Cancer Care

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - High-doses of cholesterol-lowering statins that are “lipophilic” — meaning they are soluble in fats — may offer protection against cancer, according to a new study that found a significant reduction in the incidence of cancer in users of these statins.

Examples of lipophilic statins are atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), or fluvastatin (Lescol).

Anti-cancer effects for statins have been proposed, “although original reports had actually suggested the potential opposite, pro-carcinogenic effects of statins,” Dr. Louise Pilote, of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, and colleagues note in the American Journal of Medicine. “Despite massive amounts of data, the issue remains inconclusive.”

Pilote’s team examined the association between lipophilic statin use and cancer occurrence in over 30,000 patients discharged from the hospital after treatment for heart attack in the province of Quebec. The team linked the Quebec hospital discharge summary database to the drugs claims database.

Overall, 1099 people were hospitalized with a diagnosis of cancer during follow-up for up to 7 years.

The overall rate of hospitalization for cancer was the equivalent of 13.9 cases per 1000 persons per year among high-dose statin users. This compares with a rate of 17.2, and 20.6 cases per 1000 “person-years” among low-dose statin users, and non-users, respectively.

High-dose statin users had a 25 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with cancer relative to people who did not use statins. Low-dose statin users had an 11 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with cancer than non-statin users.

“This is the first study to suggest a dose-response effect of lipophilic statins on cancer occurrence,” Pilote’s team notes. “Future studies should provide additional evidence allowing the assessment of long-term effects of statins on cancer risk.”

SOURCE: www.reuters.com

The combination has the potential to treat different types of childhood cancer, including osteosarcoma, leukemia and neuroblastoma, while possibly sparing young patients from more difficult therapies such as stem cell transplant or more toxic chemotherapy.

Dean Lee, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics from the Children’s Cancer Hospital at M. D. Anderson, has found that combining the epigenetic drug MS-275 with natural killer (NK) cells makes osteosarcoma cells more sensitive to NK cells while making the NK cells more lethal to the tumor, as presented at the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology annual meeting on May 15.
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Researchers from Germany have found that In animal models, using heat to selectively kill tumor cells is efficient. Using metallic iron in the nanoparticles (in lieu of iron oxide) would allow heating at greater temperatures; and coating the iron with carbon would prevent the iron from rusting, which can hinder the effectiveness of the therapy.
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Blocking parts of the nervous system that regulate body temperature can reduce hot flashes and improve sleep in survivors of breast cancer, researchers reported on Thursday.

With the experimental nerve blocker therapy, the average number of hot flashes per week fell from about 80 to just 8. Very severe hot flashes were almost totally abolished and a marked drop in nighttime awakenings was also seen, according to a report in the online issue of the Lancet Oncology.
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TRIBUTES today poured in for Celtic legend Tommy Burns who has lost his long-running battle with cancer at the age of 51.
The club’s first-team coach originally contracted skin cancer in 2006. Although he received treatment and had looked to have beaten the disease, it returned in March.

Burns had been undergoing treatment in both Glasgow and in France in recent weeks.

A statement on Celtic’s official website confirmed the news of Burns’ death.

“It is with great sadness that Celtic Football Club confirmed this morning that Tommy Burns had passed away.

“Tommy, a true Celtic legend and wonderful man will be sadly missed by us all. Clearly, our thoughts are very much with Tommy’s wife Rosemary and his family at this extremely difficult time.”

Burns played more than 350 games for Celtic and represented Scotland on eight occasions during an illustrious playing career.

He also managed Celtic, Kilmarnock and Reading and had a spell as assistant manager with the Scotland national side.

Former Celtic captain Paul Lambert, a close friend of Burns, said: “Even though you knew he wasn’t too good, when you hear (of his death) it’s still a massive, massive shock.

“It’s a great loss, no doubt about it. He was just a terrific guy to have known. I worked under him for a few years with the national team and it’s just a sad, sad loss.”

Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell, who won the 1967 European Cup with Celtic, was also quick to praise Burns.

“He was a tremendous player and a great manager. And a great person,” said Gemmell.

“I don’t think you will find anyone on this earth who will say a bad word about him. My feelings go out to Rosemary and his family. It is a very sad occasion for someone so young. It’s a sad loss.”

Celtic chairman John Reid described Burns as a man of “true integrity and dignity” whose death would be mourned by everyone connected with the club.

The former Home Secretary said on the club’s official website: “The passing of Tommy Burns is devastating news and my sincere and heartfelt sympathies go to Rosemary and Tommy’s family.

“Tommy is someone who was loved by so many of us. He was a man of true integrity and dignity. As a Celtic player, manager and coach, Tommy served Celtic with distinction and true professionalism.

“He was a true gentleman and someone who had the ability to connect and engage with anyone he met.”

Source : sport.scotsman.com

A recent study evaluated the incidence of breast cancer in 107 countries. The authors found that higher levels of serum Vitamin D and living closer to the equator correlated with a lower incidence of breast cancer.

“While ultraviolet B radiation from the sun is the primary source of vitamin D in our body, unprotected sun exposure is not a recommended way to reduce a person’s risk of developing breast cancer,” said David J. Leffell, M.D., Yale Cancer Center member and Professor and Section Chief of Dermatologic Surgery at Yale School of Medicine.

UV radiation is an undisputed carcinogen responsible for most of the estimated 1.5 million skin cancers that occur annually in the United States, he notes. “We are alarmed by the potential consequences of this study and urge women to continue to follow a careful sun protection program including the use of UV-blocking sunscreens. Women should absolutely avoid tanning salons,” Leffell said.

While this particular study showed that countries closer to the equator have lower incidence of breast cancer, many factors in addition to sunlight exposure vary across these countries, according to the Yale experts.

“The link between vitamin D and breast cancer is not clearly known at this time. One recent U.S. study actually measured blood vitamin D levels in individual women and found that women with higher blood vitamin D levels did not have significantly lower risk of subsequent breast cancer,” explained Susan Mayne, Director of Population Sciences at Yale Cancer Center and Professor of Epidemiology at Yale Schools of Medicine and Public Health. “Because the data are not consistent at this time, women who wish to reduce their risk of breast cancer should focus on more established risk factors.”

Accepted ways to decrease a woman’s risk of breast cancer include avoidance of weight gain, moderation in alcohol consumption if any, regular physical activity, and a healthy and balanced diet, say the Yale experts.

Source ; www.sciencedaily.com