CANCER

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="112f2f02egerdp.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="_"><U><B><U>HOME</U></B></U></A></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="172" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FFFF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BRUCE ROSEMAN, M.D. 140 WEST 86th Stree"><U>CONTACT ME</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="office info"><U>OFFICE INFO</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF99 HEIGHT= 24 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MEDICATION INFORMATION"><U>DRUG INFO</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FF99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="kids"><U>KIDS</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#66FFCC HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SPECIALISTS"><U>SPECIALISTS</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFF99 HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="research"><U>LOOK IT UP</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#33CCFF HEIGHT= 44 WIDTH="172"><div>  <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TEST YOURSELF"><U>TEST YOURSELF</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFFFCC HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" RADIOLOGY AND IMAGING"><U>RADIOLOGY</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FF99FF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HANDOUTS "><U>HANDOUTS </U></A></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC99 HEIGHT= 23 ><NOBR><div>  I<A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" ANATOMY"><U>LLUSTRATIONS</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#33FFFF HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="172"><div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="PHARMACIES"><U>PHARMACIES</U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="115f0f03.jpg"> <div> <I>CANCER</I></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mayoclinic.com/home?id=6.2.3&bucket=staged" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mayoclinic.com/home?id=6.2.3&"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">BREAST CANCER</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_new_drug_tops_gold_standard_in_breast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">new better breast cancer drug</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FOODS FOR CANCER PREVENTION"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">FOODS THAT PREVENT CANCER</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#osteopontin_as_a_potential_diagnostic" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Osteopontin as a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Ovarian Cancer</U></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Drug Slows Growth of Precancerous Lung Lesions- ADT is sold in Canada as Sialor and in Europe as Sulfarlem for treatment of dry mouth. It is not approved in the United States.</div> <div> <A HREF="id18_during_the_study_patients_were.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="1cf0a0a0.png" border=0 width="10" height="10" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NEW TYPE OF CANCER DRUG</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id98_red_meat_gene_linked_with_prostate.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="URINARY TRACT"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">RED MEAT AND DAIRY LINK TO PROSTATE CANCER</U></A>  a gene called AMACR</div> <div> <A HREF="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010718/hl/greentea_1.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010718"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">gREEN TEA GOOD GFOR BREAST CANCER</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_plant_hormones_form_basis_of_new.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Plant Hormones Form Basis of New Anti-Cancer Drugs</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_high_fiber_diet_can_cut_cancer_risk_by.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">High fiber diet prevents cancer</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_diet_linked_to_one_in_three.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Diet Linked to 1 in 3 cancers</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010510/17/cancer-deaths" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010510/17"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Estimated annual cancer deaths</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010512/15/cancer-treatment" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010512/15"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">New cancer treatments</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_antitumor_immune_response_induced_by.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NEW CANCER VACCIN</I></U></A><I>E</I></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_tamoxifen_and_breast_cancer___this_is.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">TAMOXIFENN AND BREAST CANCER</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_study_herpes_virus_helps_kill_skin.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">MELANOMA VACCINE</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_study_herpes_virus_helps_kill_skin.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">HERPES FOR MELANOMA?</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://news.excite.com/news/r/010518/17/health-cancers" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://news.excite.com/news/r/010518/17/"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NEW CANCER TESTS</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_cox2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">COX-2 AND CANCER</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_germ_warfare_for_tumors.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Germ Warfare For Tumors</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_casodex__bicalutamide__significantly.