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The Great American Smokeout

Several times a day there are many people who brave the elements, wind, rain, morning fog, an evening chill, even snow, to go outside and have a smoke. Some people forgo flying on a plane because it robs them of a few hours in which they need their nicotine fix. A smoking addiction can not only add to travel time for some, but it steals lives, creating tragedy instead of memories. Every November, the American Cancer Society (ACS) stages the “Great American Smokeout” challenging the over 45 million nicotine-addicts just in the

Counseling May Improve Breast Cancer Survival

Research increasingly supports the notion that emotional, mental and physical health are very closely linked and that psychological therapy can improve a person’s overall health by effectively decreasing depression, anxiety and related symptoms, such as pain, fatigue and nausea. It can also have a positive effect on the body’s immune system. Nine out of 10 Americans surveyed by Consumer Reports said that psychological counseling helped them. Counseling is used in many situations including smoking cessation, weight management, pain management, and coping with a chronic illness.

Family History of Breast Cancer Raises Risks

If you have had a strong family history of breast cancer, even if you do not carry the genes yourself, you might want to pay close attention to this subject as it could affect you more than you know. Women that have had a strong family history of breast cancer that do not have the genes with increased risk for the disease have a fourfold greater chance of developing it than the average woman.

Breakthrough Discovery May Improve Tracking and Treatment of Cancer

A newly discovered blood biomarker that contains information about cancer tumors could lead to major advancement in the tracking and treatment of cancer. Tiny membrane-covered sacs are released from tumor cells and circulate freely in the blood. These sacs carry genetic information about the tumor from which they came. This information presents a new way to track, and possibly someday, treat cancer.

Genetic Mapping of Leukemia May Lead to Better Treatment

With more than 13,000 new cases diagnosed annually in the United States, acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow, arising in either granulocytes or monocytes, which are white blood cells that battle infectious agents throughout the body. The word "acute" in this case denotes the rapid progression of the disease and the fact that it affects immature blood cells, rather than mature ones. Although the exact cause of AML is unknown, cigarette smoking, exposure to benzene, and prior exposure to

Gardasil: Working to Prove Its Effectiveness

The somewhat controversial HPV vaccine Gardasil has been receiving a lot of press recently, from an allegedly too-quick FDA approval to praise for the high volume of vaccines being distributed. Gardasil, approved in 2006 to prevent 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts caused by HPV, is fast becoming an automatic vaccine for young girls entering puberty. With new information coming out of the CDC in the last week, it just may prove be deserved of the good press.

Vitamin E and Selenium No Help in Preventing Prostate Cancer

Vitamin E and selenium supplements do nothing to help prevent prostate cancer. In fact, there is some evidence of increased risk for the disease when taking vitamin E.

Breast Cancer Patients Welcome Hot Flashes & Night Sweats

Women have long dreaded the days and nights when hot flashes and night sweats—consequences of age and gender— disrupt their lives and cause much emotional and physical discomfort. But there are other women, those receiving treatment for breast cancer, who might learn to appreciate, in a necessary way, that those side effects are also signs of a successful treatment program.

Stem Cells Used for Prostate Regeneration

Stem cells can generate into many types of cells in the body. In a recent study Genentech scientists in San Francisco say they have grown entire prostates in mice using only a single adult stem cell. The success of the study was made possible by identification of a genetic signature which distinguished stem cells from other cells. The information has not been confirmed in humans, but understanding normal cells should help with the understanding of how prostate cancer develops.

Researchers Identify 26 Genes Responsible for Lung Cancer

Each year, lung cancer kills more than 1 million people worldwide, including more than 160,000 people in the United States. Adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed form of lung cancer, accounting for 30 to 35 percent of all cases. This cancer can only be cured when surgery or radiation therapy can completely remove the tumor, but many lung cancers are diagnosed at a stage when this is not possible. Only about 17 percent of people with adenocarcinoma survive more than 5 years after diagnosis. However, the discovery of over two dozen genes associated with this type of cancer could