Vitamin E May Increase Risk of Prostate Cancer

Vitamin E may have cardiovascular and brain-boosting benefits, but a new study found that men who took 400 international units of the supplement every day have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer.

“The results show that men who took vitamin E alone are actually at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer by about 17 percent, compared with a placebo,” said Dr. Eric Klein, who treats prostate patients at the Cleveland Clinic and co-chaired the study.

Researchers studied the effects of vitamin E on more than 35,000 men over the course of seven years because they originally thought vitamin E – and selenium – would decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The study’s results were not what the researchers expected.

Researchers said they need to determine exactly why vitamin E can increase the chances of developing prostate cancer.

“The increased risk really emerged after men stopped taking the vitamin E,” Klein said. “People think of vitamins as innocuous substances, but in fact, that’s not true. They’re active agents; they’re part of our normal physiology and getting too much of things that are normal for us can sometimes be harmful.”

Dr. David Samadi, a Fox News Medical A-Team member and chief of robotics and minimally invasive surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City agreed. "We now have a better understanding of the relationship between vitamin E and prostate cancer. Their key finding...is the reason I am so cautious of prescribing alternative medicines.We should base our practice off of evidence-based clinical trials."
In the U.S., prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancers in men.

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Super Broccoli to Fight Cancer

A "super broccoli" developed by British scientists to fight cancer and heart disease goes on sale Tuesday.

The vegetable contains high levels of a nutrient thought to protect against the life-threatening diseases.

The broccoli - called Beneforte - will be sold at the UK retailer Marks & Spencer starting Tuesday and will be on the shelves of other supermarkets next year.

Studies have shown men with broccoli-rich diets have a reduced risk of prostate and bowel cancer. Other research suggests it can also help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Beneforte contains three times the amount of the beneficial plant chemical glucoraphanin than normal strains of broccoli.

It was created using conventional methods at the Institute of Food Research and John Innes Center in the UK. Work on the project began after a wild broccoli variety was discovered in 1983 with raised levels of glucoraphanin.

The nutrient is converted in the stomach into sulphoraphane, which scientists believe will stop the uncontrolled cell division associated with early-stage cancer.

"Our research gives insight into broccoli's role in promoting health," said Professor Richard Mithen of the IFR.

Science minister David Willetts said the research would give "a real boost to agriculture, personal health and the economy."

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Weird Science/Red Wine Ingredient Resveratrol Stops Breast Cancer Growth

Resveratrol, the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, stops breast cancer cells from growing by blocking the growth effects of estrogen, new research shows. (Credit: © Mist / Fotolia)

A new research report appearing in the October 2011 issue of The FASEB Journal shows that resveratrol, the "healthy" ingredient in red wine, stops breast cancer cells from growing by blocking the growth effects of estrogen. This discovery, made by a team of American and Italian scientists, suggests for the first time that resveratrol is able to counteract the malignant progression since it inhibits the proliferation of hormone resistant breast cancer cells. This has important implications for the treatment of women with breast cancer whose tumors eventually develop resistance to hormonal therapy.

"Resveratrol is a potential pharmacological tool to be exploited when breast cancer become resistant to the hormonal therapy," said Sebastiano Andò, a researcher involved in the work from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Calabria in Italy.

To make this discovery, Andò and colleagues used several breast cancer cell lines expressing the estrogen receptor to test the effects of resveratrol. Researchers then treated the different cells with resveratrol and compared their growth with cells left untreated. They found an important reduction in cell growth in cells treated by resveratrol, while no changes were seen in untreated cells. Additional experiments revealed that this effect was related to a drastic reduction of estrogen receptor levels caused by resveratrol itself.

"These findings are exciting, but in no way does it mean that should people go out and start using red wine or resveratrol supplements as a treatment for breast cancer," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "What it does mean, however, is that scientists haven't finished distilling the secrets of good health that have been hidden in natural products such as red wine."

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Cell Phones And Cancer

Decades ago, doctors ardently debated whether cigarettes had adverse health effects. Nowadays, cell phones are in the spotlight.

In the never-ending battling between experts trying to determine whether or not cell phones do in fact lead to brain cancer, chalk one up for the “no” category in the latest round.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute just published a study that tested the effects of cell phone usage on children and adolescents. The study included 1,000 people and compared a control group in good health with a control group of people diagnosed with brain tumors.
The result showed that children who started to use cell phones regularly five years ago were at no greater risk than those who had never used them regularly. In a subset of the study, no increased risk of brain tumors was discovered for brain areas receiving the largest amount of exposure.
That’s good news, but it still comes on the heels of a World Health Organization study that determined cell phones are possibly carcinogenic.
With so much money in the cell phone industry, it looks like straight answers regarding the risks will be hard to come by.

