Study finds aspirin protects against colon cancer
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE58K14A20090921
Mon Sep 21, 2009 | By Kate Kelland

BERLIN (Reuters) - A daily dose of aspirin can prevent cancer in people with a genetic disorder that increases their risk of developing the disease, scientists said on Monday.

The finding could also have important implications for the wider population, although more research is needed and unraveling the connection will take some time since the benefits of aspirin were only seen after several years.

John Burn of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University in Britain said his study might also have uncovered a simple way of controlling stems cells that make tumors grow.

"We believe that aspirin may have an effect on the survival of aberrant (faulty) stem cells in the colon," Burn said, presenting his findings at the ECCO-ESMO European cancer congress in Berlin. Burn and colleagues tested 1,071 people with Lynch syndrome -- an inherited condition that predisposes a person to a range of cancers, particularly of the colon -- by giving some of them aspirin and some a placebo. Follow-up tests after 10 years showed that although there was no difference in cancer rates after 29 months, a significant difference was detected after four years, with fewer people in the aspirin group developing colon cancer, Burn said.

"To date, there have been only six colon cancers in the aspirin group as opposed to 16 who took placebo," he added. "There is also a reduction in endometrial cancer."

People with Lynch syndrome have an increased risk of many cancers including stomach, colon, brain, skin, and prostate. Women carriers also have a high risk of developing endometrial and ovarian cancers.

Burn said that although people in the trial stopped taking aspirin, its effect clearly continued.

Colorectal is the second biggest cause of cancer death in the United States and Europe, where a total of 560,000 people develop the disease each year, and 250,000 die from it.

Aspirin, originally developed by Bayer, is a cheap over-the-counter drug which in low daily doses has been found to stave off the risk of heart attacks and strokes, as well as chase away occasional aches and pains. Other scientists have previously found it can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and suggested it does so by blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase2, or COX-2, which promotes inflammation and cell division and is found in high levels in tumors.

But Burn said he thought this explanation was unlikely, and thinks that aspirin hits faulty stem cells before they mutate into pre-cancerous cells. "If aspirin reduced the chances of such cells surviving, this would explain our results," he said.

Despite its benefits, aspirin is also well known for causing stomach upsets. In the study, 11 patients on aspirin had stomach bleeds or ulcers compared with nine on placebo. The team plans a further study using a larger group of patients taking differing aspirin doses.

(Additional reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by David Cowell)

Canadians trust doctors and pharmacists most

Poll finds two health professions rate highest on honesty and ethics

OTTAWA, Sept. 22 /CNW/ - According to a new Nanos Research poll, Canadians rate physicians and pharmacists highest among 18 professions, when it comes to honesty and ethics. Seventy-seven per cent of respondents call medical doctors' standards of honesty and ethics "high" or "very high", while the figure was 73 per cent for community pharmacists.

Also among the top five professions whose honesty and ethics were rated as "high" or "very high", were high school teachers at 66 per cent, police officers at 58 per cent, and clergy at 50 per cent.

"We are pleased with the results," said Dwight Ball, president of the Canadian Pharmacists Association's Board of Directors. "Pharmacists and physicians are both key members of a patient's health care team who collaborate to achieve better health outcomes for Canadians."

The poll asked respondents: Please tell me how you would rate the honesty and ethics of people in the following professions and Would you rate their honesty and ethics as very high, high, average, low or very low? The professions ranged from health professionals to business executives; lawyers; provincial legislators; public servants; car salespeople, and others.

"As health professionals advising patients on their personal health issues, nothing is more important to us than trust," said Jeff Poston, executive director of the Canadian Pharmacists Association. "We consult with patients on matters ranging from minor ailments to medication management in chronic diseases. It's vital that people feel they can talk to us in confidence, and trust in the advice they receive."

Survey methodology

The poll was conducted by Nanos Research. Results are based on a national random telephone survey of 1,003 adult Canadians, between August 28 and September 2, 2009. The statistics of a random sample of 1,003 respondents are accurate to within 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. For more information please visit the Nanos Research website at www.nanosresearch.com.

About the Canadian Pharmacists Association

The Canadian Pharmacists Association is the national organization of pharmacists, committed to providing leadership for the profession and improving the health of Canadians.

A one page summary of the poll is available at http://files.newswire.ca/823/Sept_2009_Poll.pdf.

Depression Can Affect Cancer Survival: Researchers
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE58D4T920090914
Mon Sep 14, 2009

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (Reuters) - Depression can affect the likelihood of surviving cancer, but there is no clear association yet with how quickly the cancer progresses, according to a report published on Monday.

