Therapist Unlimited Blog

A recent study done in Japan has shown that cancer can be transferred from mother to unborn child.
The study was the work of first author Takeshi Isoda from the Department of Pediatrics and Developmental Biology at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, and colleagues.
The researchers discovered that cases of mother to offspring transmission of cancer are rare and few have been recorded over the last 100 years, wrote the authors, and there is barely any evidence that shows the mother’s cancer cells match the baby’s.
In the paper, Isoda and colleagues describe a case where a 28-year old mother was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after giving birth to a baby girl who developed similar symptoms when she was nearly a year old.

 

 

 

 

Pregnant women should keep themselves healthy and away from cancer since they can transmit this deadly disease to their kids.

 

Using various methods, Isoda and colleagues were able to show that the cancer cells in the baby were a genetic match to those of the mother.
First they generated clones of the cancer cells from both mother and baby and found that they "shared the same unique BCR-ABL1 genomic fusion sequence, indicating a shared, single-cell origin", and then they showed that "microsatellite markers in the infant cancer were all of maternal origin".
They also found that the baby’s cancer cells had inherited a pattern of missing genes (notably a "major deletion on one copy of chromosome 6p that included deletion of HLA alleles") that probably helped the cells avoid detection and destruction by the placental barrier and the baby’s immune system.

 

According to a latest medical study a great number of childhood cancer survivors are afraid to marry when they reach adulthood due to the long-term effects of cancer treatment on physical health.
Based on the research conducted by the  Yale School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, and Health Education, Research & Outcomes for Survivors (HEROS) Clinic for childhood cancer survivors it was discovered that e 20 to 25 percent of cancer survivors are more likely "to never marry" compared with siblings and the general population.
Lead researcher Nina S. Kadan-Lottick, M.D., M.S.P.H., assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine and Yale Cancer Center, and medical director of the Health Education, Research & Outcomes for Survivors (HEROS) Clinic for childhood cancer survivors explained many childhood cancer survivors still struggle to fully participate in our society because of the lasting cognitive and physical effects of their past cancer therapy.
Using data from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, a retrospective cohort of more than 10,000 childhood cancer survivors (who are now adults) treated at 26 institutions around the country, Kadan-Lottick and colleagues evaluated the frequency of marriage and divorce rates among survivors compared with their sibling group and U.S. Census data. The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is an ongoing study funded by the National Cancer Institute.

 

 

 

Childhood cancer survivors should not be afraid to get married since marriage is part of life.
 

 

Researchers distributed surveys to participants to determine late outcomes of therapy, medical problems, subsequent cancers, psychosocial functioning and other aspects of survivorship, according to the researchers. They identified patients and treatment factors that may predict marital status, including psychosocial distress and neurocognitive impairment.
"Our study pinpointed what aspects of the survivor experience likely contribute to altered marriage patterns: short stature, poor physical functioning and cognitive problems," said Kadan-Lottick. "These conditions are known to be associated with certain chemotherapy and radiation exposures."
Results showed that an estimated 42 percent of survivors were married, 7.3 percent were separated or divorced and 46 percent were never married.
Those who survived brain tumors were 50 percent more likely never to marry. Survivors of central nervous system tumors and leukemia had the greatest likelihood of never marrying, according to the study. Cranial radiation was the therapy most associated with not getting married.
Likelihood of divorce did not vary between the study populations.
"While it can be debated whether marriage is a desirable outcome, marriage is generally an expected developmental goal in our society to the extent that most U.S. adults are married by the age of 30. Our results suggest that survivors of childhood cancer need ongoing support even as they enter adulthood," Kadan-Lottick suggested.
Electra D. Paskett, Ph.D., who was not involved with the study, but is a deputy editor of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, said these findings shed light on the use of certain treatments and their long-term implications, which may affect a patient’s physical appearance, thereby resulting in social effects.
"In other studies marital status has been found to be a significant predictor of survival. Will we see this among the childhood survivors as well?" asked Paskett, who is the Marion N. Rowley professor of cancer research in the Division of Epidemiology, and associate director for population sciences in The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.
As a follow-up to this report, separate analyses are underway to better understand factors that contribute to other adult benchmarks among childhood cancer survivors, such as living independently, achieving higher education and income.