Story Credit  : ASKMen.com

Photo credit: Christopher Macsurak/flickr

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Health/Colon Cancer and Polyps: What You Need to Know

CREDIT | Askmen.com

It would surprise many to learn that colon cancer is the third leading cause of death by cancer in American men. Over the past 10 years, more than 600,000 people have succumbed to this highly preventable and treatable cancer, and over 1.5 million have been diagnosed.

Colon cancer, sometimes referred to as colorectal cancer, usually starts as slow-growing precancerous polyps, a term used to describe bumps on the surface of the colon. Virtually all colon cancers begin with these growths. When found early, colon cancer is approximately 90% treatable.

Colon cancer risk factors

The lifetime risk for developing colon cancer is 1-in-18 and over 90% of these cases occur after the age 50. Increasing age, a family history of colon polyps, colon cancer or other early cancers can double or triple your risk for developing this disease. If any of these risk factors run in your family, you need to start the discussion about screening at age 40 or even earlier depending on when your family members were diagnosed.

Persons with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease or a personal history of cancer are also at increased risk for colon cancer and need to tailor regular, more frequent colonoscopies.

Studies also indicate that diet and smoking may increase the risk of developing colon polyps and colon cancer.

While family history and other risk factors matter, not having risk factors does not eliminate your need for screenings.

What polyps tell us

As we age, about 1-in-4 of us develop polyps in our colon and about 10% of these polyps eventually turn from a benign growth into colon cancer. For the most part, these polyps take about 10 years to transform into colon cancer.

Polyps and early colon cancers often have no symptoms and can be detected only by screening exams.

How can colon cancer best be prevented?

There are several effective ways to reduce your colon cancer risk, but none more important than getting timely screenings and removing polyps before they become malignant.

Refraining from smoking, maintaining healthy weight and regular exercise, managing normal body levels of nutrients, especially vitamin D also appear to lower risk factors. Diets high in fiber are good for you, but have not been definitively shown to reduce colon cancer risk.

What are the symptoms of colon cancer?

Symptoms usually occur once tumors are advanced and causing obstruction or if the cancer has spread beyond the colon there may be rectal bleeding, anemia, abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea), unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, recurrent fevers, unexplained nausea or vomiting, or fatigue.

However, colon cancer symptoms overlap greatly with other digestive conditions. Many times, especially in younger patients, symptoms are attributed to hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome. Seven percent of colon cancers occur in people in their 40 and 3% under the age of 40. It’s important to take any of these symptoms seriously and request an evaluation.

If you experience any of these symptoms, until you are fully examined, no one -- not even a physician -- can definitively tell you the cause.

What are colon cancer screening options?

There are multiple screening options available that can often be confusing for the patient. For anyone at high risk for colon cancer, colonoscopy is the only recommended strategy.

Colonoscopy: Your physician will examine the inside of your colon and rectum using a long, lighted tube called a colonoscope, and removes any polyps found.

Virtual colonoscopy (CT scan colonoscopy): Images of the colon and rectum are taken using computerized tomography (CT). A computer puts the images together to create an animated, three-dimensional view. If abnormalities are detected, a colonoscopy is necessary.

Double contrast barium enema: The patient is given an enema with barium followed by air. The air pushes the barium against the walls of the colon in order to better visualize potential problems, such as polyps or tumors. If the test is abnormal, a colonoscopy is necessary.

Sigmoidoscopy: The doctor will examine the rectum and only the lower portion of the colon with a lighted tube. Where polyps are found, the doctor removes them.

Only a colonoscopy allows for both identification and removal of colon polyps throughout the entire colon and rectum. All other screening options require bowel prep, and if positive, will require a colonoscopy for confirmation and polyp removal.

For average-risk individuals, colonoscopy is recommended once every 10 years starting at age 50, and for African Americans, several societies recommend to start screening at age 45. Higher levels of risk require more frequent testing intervals and if polyps are found, follow-up surveillance with colonoscopy is recommended every five years.

