today in the international science journal Nature.

Professor Graham Giles, from Melbourne's Cancer Epidemiology Centre, was a co-author.

GRAHAM GILES: The important thing about these genes is that they're not like the ones we already know about, like BRCA1 and 2, which are very rarely mutated but when they do they give a phenomenally high risk of breast cancer, these genes only increase breast cancer risk by a small amount. What people are carrying are minute alterations or variations in these genes. "

Cancer survivor now an advocate- mlive.com

"Linda Lover is grateful she beat breast cancer, but there's a nagging unfairness to her survival.
Her husband, Alton, 61, a Vietnam veteran and journeyman machine repairman at Flint Metal Center, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, the same year she learned she had breast cancer. She survived. He didn't. "

Close-up On Pancreatic Disease: How Do We Improve The Odds?

"Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest of today's cancers due to limited tools for early diagnosis and few effective treatments. These article summaries look at pancreatic cancer and the conditions that may lead to it, such as chronic pancreatitis, to evaluate the progress made to date, as well as the promising new applications of technology that will improve survival rates in the coming years. "

Medical Laboratory World: Markers to detect pancreatic cancer

"A pattern of micro molecules able to distinguish pancreatic cancer from normal and benign pancreatic tissue could be a useful diagnostic tool in diagnosing pancreatic cancer in the future, scientists have said.
The study examined human pancreatic tumour tissue and compared it to nearby normal tissue and control tissue for levels of microRNA (miRNA). It identified about 100 different miRNAs that are present usually at very high levels in the tumor tissue compared with their levels in normal pancreatic tissue.
The findings suggest that miRNAs form an expression pattern that may offer new clues about how pancreatic cancer develops, and they could lead to new molecular markers that might improve doctors' ability to diagnose and treat the disease."

Cancer Care Seeks to Take Patients Beyond Survival - New York Times

"As a growing number of Americans are learning, surviving cancer can mean slipping into a rabbit hole of long-term medical problems — from premature menopause and sexual dysfunction to more debilitating side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, like heart disease and even new cancers.
The realization that cancer and its aftermath can go on for years has given rise to a medical specialty known as survivorship. At several major hospitals around the country, survivor programs financed by the Lance Armstrong Foundation are focusing on life after cancer.
“It’s no longer sufficient to say, ‘Well, you survived,’ ” said Mary S. McCabe, who directs the program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. “We need to maximize their recovery and quality of life.”"

Use Of Swedish 'Snus' Linked To A Doubled Risk Of Pancreatic Cancer

"People who use Swedish moist snuff (snus) run twice the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas. This is the main result of a follow-up study conducted by Karolinska Institutet researchers amongst almost 300,000 male construction workers. The study is published online in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.

Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer, which is an unusually malignant form of the disease. Since it is common for people who take snus - a tobacco product designed for insertion between the gum and upper lip - to also smoke cigarettes, the challenge facing epidemiological research into snus and cancer has been to isolate the effects of the different kinds of tobacco. What makes this new study unique is that it has been possible to study the correlation between snus and cancer risk in a large enough group of men who have never smoked. "

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs May Protect Against Cancer - PakTribune

"The cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, used by many to protect against heart disease, may also guard against several kinds of cancers.
Already shown to shield against prostate cancer, two new studies suggest statins also provide a greater than 50 percent reduction in risk with pancreatic and esophageal cancer, the researchers said.
The studies were to be presented Monday at Digestive Disease Week 2005, in Chicago. "

Swedish 'snus' linked to a doubled risk of pancreatic cancer

"People who use Swedish moist snuff (snus) run twice the risk of developing cancer of the pancreas.
This is the main result of a follow-up study conducted by Karolinska Institutet researchers amongst almost 300,000 male construction workers. The study is published today online in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet.
Tobacco smoking is a known risk factor for pancreatic cancer, which is an unusually malignant form of the disease. Since it is common for people who take snus , a tobacco product designed for insertion between the gum and upper lip , to also smoke cigarettes, the challenge facing epidemiological research into snus and cancer has been to isolate the effects of the different kinds of tobacco. What makes this new study unique is that it has been possible to study the correlation between snus and cancer risk in a large enough group of men who have never smoked.
The subjects attended health check ups between 1978 and 1992, during which they were asked to report on their smoking and 'snusing' habits. The researchers have also studied rates of oral and lung cancer amongst the men, but found no correlation to snus.
'We're actually not that surprised,' says project leader Professor Olof Nyr'n of the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. 'Pancreatic cancer has been under discussion in several earlier epidemiological studies on humans, both regarding Scandinavian snus and American smoke-free tobacco. On the other hand, previous studies of oral and lung cancer in relation to Scandinavian snus have been negative.' "

Study finds a throat cancer, HPV link

"The virus that causes cervical cancer may be linked to throat cancer in people who engage in oral sex, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.
A study in 300 adults found that those infected with the human papillomavirus who had oral sex with more than six partners were three times as likely to get throat cancer. The research was included in a package of studies and commentary on the virus in Thursday's issue of the journal."

