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October 18, 2011
To screen or not to screen for cancer? Risks go both ways
Most of us used to think that all health screening was good, but we’ve learned that’s not necessarily true. Screening does more harm than good when it causes false positives, more invasive testing that’s not needed and unnecessary treatments that do harm.
How many thousands of men have undergone treatment for prostate cancer that left them incontinent, impotent or both when the cancer was too slow-growing to ever harm them? The trouble is, most prostate cancers are very slow growing and it’s hard to tell which ones are killers and which ones are not.
Against that backdrop the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended last week (here’s a good summary) that healthy men 50 and older should not routinely receive a blood test for prostate cancer, called a prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA test, because the harm outweighs the benefit.
Many urologists and doctors cried foul, but there were others who agreed.
Now the same task force plans to release new guidelines Wednesday on Pap smears, saying they are needed only once every three years to test for cervical cancer. Like the task force’s 2009 recommendation that mammograms could be deferred for the average woman until age 50 and then done every other year, this proposal is controversial. It also makes me squeamish, unlike the prostate cancer proposal.
Why? I’ve wondered: Is it because I’m a woman? I’ve considered that, but I don’t think so. I have been more swayed by the data and arguments that Pap smears and mammograms appear to have saved more lives while doing less harm, it seems, than PSA tests.
An AP article the Statesman published today states, Pap smears since the 1970s have cut cervical cancer death rates in half.
The life-saving results of mammograms for women in their 40s is much less profound. TheSusan G. Komen for the Cure website says that a review of eight studies of women ages 40 to 49 who had mammograms had a 15 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer compared to women who did not. Another recent study found a 29 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer, but other studies did not find a similar benefit, the site said.
There’s no question older women benefited more from mammograms. Yet, I have seen friends in their 40s have their breast cancer detected early from a mammogram. The American Cancer Society and other groups favor mammograms for women in that age group. Maybe I am biased. (I can already see the fan mail.)
Supporters of PSA tests for men commonly cite a study that showed a nearly 40 percent reduction in death rates among men who had the test. Younger men were more likely to be saved from those screenings.
Prostate cancer can be aggressive and deadly, no doubt, but the nuances of that cancer and the screening test make me more cautious about the PSA than I am about mammograms and Pap tests. I haven’t heard an outcry from the American Cancer Society about the PSA recommendation from the U.S. task force. At least not yet.
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September 23, 2011
Researchers find clues to who might best survive breast cancer
One of the puzzles doctors and cancer researchers face is trying to determine which cancers should be treated aggressively and which ones shouldn’t. As scientists learn more about how cells function, strides are being made.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center announced today that its researchers have made a discovery that could help to better predict which patients have the best chance of surviving breast cancer. Those patients might one day avoid some of the more toxic treatments breast cancer patients now receive.
The researchers said they have identified 16 genes, or proteins, involved in the metabolism of iron, which feeds cancerous cells. And those 16 genes seem to have the greatest ability to predict breast cancer survival, they said, after studying 674 breast cancer cases and 61 genes involved in iron regulation.
The scientists built on work from last summer in which they found that women with high levels of the protein ferroportin, known to eliminate iron from cells,and low levels of another protein, hepcidin, were less likely to have the cancer come back, and thus had higher survival chances. The new research found similar pairings among the 16 genes that regulate iron metabolism in cells.
“There’s a growing understanding that tumor cells have an altered metabolism,” the lead researcher, Frank Torti, director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist, at right, said in a news release. “We know that they consume sugar and fats in different ways. These findings now show that tumor cells also handle iron in different ways from non-cancer cells, and that this has important consequences for patient prognosis. There are more genes in the Iron Regulatory Gene Signature whose function in breast cancer we don’t fully understand, so there’s certainly more discovery to be done. All of this work and new information will help us be able to better predict prognosis for breast cancer patients and hopefully, one day, will help guide our treatment recommendations.”
The work was published in the online journal, Cancer Research.
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September 8, 2011
Livestrong offers free classes to help cancer patients, families
The Livestrong Cancer Navigation Center in East Austin is launching a fall series of free classes and support groups to help people affected by cancer.
The center is at 2201 E. Sixth St., and people can register for classes by calling 220-7777 or going to the Livestrong navigation website. Classes are held at the center unless otherwise noted below.
The classes include:
Wills and Wishes: Sept. 14, 6 to 8 p.m. It explains wills and current Texas laws on estate planning and answers questions.
Caregiver Support Group: Sept. 14 to Oct. 19, 10:30 a.m. to noon. For people who care for loved ones diagnosed with cancer. At Riverbend Church, 4214 N. Loop 360 (Capital of Texas Highway).
