Cancer
Aspirin Vs. Cancer: What Are We Waiting For?
The latest research is in and it is really good news. Once again aspirin has been shown to reduce the risk of one of the deadliest cancers--melanoma--a skin cancer that is notoriously hard to treat. T…
Does Aspirin Protect The Liver?
Previous studies have shown that regular aspirin use can lower the likelihood of being diagnosed with colon, breast or prostate cancer. Now a ten-year study of more than 300,000 individuals between 50…
Do Statins Fight Cancer?
Statins lower cholesterol, of course, but they may also have an unexpected benefit for cancer patients. Danish researchers tracked mortality statistics among citizens who had been diagnosed with cance…
How Safe Is the Artificial Sweetener Aspartame?
The public relations people at Brigham and Women's Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard University, issued an apology about its headline "The truth isn't sweet when it comes to artificial sweeteners." Th…
Multivitamins Reduce Risk of Cancer
Last year, the Iowa Women's Health Study found no health benefits from daily multivitamins. That was, however, an observational study in which women who were taking vitamins anyway were compared to th…
Aspirin Reduces Cancer Risk
The humble aspirin tablet has once again been shown to lower the likelihood of developing cancer. A number of studies have hinted that aspirin may have anti-cancer potential, but the benefit was not t…
Actos and Bladder Cancer
A commonly prescribed diabetes drug called Actos (pioglitazone) has been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer. A year ago the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that this drug migh…
Aspirin is a Hundred-Year Miracle Drug
For a drug that has been around for more than 100 years and only costs pennies per dose, aspirin still makes a lot of news. Nearly every other week there is another headline about the health benefits …
Could Sunlight Save Your Life?
Ask most people what they fear most and the answer is almost always cancer. That's because cancer rivals heart disease as our number one killer. We now have highly effective treatments for heart disea…
New Cancer Fighters Show Promise
Cancer researchers are making progress in efforts to stimulate the body's immune response to tumors. Investigators reported to the American Society of Clinical Oncology that an experimental drug worke…
Sleep Disturbance Makes Cancer More Dangerous
Two studies have just linked sleep apnea to cancer. One study showed that the more severe the sleep apnea, the more likely a person will receive a diagnosis of cancer. In the other, people who already…
Aspirin and Cancer Prevention
Aspirin seems, once again, to reduce the risk of cancer. The humble aspirin tablet has shown promise for prevention in cancer research. A recent case-control study from China shows that women who took…
Focused Ultrasound Foils Cancer
A new approach to treating prostate cancer may offer improved benefits. British scientists have developed a technique involving high-intensity focused ultrasound. MRI imaging is used to guide the soun…
Dental X-Rays Linked to Brain Tumors
Certain dental X-rays may increase the risk for a type of brain tumor called a meningioma. Although these growths are not usually cancerous, they can cause serious symptoms including headaches, vision…
Caffeine and Exercise to Lower Cancer Risk
A new study in mice suggests that exercise and caffeine might reduce the risk of skin cancer. Investigators exposed mice to ultraviolet B radiation, the wavelength in sunlight that triggers skin cance…
Vaccine Against Cancer?