 

 

It is time to cheer up for colon cancer patients around the world.
Immunology experts in the US and China have discovered human stem cells that "fool" the immune system may provide a vaccination for colon cancer.
The study was led by Dr. Bei Liu and Dr. Zihai Li in collaboration with stem cell expert Dr. Renhe Xu at the University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute and is to be published in the journal Stem Cells.
The study builds on an old notion that immunizing with embryonic materials might produce anti-tumor responses, but this has only been shown in animal studies.
However, this new groundbreaking study showed for the first time that that human embryonic stem (hES) cells injected into mice produced a consistent immune response against colon cancer cells, opening a new door for cancer vaccine research.
Long before embryonic stem cells were used for genetic and developmental studies, scientists understood that they shared similar properties with cancer cells, especially in the way they form and replicate.
Immune systems recognize antigens like proteins on the surface of tumor cells that can trigger an immune response to make antibodies to fight the tumor.

 

 

Stem cells could soon provide vaccine to fight colon cancer among humans.

 

 

However, most of the current research on cancer vaccines target these antigens, while this study takes a different approach: what if you used stem cells into fooling the host immune system into thinking there was cancer present and trigger a tumor fighting response that way? That would open a new route to using stem cells to make a universal cell-based vaccine against cancer.
For the study the researchers vaccinated laboratory mice with human embryonic stem (hES) cells and saw a dramatic decline in tumor growth in the immunized mice.
This showed that immunized mice could generate a strong anti-tumour response through the application of hES cells.
The researchers also found that while natural hES cells triggered a strong anti-tumour response, artificially induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) did not.
This is a significant discovery because it challenges the idea recently put forward in a number of studies that iPSC have the potential to replace hES cells at the forefront of stem cell research.
Liu said:"Although we have only tested the protection against colon cancer, we believe that stem cells might be useful for generating an immune response against a broad spectrum of cancers, thus serving as a universal cancer vaccine."

 

 

Here is a piece of good news to all those patients suffering from heart disease and cancer.
A recent medical research has shown that eating soybeans could cure and prevent heart ailments and cancer.
According to the study, soybeans contain high levels of several health-beneficial compounds including tocopherols, which have antioxidant properties.
These molecules can be used in the development of functional foods, which have specific health-beneficial properties and can be used in the treatment or prevention of diseases.
Tocopherols exist in four forms (a, ß, ?, and d) of which tocopherol is found in greatest concentration in soybeans.
However, a-tocopherol has the greatest antioxidant activity, and is the form converted to vitamin E in the human body. Thus, most interest for soybean tocopherols resides in a-tocopherol; however, certain health-properties have also been attributed to other tocopherol forms and interest for these remains. It has been suggested that all tocopherols could play a role in cardiovascular diseases and cancer prevention.
Although few studies have determined soybean tocopherols concentration in a range of genotypes or environments, none has investigated differences among several early-maturing genotypes grown in multiple environments.

 

 

Eating soybeans in a regular basis could keep you away from heart disease and cancer.

 

Such study allows for the determination of the tocopherols concentration range found in soybean, but also to determine how genotypes perform and compare to each other in contrasting environments. Such information is vital for both plant breeders and agricultural producers.
Researchers at McGill University, the Centre de Recherche sur les Grains, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Quebec have investigated tocopherols concentration and stability, with an emphasis on a-tocopherol, among early-maturing genotypes grown in multiple environments, and determined the relationship between tocopherols concentration and other important seed characteristics.
Their study was funded by research grants from the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries, et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Results from the study are published in the September-October issue of Agronomy Journal. The research was also presented in Beijing, China at the 8th World Soybean Research Conference in August 2009.
Philippe Seguin, who led the study, stated "The large variation observed among genotypes for a-tocopherol, the relatively high stability of genotypes performance across environments, and the lack of negative correlation with other important seed characteristics suggest that selection for high a-tocopherol will be possible. Such characteristics will also help in the development of functional foods, which requires consistency in concentrations of health-beneficial compounds." Research is ongoing to identify factors affecting soybean tocopherols concentration.
Preliminary results suggest that both specific environmental factors and management practices, such as seeding date, could significantly affect concentrations.
Getting a better understanding of factors affecting soybean tocopherols concentration will help in the development of a new value-added use for soybean and thus to diversify markets for soybean producers.