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Casodex (Bicalutamide) Significantly Reduces Risk of Prostate Cancer Progression</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_journal_of_the_national_cancer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><I><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">tomatoes and  prostate cancer</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18_new_drug_tops_gold_standard_in_breast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" MEDICAL NEW"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">new better breast cancer drug</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#high_calcium_intake_may_lower_ovarian" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">High Calcium Intake May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#on_the_horizon_new_ovarian_cancer_test" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">New Ovarian Cancer Test in Development </U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#cancer_drug_scores_again" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">GLEEVEC SCORES AGAIN</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#plant_compound_kills_lung_cancer_cells" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Plant Compound Kills Lung Cancer Cells</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id106_studies_suggest_statins_slash_cancer.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="STATINS"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Studies Suggest Statins Slash Cancer Risk</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#vitamin_d_prevents_pancreatic_cancer" TITLE="CANCER"><U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Vitamin D prevents pancreatic cancer!!!</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#nsaids_and_cancer_" TITLE="CANCER"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">NSAIDs and Cancer </B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#vitamin_d_studies_show_promise_for" TITLE="CANCER"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Vitamin D Studies Show Promise for Reducing Cancers</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="#grapefruit_may_cause_breast_cancer" TITLE="CANCER"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700dc99006600.png" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Grapefruit may cause breast cancer</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="grapefruit_may_cause_breast_cancer"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>Grapefruit may cause breast cancer</U></B></div> <div> Grapefruit link to breast cancer <B>Eating grapefruit every day could raise the risk of developing breast cancer by almost a third, US scientists say. </B></div> <div> A study of 50,000 post-menopausal women found eating just a quarter of a grapefruit daily raised the risk by up to 30%. </div> <div> The fruit is thought to boost levels of oestrogen - the hormone associated with a higher risk of the disease, the British Journal of Cancer reported. </div> <div> But the researchers and other experts said more research was still needed. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="623" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="2"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="57" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="2" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="614"><div> <B>This is an interesting study, but is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health </B></div> <div> Dr Joanne Lunn </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> The women had to fill in questionnaires saying how often they ate grapefruit and how big their portions were. </div> <div> <B>Oestrogen important </B></div> <div> The researchers, at the universities of Southern California and Hawaii, found that women who ate one quarter of a grapefruit or more every day had a higher risk of breast cancer than those who did not eat the fruit at all. </div> <div> Previous studies have shown that a molecule called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) is involved in metabolising oestrogen hormones. </div> <div> And grapefruit may boost blood oestrogen levels by inhibiting this molecule, allowing the hormones to build up. </div> <div> The researchers found that in women who ate at least a quarter of a grapefruit daily, levels of oestrogen were higher. </div> <div> They said: "It is well established that oestrogen is associated with breast cancer risk. </div> <div> "Therefore, if grapefruit intake affects oestrogen metabolism leading to higher circulating levels, then it is biologically plausible that regular intake of grapefruit would increase a woman's risk of breast cancer." </div> <div> <B>More research </B></div> <div> And they said this was the first time a commonly eaten food had been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer in older women. </div> <div> However, they warned that more research was needed to confirm the findings which may have been affected because they only took into account intake of the fruit, but not grapefruit juice. </div> <div> Breast cancer accounts for almost a third of all cancers in women, and previous lifestyle factors linked to the disease include drinking alcohol and being overweight. </div> <div> Dr Joanne Lunn, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "This is an interesting study of a large group of post-menopausal women whose diet and health have been followed for many years. </div> <div> "However, this study is simply a piece of the jigsaw that will eventually help us to understand how our diets affect our health. </div> <div> "Although we are beginning to get a better awareness of how our diets can modify the risk of diseases such as cancer, we are still a long way from identifying particular foods that might specifically increase or decrease risk." </div> <div> However, she said that some dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and that a diet rich in a variety of different fruits and vegetables could help reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. </div> <div> Story from BBC NEWS:</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="nsaids_and_cancer_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>NSAIDs and Cancer </B></div> <div> Tracy Hampton, PhD </div> <div> <I>JAMA.