Two small studies of cancer patients for disease recurrence have shown a positive response to a modified smallpox vaccination. This immunotherapy is designed to trick the immune system into fighting t…
Unmasking Cancer Cells
Another potential breakthrough in cancer treatment involves an antibody to a cell surface marker called CD47. This protein normally serves as a cloaking device for healthy cells to keep the immune sys…
Aspirin Helps Prevent Cancer
Aspirin may be one of the most cost effective ways to prevent cancer. For more than two decades scientists have seen evidence that aspirin might help reduce the risk of certain cancers. Three new stud…
Cancer Drug Shortages
Shortages of two essential cancer drugs have the FDA scrambling to find alternate sources. Supplies of methotrexate to treat childhood leukemia were critically low due to manufacturing problems in the…
Handling Hot Flashes Without Estrogen
Q. Why are doctors so determined that menopausal patients should take estrogen? When I told my doctor that I am reluctant to take Premarin for fear of cancer, she actually said that cancer is no big d…
Drug Shortage Endangers Kids with Cancer
The drug shortage in the United States is now endangering the lives of children with cancer. The FDA has announced that supplies of preservative-free methotrexate for injection are in dangerously shor…
Counterfeit Cancer Drug Creates Crisis
The FDA has a potentially life-threatening problem with a cancer drug. Avastin is used to treat colo-rectal cancer as well as tumors of the brain, kidney and lungs. It works by cutting off the blood s…
Metformin Protects Against Rare Cancer
People with type 2 diabetes usually take oral medications to help keep their blood sugar under control. One widely available inexpensive generic drug, metformin, appears to reduce the risk of pancreat…
Coffee Drinkers Have Lower Risk of Uterine Cance…
Data from the Nurses' Health Study suggests that women who drink coffee are less likely to develop endometrial cancer. This cancer of the uterine lining was 25 percent less common among women who dran…
Smallpox Vaccine Against Liver Cancer
Smallpox used to be a life-threatening disease, until it was eradicated from the globe with the use of vaccine. Now, smallpox vaccine is showing promise in treating advanced liver cancer. In a small t…
Vaccine to Fight Breast or Ovarian Cancer
Another small vaccine study found that women with breast or ovarian cancer responded positively to a special genetically-engineered poxvirus. The study included 26 women with metastatic cancer and did…
Heavy Drinkers Risk Stomach Cancer
Men who guzzle more than four drinks a day seem to double their risk of stomach cancer. The study of more than 500,000 European adults found that heavy drinkers were about twice as likely to be diagno…
CDC Urges HPV Vaccine for All Pre-Teens
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have broadened their recommendations for who should be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, or HPV. This virus is responsible for genital warts, whic…
HPV Behind Many Throat Cancers
The HPV or human papilloma virus causes genital warts and is responsible for cervical cancer. There is now a vaccine that can prevent this sexually transmitted infection and protect women from this ma…
IUD Lowers Cervical Cancer Risk
The intrauterine device or IUD has been in use for decades. Doctors have wondered whether women who used IUDs for contraception were at greater risk for cervical cancer. A large epidemiological study …
Tips For Making Cook Outs Less Carcinogenic
Q. My husband is the self-anointed barbecue king. He got a new grill for our anniversary and he fires it up every chance he gets. I keep reading that charbroiled meat is bad for you. What's the proble…
Folic Acid Does Not Raise Risk of Cancer
Diets rich in leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and whole grains generally provide plenty of folic acid, a B vitamin that is essential for cell growth and the health of blood and nervous system ti…
Dogs Sniff Out Cancer
A hundred years ago, some doctors were trained to recognize certain diseases by smell. That skill is no longer being taught in medical school. But canines, who have a far more sensitive sense of smell…
Lymph Node Removal Unnecessary
Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have traditionally had their lymph nodes biopsied for signs of cancer. If microscopic tumors have spread to lymph nodes near the breast, oncologists had …
FDA Cancer Warning Is Worrisome
People worry about cancer. It remains one of the scariest diagnoses because treatment can be harrowing and the outcome uncertain. Millions of Americans try to avoid unnecessary exposure to carcinogens…
Ovarian Cancer Screening Fails to Save Lives
Ovarian cancer, like breast cancer, is among the leading cancers that kill women in this country. It is especially troublesome because it is usually not discovered until it is in an advanced stage tha…
Drug Shortages Threaten Cancer Treatments
Despite the good news about experimental cancer drugs, the mainstays of chemotherapy are in short supply at hospitals around the country. Medications such as leucovorin, cytarabine, cisplatin and doxo…
Indian Spice Inspires Anti-Cancer Compound
New research suggests that curcumin, a component of the Indian spice turmeric, may help maintain the effectiveness of a drug used to treat cancers of the head and neck. Although such cancers usually r…
Celebrex May Help Against Liver Cancer
A popular prescription pain reliever may find a new use helping to fight liver cancer. Scientists at Ohio State University have found that combining Celebrex with either of two chemotherapy drugs make…
Frequent Acetaminophen Use Linked to Blood Cance…
Regular use of the popular pain reliever acetaminophen may be linked to an elevated risk of blood cancers. That's the conclusion of a large epidemiologic study of nearly 65,000 men and women. These su…