Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have found a link between specific immature brain cells and an increased risk of certain types of brain tumors. Using stem cells, researchers have been able to develop brain cells that have been modified to prevent the regular development of these early brain cells fully shows that they become catalysts for certain aggressive brain tumors. Methylation, a key mechanism for the control of brain cells developing properly in early stem cell development making them brain cells. The process is also the stage by which genes tell specific cells which types they are to take say a brain cell, skin cell or the millions of other forms of cells in the human body. The brain is getting more and more understood for till now the full function and structure is not totally known even with the latest genetic studies and equipment. Stem Cells are the super cells of the body which have been under fire for its close links to cloning which many oppose as a disruption of the natural processes of life. The potential of stem cells to be programmed to manufacture say a whole ear or vital organ is proving to be too exciting but opposition is stiff and people still have mixed feelings with their studies.
December 10, 2010
Immature Brain Cells – Cause of certain Brain Tumors
November 10, 2010
Your DNA, the best diagnostic tool
Efforts are currently underway to use the human DNA as a detection tool for cancer. There are already a couple of available tests that are available and have seen some success mainly due to the huge strides the Human Genome Project has undergone in hopes of better understanding our physiology. Our DNA is the blueprint of life as we all know and that a better understanding (the Genome Project aims to map out the whole human DNA sequence) of how our genes contribute to our physical makeup may hold the key. These available tests are already available for specific high-risk individuals who wish to have the best possible early detection tools to obtain and effect proper behavioral and environmental adjustments.
October 10, 2010
Breast Cancer and Fatty diets
Studies have shown that a diet that is rich in fats can increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence. This is more the case for postmenopausal women who have had successful treatment for early stage breast cancers at a younger age. The National Cancer Institute, recommends that women who have had successful treatment of breast cancer in their early years do stick to their management regimen which can effect changes to diet, environment and other contributory factors that can have bearing in preventing recurrence of the disease. Dietary adjustments have decreased the risks of getting the disease to recur and such information should be taken seriously if one wishes to live out the remainder of their life void of the said disease.
September 10, 2010
Aviation Cancer Risks
Studies in the UK have concluded that pilots are some of the most susceptible to cancer due to many factors associated with their jobs. Skin cancer is attributed to their long hours sitting besides windows in short sleeved clothing exposing them to more cosmic radiation and the sun’s UV rays than those who are at ground level. The effects of the interruption of the biological clock are also attributed as a major cause of frequent fliers such as pilots, air crews and business travelers. The interruption to the daily cycle of the human body has effects that are still under study but it may have bearing on a lowering of the immune system and other vital human systems. Leukemia is also common among pilots along with skin cancer and many other forms of internal organ problems.
June 10, 2010
The Value of Screening
Many afflicted with cancer could have avoided the disease altogether if only they have had proper screening procedures done. Most cancers begin above the age of 50 as with colorectal cancer but others make themselves felt even at a young age. Now considering the fact that the cancer was not traced to genetics (meaning there is no lineage or history of cancer in the family), most cancers are detectable with screening processes. Regular screening which is usually done at least once a year helps in the early detection and treatment of the said disease. Statistics show that with the much advancement in medical technology, the death rates attributed to cancer is going down but the alarming news is that there are new cases every year and the numbers are in the tens of thousands each year.
If you suspect that you have cancer, consult your nearest health center or facility for proper diagnosis. Information and resources are available online from the following sources; CDC, Prevent Cancer Foundation, The American Cancer Society and many more health oriented organizations that offer it as a service to the general Public.
April 10, 2010
Preventing Skin Cancer : A must!!!
In the United States alone, over a million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are discovered and diagnosed each year. The most serious form of skin cancer would account for almost 60,000 cases in 2007 alone and from those, more than 8,000 will die as a result of the disease. Skin cancer is an ever-present problem for all due to ever-worsening environmental degradation which leads to more of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation getting through and causing damage to more and more unprotected people’s skin. As we all know, safety under the sun has been put on the spotlight by all governments and NGO’s in the hopes of lowering these statistics and keeping more people cancer free.
Simple steps as the proper use of sun protection if the form of sun block can greatly lower these statistics if only people adhered to the right use. Kids are some of the most active and prone to the disease and with their fragile bodies, they tend to suffer more from the disease due to their small fragile bodies. Adults feel impregnable to the sun which also leads to melanomas. So simple products like sun-protective clothing like caps and hats during hot days, sun block during leisure time and even on regular days can make all the difference in the fight against skin cancer.
March 10, 2010
Cancer : The Statistics you need to know
According to studies and surveys by the American Cancer Society, in the year 2004 about 500,000 people in America alone would have died of cancer giving 1,500/fatalities a day. In the same year 1.4 million new cases would be detected without the inclusion of “in situ cancer” plus approximately a million cases of non-melanoma skin cancers, also for the same year.
As the statistics show, there is an ever-rising occurrence of the disease in it’s many forms and the drive for the decreasing of the number of afflicted members of society from behavioral and environmental factors. These factors can be summed up as, what you eat, drink, the lifestyle you live and even where you live can all be contributory factors in the risk you face in getting the disease.
February 9, 2010
Research : Leading the Fight Against Cancer
The Cancer Prevention Foundation is one of the leading authorities in the prevention of the said disease and it does this through cutting edge research in the following fields; the expansion of our knowledge between the relationship of cancer and our diet.
The discovery and synthesis of new drugs that can help us fight/prevent cancer, the in-depth study of the human gene to discover the weaknesses that makes one susceptible to cancer, research into a better understanding of the processes that turns and utterly normal cell into a cancerous one, research into a better understanding of the human immune system and how to boost it in hopes of preventing the disease and lastly the development of methodology and equipment that would allow the early detection and treatment of pre-cancerous conditions. All of the above fields of research are conducted along with private and government branches to give us a better understanding of the factors that leads to the disease thus giving us a better understanding for its prevention.
December 10, 2009
Breast Cancer Reduction Treatments have different results
The current practice of administering prevention surgery for women with breast cancers in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation bracket may have different results that previously expected. The risks are the same yet they may have different effects which may outweigh the risks of having the surgery in the first place. The study factored in the effect of genetics into the equation which was not considered in the past and it shows that a family history of the disease in women may provide varied results for sufferers. The cancer reducing operation coupled with the intake of cancer fighting drugs has produced results but this new study shows that the two types have different risks involved and that two different approaches should be devised for successful prevention and treatment.
October 17, 2009
Breast Cancer Myths
As with any disease, there are lots of myths surrounding the ability of a family member to develop the same form of disease. Some experts say there is no direct link to the said relation and your ability to get the same disease except perhaps for the same environmental factors which may be causing the disease to manifest in both of you. There is no solid scientific basis for cancer being inherited but it should be used as an indicator that you are susceptible to it. The size of breasts is also a point of contention for many claim that having large natural breasts are a sure sign of you being prone to getting breast cancer. Experts say there is also no medical foundation for the myth and that whatever size of breasts you may have; the best tool in the fight against cancer would be to get screened regularly. There are more myths regarding the disease and most are said to be just plain myth without scientific basis. The best tool for prevention and successful treatment is early detection which is the key.