</I> 2007;297:459. </div> <div> Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>in collaboration with scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>Studies, in La Jolla, Calif, and Columbia University Medical<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>Center, in New York City, have discovered a mechanism by which<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) halt cancer growth,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>a finding that could lead to new tests for monitoring patients'<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>responses to these therapies and to safer drugs that act in<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>a similar manner (Zerbini LF et al. <I>Cancer Res</I>. 2006;66:11922-11931).<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT></div> <div> While NSAIDs are known to exhibit anticancer effects through<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>inducing cell death by inhibition of cyclooxygenase enzymes,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>scientists have suspected that other antitumor mechanisms are<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>at play.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT></div> <div> Using gene expression analyses, the researchers found that exposure<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>to NSAIDs caused cancer cells to increase expression of the<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>gene that encodes a cancer-specific cytokine, MDA-7/IL-24 (melanoma<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>differentiation associated gene 7/interleukin 24). This cytokine<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>induces cell death and inhibits tumor growth, acting through<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>a cascade of molecules including GADD45 and GADD45 (growth arrest<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>and DNA damage inducible 45 and ). By blocking these molecules,<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>the researchers successfully abrogated cell death caused by<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>NSAIDs, pointing to the pathway's critical role in cancer cells'<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT>response to these drugs.<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="verdana" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="vitamin_d_prevents_pancreatic_cancer"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Vitamin D prevents pancreatic cancer!!!</B></div> <div> Wed Sep 13, 8:06 AM ET </div> <div> People who take vitamin D tablets are half as likely to get deadly pancreatic cancer as people who do not, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.</div> <div> Now they are checking to see if getting the vitamin from food or sunlight also cuts the risk.</div> <div> The study suggests one easy way to reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, the fourth-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States. This year, the American Cancer Society estimates that 32,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed, and only 5 percent of patients will survive more than five years.</div> <div> "Because there is no effective screening for pancreatic cancer, identifying controllable risk factors for the disease is essential for developing strategies that can prevent cancer," Halcyon Skinner of Northwestern University in Chicago, who helped lead the study, said in a statement.</div> <div> "Vitamin D has shown strong potential for preventing and treating prostate cancer, and areas with greater sunlight exposure have lower incidence and mortality for prostate, breast, and colon cancers, leading us to investigate a role for Vitamin D in pancreatic cancer risk."</div> <div> Working with colleagues at Harvard University, Skinner's team examined data from two large, long-term health surveys involving 46,771 men aged 40 to 75 and 75,427 women aged 38 to 65.</div> <div> They found that people who took the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin D, 400 IU a day, had a 43 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer.</div> <div> Those who took doses of less than 150 IU per day had a 22 percent reduced risk of cancer.</div> <div> Writing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, the researchers said taking more than 400 IU a day did not reduce the risk further.</div> <div> Vitamin D is produced by the body when sunlight hits the skin, but most Americans do not get enough sunlight to produce the needed amount. Milk, both dairy and soy, is fortified with the vitamin. Some foods such as fish, eggs and liver also contain vitamin D.</div> <div> "In concert with laboratory results suggesting anti-tumor effects of Vitamin D, our results point to a possible role for Vitamin D in the prevention and possible reduction in mortality of pancreatic cancer," Skinner said.</div> <div> "Since no other environmental or dietary factor showed this risk relationship, more study of Vitamin D's role is warranted." </div> <div> <B> <A NAME="vitamin_d_studies_show_promise_for"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Vitamin D Studies Show Promise for Reducing Cancers </B></div> <div> Mon Feb 12, 12:15 PM ET </div> <div> MONDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Certain amounts of vitamin D may be able to prevent up to half of breast cancer cases and two-thirds of colorectal cancer cases in the United States, according to two studies by researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues at other centers. </div> <div> In one study, the researchers reviewed two previous studies of 1,760 women and found that those with the highest blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D, had the lowest risk of breast cancer.