Cancer. Discover the latest in cancer news, research, clinical studies, health and prevention tips for both men and women from Dr. David Samadi. Explore latest news on cancer treatment, detection and prevention in common cancers such as lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, kidney cancer, throat cancer, thyroid cancer, bladder cancer and other cancers.
1. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, and more common than you think.
About 3.5 million cases of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. It is estimated that in 2015, melanoma (a more severe type of skin cancer) will account for more than 73,000 cases of skin cancer. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined.
Read MoreWhat are the most common types of cancers? Lung Cancer. The ACS estimates there will be 221, 200 new cases of lung cancer diagnosed in the U.S. during 2015. Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death among men and women in the U.S......
Read MoreColorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or the rectum. The colon is also known as the large intestine and the rectum sits at the bottom of the colon, connecting the colon and the anus. Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women in the United States. For 2015, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 93,090 new cases of colon cancer and 39,610 new cases of rectal cancer.
Read MoreYou should always pay attention to your body, even when you don’t think the symptoms are anything out of the ordinary. Here are some common signs of cancer that women in particular should never ignore:
Read MoreA bone marrow transplant is also known as a stem cell transplant. It is a procedure that is designed to replace unhealthy bone marrow (diseased or damaged) with healthy bone marrow. It is performed after a patient has high-dose chemotherapy or radiation treatment for conditions that do not respond to standard doses.
A bone marrow transplant may be used to treat people with:
· Life-threatening blood cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma or multiple myeloma
· Diseases which result in bone marrow failure like aplastic anemia
· Other immune system or genetic diseases
What is bone marrow? Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside bones that produces blood cells, including white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. When bone marrow is damaged, it no longer produces these cells. This can cause weakness, anemia, infections, excessive bleeding and even death. When high doses of chemotherapy and radiation are used to kill cancer cells, bone marrow cells also may be destroyed. Bone marrow and stem cell transplants enable doctors to treat cancer with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation because they can replace the bone marrow cells destroyed in the treatment.
A bone marrow transplant may cause the following symptoms:
· Chest pain
· Drop in blood pressure
· Fever, chills, flushing
· Funny taste in the mouth
· Headache
· Hives
· Nausea
· Pain
· Shortness of breath
Research suggest there is a link between eating red and processed meats and developing colon cancer. If you are eating red meat three or more times weekly you might be inadvertently increasing your risk of colon cancer. For the most part, this includes people who eat some type of red meat almost every day, as well as eats much more than the recommended amount. The recommended amount is a four ounce serving.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. About 90 percent of cases occur in people aged 50 or older. And on average, the risk of developing colon cancer is about 1 in 20. However, this may vary depending on individual risk factors. Early detection is key. With regular screening, colon cancer can be found early. This is when treatment is most effective.
Signs and symptoms of colon cancer
· Abnormal bowel habits (i.e. constipation, diarrhea, or a change in the consistency of your stool)
· Rectal bleeding or bloody stool
· Continuous abdominal pain
· The feeling of incomplete emptying of bowel
· Weakness or fatigue
· Unexplained weight loss
Risk factors for Colorectal Cancer:
· Age 50 and over (90% of new cases occur in people ages 50 and over)
· Inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis
· People with an immediate family member with a history of colon cancer have 2-3 times the risk of developing colon cancer
· African-Americans have a 20% higher risk of developing colon cancer and a 45% higher mortality rate
· Lifestyle factors – Physical inactivity, a diet low in fruits, vegetables, fiber and high in fat, being overweight or obese, alcohol and tobacco use
A Swedish study of five million people appears to support the theory that height and cancer risk are linked. The study found that taller people had a slightly higher risk of breast cancer and skin cancer, among other cancers.
Read MoreAbnormal change in your testicles. Get checked out if you notice a new lump, heaviness, or any other abnormal change in your testicle. This may be an indication of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer can be an aggressive disease which must be treated promptly.