Smokeless tobacco 'snus' linked to pancreatic cancer

"New research has shown that users of Swedish 'snus' - an oral, smokeless tobacco - are twice as likely to contract pancreatic cancer as people who have never smoked.

The findings come from an article published in the medical journal the Lancet.

The study, by researchers at the Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, looked at around 280,000 Swedish construction workers who were surveyed on tobacco consumption habits from 1978 to 1992, and then followed up until 2004.

The researchers found no increased risk of lung or oral cancer in snus users compared to those who had never smoked, but did find that snus users were around twice as likely to contract pancreatic cancer than those who had never smoked.

However, smokers were still more likely to contract pancreatic cancer than snus users. "

Obesity Associated with Pancreatic Cancer Risk

"A review of published evidence suggests a positive association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of pancreatic cancer in men and women, according to a report in the International Journal of Cancer for May 1st.
While epidemiologic studies have associated overweight and obesity with elevated risk of many cancer types, 'uncertainty remains about the relation between obesity and the risk of pancreatic cancer,' write Dr. Susanna C. Larsson and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
The researchers performed a meta-analysis of prospective studies on the association between BMI and the risk of pancreatic cancer. A total of 21 studies, involving almost 3,500,000 subjects and 8062 pancreatic cancer cases, were included in the analysis.
The estimated summary relative risk of pancreatic cancer per 5 kg/m² increase in BMI was 1.12 in men and women combined, 1.16 in men, and 1.10 in women. No evidence of publication bias was observed. "

Barbecue lovers may have higher breast cancer risk - Yahoo! News

"Postmenopausal women who like barbecued and smoked meat would be wise to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables too, a new study suggests. "

Pancreatic Cancer Markers Identified, May Predict Survival | Cancer Forums and News

"Scientists have discovered a way to distinguish pancreatic cancer from non-cancerous tissue, new research shows.
The method may also distinguish patients who will survive longer than two years.
The research examined pancreatic cancer cells for tiny molecules called microRNA (miRNA). It shows that relative levels of certain miRNAs can distinguish pancreatic cancer from nearby noncancerous tissue and from inflamed pancreatic tissue. "

Gene Discovery May Improve Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment

"Scientists say they can use small bits of genetic material called microRNA to spot key differences between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, aiding in earlier diagnosis for the lethal malignancy.
The researchers say doctors might also someday use microRNA to help predict the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer.
The report is especially important, because pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers known, eventually killing almost all of the 33,000 Americans it affects each year.
The problem is that pancreatic tumors often grow very large without outward symptoms, leading to late diagnoses and poor patient outcomes.
But 'microRNA can help in the diagnosis,' said lead researcher Dr. Mark Bloomston, a professor of surgery at Ohio State University, Columbus. 'It could also, potentially have some prognostic implications,' he added."

Eating fruits, veggies cuts cancer risk - The Clarion-Ledger

"When scientists study human populations and their eating habits, they can draw some conclusions about different dietary habits and the link with certain diseases.
For example, populations that eat more fruits and vegetables with less fat suffer from fewer heart attacks and strokes. Sometimes it is tough to prove exactly how these foods work to prevent disease although we know they can.
At the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, researchers presented promising evidence that diet and lifestyle can help prevent cancer.
One of the studies presented dealt with prevention of cancers of the head and neck. Head and neck cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, resulting in more than 350,000 deaths each year. This study was conducted by the National Cancer Institute with a half-million AARP members, men and women over the age of 50. Those who ate six servings of fruits and vegetables for each 1,000 calories consumed had 29 percent lower risk than the study participants who ate only 1 1/2 servings per 1,000 calories. Those members who ate just one additional serving of fruit and vegetables per day had a 6 percent reduction in cancer risk. The more servings they ate, the greater the reduction in risk."

Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Halts Progression Of Disease In Some Patients

"A dendritic cell-based therapeutic vaccine for pancreatic cancer developed by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine has successfully stalled the disease from progressing in a handful of patients three years post-vaccination. The results, part of a press briefing on cancer vaccines held at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in LA, provide promising evidence that the vaccine can trigger a patient’s own immune system to rally against pancreatic cancer and offer new insights into how the vaccine could be made even more effective. The study is abstract number 4896 in the meeting proceedings. "

http://www.playfuls.com/news_006683_Pancreatic_Cancer_Vaccine_Halts_Progression_Of_Disease_In_Some_Patients.html

Flavonols lower pancreatic-cancer risk

A study of California and Hawaii residents found that a diet high in fruits and vegetables might help reduce pancreatic-cancer risk.Flavonols are found in plants, but the highest concentrations are found in onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli.People who ate the largest amounts of flavonols had a 23-percent reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared with those who ate the least, according to research team leader Dr. Laurence Kolonel of the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/53056.html

Diet and lifestyle: In the cancer fight, eating well is the best revenge

"Flavonols and pancreatic cancer risk: The Multiethnic Cohort Study: Abstract 856
A study of food consumption in 183,518 residents of California and Hawaii has found that a diet high in flavonols might help reduce pancreatic cancer risk, especially in smokers. These compounds are generally ubiquitous in plant-based foods, but are found in highest concentrations in onions, apples, berries, kale and broccoli.
People who ate the largest amounts of flavonols had a 23 percent reduced risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the least, according to a research team led by Laurence Kolonel, M.D., Ph.D., at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
Smokers gained the most benefit. Those who ate the most flavonols reduced their risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 59 percent, compared to those who ate the least, says the study’s lead author, Ute Nöthlings, DrPH, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral fellow in Hawaii and is now a researcher at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke.
‘The effect was largest in smokers, presumably because they are at increased pancreatic cancer risk already,' said Nöthlings. Smoking is the only established risk factor for pancreatic cancer, and 'short of stopping tobacco use, it has been difficult to consistently show lifestyle factors that might help protect against this deadly cancer,' she says.
As part of a larger research project known as The Multiethnic Cohort Study, Kolonel and Nöthlings followed the participants for an average of eight years after they filled out a comprehensive food questionnaire. "

Another Pancreatic Cancer Setback

Another Pancreatic-Cancer Setback - WSJ.com: "Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and ImClone Systems Inc. said their cancer drug, Erbitux, failed to significantly prolong the lives of people with pancreatic cancer in a new study, marking yet another setback in the drug industry's efforts to find a better treatment for this deadly disease.
Erbitux is currently approved by regulators to treat colorectal cancer and head and neck cancer. Bristol-Myers and ImClone have been studying whether it is effective in other cancers."

ACS :: What Is Cancer of the Pancreas?

"The pancreas is a gland found behind the stomach. It is shaped a little bit like a fish. It is about 6 inches long and less than 2 inches wide. It extends across the abdomen.
The pancreas is really 2 separate glands inside the same organ. The exocrine gland makes pancreatic juice that has enzymes to break down fats and proteins in foods so the body can use them. Most of the cells in the pancreas are part of the exocrine system. A smaller number of cells in the pancreas are endocrine cells. These cells are arranged in clusters called islets (or islets of Langerhans). They make hormones (such as insulin) that help balance the amount of sugar in the blood. "

Richmond.com: 'High-Tech Health ' for Pancreatic Cancer

"Lung cancer is the leading cause of death due to cancer for both men and women, accounting for 32 percent of male cancer deaths and 25 percent of female cancer deaths in the United States. Only about one-tenth of lung cancer victims survive more than five years after diagnosis.

Colo-rectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. Breast and prostate cancer are next on the list, followed by pancreatic, stomach, esophageal, ovarian, uterine, cervical, lymphomas, leukemia, liver, brain, kidney, bladder, skin and mouth cancer. Any tissue type is capable of undergoing unregulated cell growth, which is the definition of cancer."

NCCS: National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

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Consumer Health Web Site Launches Revolution Health is a new company started by AOL co-founder Steve Case. It aims to put you - the patient - in the center of the health care system by providing you with information, tools and community resources that will help you live your very best. To learn more, visit www.revolutionhealth.com.

Breakthrough in Pancreatic Cancer

"You don’t generally hear much about pancreatic cancer, probably because it isn’t as common as breast, lung or prostate cancers, but perhaps also because there hasn’t been an improvement in the survival rate, the lowest of all major cancers, in nearly two decades. That might be about to change, thanks to the intense focus on stem cell research in recent years. In a report in the Feb. 1 (2006) issue of Cancer Research, investigators described finding strong evidence that pancreatic cancer is controlled by a small group of cells with stem cell-like properties (the ability to self-renew and differentiate). The cells were identified by the presence of three specific antibody markers on the cell surface."