 

 

A recent medical study has shown that a great number of prostate patients do not anymore need treatment for their medical condition.
In the largest study of its kind, the international team of pathologists studied an initial 4,000 prostate cancer patients over a period of 15 years to further understanding into the natural progression of the disease and how it should be managed.
The research could be used to develop a blood test to distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Globally, prostate cancer is the fifth most common malignancy and accounts for 13% of male deaths in the UK. Studies have shown that men with non-aggressive prostate cancer can live with the disease untreated for many years, but aggressive cancer requires immediate treatment.
Pathologists found that the presence of a protein, called Hsp-27, in cancer cells was an indicator that the disease will progress and require treatment. The study showed, however, that in more than 60% of cases the protein was not expressed and the cancer could be managed by careful monitoring, rather than with active invention methods, such as drug treatment or surgery.
The protein normally has a positive function in the body, helping healthy cells survive when they are placed under ’stressful’ conditions, such as disease or injury. If the protein is expressed in cancer, however, it can prevent the diseased cells from dying, allowing the cancer to progress. The team, supported by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and in collaboration with scientists in London and New York, found that the protein can be used to predict how the disease will behave and could help doctors advise patients on how the disease could affect their daily lives.

 

 

 

A recent study has shown that prostate cancer do not necessarily need medical treatment.

 

 

Professor Chris Foster, Head of the University’s Division of Pathology, explains: "Cancer of any kind is a very distressing disease and has the ability to impact on every aspect of a person’s life. Chemotherapy and surgery can also have a significant effect on health and wellbeing and that is why it is important that we first understand the biological nature of the disease and how it will behave in each individual patient, before determining if and when a person needs a particular type of treatment.
"By studying the disease in a large number of men throughout the UK and over a long period of time, we have been able to get a more complete picture of how to manage the disease successfully, while limiting the negative impact it can have on a patient’s life. The study also demonstrates the role of modern of Pathology, not only in establishing diagnoses but in determining if the subsequent management of individual patients is biologically appropriate for their particular condition.
"The protein  or biomarker we have identified provides us with a signal that the disease will continue to progress. We know that at the point this marker is expressed, medics need to administer treatment to kill the cancer cells. We have shown that in the majority of cases, however, this marker is not expressed and therefore patients do not necessarily need to go through treatment to lead a normal life."

 

Cancer patients better avoid getting depressed since doing so could reduce their chances of survival.
A recent medical study has found out that there is a need for systematic screening of psychological distress and subsequent treatments to ensure proper treatment for cancer patients.
To get the data they are looking for, graduate student Jillian Satin, MA, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and her colleagues analyzed a total of 9417 patients and examined the effects of depression on patients’ cancer progression and survival.
Based on the study they made they discovered that an increased risk of death in patients who report more depressive symptoms than others and also in patients who have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder compared to patients who have not.
 

 

 

Cancer patients need to avoid getting depressed if they wish to be treated of their medical condition.

 

 

 

Satin revealed in the combined studies, the death rates were up to 25 percent higher in patients xperiencing depressive symptoms and 39 percent higher in patients diagnosed with major or minor depression.
Satin added the increased risks remained even after considering patients’ other clinical characteristics that might affect survival, indicating that depression may actually play a part in shortening survival.
Despite their findings, the researchers admitted additional research needs to be conducted before any conclusions can be reached.
The researchers explained their analysis combined results across different tumor types, so future studies should look at the effects of depression on different kinds of cancer.
Moreover, the researchers noted that the actual risk of death associated with depression in cancer patients is still small, so patients should not feel that they must maintain a positive attitude to beat their disease.
The researchers said their study indicates that it is important for physicians to regularly screen cancer patients for depression and to provide appropriate treatments.

 

 

Medical researchers has recently discovered that walking is beneficial to breast cancer survivors since it reduces chances of the recurrence of the deadly disease by 40 percent.
Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, a Harvard surgeon, breast cancer survivor and author of The Breast Cancer Survivor’s Fitness Plan, explained brisk walking about 3.0 mph on a treadmill
for three to five hours per week, or about 30 minutes a day, can net big benefits for breast cancer survivors.
With the huge rewards it offers to breast cancer survivors Kaelin, in conjunction with The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) and CYBEX exercise equipment, is promoting brisk walking and the benefits of cardio exercise through CYBEX Pink Ribbon Run for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this October.
Based on the study made by the the Nurses Health Study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) nearly 3,000 women up to 14 years after their breast cancer diagnosis and found that cardiovascular and aerobic physical activities
reduced the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and increased the odds of living longer.
Kaelin revealed recurrence rates and deaths from breast cancer decreased by 40 percent among those who exercise at least 3-5 hours per week, compared with those who were sedentary.

 

 

 

To avoid chances of having breast cancer again, breast cancer survivors should do some walking in a regular basis.
 

 

 

She added it does not need to be running a marathon, or biking a century, but rather simply walking briskly most days on a treadmill, at a shopping mall or around a track, that further reduces breast cancer recurrence for those who have been treated for the condition.
She added to all women, in addition to physical activity helping to optimize body weight and reduce high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, scientific research is more strongly pointing to the positive effects of cardio-vascular exercise in reducing breast cancer risk and the risks of other forms of cancer, too.
 