Cancer Transitions: Tuesdays, Oct. 4 to Nov. 8, 5:30 to 8 p.m. For cancer survivors transitioning from active treatment to post-treatment care. Doctors, nutritionists and fitness experts featured. At Seton Medical Center Hays, 6001 Kyle Parkway, Kyle.
The Happy Kitchen with The Sustainable Food Center: Thursdays, Oct. 6 to Nov. 10, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Patients learn how to prepare healthy, economical meals that are good for them. Participants should be at least four to six months out of treatment.
Cancer and Nutrition: Oct. 19, 6 to 8 p.m. Learn which foods promote or discourage cancer growth and see a cooking demonstration of simple, healthy recipes.
Cancer and Relationships: Nov. 16, 6 to 8 p.m. Discusses effects of cancer on relationships, intimacy and sexuality.
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May 20, 2011
Free skin cancer screenings for women Saturday
Cedar Park Regional Medical Center at 1401 Medical Parkway in Cedar Park is offering women ages 25 to 65 free skin cancer screening Saturday from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
The exams will be done by Lone Star Dermatology physicians and physician assistants. The event is being held in honor of National Women’s Health Week and more information can be found on the hospital’s website.
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May 10, 2011
Some breast cancer drugs quit working after 3 years, UT scientists say
New research from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has found that after about three years, some breast cancer drugs appear to stop working.
The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, says that highest risk of death from breast cancer occurs during the first three years, and once a patient survives that, some drugs seem to lose their effectiveness.
This is important because patients are living longer with breast cancer and are therefore on treatment longer, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Ismail Jatoi at the university’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center, in a news release.
“The current paradigm that we have is that these drugs, over the lifetime of the patient, have a constant effect,” said Jatoi, at right. “What we’ve suggested in this paper is that’s not really the case. What we’re seeing is that some drugs have an initial effect. The effect of the drug diminishes after about three years.”
The notion that the effect of some cancer drugs wear off over time is not new. Chemotherapy drugs can lose their punch the longer they’re used, and a recent article published by MIT discusses how some tumors showed resistance to a new generation of targeted cancer drugs in some relatively small studies.
The MIT article cautions more studies are needed because it’s not clear how widespread the resistance problem is.
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March 4, 2011
No evidence linking cell phone use and brain tumors, doctor says
A brain tumor specialist will give a free public lecture in San Antonio Thursday at which he will discuss the ‘myth’ of brain tumors and cell phone use.
“The evidence is — that’s not happening,” said Dr. Andrew Brenner, a medical oncologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center.
Brenner, at right, cited as evidence cancer reporting data, which tends to be about three years behind the present, which shows that brain tumor rates have not increased despite widespread use of cell phones since the late 1990s.
Some studies have shown a slight increase in glioblastomas, the most aggressive type of primary brain tumor. And a recent study showed that just 50 minutes of cell phone use increased brain activity, although any clinical effect was unknown. I blogged on this last week.
Brenner said that while the latest study was interesting, he was not as impressed by the studies showing the slight increase in glioblastomas. He said those studies have been relatively small.
“The chances of someone developing a brain tumor from a cell phone is relatively low,” he said. “It doesn’t mean cell phones can’t cause other problems. Anytime you talk about increased activity in the brain, you’re talking about brain function. You could have behavior changes over time,” but those studies haven’t been done.
It also isn’t known what impact cell phones have on children, who could be more susceptible, he said.
But he doesn’t believe cell phones put out enough radio waves to cause tumors.
Does he think that’s the final word on cell phones? “As a doctor and a scientist you learn to never say never,” Brenner said.
Should people use an ear piece, headset or speaker when on a cell phone?
“There’s nothing wrong with being safe,” he said, adding that a Bluetooth doesn’t count as an ear piece. “That’s the same as a cell phone,” he said.
In addition to speaking about cell phones, Brenner will describe novel treatments for brain tumors.
If you want to go, Brenner will be at UT’s Cancer Therapy & Research Center, 7979 Wurzbach, in the Mabee conference room on the fourth floor of the Grossman Building. Refreshments will be provided. For information, call (210) 450-1152.
This is the fourth in a series of free monthly public lectures on cancer sponsored by the San Antonio center.
On April 14, Dr. Kevin Hall will speak on cancer prevention for women over 40.
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February 26, 2011
A brain tumor, a funeral and a new cell phone study
A week ago today, my friends and I said farewell to a dear friend at a funeral. She died of brain cancer, not a pleasant way to go. She did an amazing job of connecting with her friends throughout her life and was one of the heaviest cell phone users I’d ever met.