Stem cells may have role in cancer relapses | Asbury Park Press Online

"In recent years, doctors have found stem cells in the liver, brain and other organs. Scientists believe these cells serve as reserve troops that help repair injuries, dividing into whatever type of tissue is needed, Jones says.
Cancer stem cells apparently pervert this process. Instead of creating new tissue to heal a wound, they create and replenish malignant tumors, Jones says.
Simeone sorted human pancreatic cancer cells according to protein markers that appear on their surface. In her research on pancreatic tumors, Simeone focused on cells with three particular proteins because those markers were found on cancer stem cells in earlier studies of cancer in different organs. Researchers injected the cells into mice, then waited to see which ones generated tumors.
As suspected, cancer cells with all three protein markers were the most aggressive. Mice developed tumors after being injected with as few as 100 of them. That's not many cells, Simeone says, considering that there are 'billions and billions' of cells in a human body."

ScienceDaily: New Direction For Pancreas Cell Regeneration

"Replacing faulty or missing cells with new insulin-making cells has been the object of diabetes research for the last decade. Past studies in tissue culture have suggested that one type of pancreas cell could be coaxed to transform into insulin-producing islet cells."

"Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have demonstrated that these pancreatic acinar cells do not become insulin-producing cells in an animal model. However, they did show that injured pancreatic cells readily regenerate back into healthy acinar cells, which has implications for treating cancer and inflammation of the pancreas. This study appears in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The research also holds promise for new techniques for pancreas cell manipulation.
The pancreas is made up of two compartments with different functions: the islet compartment of insulin-producing beta cells and the much larger exocrine compartment composed of duct cells and acinar cells that make and deliver enzymes to the intestine for digestion. Diabetes is caused by the failure of the beta cells to make insulin, whereas pancreatic cancer usually originates from the exocrine compartment. Under certain conditions in tissue culture, acinar cells can synthesize insulin as well as amylase, a digestion enzyme."

Swiss reject Roche's Tarceva for pancreatic cancer | Health | Reuters

Swiss health authorities have rejected drugmaker Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research) Tarceva for use in pancreatic cancer, the company said on Thursday.

"We've actually applied for the approval and they said no," said Roche spokeswoman Martina Rupp. "It's definitely not good news for patients in Switzerland."

Rupp said Switzerland's regulatory agency, Swissmedic, had questioned the safety and efficacy of Tarceva and the approval process had not got as far as the pricing of the drug.

It is the second time Switzerland has turned down approval of Tarceva in pancreatic cancer.

Roche has already refiled its application, based on prior approvals of the drug in the European Union and United States, and is waiting on a response from Swissmedic, Rupp said.

Pancreatic Cancer: UVA Resource

"What is pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in men and women in the US. According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that there will be 33,730 new cases of pancreatic cancer in 2006, and 32,300 deaths are expected. Pancreatic cancer occurs when malignant cells grow out of control.
What is a risk factor?
A risk factor is anything that may increase a person's chance of developing a disease. It may be an activity, such as smoking, diet, family history, or many other things. Different diseases, including cancers, have different risk factors.
Although these factors can increase a person's risk, they do not necessarily cause the disease. Some people with one or more risk factors never develop the disease, while others develop disease and have no known risk factors.
But, knowing your risk factors to any disease can"

The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center

Pancreatitis - Wikipedia definition

Causes
The most common causes of acute pancreatitis are gallstones and excessive consumption of alcohol (together accounting for more than 80% of cases). Less common causes include hypertriglyceridemia (but not hypercholesterolemia) and only when triglyceride values exceed 1500 mg/dl (16 mmol/L), hypercalcemia, viral infection (e.g. mumps), trauma (to the abdomen or elsewhere in the body) including post-ERCP (i.e. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography), vasculitis (i.e. inflammation of the small blood vessels within the pancreas), and autoimmune pancreatitis. Pregnancy can also cause pancreatitis, but in some cases the development of pancreatitis is probably just a reflection of the hypertriglyceridemia which often occurs in pregnant women. Pancreas divisum, a common congenital malformation of the pancreas may underlie some cases of recurrent pancreatitis.
Many medications have been reported to cause pancreatitis. Some of the more common ones include the AIDS drugs DDI and pentamidine, diuretics such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide, the chemotherapeutic agents L-asparaginase and azathioprine, and estrogen. Just as is the case with pregnancy associated pancreatitis, estrogen may lead to the disorder because of its effect to raise blood triglyceride levels.