</div> <div> "The data were very clear, showing that individuals in the group with the lowest blood levels (less than 13 nanograms of 25(OH)D per milliliter) had the highest rates of breast cancer, and the breast cancer rates dropped as the blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D increased," study co-author Cedric Garland said in a prepared statement.</div> <div> "The serum level associated with a 50 percent reduction in risk could be maintained by taking 2,000 international units of vitamin D3 daily, plus, when the weather permits, spending 10 to 15 minutes a day in the sun," Garland said.</div> <div> The study appears online in the current issue of the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.</div> <div> In the second study, researchers reviewed data from 1,448 people who took part in five previous colorectal cancer studies.</div> <div> "Through this meta-analysis, we found that raising the serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D to 34 ng/ml would reduce the incidence rates of colorectal cancer by half," study co-author Edward G. Gorham said in a prepared statement.</div> <div> "We project a two-thirds reduction in incidence with serum levels of 46ng/ml, which corresponds to a daily intake of 2,000 IU of vitamin D3. This would be best achieved with a combination of diet, supplements and 10 to 15 minutes per day in the sun," Gorham said.</div> <div> The study was published online Feb. 6 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicin</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="plant_compound_kills_lung_cancer_cells"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Plant Compound Kills Lung Cancer Cells</B></div> <div> Fri Feb 21, 5:24 PM ET  Add Health - Reuters to My Yahoo! </div> <div>  </div> <div> By Alison McCook </div> <bR> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A substance found in plants appears to kill lung cancer cells and prevent healthy lung cells from becoming cancerous, according to laboratory studies. </div> <bR> <div> These findings may lead to new means of preventing people at risk of lung cancer from developing the disease, and of treating them if they do. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> If the compound shows itself to be effective and safe in people, it may one day be offered to people at risk of lung cancer, such as smokers, study author Dr. Ho-Young Lee of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston told Reuters Health. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> However, even if the plant extract, known as deguelin, prevents smoking-related cancers with no side effects, Lee cautioned that smoking will never be considered a safe habit. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Smoking can cause many other conditions, she said; a compound that only prevents lung cancer does not give people a free license to smoke. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Drs. James A. Crowell and Vernon E. Steele of the National Cancer Institute, who co-authored an accompanying editorial, added that any treatment involving deguelin, even if possible, is a long ways away. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> What is seen in a lab may not be seen in humans, and this study does not guarantee that the substance will eventually keep smokers cancer-free, they told Reuters Health. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The current study "shows that there's promise," and that's all, Steele said. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Deguelin is found in different plant species. In Africa and South America, the substance is often used as an insecticide. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> During the current study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Lee and her colleagues added deguelin to human cells taken from the inside of the structures leading into the lungs. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> The authors found that deguelin both slowed the growth of cancer cells and destroyed healthy cells that were at risk of becoming cancerous, without harming normal cells. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Deguelin appears to inhibit the spread of lung cancer by "dampening the process, and slowing everything down," Crowell said in an interview. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> In terms of how deguelin targets cells in danger of becoming cancerous and avoids normal cells, Lee and her colleagues suggest that the plant extract attacks a substance known as Akt that is present at higher levels in precancerous cells than in normal cells. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Lee explained that the next step is to give deguelin to animals at risk of developing lung tumors and see if the compound prevents the disease. Giving deguelin to animals after the tumors have formed will show if the compound can also treat lung cancer, she noted. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> If these experiments are a success, further experiments will be needed to determine if deguelin is safe and effective in humans, Lee added. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Crowell and Steele note that investigators may also one day build on the information they have about deguelin and modify the compound into something that is safer and more effective than deguelin itself. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2003;95:291-302,252-253. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="cancer_drug_scores_again"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Cancer Drug Scores Again</div> <div> Fri Nov 22, 7:07 PM ET  Add Health - HealthScoutNews to My Yahoo! </div> <div>  </div> <div> FRIDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthScoutNews) -- The cancer drug commonly known as Gleevec shows early promise in pre-clinical trials against Ewing's sarcoma, a bone cancer in children and adolescents. </div> <bR> <div>   A study in the new issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (news - web sites) found that imatinib killed Ewing's sarcoma cells and shrunk tumors in mice.