Black Tea Can Prevent Lung Cancer?

Posted on November 22, 2010 by wngai
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Black tea prevents nonsmokers from having lung cancer while milk and dairy products help deter lung cancer in smokers, according to research presented at CHEST 2010: American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. 

The researchers conducted interviews and analysis on 533 female lung cancer patients and 1,971 control subjects. 

The researchers found that milk/diary products, vegetables, apples, wine and physical exercise were able to reduce the risk of lung cancer by 43%, 40%, 31%, 23%, 41% respectively.   None of these factors, however, were protective for nonsmokers. 

Instead, nonsmokers gained a protective effect from black tea (a 34% reduction in risk of lung cancer after drinking black tea). 

We have known that nonsmokers have a lower risk of having lung cancer.  If you are a nonsmoker and would like to further reduce your odds of getting lung cancer, you might like to consider drinking black tea such as Pu’erh tea. 

Source: CHEST 2010: American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting: Abstract 9365. Presented November 2, 2010.

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FDA Approves Halaven for Late-Stage Breast Cancer

Posted on November 22, 2010 by wngai
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Good news for patients with late stage metastatic breast cancer.  The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eribulin mesylate injection (Halaven; Eisai, Inc) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in patients who have received at least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for late-stage disease. 

Eribulin is a synthetic analog of halichondrin B, a novel microtubule dynamics inhibitor extracted from the marine sponge Halichondria okadia. 

FDA approval was based on data from a phase 3 study of 762 women with metastatic breast cancer who had been heavily pretreated with a median of 4 chemotherapy regimens that included an anthracycline and a taxane.  

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Sugar-sweetened Beverages Increased the Risk of Gout

Posted on November 22, 2010 by wngai
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If you have hyperuricemia or gout, you should stop or reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened sodas, orange juice, and fructose, according to new research published online November 10 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. 

The data comes from the Nurses’ Health Study, which looked at the intake of beverages and its relationship to gout in 78,906 women from 1984 to 2006. 

Compared with the consumption of less than 1 serving per month of sugar-sweetened soda, the consumption of 1 serving per day was associated with a 1.74-fold increased risk for gout, and the consumption of 2 or more servings per day was associated with a 2.39-fold increased risk. 

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Healthy Lifestyle Could Prevent Colorectal Cancer

Posted on November 22, 2010 by wngai
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A new study published in the BMJ indicated that changing physical activity, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol intake and diet can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 23%. 

The results comes from the Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort Study, which followed the lifestyle of 57,053 people in Demark aged 50 to 64years for 10 years. 

They found that people who followed the following lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. 

–         Physically active for at least 30 minutes a day

–         Getting the waist circumference between 88 cm for women and 102 cm for men

–         Does not smoke

–         Having fewer than 7 drinks a week for women and fewer than 14 drinks a week for men

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Prostate cancer – Causes, Symptoms, Prognosis, Diagnosis and Latest Treatment

Posted on November 16, 2010 by wngai
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Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in men in the U.S., with 179,000 new cases diagnosed in 2002 and 31,500 deaths are reported relating to this disease.  The National Cancer Institute estimates that one in six men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime, typically after the age of 55.   With 29% of all cancers in men being prostate cancer, the incidence of the disease is comparable to that seen with breast cancer. 

In most cases, prostate cancer produces little or no symptoms.  The cancer usually grows very slowly and may remain confined to the gland for many years.  It is not until the tumor has enlarged and pressed on the urethra or has spread to other areas of the body, such as the spine or the pelvic bones, will symptoms begin to appear.  At that time, patients may experience incomplete bladder emptying, decreased urinary stream, urinary hesitancy, nocturia and pelvic pain.  

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Glaucoma – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prognosis and Latest Treatment

Posted on November 16, 2010 by wngai
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Glaucoma is the second largest cause of irreversible bilateral blindness globally.  It is a disease of the optic nerve that causes a loss of vision, usually in both eyes. 

In the United States, it is estimated that more than 3 million people have glaucoma.  However, almost half of these individuals with glaucoma have not been diagnosed.  The primary reason is that glaucoma often begins with a subtle decrease in peripheral vision and this symptom is usually not noticeable.  

Causes and treatments 

Even though the exact pathophysiology of glaucoma is not known, elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) has been identified as the major risk factor in the progression of the disease.  In fact, it is well proven that glaucomatous visual field loss was reduced when IOP was reduced and maintained at the normal level. 