Death rates are nearly 40 percent higher for cancer patients diagnosed with major or minor depression, according to University of British Columbia researchers who surveyed more than two dozen international clinical studies.

"We found 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," Jillian Satin, the report's lead researcher said.

The report was published in the online edition of the American Cancer Society's journal Cancer.

Eighty-five percent of cancer patients believe their mental state affects how quickly the disease progresses, but the Canadian researchers said that belief is not actually supported by the few studies that looked at it. The researchers admitted they were surprised by the lack of clear link between depression and cancer progression, and cautioned that may be because so few clinical studies have been done on the subject.

(Reporting by Allan Dowd; editing by Rob Wilson)

Bereaved Adults Vulnerable To Heart Attacks
http://www.headlinesindia.com/lifestyle-news/health-&-fitness/
Thursday, September 17, 2009

Sydney: People traumatised by the loss of a loved one are more susceptible to a heart attack, says a new study.

The study, conducted by the Sydney University Medical School (SUMS), provides new insight into why people going through emotional stress caused by bereavement are more at risk from heart disease.

It involved 80 bereaved adults and is the most comprehensive of its type ever undertaken anywhere.

Thomas Buckley, study co-author and senior lecturer at SUMS nursing faculty, said the link between bereavement and heart attacks has not been well understood because no comprehensive study has been done in the first weeks after bereavement.

"CARBER (Cardiovascular Risk in Bereavement) is the first to look in detail at people during the first weeks immediately following their loss," said Buckley, adding that across all age groups and both sexes, emotional and mood changes were greatest during this time.

"Overall the bereaved who participated in CARBER had increases in anxiety, depression and anger symptoms, together with elevated stress hormones and reduced sleep and appetite," said Buckley.

"They also showed increases in blood pressure and heart rate, together with immune and blood clotting changes - all changes that could contribute towards a heart attack," he said.

The study also found that most of the heart risks of bereavement faded after six months.

Geoffrey Tofler, cardiologist at SUMS and senior study investigator, says that at a time when the focus is naturally on the deceased person, this study shows the importance of maintaining the health of bereaved family members.

The results were published in the Internal Medicine Journal.(IANS)

Watch And Wait Before Treating Ear Infections, Advise Paediatricians
Tuesday, September 15, 2009,

OTTAWA, Sept. 14 /CNW Telbec/ - Doctors should watch and wait before treating most ear infections with antibiotics in healthy children over six months of age, according to new recommendations from the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS).

"The diagnosis of an ear infection can be incorrect and some are caused by viruses rather than bacteria," says Dr. Joan Robinson, author of the new CPS statement published this week in Paediatrics & Child Health and a member of the CPS Infectious Disease and Immunization Committee. "Also, some kinds of bacterial infections are likely to go away without antibiotics because the immune system alone is adequate."

Ear infections are extremely common. Seventy-five per cent of children will have at least one episode by the time they are one year old. Caused by viruses or bacteria, they usually start on about the third day of a common cold. Symptoms include unexplained fever, difficulty sleeping, tugging or pulling at the ears, and overall irritability.

"Rarely, children have fluid draining from their ear. This fluid could contain germs. The best way to prevent the spread of these germs is to wash your hands well," says Dr. Robinson. Ear infections are usually not serious and not contagious; the colds that cause ear infections are, however, contagious.

"Most children will have relief with just acetaminophen or ibuprofen," says Dr. Robinson. "However, the message to parents is, if your child has a cold and then develops signs of an ear infection; take them to the doctor to check it out."

The statement lists several ways to help prevent children from getting an ear infection including:

• breastfeeding babies,

• avoiding bottle feeding a baby who is lying down,

• refraining from using a pacifier too often,

• avoiding exposure to cigarette smoke and,

• vaccinating children with the influenza and pneumococcal conjugate at the recommended age.

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national professional association, representing more than 2,200 paediatricians, which advocates for the health needs of children and youth.

For further information: For media inquiries: Emma Wadland, Communications Coordinator, Canadian Paediatric Society, (613) 526-9397, ext. 247, media@cps.ca

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size.. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11.  An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
    
    CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

    1. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells.. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

    2. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.

    3. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

    4. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

    5. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
        

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

• No plastic containers in micro.

• No water bottles in freezer.

• No plastic wrap in microwave.

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter=2 0Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Cast le Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of = 2 0fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.