</div> <bR> <div> This is the latest in a series of studies that show imatinib's promise in treating blood cancers and tumors.</div> <bR> <div> National Cancer Institute researchers tested the drug in 10 mice with human Ewing's sarcoma tumors and in 10 Ewing's sarcoma cell lines.</div> <bR> <div> Imatinib caused cell death in all 10 cell lines tested, including Ewing's sarcoma cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. The drug also blocked activation of the c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase, resulting in substantial tumor shrinkage in the mice with human Ewing's sarcoma tumors.</div> <bR> <div> The study authors note that higher concentrations of imatinib were needed to kill Ewing's sarcoma cells than other tumor cells.</div> <bR> <div> "Even if the toxicity of higher doses of imatinib proves intolerable for clinical translation of these results, the identification of the target or targets of imatinib that lead to cytotoxicity in Ewing's sarcoma may allow the design of related compounds with increased specificity to induce death of Ewing's sarcoma cells," the authors write.</div> <bR> <div> In addition, new research released this week found that imatinib can increase the uptake of chemotherapy drugs by a tumor by blocking the action of growth factor on tumor stroma cells. </div> <bR> <div> This finding could be an important advance in developing ways to improve the effectiveness of standard chemotherapy.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Tumor stroma cells are the connective tissue-like cells present in most kinds of solid tumors.</div> <bR> <div> In studies with animals, Swedish researchers found that imatinib inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling and increased tumor uptake of cytotoxic (cell-killing) drugs twofold to fivefold.</div> <bR> <div> There was no increase in the amount of cytotoxic drugs in normal tissue.</div> <bR> <div> The studies used imatinib, which blocks PDGF signaling, in combination with either of the cytotoxic drugs 5-fluorouracil or paclitaxel, or with the experimental drug epothilone B.</div> <bR> <div> In all cases, the combination therapy was more effective in treating tumors than the chemotherapy drugs alone.</div> <bR> <div> The Swedish scientists plan to start human studies with the combination treatments early next year.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U> <A NAME="high_calcium_intake_may_lower_ovarian"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></U></B><B><U>High Calcium Intake May Lower Ovarian Cancer Risk </U></B></div> <div> Mon Sep 2, 5:33 PM ET </div> <div> <I>By Suzanne Rostler</I> </div> <div> NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women whose diet includes plenty of calcium-rich dairy foods may have a lower risk of ovarian cancer, preliminary study findings suggest. </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="12" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="4"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="4" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="1"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> The investigators found that women with the highest intake of dairy products were 54% less likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than their peers who consumed the least dairy food. </div> <div> While more research is needed to identify the specific components in dairy foods that might benefit women, "these results suggest that intake of low-fat milk, calcium, or lactose may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer," according to Dr. Marc T. Goodman from the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and colleagues. </div> <div> Goodman added that the daily recommendation that women include 1,000 milligrams (mg) to 1,200 mg of calcium in their daily diet might be enough to lower their ovarian cancer risk. </div> <div> "As part of their general health, women should be advised to monitor dietary calcium intake levels to reduce osteoporosis and other diseases related to this nutrient. If women maintain recommended levels of calcium intake, a concomitant benefit might be to reduce their risk of ovarian cancer," he said in an interview with Reuters Health. </div> <div> Previous research on the relationship between ovarian cancer and dairy food consumption has had mixed results. To investigate, Goodman and colleagues interviewed 558 women with ovarian cancer and 607 healthy women about their eating and lifestyle habits, use of hormones, and reproductive and medical history. </div> <div> Women who consumed the most dairy products overall, including low-fat and skim milk, were the least likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer regardless of their ethnic group. Consumption of whole milk was not associated with a lower risk, however, according to the report in the American Journal of Epidemiology. And the researchers found no relationship between a woman's intake of yogurt, cheese or ice cream and her ovarian cancer risk. </div> <div> Higher intake of both calcium and lactose--the primary type of sugar in dairy foods--also appeared to lower ovarian cancer risk. Lactose, Goodman's team explained, may increase calcium absorption and promote the growth of bacteria that keep cancer-causing compounds at bay. </div> <div> The findings, if confirmed by other studies, may provide women with a tool to lower their risk of an often-deadly cancer. While ovarian cancer is highly treatable in its early stages, it is rarely diagnosed early, in part because symptoms such as bloating and abdominal pain can signal any number of problems. Once ovarian cancer spreads to other sites, the 5-year-survival rate is only 29%. </div> <div> "Although these results are intriguing, we cannot rule out the possibility that both calcium and lactose are surrogates for another, unidentified component of dairy foods," the researchers conclude. </div> <div> In