Did cell phone use cause her cancer? We’ll probably never know.
What does the science say? The weight of the evidence to date indicates that cell phones are safe. But there are some studies that show a slightly higher incidence of glioblastoma, the kind of tumor my friend had, and heavy cell phone use. And her cancer was in the temporal lobe, the area near where most people hold a cell phone while talking.
Earlier this week, another study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association saying that just 50 minutes of cell phone use can change brain metabolism. While it’s unclear what effect that has on a person’s health, it’s interesting that the small amount of radiofrequency put out by a cell phone can alter brain activity.
There was a good report in the New York Times about the study.
I think it’s clear that the jury is still out on cell phone safety. We simply don’t know enough to say definitively that they are safe to told hold against your face. It could be years before we can answer that. Until then, I think it would be prudent to use a headset or an ear piece. I try never to make calls without my ear piece or putting the phone on speaker and holding it away from my body. I’m shocked at how few people do this.
It would be tragic if a few years from now we discover this devastating brain cancer is on the rise because of cell phones when a simple precaution could have made a difference.
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February 4, 2011
Huge cancer study seeks local residents ages 30 to 65
The American Cancer Society is mounting a 20-year research study of cancer in which they are seeking 500,000 participants, including 1,000 from Central Texas.
People between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer are asked to consider enrolling in the Cancer Prevention Study-3 to give scientists a better understanding of the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that cause or prevent cancer. Participants must be willing to make a long-term commitment to the study and complete home surveys.
Those who enroll will need to read and sign an informed consent form; complete a comprehensive health survey; provide physical measurements; and give a small blood sample.
Enrollment will be held in Austin from March 1 to 5 at the American Cancer Society Austin Corporate Office, 2433 Ridgepoint Drive; and from March 1 to 4 at the American Cancer Society National Cancer Information Center at 11701 Stonehollow Drive.
Walk-ins are accepted but appointments are strongly encouraged.
To schedule an appointment go to the website or call toll free at (888) 604-5888.
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January 25, 2011
Personalize cancer prevention by knowing risks, doctor says
You’ve heard of personalized medicine? It’s about targeting treatments that are more specific to the individual, taking one’s genetic makeup into account.
In that vein, it’s possible to devise a cancer-prevention plan that is personalized, said Dr. Ian Thompson Jr., director of the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He estimates that as many as half of all cancers are preventable.
You can hear Thompson, at right, and get some cancer prevention tips Feb. 10 in a free, public lecture, but you’ll have to go San Antonio for it.
“Every single person should have a plan for assessing their risk of cancer,” he said in a center news release.
For example, fair-skinned people are at higher risk for melanoma and should take extra precautions, such as always using sunscreen when outdoors. A family history is a clue to which cancers to be on the lookout for, and certain genetic predispositions and environmental exposures need to considered, he said.
Aside from personalized prevention, the Mayo Clinic offers seven general tips people can follow to prevent cancer, with avoiding tobacco smoke at the top and including regular exercise.
Reader’s Digest lists 31 tips to prevent cancer, many of them having to do with eating certain foods or taking supplements that are said to have protective powers. It’s an intriguing list that includes eating sauerkraut, drinking fresh lemonade and (I can already see the hate mail for this next one) buying clothes that don’t require dry cleaning.
Thompson will speak from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the center, 7979 Wurzbach, in the Mabee conference room on the fourth floor of the Grossman Building. Refreshments will be provided, and people can call (210) 450-1152 for information.
The talk is the third in a series of free monthly public lectures on cancer sponsored by the cancer center. In March, Dr. Andrew Brenner will speak on cell phones and brain cancer. I have a feeling that lecture will be packed.
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January 19, 2011
St. David's banking patients' brain tumor tissue for research
Patients who have brain tumors removed at a St. David’s hospital could be asked if they’d be willing to have research done on tumor tissue that would otherwise be discarded.
The NeuroTexas Institute at St. David’s HealthCare, 1015 E. 32nd St., has formed the Austin Brain Tumor Repository. It is the first brain tumor and tissue bank in Central Texas, said Matthew Cowperthwaite, director of research at the institute.
With the consent of patients, the tissue will be used to study brain tumor genetics and other characteristics that could lead to more personalized treatments for different kinds of tumors. The donations likely won’t benefit the patients who gave the tissue because scientific discoveries can take years.
Doctors and researchers at St. David’s will work with scientists at the University of Texas at Austin and other universities on the research. No tissue will go to for-profit companies, St. David’s officials said.
“We are open to exploring the possibility of expanding to other hospitals outside of St. David’s…and being a resource to the community,” Cowperthwaite said.