 

Medical experts are urging people around the world to eat less read meat to prevent cancer, heart attacks and global warming.
Based on the study conducted by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research it is said that an ideal red meat consumption for every person is 500 grams every week.
Researchers revealed cardiovascular disease and cancer are two human diseases caused by similar factors influencing climate change.
Others are the infectious disease influenza and salmonella, which are also related to animal elevation (zoonoses).
Further examples not specifically related to agriculture, are respiratory diseases resulting from the burning of fossil and other fuels for transport and heating.
Studies have shown that a different group of diseases cannot be said to share the causes of global warming.
Instead they are caused by, or exacerbated by global warming.

 

 

 

Those who want to avoid cancer, heart attacks and global warming better start eating less red meat now.

 

 

Examples are thermal stress, accidental and intentional injuries, and malnutrition or famine, all of which are expected to occur more frequently as the planet warms up and the climate becomes less stable. Health care systems all over the world will have to adapt to these changes.
According to recent data it was also discovered that human disease and global warming are therefore related in several ways, and the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as
national medical associations, have adopted policies to take these interrelationships into account.
In contrast, professional societies within cardiovascular medicine and research have not yet addressed the relationships of
climate change to cardiovascular disease, but they should consider doing so for at least two reasons.
The first is the relationship already described: risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced by interventions which also reduce the risk of climate change. For example recommendations could be given regarding the consumption of red meat such as those already made by oncology institutions.
The second is advocacy. Physicians and biomedical researchers have the training to understand the physics, chemistry and statistics used in the climatological research that has demonstrated the gravity of the climate problem.Sea levels were for example, at least 15 to 25 meters higher than they are now when the earth’s atmosphere last had the same CO2 capacity as now (about 387 parts per million) which was three million years ago. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations are currently rising at 2 ppm / year.
 

 

A recent study has shown that those who drink heavily are at higher risk of getting inflicted with prostate cancer.
Based on the research heavy drinking consist of four glasses of liquor a day on five days a week.
The researchers in their study also found out that heavy drinking made finasteride ineffective for reducing prostate cancer risk.

 

 

Heavy drinkers better stop their habit or limit their liquor intake if they wish to avoid suffering from prostate cancer.

 

The research has shown that that finasteride’s ability to lower prostate cancer risk was blocked in men drinking 50g alcohol per day.
To avoid chances of suffering from prostate cancer, medical experts hope heavy drinkers will stop their habit or limit their liquor intake for the sake of their health.Prostate cancer, a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system is a deadly disease that should not be overlooked.
The cancer cells may metastasize (spread) from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes.
Prostate cancer may cause pain, difficulty in urinating, problems during sexual intercourse, or erectile dysfunction. Other symptoms can potentially develop during later stages of the disease.

 

 

A recent medical study has shown that early stage cancers of the esophagus can be treated as effectively by less-invasive,organ-sparing endoscopic therapy as compared to more complex surgical removal of the esophagus.
In a research made by Mayo Clinic it was discovered that 20 percent of esophageal cancer cases in the United States, the cancer is detected in the early stages.
Ganapathy Prasad, M.D., gastroenterologist and lead author on the study revealed that traditionally, esophageal cancer patients undergo a complicated surgery to remove the esophagus.
Prasad added their team compared surgery to the use of endoscopic therapy, where a scope is inserted in the esophagus and the cancer cells are shaved off.
He said the results showed the less-invasive therapy was just as effective as surgery for early-stage cancers.

 

 

To treat esophageal cancer minimal invasive treatment is found effective.

 

To get the data, some 178 patients with early-stage esophageal adenocarcinoma, 132 (74 percent) were treated with endoscopic mucosal resection and 46 (26 percent) were treated surgically.
The endoscopic mucosal resection patients underwent a procedure where a liquid is injected under the lesion and then an endoscope is used to shave off the lesions. The other patients underwent more traditional esophagectomy or removal of the esophagus.
In following these patients for nine years, both groups had a comparable overall mortality rate of approximately 20 percent.
Cancer recurred in 12 percent of patients treated endoscopically, but recurrence could be re-treated endoscopically.
Moreover, Prasad explains that esophagectomy surgery patients are typically in the hospital for a week, and 30 to 50 percent of patients have complications post surgery.
Prasad cited, patients whose esophagus has been removed face lifelong dietary restrictions.
Endoscopic treatments, however, are performed in an outpatient care setting, and patients can eat full meals in a couple of days.