from BioMed Central

"I'm pregnant and I have breast cancer"
"Pregnancy is infrequently complicated by the diagnosis of a concurrent breast cancer. This presents a particularly complicated clinical problem." View the provisional paper on this topic.


from Yale Cancer Center:

Yale Cancer Center Answers
"Yale Cancer Center Answers is a weekly radio show focused on cancer screening, detection, treatment, and prevention to provide the latest information to listeners in Connecticut. Hosted by Yale Cancer Center’s Dr. Edward Chu, Deputy Director and Chief of Medical Oncology, and Dr. Kenneth Miller, Director of Supportive Care and the Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Clinic, the show features a guest cancer specialist who will share the most recent advances in cancer therapy and respond to listeners’ questions."


from American Cancer Society:

Reducing Cancer Disparities One Patient at a Time
"Electra D. Paskett, PhD, and her team are working with 12 primary care practices throughout Columbus to recruit 1,200 patients with abnormal cancer screening results. Patients at six of the clinics can choose to receive patient navigator assistance, while patients at the other six clinics will receive usual care, in the form of written materials.
The study will concentrate on cancers for which screening tests are available: breast, cervix, and colon."

from St. Jude:

Study of leukemia survivors gives hints for better care
"The longest follow-up study ever conducted with survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) shows the importance of monitoring former patients through the years. This process will help clinicians identify complications that might develop and modify current treatments to reduce those risks, according to St. Jude investigators."


from the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology:

IMRT Allows Higher Radiation Therapy Dose for Breast Cancer
"Women with breast cancer who receive higher doses of radiation with IMRT each day can reduce their treatment time by two weeks without increasing side effects, according to a study released today in the June 1 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology."


from M.D. Anderson

Sunscreen and Summer Sun Safety
"As part of National Skin Cancer Awareness Month this May, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is encouraging everyone to learn more about the proper application of sunscreen to lower their lifetime risk of developing skin cancer."


from the American Institute for Cancer Research:

Soda: The Newest Health Food?
"One thing’s for certain, America has a soft drink habit...This spring, Coke is launching a “nutrient-enhanced” version of Diet Coke, which, according to the nutrition label, includes 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance of several B vitamins, as well as 15 percent of the RDA for magnesium and zinc.
Pepsi is also rolling out new “healthy” drinks they call “sparkling beverages” (“soda” is so 20th century), including the vitamin-fortified Tava and Diet Pepsi Max, an energy drink with increased caffeine and ginseng. Soda executives call diet and light sodas their “health and wellness brands..."

from the American Cancer Society:

Psychosocial Support for Cancer Survivors Needs Strengthening
"While one in four cancer survivors participates in a support group after diagnosis, use of support groups varies considerably by cancer type, and few survivors receive referrals to such programs from their physicians, according to a new study. Published in the June 15, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study finds that cancer survivors are more likely to attend a support group compared to people with other chronic conditions, but there is little active support for such use by treating physicians."

Mammography Rates Declining In the United States
"Since 2000 mammography rates have declined significantly in the United States, according to a new study."

from Discovery Health

Podcast Your Story
Click on the link above to see how you can share your story with others!


from the American Cancer Society:

Study Links Breast Cancer Decline to Quitting Hormones
"The new findings show that breast cancer rates stabilized at that new lower level between 2003 and 2004 -- as did use of HRT. Moreover, the decline in breast cancer incidence was seen only in women 50 or older (those most likely to have used hormone therapy) and was greater for estrogen-receptor-positive tumors (the kind fueled by hormone therapy) compared to those with no estrogen receptors.
This suggests that declining hormone use was the primary factor behind the drop in breast cancer, according to lead researcher Peter Ravdin, PhD, MD, and his colleagues."

from the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology:

Cancer Patients Relying More on Friends, Family for Treatment Advice
"Making treatment decisions with the help of family and friends is on the rise, as people widen their sources of information beyond the advice of their doctors and increasingly use the Internet and other public sources of data. In 2003, 56 percent of cancer patients and their families made their decision based upon the advice of their oncologist and 45 percent said they made their decision with the help of their primary care physician. However, in 2007, only 50 percent relied on the advice of their oncologist and 41 percent said they relied on their primary care doctor."