other findings, there was no relationship between total calorie, fat, carbohydrate or protein intake and ovarian cancer risk. </div> <div> SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology 2002;156:148-157. </div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="on_the_horizon_new_ovarian_cancer_test"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>On the Horizon: New Ovarian Cancer Test in Development </B></div> <div> A new, computer-based diagnostic test to detect ovarian cancer from blood samples has begun to receive attention in recent weeks. The results of a preliminary study, released in <I>The Lancet </I>on February 16, suggest that the test may be a great leap forward in the early detection of this particularly deadly form of cancer. If it is caught early, ovarian cancer is treatable, but there is currently no reliable screening test available. </div> <bR> <div> The new test, which is still in the research phase of development, combines artificial intelligence technology and proteomics (the study of proteins’ structure and function) to look for patterns of proteins in the blood. In the study conducted by the National Cancer Institute, the FDA, and Correlogic Systems Inc., which developed the computer program, the test was able to detect ovarian cancer correctly in all of 50 cancerous samples, 18 of which were stage I (early stage). The test reported a <U>false-positive </U>result in only 5% of the 66 non-cancerous samples. </div> <bR> <div> Although the test population was small, the test’s initial success in detecting all of the stage I ovarian cancer cases inspires optimism that this method will allow for earlier diagnosis of the disease and will greatly improve patients’ chances of survival. The test also has the benefit of taking just 30 minutes to complete and requires only a drop of blood from a fingerstick. </div> <bR> <div> Researchers say that more studies of the test’s sensitivity and accuracy are needed before it will be available and, then, it may at first be limited to use among women at high risk for the disease. However, they are hopeful that this test will help clinicians to diagnose ovarian cancer earlier than other methods currently available and that this technique could be applied to other cancers for similar early detection screening tests. </div> <div> On the Horizon: New Ovarian Cancer Test in Development </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="osteopontin_as_a_potential_diagnostic"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>Osteopontin as a Potential Diagnostic Biomarker for Ovarian Cancer</B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <div> <I>Jae-Hoon Kim, MD; Steven J. Skates, PhD; Toshimitsu Uede, MD; Kwong-kwok Wong, PhD; John O. Schorge, MD; Colleen M. Feltmate, MD; Ross S. Berkowitz, MD; Daniel W. Cramer, MD, ScD; Samuel C. Mok, PhD</I> </div> <div>  <A NAME="abstract"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B>Context </B>Development of new biomarkers for ovarian cancer is needed for early detection and disease monitoring. Analyses involving complementary DNA (cDNA) microarray data can be used to identify up-regulated genes in cancer cells, whose products may then be further validated as potential biomarkers.</div> <div> <B>Objective </B>To describe validation studies of an up-regulated gene known as osteopontin, previously identified using a cDNA microarray system.</div> <div> <B>Design, Setting, and Participants </B>Experimental and cross-sectional studies were conducted involving ovarian cancer and healthy human ovarian surface epithelial cell lines and cultures, archival paraffin-embedded ovarian tissue collected between June 1992 and June 2001, and fresh tissue and preoperative plasma from 144 patients evaluated for a pelvic mass between June 1992 and June 2001 in gynecologic oncology services at 2 US academic institutions. Plasma samples from 107 women selected from an epidemiologic study of ovarian cancer initiated between May 1992 and March 1997 were used as healthy controls.</div> <div> <B>Main Outcome Measures </B>Relative messenger RNA expression in cancer cells and fresh ovarian tissue, measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction as 2<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >-CT</FONT>(a quantitative value representing the amount of osteopontin expression); osteopontin production, localized and scored in ovarian healthy and tumor tissue with immunohistochemical studies; and amount of osteopontin in patient vs control plasma, measured using an enzyme-linked immunoassay.</div> <div> <B>Results </B>The geometric mean for 2<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >-CT</FONT>for osteopontin expression in 5 healthy ovarian epithelial cell cultures was 4.1 compared with 270.4 in 14 ovarian cancer cell lines (<I>P</I> = .03). The geometric mean 2<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#660099" FACE="Arial" >-CT</FONT>for osteopontin expression in tissue from 2 healthy ovarian epithelial samples was 9.0 compared with 164.0 in 27 microdissected ovarian tumor tissue samples (<I>P</I> = .06). Immunolocalization of osteopontin showed that tissue samples from 61 patients with invasive ovarian cancer and 29 patients with borderline ovarian tumors expressed higher levels of osteopontin than tissue samples from 6 patients with benign tumors and samples of healthy ovarian epithelium from 3 patients (<I>P</I> = .03). Osteopontin levels in plasma were significantly higher (<I>P</I><.001) in 51 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (486.5 ng/mL) compared with those of 107 healthy controls (147.1 ng/mL), 46 patients with benign ovarian disease (254.4 ng/mL), and 47 patients with other gynecologic cancers (260.9 ng/mL).</div> <div> <B>Conclusions </B>Our findings provide evidence for an association between levels of a biomarker, osteopontin, and ovarian cancer and suggest that future research assessing its clinical usefulness would be worthwhile.</div> <div> <I>JAMA. 2002;287:1671-1679</I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>