Patients can revoke permission at any time, and their identities will be kept private from researchers outside of the hospital, officials said.
There is no cost for donating.
“I think we’re really at the forefront of pushing bench research to the bedside,” Cowperthwaite said. “Medicine will be much more personalized … and that will really revolutionize how we care for cancer.”
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July 1, 2010
UT gets $2.5 million to train next generation of cancer researchers
The University of Texas has received $2.5 million to train a new generation of cancer researchers.
The university also received $527,974 for a study of how cancer cells live and die.
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas awarded Jonathan Sessler, a professor of chemistry, and John DiGiovanni, a professor of pharmacy and nutritional sciences, $2.5 million to establish the UT Cancer Research Training Program.
The program will train all levels of students to work on the development of potential treatments and tools to diagnose cancer. They also will collaborate with researchers at UT’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, UT announced today.
Three other UT projects received $3.3 million from program in January and are described on the institute’s website, according to UT.
In addition, Tanya Paull, a professor of molecular genetics and microbiology, received $527,974 to work on a protein in human cells that she and her colleagues discovered can sense oxidative stress, which is important in cancer biology because of its involvement in cell growth and death, according to a news release from UT.
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April 30, 2010
Free skin cancer screenings this Saturday and next
The Seton Family of Hospitals and a local business will provide skin cancer screenings this Saturday and next Saturday, respectively.
Tomorrow, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local dermatologists will conduct free screening exams at University Medical Center Brackenridge, 601 E. 15th Street, in the Day Surgery area on the first floor. The exams will be done on a first come, first served basis.
Free parking will be provided in the hospital’s garage.
The screens are being sponsored by the Dermatological Society, Seton, American Cancer Society and American Academy of Dermatology.
For the past 30 years, skin cancer rates and melanoma have been rising, especially among young white women and older white men. The American Cancer Society says that about 68,720 new melanomas were diagnosed in the United States last year. It is the most deadly form of skin cancer but curable when detected early.
Seton said that of 380 people examined at its screening event last year, 39 percent had an abnormal finding that required follow-up with a doctor. Seven were likely to be melanomas and another 23 participants were found to have a precursor to melanoma, Seton said.
On May 8, Westlake Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery will hold a free skin screening from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its five Central Texas locations: North Austin, Round Rock, West Lake Hills, Lakeway and Marble Falls.
Dermatologists or physician’s assistants will do the screenings. For more information, clinic addresses and maps see the company’s website or call 328-3376.
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February 25, 2010
Local woman's book uses humor, hope to tell of losing breasts, ovaries to cancer at 36
Genae Girard of Lago Vista was 36 — divorced and dating — when she discovered she had breast cancer. She also found out she had a gene mutation that greatly increased her risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
After a lumpectomy, she pondered a double mastectomy and removal of her ovaries to drastically reduce her risk of a recurrence. She had no children, just a warm circle of friends and family and a great boyfriend she had been dating for only a few months. Used to taking charge, Girard, the CEO of Corporate Culture Consulting, LLC, scoured the stores for books about people like her. When she couldn’t find any, she decided to write one herself.
On Saturday, she’ll be signing her short book, Off the Rack, at Hill Country Fitness, 12912 Hill Country Blvd. F-220 Bee Cave, at The Hill Country Galleria, from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s a quick read, and anyone going through what Girard faced will likely find her insights poignant and on target. She went through with the double mastectomy and ovary removal. What she did wasn’t easy, but Girard keeps her sense of humor.
With her Saturday will be another author, Bart Sharp of Austin, an intuitive therapist, who will be signing his book, The Healing Planet.
Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Resource Center, which Girard said helped her enormously after her diagnosis.
Girard, now 40, is also a plaintiff, along with the ACLU and others, in a federal lawsuit against a Myriad Genetics, a Salt Lake City company that holds the patent on the breast and ovarian cancer BRCA genes. Girard wanted a second opinion when her BRCA2 gene test came back positive, showing she had the mutation, but she says she couldn’t get one because of the patent.
A hearing in that case was held recently in a New York federal court, and the judge’s decision is pending. Some observers expect the case to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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December 16, 2009
Local hospitals say they try to minimize radiation from CT scans
In case you missed the news Tuesday about CT scans, or CAT scans, and cancer deaths (the Statesman ran just a blurb), it bears repeating and a response from local hospital officials on what they do protect patients.
This is an important issue in an era when many healthy people consider the more screening to prevent illness, the merrier. That ain’t necessarily so.
An editorial about two studies published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine says that radiation from CT scans cause an estimated 15,000 cancer deaths annually. Although the risk is small considering how many scans are done every year, why take it if you don’t need to?