Read MoreOctober is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is most common cancer among women. It affects more than 230,000 women each year, and about 30,000 women still die from this disease each year.
Read MoreA new study says aspirin helps protect against heart attacks and colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer kills about 50,000 people each year in the United States. However, people should also know that there are some potentially serious side effects of taking a certain amount of aspirin.
Read MoreA new study suggests that using pesticides in your homes may increase the risk of children developing certain types of cancer, specifically leukemia or lymphoma. The new study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, claims that using indoor pesticides is strongly linked to an increased risk of children developing either leukemia or lymphoma. The study was conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
Read MoreAspirin may be able to boost the effectiveness of cancer medicines that improves the immune system. Immunotherapy lets the body's own defenses fight cancer. Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have published a study suggesting aspirin may prevent tumors from hiding from the immune system. Cancer Research UK said it could be a simple way of improving treatment. The team showed that skin, breast and bowel cancer cells were producing high levels of a chemical, called prostaglandin E2, that could dampen down the immune response - effectively letting a tumor hide.
Read MoreWhen former president Jimmy Carter was recently diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer, it was a reminder for all of us that taking care of the largest organ in our body, our skin, should not be overlooked. What also should not be overlooked is what we eat. Nutrition may have the potential to influence whether we develop skin cancer and might be one step out of many that can protect us from having to face this disease. Before we learn about nutrition’s possible role, let’s review more facts about this prevalent cancer.
Read MoreResearchers from London say they have found a new blood test that can detect breast cancer DNA months before it would show up on medical scans. The blood test is not yet available because it is still in the early stages of research. However, the research looks quite promising.
Read MoreResearch suggests there is a biological way to can restore cancer cells to normality and stop them replicating out of control. U.S. researchers have tried to add molecules called microRNAs to cancerous cells and they have found that these can put the brakes on cancer, according to a report published in Nature Cell Biology. The early laboratory tests in a dish look promising. However, it is still a long way until the first applications of these findings will be put to test in clinical trials.
Read MorePrevious studies have proved that aspirin taken daily can also reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack. For that purpose, it is enough to take daily a low-dose version of aspirin-containing only 81 mg of active ingredients. According to the scientists, other types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce the risk even more. For instance, the study found that those people who took non-aspirin NSAIDs over a period of at least five years were 30% to 45% less likely to have colorectal cancer than people who didn't take the medication.
Read MoreA hospital scan normally used to detect cancer could be used to steer tumor killing treatments to hard-to-reach targets in the body. The UK team at Sheffield University deployed the magnetic power of MRI scans to control the movement of a specially designed injectable cancer therapy. Early trials in mice suggest the novel delivery method works. Years more of studies are needed before it could be used in patients.
Read MoreWhen the War on Cancer was declared in the early 1970s, the average five-year relative survival rate for all cancers was only 50 percent. Due to advances in research over these last decades, mostly funded by the National Institute of Health and National Cancer Institute, we've seen an increase in the five-year survival rate now being 68%. However, there are a number of cancers that still fall below 50 percent survival. These cancers are considered the "deadliest," cancers. Sometimes symptoms that we ignore can overlap with potential signs of cancer.
Read MoreOnly 3% of those diagnosed expected to live 5+ years. Mainly due to the lack of symptoms and late diagnosis. Disease has already spread to other parts of the body, with minimal options for treatment. The study from Queen Mary University conducted research, which was funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund. Published in Clinical Cancer Research, scientists discovered a new biomarker (set of three proteins) which is a potential for new diagnostic test that could detect early-stage pancreatic cancer. Could be a definitive indication of whether someone has pancreatic cancer, or doesn’t
Read MoreStudy suggests England's track record for cancer survival remains poorer than other countries with similar health systems. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, the research compares England's survival trends with figures for five other countries over 15 years. Researchers say there have been steady improvements, but more needs to be done to close the survival gap. NHS England says survival figures have never been higher in the country. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine compared England's survival figures for colon, breast, lung, ovarian, rectal and stomach cancers with data from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
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