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Yunnan Baiyao Is an Effective Medicine to Stop Bleeding

Posted on November 14, 2010 by wngai
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Yunnan Baiyao is a well-known Chinese herbal medicine that has been used as a haemostatic drug for nearly 100 years.  It was first formulated by Qu Huanzhong in the late Qing Dynasty.  It was initially used as a topical haemostatic agent, but was later used to speed up the elimination of bruises when used topically. 

Paris rhizome (重樓) is one of the major raw materials and radix rotoginseng (Panax pseudoginseng Wall. Var. notoginseng(樂道三七) is a main ingredient. 

Facial surgery is widely used to correct dentofacial deformities, but several complications, such as excessive blood loss, have been reported.  Achieving satisfactory homeostasis during the operation can be difficult because of the complicated vascularity of the facial region. 

A study published in the International Journal of Oral Maxilloface Surgery, however, has confirmed the efficacy and safety of using Yunnan Baiyao on reducing blood loss in facial surgery. 

In the study, 87 patients were administered Yunnan Baiyao capsules or placebo capsules, orally for 3 days before surgery.  Intraoperative blood loss was estimated and the safety of Yunnan Baiyao capsules was evaluated.  The total blood loss in the Yunnan Baiyao group (mean 330.5ml) was significantly lower than in the control group (420.3 ml). 

The preoperative use of Yunnan Baiyao capsules, in combination with hypotension anaesthesia, results in a reduction in intraoperative blood loss in facial surgery.  Yunnan Baiyao capsules are an effective and safe haemostatic Chinese medicine.  

Source: Int. J. Oral Maxilloface. Surg. 2009 : 38:261-266 

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It is Better for Cancer Patients to Die at Home

Posted on November 14, 2010 by wngai
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Cancer patients who die at home do so more peacefully and their caregivers also end up doing better emotionally, reported in the September 13th issue in the Journal of Clinical Oncology 

Wright’s team studied 342 terminal cancer patients and their loved ones until the patients died, usually about 4 1/2 months later. 

Although most patients with cancer preferred to die at home, 36% die in a hospital and 8% die in an intensive care unit (ICU). 

When patients died in an ICU, their loved ones were five times more likely to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  21% of caregivers of patients who died in an ICU developed PTSD, compared with 4.4% of those caring for patients who died with home hospice. 

Families and loved ones of patients who died in the hospital were also more likely to have prolonged grief disorder, an intense, disabling form of grief that lasts more than six months. 

Home-based hospice care is meant to relieve suffering, but at least one study last month showed it may also help cancer patients live a little longer. 

Source: J Clin Oncol. Posted online September 13, 2010. Abstract 

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Posted in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Breast cancer, Cancer, Colorectal cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Gallbladder cancer, Gastric Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Lymphoma, Melanoma, Nasopharyngeal Cancer, Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, Non-Hodgkin's Disease, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Prostate cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on It is Better for Cancer Patients to Die at Home

Red Meat Might Increase Esophageal, Stomach Cancer Risks

Posted on November 14, 2010 by wngai
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Red-meat lovers may have a greater likelihood of developing esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and gastric cardia cancer than people who limit their intake, according to a new study reported in the November issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

Researchers followed 500,000 U.S. adults ages 50 to 71 over roughly 10 years. At the outset, participants completed detailed questionnaires on their diets — including the methods they typically used for cooking meat, and the usual level of “doneness” they preferred — as well as other lifestyle factors.

After a decade, study participants who were in the top 20% for red-meat intake were 79% more likely than those in the bottom 20% to develop esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Furthermore, men and women who were in the top 20% for intake of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which form when meat is cooked using high-temperature methods, had a 44% higher risk of gastric cardia cancer than those in the bottom 20%.

Further large, prospective studies are needed to see whether the relationship between red meat and the two cancers is real.

Am J Gastroenterol. Posted October 26, 2010. Abstract

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Mediterranean Diet Reduces Incidence of Diabetes

Posted on November 14, 2010 by wngai
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If you would like to lower your risk of diabetes, you might like to follow the Mediterranean diet.  

A new study found that Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of diabetes by half over four years when compared to a low-fat diet.  This benefit occurred without the need to change body weight or physical activity. 

The study, Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED), a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group primary-prevention trial to assess the effects of two Mediterranean diets (supplemented with either extra virgin olive oil or mixed nuts) vs a low-fat diet on cardiovascular and other chronic-disease outcomes in persons at high cardiovascular risk in Spain. 

In this study, 418 nondiabetic subjects aged 55 to 80 years were randomized to the low-fat diet (control group), or one of two Mediterranean diets supplemented with either free virgin olive oil (1 L/week) or nuts (30 g/day). 

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