Healthy people who seek heart or full-body scans to search for heart blockages or tumors need to be aware that CT scans come with varying amount of radiation. The researchers say you could be causing more problems than you’d be solving if you get an unneeded scan; it often doesn’t find anything wrong.
The LA Times ran a comprehensive piece on this yesterday. It contained some advice for consumers who are told they need scans from Dr. Rosaleen Parsons, chairwoman of the department of diagnostic imaging at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia:
Patients should keep their own records of the number of scans they have received, question why repeat studies are necessary and argue for other types of imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, to minimize exposure to radiation, she said.
If you do get a scan, steps can be taken to protect you. Doctors with the Seton Family of Hospitals and St. David’s HealthCare said they follow protocols to minimize radiation exposure.
At Seton’s Dell Children’s Medical Center, for example, doctors have new shielding to protect sensitive areas and are working with other Seton hospitals to standardize those protocols, said Dr. Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine at Dell. He also said procedures are in place to limit radiation received by stroke patients.
“Although we do a good job now, we continue to look for new ways to reduce radiation whenever possible and will continue to do so through collaborations with the radiologists, referring physicians and the vendors,” Crocker wrote in an e-mail quoting Paul Dubiel, administrative director of imaging at Seton.
“And of course I work with the docs in the ED (emergency department) to try to limit scans, especially in children. One thing you will note is that the life time risk on average data is reported, but if your scans start at 40yo that is one thing, if they start at 10yo that is completely another. Also NONE of this applies to most plain xrays which are really a pretty low dose of radiation.”
Dr. Steve Berkowitz, chief medical officer of St. David’s, said his hospitals do similar shielding and patient positioning protocols. A staff member can object he or she believes the scan is unnecessary, he said, “but very rarely is that exercised.”
Berkowitz said his system is studying CT scans to see whether the scans being ordered are “medically appropriate” and expects to have results in six months. “Our goal isn’t to reduce or increase (scans). Our goal is to have them done based on appropriate medical guidelines and best practices.”
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December 8, 2009
Medical board warns against tanning bed use, especially when young
The Texas Medical Board has joined the growing chorus of health-related organization warning the public about tanning beds and the risk of cancer.
Young people are especially vulnerable.
Under orders from the Legislature, the Texas Medical Board last month issued a warning to the public that tanning beds and sun lamps increase the risk of skin cancer and can cause burns, blistering and scarring. The concern is over exposure to ultraviolet rays.
In recent years, skin cancers have been rising steadily, including the deadliest kind, melanoma. A person in the US dies every 62 minutes from melanoma, the board’s statement says.
“The amount of UV radiation received during indoor tanning is similar to the amount received from the sun, and in some cases may be stronger,” the statement says. “Several studies have shown that exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning devices is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, especially when the user is exposed during their twenties, teens, or even younger. Exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning devices can also lead to premature skin aging, eye damage, and damage to the immune system. These effects are delayed and show up several years after the exposure.”
The board’s initial warning based on House Bill 1310 wasn’t strong enough and was sent back to be “more graphic and more specific,” board spokeswoman Jill Wiggins said.
That same legislation bans teens younger than 16½ from using a tanning bed.
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer said UV radiation-emitting tanning beds and lamps are one of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. The report cited research that agrees that tanning is especially hazardous to young people and those who use the beds before age 30 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 percent.
I hope folks think about that before they tan.
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November 18, 2009
I'm glad my friends had mammograms before 50
With the health care debate raging, it is reasonable to shine a light on overtreating patients, expensive scans that drive up health care costs, too many unnecessary drug prescriptions, greed at all levels of the health care system and patients who demand more care than they need.
Perhaps too little of the debate is focused on those issues.
Having said that, I thought a consensus had emerged on when to get screened for breast cancer. The American Cancer Society says annual scans should start at age 40, and last month, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center issued similar guidelines. (See my Oct. 27 blog post for details.)
But now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women without unusual cancer risks should not begin regular screening for breast cancer until age 50. And then after 50, it should be done just every other year. Needless to say, the American Cancer Society and others are in an uproar, warning that lives will be lost and issuing statements.
For me, it gets personal. Three close friends of mine were diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, two because of mammography. One died quite young, leaving behind a beautiful little girl and a loving husband. Of the two survivors, one is my closest friend who is relieved a mammogram caught her cancer early enough to save her breast.
As I said, one friend discovered the lump herself, and screening is not perfect. But as the cancer society says, “The most recent data show us that approximately 17 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women who were diagnosed in their 40s, and 22 percent occurred in women diagnosed in their 50s. Breast cancer is a serious health problem facing adult women, and mammography is part of our solution beginning at age 40 for average risk women.”