from Reuter's Health:

Yoga shown to help women with breast cancer
"Women with breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast may benefit from participating in a tailored yoga program that includes gentle yoga postures, breathing exercises, and meditation, new research suggests."


from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center:

Researchers uncover mutated genes involved in lung cancer; one affects nonsmokers
"Lung cancer patients who have never smoked are more likely than smokers to harbor one of two genetic mutations that researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have now linked to the disease. "This study describes the first known mutation to occur in lung cancer patients who have never smoked," said Dr. Adi Gazdar, professor of pathology in the Nancy B. and Jake L. Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research and senior author of the study in today's issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 'These findings may help explain why certain lung cancer patients respond dramatically to a specific form of targeted therapy while others have little or no response.' "

from the American Cancer Society:


American Cancer Society Report Finds Signs that Cancer Progress Could Stall
"An annual report from the American Cancer Society finds that despite recent declines in cancer death rates, there are worrisome signs that progress could stall."

Many Women Undertreated for Ovarian Cancer
"The study of hospital data from nine states found that women who were over 70, of African American or Hispanic race, or insured by Medicaid, were at greatest risk for undertreatment."


from National Public Radio:

Podcast from Journalist, Leroy Shievers, entitled My Cancer
"Leroy Sievers has spent a long career as a journalist covering war, genocide and natural disasters. Now after decades of observing other people's deaths, he is forced to contemplate his own. He's fighting cancer."

from the American Cancer Society:

American Cancer Society Issues Recommendation on MRI for Breast Cancer Screening
"An expert panel convened by the American Cancer Society has developed new recommendations for the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for women at increased risk for breast cancer, and recommends annual screening using MRI in addition to mammography for women with a 20-25 percent or greater lifetime risk of the disease."


from the Mayo Clinic:

Cryoablation -- A New Treatment Option for Some Kidney Tumor Patients
"Mayo Clinic researchers report that freezing kidney tumors through percutaneous cryoablation shows promise for patients who are not good candidates for surgery. Their early findings showing short-term success in more than 90 percent of selected patients are published in this month's issue of Radiology."


from the White House:

April is Cancer Control Month
"Cancer Control Month is an opportunity to educate all Americans about cancer, to raise awareness about treatments, and to renew our commitment to fighting this deadly disease."


from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
"Adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium protocols have better outcomes than published results from other studies, according to a report in the March 1st issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology."

from M.D. Anderson:

Colon Cancer Survival Linked To Number of Lymph Nodes Examined
"An analysis of 17 studies from nine countries has found that the more lymph nodes that are removed and examined during surgical treatment of colon cancer, the better the outcome appears to be for patients. The study suggests that removal of the nodes takes away a reservoir for potentially lethal cancer, and that knowing how far a cancer has spread leads to tailored and more beneficial treatment, according to researchers at The University of Texas M. D Anderson Cancer Center. "


from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:

Study of leukemia survivors gives hints for better care
"Results from the longest follow-up study ever done of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors show the importance of long-term monitoring of former patients to identify complications they are at risk for developing later in life ...
The St. Jude study showed that adults who had received treatment for ALL during childhood are at increased risk for developing a secondary neoplasm during the next 30 years. Secondary neoplasms are new tumors that develop after successful treatment of an initial cancer."

from the National Cancer Institute:

NCI Clinical Trial Results: Low-Fat Diet May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer Relapse
"Postmenopausal women who ate a low-fat diet were less likely to get a recurrence of breast cancer than those who ate a standard diet. This is the first time a large randomized clinical trial has shown that a low-fat diet can reduce the chance of breast cancer coming back."

from MedlinePlus and Reuter's Health Information:

Dietary vitamin C may prevent oral pre-cancer
"Vitamin C from dietary sources, but not from supplements, is associated with a reduced risk of oral pre-malignant lesions in men, a new study indicates."

from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

Guide to Health Care Quality
"This guide is designed to help you get quality health care. Getting quality health care can help you stay healthy and recover faster when you become sick.
The tips presented here are provided to help you be active in making decisions about your health care. The goal is to make sure you receive the best possible care."

from the FDA:

FDA Approves Tykerb for Advanced Breast Cancer Patients
"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved Tykerb (lapatinib), a new targeted anti-cancer treatment, to be used in combination with capectabine (Xeloda), another cancer drug, for patients with advanced, metastatic breast cancer that is HER2 positive (tumors that exhibit HER2 protein)."

from the International Agency on Research for Cancer:

Sunbed use in youth unequivocally associated with skin cancer
"Melanoma is on the increase everywhere in the world and the number of cases doubles every 12-15 years in the most affected areas...
The data showed a prominent and consistent increase in risk for melanoma in people who first used sunbeds in their twenties or teen years: a 75% increase in risk of melanoma was calculated for such users of artificial tanning appliances, while this increase in the general population, although not statistically significant, is still not negligible."

from the BBC News:

Cancer threat for young tanners
"More young people are being diagnosed with skin cancer, a consultant dermatologist has claimed."


from Michigan State University:

MSU research strengthens link between smoking, pancreatic cancer
"Researchers at Michigan State University have added yet another piece to the puzzle that links cigarette smoking with cancer of the pancreas, one of the deadliest forms of cancer."


from the American Cancer Society:

Federal Panel: Don't Use Pain Relievers to Guard Against Colon Cancer
"Not enough scientific evidence exists to support using aspirin and other pain relievers to prevent colorectal cancer, according to a federal task force. Taking such medications in high doses (300 milligrams and higher) on a regular basis would do more harm than good, they found, by increasing a person's risk for stroke, internal bleeding, and kidney failure."

Study: CT Scans Still Not Advised for Lung Cancer Screening
"The use of computed tomography (CT) scans to screen current or former smokers for lung cancer is still too experimental to recommend for widespread medical use, according to results from a new study. "


from the National Cancer Institute:

Researchers Discover New Biomarkers for Liver Cancer
"Researchers have found that a unique pattern of activity in cells surrounding a liver tumor can accurately predict whether the cancer will spread to other parts of the liver or to other parts of the body."

from the American Cancer Society:

Children with Cancer Risk Fragile Bones
"Physicians caring for children with cancer should be on the lookout for signs of bone fragility caused by disease and treatment, according to a new report...the review reveals that the combination of sedentary behaviors caused by the chronic illness and inhibition of bone growth and mineralization as side effects of treatments put these children at real risk for bone problems during their lifetime"

from BBC News:

Drug 'cuts long-term cancer risk'
"Tamoxifen reduces the risk of breast cancer long after women stop taking the drug, research suggests."


from MD Anderson:

Gene Expression Test Reveals ER and HER-2 Status of Breast Tumors
"Two critical characteristics of breast cancer that are important to treatment can be identified by measuring gene expression in the tumor, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports in Lancet Oncology online."


from CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians:

Preserving Primary Care: the Front Line in the War Against Cancer
"A recent report by the Commonwealth Fund meticulously documents that the US health care system delivers disturbingly low quality at a very high price.1 Many individuals struggle with obtaining adequate access to care. For both the general public and the cancer patient, lack of access impacts care delivery at every point along the spectrum—from prevention through treatment and end of life. Increasingly, spotlights are being focused on the root causes of this health care crisis, and new paradigms are emerging to address quality gaps. These include a focus on measuring and paying for quality as opposed to volume of care."

from SickKids Hospital (an affiliate of the University of Toronto):

SickKids researchers find prenatal multivitamins reduces risk of childhood cancers
"Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have found that taking prenatal multivitamins fortified with folic acid can reduce the risk of three common childhood cancers: leukemia, brain tumours and neuroblastoma. This research was published online on February 21, 2007, in the journal Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics."


from the American Cancer Society:

Cancer Patients Can More Easily Navigate Health Care System Thanks to the American Cancer Society and AstraZeneca
"With major support from AstraZeneca, the American Cancer Society will accelerate development of at least 50 new Patient Navigator Program sites over the next five years in communities throughout the United States."


from the University of California in San Diego:

Study Shows Liver an Excellent Target for Cancer Gene Therapy Using Viral Vectors
"A featured paper in the February 14 issue of Nature Cancer Gene Therapy demonstrates that cancer cells in the liver are excellent targets for gene therapy using adenoviral vectors, based upon a fundamental new understanding of the differences between cancerous and normal liver cells. The findings signal a new way to treat cancers that have spread to the liver, such as metastatic cancers of the colon and breast."


from Sister Study:

The Sister Study
This is a study seeking participants of the environmental and genetic risk factors for Breast Cancer.
"The Sister Study is the only long-term study of women aged 35 to 74 whose sister had breast cancer. It is a national study to learn how environment and genes affect the chances of getting breast cancer. In the next 3 years, 50,000 women whose sister had breast cancer, and who do not have breast cancer themselves will be asked to join the study."

