Cancer Research

Anemia is a common blood disorder characterized by low hemoglobin levels and has long been associated with those suffering from colorectal cancer, but researchers at Tel Aviv University  say that low hemoglobin levels can actually indicate a potential for colon cancer years before it's diagnosed.  Graduate student Inbal Goldshtein, who works with Dr. Gabriel Chodick and Dr. Varda Shalev of Tel Aviv University's School of Public Health, says that paying close attention to routine blood test results can be an effective screening system for colon cancer which, when diagnosed early…

A new study says it is the first to identify a life-or-death "cell competition" process in mammalian tissue that suppresses cancer by causing cancerous cells to kill themselves.  Central to their discovery was the researchers' identification of 'Mahjong,  a gene that can determine the winners of the competition through its close relationship with another powerful protein player. Lead author Yoichiro Tamori and Associate Professor Wu-Min Deng of Florida State and Yasuyuki Fujita of University College London named the newfound gene after the Chinese game of skill and luck and say the…

Researchers from the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health and Masonic Cancer Center say there is a definitive link between the use of indoor tanning devices and increased risk of melanoma. Their new study of 2,268 Minnesotans found that people who use any type of tanning bed for any amount of time are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma, and; frequent users of indoor tanning beds are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to develop melanoma than those who never use tanning devices. The study defines frequent uses as people who used indoor tanning for 50 plus hours, more than 100…

Since the rediscovery of the cancer stem cell hypothesis by Peter Dirks at the University of Toronto, researchers often use these cancer stem cells (or cancer initiating cells) as the scapegoat to explain why cancers are so hard to treat. While scientists have yet to pinpoint the exact identity and origin of cancer stem cells, the general verdict in the cancer research community is that cancer stem cells are the guilty masterminds for the deadly progression of aggressive cancers. A well-accepted theory, coined the “cancer stem cell hypothesis” nearly 50 years ago, suggest that cancer stem…

Spices commonly used to season cooked ground beef may also reduce the risk of consuming compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that can cause cancer . HCAs are the carcinogenic compounds that are produced when muscle foods, such as ground beef patties, are barbecued, grilled, boiled or fried. Consuming HCAs through meat increases risk factors for colorectal, stomach, lung, pancreatic, mammary and prostate cancers. J. Scott Smith, a Kansas State University food chemistry professor, found that certain spices containing natural antioxidants would reduce HCA levels by 40 percent when applied…

Heavy alcohol consumption carries a lot of significant health risks, and researchers from the University of Texas say men who drink too much face a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. In a study published in Cancer Causes and Control, researchers found that the more alcohol a man consumed, the higher his risk of pancreatic cancer compared with those who drank little or no alcohol. Men who consumed alcohol increased their risk of pancreatic cancer by 1.5 to 6 times compared with those who didn't consume alcohol or who had less than one drink per month. The increased risk depended on the amount…

The most effective way to reduce indoor tanning among young women is to warn them about the risk of developing leathery, wrinkled skin. Researchers writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine say harping on the risk of skin cancer is unlikely to deter tanning. "They're not worried about skin cancer, but they are worried about getting wrinkled and being unattractive," said June Robinson, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The study examined the best strategy to wean college-age women who are considered addicted or pathological tanners from…

A new study investigating the link between cell phone use and brain tumors has yielded inconclusive results. Over 10,000 people took part in the study: cell phone users; non cell phone users; cell phone users who survived brain cancer as well as brain cancer survivors who had never used cell phones. The results will be published this week in the International Journal of Epidemiology. "If we combine all users and compare them with non-users, the Interphone Study found no increase in brain cancer among users. In fact, surprisingly, we found that when we combine users independently of the amount…

Previous research has found that soda and coffee consumption are associated with risk of colon cancer. But a new review in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that drinking even large amounts of coffee and sugar-sweetened, carbonated soft drinks is not linked to the disease. Earlier studies on subject have reached mixed conclusions. Some found that coffee and tea may lower the risk of cancer, while others found that they could increase the risk. Tea, for instance contains anti-oxidants that in theory help prevent cancer but also has polyamines, which in theory promote cancer…

A new study in the International Journal of Health Geographics has linked cold, dry weather to an increased incidence of prostate cancer in the Northern United States. While unsure why the association exists, researchers say that meteorological effects on persistent organic pollutants, such as some pesticides and industrial by-products, may be to blame. The current explanation for the spatial pattern of prostate cancer is low vitamin D levels in individuals living at northerly latitudes. But the authors of the new study contend that this hypothesis doesn't fully explain the higher incidence…