Dr. J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the cancer society writes on his blog that he fears “if we make the wrong decisions or offer women the wrong guidance about the early detection of breast cancer, we could reverse the considerable progress that has been made in reducing deaths from this disease over the past twenty years.”
I’m so glad my friends were screened before age 50.
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November 3, 2009
Lake Travis educator remembered at fundraiser for leading cancer killer
Quick, name the cancer that kills the most women. If you said breast cancer, you would be wrong.
Lung cancer is the leading killer of women and men. In fact, the American Cancer Society says more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast and prostate cancers combined, including non-smokers (like my grandfather, aunt and one of my closest friends — none of whom were smokers).
Here’s a chance to support those who are trying to attack that deadly cancer, see Grammy Award winner Rick Trevino and eat some of that yummy Salt Lick BBQ.
Rexanna’s Foundation, named in honor of Rexanna Hawkins, former Lake Travis Middle School athletic director who died in 2006 at age 49 of lung cancer, is holding a fundraiser Nov. 14 to support lung cancer research. The 3rd Annual Lone Star Huddle Up will be at the Salt Lick Pavilion in Driftwood and the money raised will support work being done at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston by Hawkins’ former doctor, Daniel Karp, and others.
Karp has a database to track all lung cancer patients admitted to M.D. Anderson to develop more effective treatments for those patients, said Stephanie Kruger, president of Rexanna’s Foundation. Another project receiving support seeks to develop individualized gene therapies for patients with lung cancer, she said.
Music will be featured throughout the evening, which starts at 7 p.m. In addition to Trevino, the headliner, Michael Shane Borden will offer alternative Texas music with a hint of Western swing and honky tonk, and The Lake Travis Fiddlers will open, Kruger said. For $50, attendees will get BBQ, music, dancing, games and an auction, not mention a chance to support lung cancer research. M.D. Anderson representatives and doctors will be there, too.
Tickets are still available online or call Stephanie Kruger at 972-849-8699.
And just so you know, the American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for lung cancer in the United States says:
219,440 new cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2009
159,390 deaths from lung cancer are expected this year
What are the symptoms of lung cancer?
A persistent cough that worsens over time
Constant chest pain, or arm and shoulder pain
Coughing up blood
Shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness
Recurring pneumonia or bronchitis
Swelling of the neck and face
Loss of appetitie and/or weight loss
Fatigue
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October 27, 2009
New guidelines issued on when to get cancer screenings
If you are confused about cancer screening, you’re in good company. There has been much debate lately about whether some screening leads to overtreating cancers like breast and prostate cancer. That isn’t going away.
At the same time, we all know people whose lives have been saved by cancer screening. Against that backdrop, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston this week issued new guidelines on when to get screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers.
The new guidelines are the most comprehensive to date by one of the nation’s most highly regarded cancer centers and “represent the first wave of an effort by M. D. Anderson to improve the effectiveness of efforts to prevent and detect cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage,” a news release on the hospital’s Web site says.
Here are the guidelines:
Breast Cancer
At age 20, women at all risk levels should do breast exams and report any changes to their doctors. Starting at age 40, they should get annual mammograms. Those at higher risk would likely need to increase the frequency and type of exams, including MRIs, depending on their risk factors.
Risk factors would include a history of radiation treatment to the chest, family history, genetic predisposition or a diagnosis of lobular carcinoma in situ.
Cervical Cancer
Women younger than 21 at average risk should get a liquid-based Pap test within three years of having sex. Those tests should continue annually until she has had three consecutive negative tests. After that, screening is recommended every two years, unless she has such risk factors as a history of cervical cancer or severe cervical dysplasia; a history of positive tests for the human papilloma virus (HPV); exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) before birth; HIV infection; or immune system problems.
Starting at age 30, M.D. Anderson says, “adding HPV testing is a preferred option to the Pap test, and if both are negative, a woman may go to every three years unless she is at increased risk based on the risk factors cited above or unless the optional HPV test was not done.” Perhaps that’s a little hard to digest, but news to me.
Colorectal Cancer
For men and women 50 or older, a colonoscopy is recommended every 10 years or a virtual colonoscopy every five years, or a yearly Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) for people at average risk for this cancer.
For those at a higher risk, more exams would depend on a personal history of precancerous (adenomatous) polyps; previous history of colorectal cancer; a family history of colorectal cancer or precancerous (adenomatous) polyps; family cases of adenomatous polyposis; hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, or a clinical history suggesting such inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease).