Stool can be analyzed for evidence of bleeding or genetic abnormalities associated with colon cancer or large polyps. These tests are not designed to detect small- or medium-size polyps in their earliest stages. In order for these to effectively reduce colon cancer death rates, they must be repeated on an annual basis. When followed carefully, stool testing allows for intervention and detection of colon cancer at early stages leading to higher survival rates.

As you choose between the various types of testing, the best screening test is the one you will complete.

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Understanding Diseases/ Mesolthamia

Mesothelioma also commonly referred to as malignant mesothelioma, is an odd type of cancer which grows in the protective lining which shells most of the body's inner organs, the mesothelium. The cancer is as a result of exposure to asbestos.

The cancer usually develops on the pleura (i.e. the exterior lining of the lungs as well as interior chest barrier). Nonetheless, the cancer can also grow in the peritoneum (the coating of the abdominal cavity), the tunica vaginalis (a bag which environs the testis) or the pericardium (i.e. the pouch which surrounds the heart).

A majority of individuals who acquire mesothelioma have at one point in their lives worked on professions where they breathed in asbestos as well as glass specks, or were exposed to asbestos dust along with fiber by other means. It has also been shown that cleaning the garments of family members who worked with asbestos can put the person doing the laundry at risk of suffering from mesothelioma. While it is true that smoking can enhance one's chances of suffering from other types of asbestos-stimulated cancers, there is no medical proof to show that there is a link between mesothelioma and smoking. Individuals who have been subjected to asbestos have already accumulated harm for asbestos-related illnesses which include mesothelioma. Payments from asbestos funds or litigation are a critical matter in law practices concerning mesothelioma.

The signs that someone is suffering from malignant mesothelioma consist of shortness of breath as a result of pleural effusion (i.e. the fluid in-between the lung and chest barrier) or chest barrier pain, on top of general signs, for example, weight loss. 

The diagnosis can be identified with chest x-rays coupled with CT scan, and is verified with a biopsy (tissue test) on top of microscopic analysis. A thoracoscopy (this is where a tube with a camera is inserted into the chest) can be utilized to get biopsies. It enables the insertion of substances, for instance, talc to destroy the pleural space (known as pleurodesis), that deters more fluid from gathering and surging on the lung. In spite of therapy with chemotherapy, radiation and at times surgery, the mesothelioma has a bleak prognosis. Studies regarding screening examinations for the early prognosis of mesothelioma are still going on.

Signs and Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of mesothelioma might not show until twenty or fifty years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, coughing and aches in the chest, as a result of gathering of fluid in the pleural space, are some of the most common signs of pleural mesothelioma.

Signs of peritoneal mesothelioma are weight loss, intestinal swelling along with aches as a result of ascites (this refers to accumulation of fluid in the intestinal cavity). Other signs of peritoneal mesothelioma might include bowel blockade, anemia, blood clotting irregularities as well as fever. In case the cancer has spread further than the mesothelium to other areas of the body, signs might be aches, issues with ingesting, or swelling of neck or face.

These signs might be triggered by mesothelioma or by other disorders that are less grave.

Mesothelioma which touches on the pleura can create the following signs and symptoms:

- Chest barrier aches.

- Coughing, wheezing and hoarseness.

- Exhaustion or anemia.

- Difficulties in breathing.

- Pleural effusion (i.e. fluids which environs the lung).

- Traces of blood in the sputum coughed out.

In acute cases, the individual might have numerous tumor heaps. The person might also develop a pneumothorax (collapsing of the lung). Over time, the illness can metastasize or spread to other areas of the body.

Tumors which affect the intestinal cavity frequently do not trigger signs till they are at a later stage. The signs and symptoms might include:

- Intestinal aches.

- Weight loss.

- Issues with bowel movements.

- A load in the abdomen.

- Uncharacteristic accumulation of fluid in the belly.

In acute cases of illness, the following signs and symptoms might show:

- Acute ascites.

- Low blood sugar level.

- Pleural effusion.

- Clotting of the blood in the veins which may in turn trigger thrombophlebitis.

- Disseminated intravascular coagulation. In a layman's term, this refers to a condition resulting in acute bleeding in numerous body organs.

- Jaundice. This refers to the yellowing of the eyes as well as the skin.

- Clotting of the blood in the arteries of the lungs.

Unlike other types of cancers, mesothelioma does not normally invade the brain, adrenal glands or the bone. Pleural tumors are normally located on one side of the lungs.

What causes mesothelioma?

The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. In the U.S., asbestos is the main cause of malignant mesothelioma and is regarded as "incontrovertibly" related to the growth of mesothelioma.

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