CANCER News


from ABC News:
DCA: Cancer Breakthrough or Urban Legend?
OPINION by LEN LICHTENFELD, M.D.
This is a great article about the recent upsurge in cancer news about DCA.


from the American Cancer Society:

Early Switch to an Aromatase Inhibitor Increases Survival
"For breast cancer patients taking tamoxifen, switching to an aromatase inhibitor within three years significantly improves survival rates, according to a new study. Published in the March 15, 2007 issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that the clear survival benefit was also achieved without an increased risk of death from other causes – a significant risk associated with tamoxifen."

CANCER in the News

from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:

UCLA Researchers Discover Genes Linked to Lymphoma, Research Opens Way for New Targeted Drugs
"Researchers at The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have identified genes that when inactivated help cause B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). These genetic defects may also be involved in promoting the formation of other cancers since they can inactivate normal tumor-suppressing gene activities in a range of cell types."


from Onoclogy Podcasting:

New Drugs for Kidney Cancer
Video podcast on new treatments for renal cell cancer.


from the National Cancer Institute:

Cancer Stem Cells Found in Pancreatic Tumors
"Researchers have detected cancer stem cells in tumors from patients with pancreatic cancer. Experiments in mice suggest that these cancer stem cells may help explain the aggressive growth and spread of pancreatic tumors seen in patients, the researchers report in the February 1 Cancer Research.
Cancer stem cells have been identified in blood, brain, and breast cancers, and more recently in ovarian and colon cancers. The new findings provide further support for the stem cell hypothesis, the theory that some tumors contain small populations of self-renewing cells that give rise to all of the cells in the tumor."


Mammography Rates Decline in Women 40 and Older
"Mammography rates in women aged 40 and over have declined from 76.4 percent in 2000 to 74.6 percent in 2005, a statistically significant decrease."


from the American Cancer Society:

Cancer Still a Heavy Burden for African Americans
"The United States has made strides recently in improving the outlook for people with cancer. Deaths from the disease have dropped for two years in a row. But a new American Cancer Society report shows that progress has been slower among African Americans than people of other races in this country.
Death rates from cancer have been declining among both African American men and women, according to Cancer Facts & Figures for African Americans 2007-2008. "

Dr. Len's Cancer Blog:
DCA: Cancer Breakthrough Or Urban Legend?

"... an article appeared in the January 2007 issue of Cancer Cell, written by a researcher at the University of Alberta in Canada.

I do not know the researcher, but the institution is one that is a recognized, established University.

The basic gist of the research report is that cancer cells rely on certain energy pathways that are different from normal cells, similar to the situation that occurs in what we medically call lactic acidosis...

So before you start going out and adding DCA to your drinking water to prevent cancer, a degree of caution would be very prudent at this point...

I am acutely aware that there are cancer patients out there who are fighting every day for their survival, and are hoping that there is one last chance to get a treatment that may prolong or save their lives...

For some of you out there to inappropriately make them feel that DCA is the answer to their prayers based on this single early stage report in a medical research journal is, in my opinion, not acceptable at best and despicable at worst."


from the American Institute of Cancer Research:

Don’t Just Sit There: The Desk Decathlon
"Follow the instructions as you read along, and by the time you get to the end of this article, you’ll have completed a head-to-toe workout without leaving your desk.
These exercises emphasize flexibility and muscle tone. It may not be the kind of heart-pumping activity shown to improve cardiovascular health, burn calories and reduce cancer risk, but it’s a great way to take a mid-day break and keep up your energy. "


from CURE Magazine:

2007 Cancer Resource Guide
"CURE, in association with the American Cancer Society, brings you the 2007 Cancer Resource Guide—the most crucial cancer information that will guide you through each step of the journey."