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June 23, 2009
Dell Children's gets $40,000 for cancer research
Hyundai Motor America and its dealers donated $40,000 today to cancer research at Dell Children’s Medical Center.
The award is part of the company’s 2009 Hope on Wheels Tour, which is donating more than $1.3 million to childhood cancer research institutions.
Dr. Virginia Harrod, a hematology/oncology researcher at Dell Children’s, was named a 2009 Hyundai Scholar for the second year in a row. She will use the money to support her studies on psychosocial intervention, the hospital announced.
The presentation was made this morning at a ceremony during which children put colorful handprints dipped in paint on a white Hyundai Sante Fe, which is part of the tour.
“We are inspired every day by the brave children we meet at our handprint ceremonies,” Mike Williams of Round Rock Hyundai said in a statement. “When the kids place their handprints on the car, we are honoring their brave battles against cancer, commemorating their triumphs and sharing their hope for the future with other children and their families across the country.”
This year is the 11th in which Hyundai has supported children’s hospitals fighting cancer. To date, the company has donated $12.4 million to the hospitals.
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March 26, 2009
Prostate cancer finding could save a lot of grief
While I was researching a future article on prostate cancer for the Statesman, I was sad to hear about the men who get the diagnosis and get treatment that could render them impotent, incontinent or both, when they’d be fine doing nothing.
Why do they do it? Because doctors don’t know which tumors are deadly and which ones aren’t. So faced with a scary diagnosis, most men — especially younger ones — typically opt for treatment. Who can blame them?
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, according to the American Cancer Society. It estimates that 186,320 new cases will be diagnosed in the US this year, and 28,660 men will die.
At a medical meeting in Sweden that a news release said drew a crowd Friday, a University of Michigan scientist described some promising work his team published in the journal Nature that could help pierce the mystery of which men to treat, and which men to simply keep an eye on. It identified sarcosine, an amino acid or metabolite, that was related to more aggressive prostate cancer. And it could be detected in urine, rather than more invasively by blood, according to the paper.
The researchers examined 1,126 metabolites in 262 samples of tissue, blood or urine associated with prostate cancer. Sarcosine was elevated in 79 percent of the advanced prostate cancer samples and in 42 percent of the early-stage samples. It wasn’t found in the cancer-free samples.
The researchers said they hope their work leads to a simple test to help doctors figure out which cancers are slow-growing and which ones need fast action.
“In the future, this science will drive how doctors make treatment recommendations for their patients,” study author and Professor Christopher Beecher says in his school’s release.
It’s a bold claim, but if Beecher’s team is right, a lot of men will thank him.
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November 25, 2008
It's (almost) winter; keep the sunscreen handy
I wear sunscreen every day, 365 days a year. Just walking from my house to my car and from my car to the office is enough to make me apply it, like soap to my hands before I wash them. It’s a part of getting dressed every day. Skin cancer will do that to a person.
I didn’t know as a child you weren’t supposed to put baby oil all over your skin and lie in the sun for hours to get the darkest tan possible. I didn’t know even one blistering sunburn (I had at least three) was a warning sign for skin cancer.
Times have changed. We know a lot more now about the danger of ultraviolet rays from the sun. Even so, more than 1 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer. It is the most common cancer.
But many people still don’t know they should continue wearing sun screen in the cooler months, according to experts. The sun’s rays are just as damaging; you also can get burned on overcast days.
The most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma, is rising significantly and accounts for 5 percent of cases, according to the American Cancer Society. It estimates that there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in the United States this year and that 8,420 people will die of it.
Skin cancer and melanoma can be prevented. Just remember: Sun damage is cumulative, which means daily exposure adds up. Since I got religion and use a sunscreen with an SPF of 38 and zinc, it’s been working great.
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November 20, 2008
Shortage of cancer doctors predicted
We’ve written a lot about the shortage of primary care doctors and the fact that some specialists are becoming harder to find. Today, the American Society of Clinical Oncology is warning that the demand for cancer care will outstrip the supply of oncologists in coming years.
The gap is looming because there are more of us, we’re living longer and, happily, we have a better chance of surviving cancer. The society expects the shortage in oncologists to be between 2,550 to 4,080 by 2020, according to its work force report. By that time, the number of oncologists is expected to total 12,500, the report says.
“Unless action is taken, we will face a crisis in the nation’s ability to provide quality cancer care to patients,” Dr. Michael Goldstein, co-chairman of the society’s work force advisory group, said in a written statement.
So, what is his organization going to do about it?
The society is promoting a strategic plan (see strategicplan.pdf).
It includes:
Creating more fellowship programs to train more oncologists.
