A single treatment to cure all cancers? Scientists may be one step closer. In a recent study, scientists reported that they successfully tested an antibody treatment that shrank human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate tumors transplanted into mice. The antibody blocks a protein called CD47, which normally sits on the cell surface and issues a “don’t eat me” signal that prevents the body’s immune system from attacking it. Ref; The study was published [PDF] online by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. View full size

A single treatment to cure all cancers? Scientists may be one step closer.

In a recent study, scientists reported that they successfully tested an antibody treatment that shrank human breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate tumors transplanted into mice. The antibody blocks a protein called CD47, which normally sits on the cell surface and issues a “don’t eat me” signal that prevents the body’s immune system from attacking it.

Ref; The study was published [PDF] online by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

(Source: TIME)

Prevention is #innovation. Do you live in one of the Top 10 Smoker States? Here’s the list. West Virginia Kentucky Oklahoma Arkansas Mississippi Ohio Louisiana Alabama Nevada Indiana 75% of US lung cancer preventable by stopping smoking.  Ref: NCI statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov View full size

Prevention is #innovation. Do you live in one of the Top 10 Smoker States? Here’s the list.

  1. West Virginia
  2. Kentucky
  3. Oklahoma
  4. Arkansas
  5. Mississippi
  6. Ohio
  7. Louisiana
  8. Alabama
  9. Nevada
  10. Indiana

75% of US lung cancer preventable by stopping smoking. 

Ref: NCI statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov 

(Source: statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov)

Prevention is #innovation. #1n3 cancers can be prevented by an #individualmandate to change. 12 things 5 a day: fruits and vegetables shake off salt stay out of the red not so sweet good for the gut exercise limit alcohol consumption  love your skin quit smoking downsize your weight get vaccinated become an eco warrior Ref: WHOView full size

Prevention is #innovation. #1n3 cancers can be prevented by an #individualmandate to change. 12 things

  1. 5 a day: fruits and vegetables
  2. shake off salt
  3. stay out of the red
  4. not so sweet
  5. good for the gut
  6. exercise
  7. limit alcohol consumption 
  8. love your skin
  9. quit smoking
  10. downsize your weight
  11. get vaccinated
  12. become an eco warrior

Ref: WHO

Prevention is #innovation! #cancerispreventable is decades old news. The 7 obstacles? Researchers outline them in Science Translational Medicine Mar 28: Skepticism that cancer can be prevented.  The short-term focus of cancer research. Intervening too late in life to prevent cancer. Research focuses on treatment, not prevention.  Debate among scientists. experts have a moral responsibility to highlight cancer risk factors even without knowing the biological mechanism  Societal factors that affect health. Tobacco policy and government subsidies don’t do enough to discourage unhealthy behavior, and in some cases they make the unhealthy options more accessible,  Lack of collaboration across disciplines.  The complexity of implementing broad changes. Ref: Colditz GA, Wolin KY, Gehlert S. Applying what we know to accelerate cancer prevention. Science Translational Medicine. March 28, 2012.View full size

Prevention is #innovation! #cancerispreventable is decades old news. The 7 obstacles? Researchers outline them in Science Translational Medicine Mar 28:

  1. Skepticism that cancer can be prevented. 
  2. The short-term focus of cancer research.
  3. Intervening too late in life to prevent cancer.
  4. Research focuses on treatment, not prevention. 
  5. Debate among scientists. experts have a moral responsibility to highlight cancer risk factors even without knowing the biological mechanism 
  6. Societal factors that affect health. Tobacco policy and government subsidies don’t do enough to discourage unhealthy behavior, and in some cases they make the unhealthy options more accessible, 
  7. Lack of collaboration across disciplines. 
  8. The complexity of implementing broad changes.
Ref: Colditz GA, Wolin KY, Gehlert S. Applying what we know to accelerate cancer prevention. Science Translational Medicine. March 28, 2012.
Taking a probiotic, similar to what’s found in yogurt, may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers. The research is published online in the journal Gut. Radiation therapy often is used to treat prostate, cervical, bladder, endometrial, and other abdominal cancers. But the therapy can kill both cancer cells and healthy ones, leading to severe bouts of diarrhea if the lining of the intestine gets damaged For many patients, this means radiation therapy must be discontinued, or the radiation dose reduced, while the intestine heals William F. Stenson, professor of gastroenterology and inflammatory bowel disease at Washington University in St. Louis.View full size

Taking a probiotic, similar to what’s found in yogurt, may help cancer patients avoid intestinal injury, a common problem in those receiving radiation therapy for abdominal cancers. The research is published online in the journal Gut.

Radiation therapy often is used to treat prostate, cervical, bladder, endometrial, and other abdominal cancers. But the therapy can kill both cancer cells and healthy ones, leading to severe bouts of diarrhea if the lining of the intestine gets damaged

For many patients, this means radiation therapy must be discontinued, or the radiation dose reduced, while the intestine heals

William F. Stenson, professor of gastroenterology and inflammatory bowel disease at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Lee Berk, at Loma Linda University School of Medicine’s Department of Clinical LLUSPH: Lee Berk, DrPH Associate Professor, Allied Health StudiesImmunology, studies show that the experience of laughter lowers serum cortisol levels, increases the amount of activated T lymphocytes, [and] increases the number and activity of natural killer (NK) cells….

NK cells are a type of immune cell that attacks viral or cancerous cells…. They become very important in the prevention of cancer. Cells within our bodies are constantly changing and mutating to produce potential carcinogenic cells. An intact immune system can function appropriately by mobilizing these NK cells to destroy abnormal cells.