Providing grants to study ways to make oncology practice more attractive to future doctors.
Studying ways to partner with other health care professions to provide ongoing care to cancer survivors.
Millions of Americans have a stake in this issue.
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November 12, 2008
Lance Armstrong Foundation hosting nation's largest conference on youth cancer in Austin
At a gathering being billed as the nation’s largest conference on adolescent and young adult cancer, Olympic swimmer and testicular cancer survivor Eric Shanteau will headline tomorrow’s session in Austin with Doug Ulman, president and CEO of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Their keynote is set for 9:15 to 10 a.m. at the conference, sponsored by the foundation’s Livestrong Young Adult Alliance. It is being held at the Hyatt Regency Austin.
“As a three-time cancer survivor, I know first hand the unique challenges young adults with cancer face,” Ulman said in a written statement. “The Livestrong Young Adult Alliance is taking action to increase survival rates by uniting with leaders in the field to fight this disease head on.”
Ulman will announce the foundation’s new free Web site for young adults with cancer.
Shanteau also has been an outspoken advocate for cancer survivorship since he was diagnosed in June, just before swimming in the Beijing Olympics. He waited until after that to have his surgery.
The foundation estimates that 70,000 people between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer each year. And while survival rates for those in different age groups have improved, they have not increased for young adults since 1975, according to the foundation.
The conference runs through Friday but is open to the foundation’s membership organizations only, a spokeswoman said.
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August 19, 2008
UT developing Star Trek-like device for diagnosing skin cancer
Remember Dr. McCoy in the old “Star Trek” TV series waving a tricorder over a patient and making an instant medical diagnosis or gravely saying, “Jim, he’s dead” ? Name a doctor who doesn’t want one of those.
A team at the University of Texas is developing a pen-shaped probe that is held next to a person’s skin while it emits tiny pulses of light. It could be used some day to diagnose skin cancers, including deadly melanomas.
Assistant Professor of biomedical engineering James Tunnell and graduate student Narasimhan Rajaram, who built the device, are working with UT’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to make the instrument commercially available. The goal is to diagnose cancers on the spot and avoid wait times and invasive biopsies.
The light at the end of Tunnell’s ‘pen’ changes color when it is moved over cancerous tissue, and while the change can’t be seen by the naked eye, it can be read by an accompanying instrument, Tunnell said.
“We have measured 100 patients so far … and it looks promising,” Tunnell said today. He declined to give data from that study but said the numbers were strong enough to merit an award from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation to continue the development and testing of the device. The school put out a news release Monday announcing that Tunnell will get $260,000 over the next two years to press forward. The release has photos of the device and Tunnell.
The pre-clinical testing is expected to lead to regular clinical trials in humans within two to three years, Tunnell said. If all goes well, the device could be on the market in about five years.
You could say the 23rd century arrived early.
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July 16, 2008
Hot dogs, kids and cancer
It’s a riveting video, the one The Cancer Project debuted nationally in Austin Monday and on July 10. Kids are shown eating hot dogs in a lunchroom cafeteria and then a young boy says: “I thought I’d live forever. I was dumbfounded when the doctor told me I had late-stage colon cancer.” Two other kids, also speaking as if they were adults, talk about dealing with cancer, and a voice at the end intones: “Even small amounts of processed meats can lead to adult cancers.”
The Cancer Project, a national nonprofit organization affiliated with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, aired the commercials in advance of a U.S. Department of Agriculture hearing Tuesday in Austin on school lunch offerings. Citing a report last year by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund, The Cancer Project says that eating processed meat increases a person’s risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent for every 50 grams eaten daily — about the size of a hot dog. That means, “no amount of processed meat is considered safe to eat,” it says. Yet 45 percent of elementary school breakfasts in Austin contain processed meats and 17 percent of the lunches do, the organization says. It is calling for an all-out ban on hot dogs, sausage patties and such.
So is this true? Are kids, and really all of us who chow down on ‘dogs, deli sandwiches and pepperoni pizza, at risk for colorectal cancer?
Dr. Bryan Lin, a radiation oncologist in the gastroenterology section at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, said there is a clear association between eating processed meats and developing colon polyps later in life. Polyps can be cancerous. But other factors are involved in colorectal cancer and “eliminating one single food product is not going to eliminate the (risk of) cancer,” Lin said.
The American Cancer Society says in an article on its Web site people who eat “large amounts of red or processed meat over a long period” can raise their risk of colorectal cancer. But they face a higher risk of colon cancer from obesity and lack of exercise, the article says.
And we all know obesity and lack of exercise are big problems today — for kids of all ages.
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