Inulin is a prebiotic, a compound found in many of the foods we eat that promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria by providing a medium, or “food” to help them flourish.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: This study is preliminary but helps make the cause about why it is good to include these substance into your diet for digestive health. Past studies have found that inulin contributes to the healthy gut environment and this study supports this. Inulin has been shown to have many other health benefits, including improving bone health, boosting immunity and enhancing satiety and aiding in weight management, and is especially effective when combined with probiotics.

source : www.stopagingnow.com

A study that appears in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that the number of colon polyps found during testing decreases by the hour throughout the day, HealthDay News reports.

Based on analysis of 477 people who had colonoscopies in a one-year period at a Veterans Affairs hospital, researchers from the University of California found that colon cancer testing starting at 8:30 a.m. or earlier detected 27 percent more polyps per patient than procedures done later in the day.

In their report, the investigators hypothesized that improved bowel preparation during the night and doctor fatigue may play roles in the declining detection.

Despite the findings, the study’s co-author Dr Brennan M.R. Spiegel told the news source, “Patients should feel confident that colonoscopy is helpful regardless of time and day and should be more focused on the quality and experience of their doctor rather than the time of their appointment.”

According to WebMD, removing polyps can reduce the risk of colon cancer by 60 to 90 percent.

Source : www.privatemdlabs.com

This landmark analysis, based on the pattern of cancer incidence between 1982-2005 (24 years) in India, has made some startling revelations. Cases of leukaemia or blood cancer will increase by almost 77 per cent in women by 2020, followed by cancer of the colon (69 per cent) and liver (61 per cent). However, in sheer numbers, the main culprit in the next 10 years will be breast cancer.

While India is expected to see a 41 per cent increase in breast cancer cases by 2020, in numbers it would mean almost 36,000 additional women falling victim to it. In comparison, cervical cancer, which has been Indian women’s real curse will show a dip in actual number of cases. Cancer in other common body sites - uterus, ovary, gall bladder and stomach will see a 21 per cent increase. According to Dr Vinod Raina, head of medical oncology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), though leukaemia may see the maximum increase in incidence rates, in sheer numbers it is still uncommon. Breast cancer, on the other hand, will form the lion’s share of new cancer cases in the next 10 years, which will be primarily due to India’s ageing population.

Says Dr Raina, “Cancer is age-related . So, the longer women live, the more will be their chances of suffering from cancer.” He goes on to add, “Colon cancer cases will increase due to a change in Indian dietary habits. High meat intake is known to cause colon cancer. That’s why vegetarians usually don’t suffer from it. The main culprits behind liver cancer, however, are Hepatitis B and C infections.”

According to Dr Shyam Aggarwal, medical oncologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, late marriages, delayed child bearing and giving birth to lesser number of children, besides ageing are leading to an increased risk of breast cancer. “Almost 70 per cent of these cases are dependent on the female hormone - oestrogen . Giving birth breaks the hormonal cycle that reduces the chances of breast cancer. The sooner a woman breaks the cycle of oestrogen formation with early pregnancy, the greater the chances of a reduction of cancer cells, which multiply under the influence of oestrogen.”

Increased obesity too is a major risk factor. In India, nearly 6 crore women are believed to be overweight and studies have shown that about one out of 12 new cases of cancer is because of excess weight. Adds Dr Aggarwal, “Fat cells also produce oestrogen. A diet full of fat is also not helping matters.” According to an elite international panel that analysed over 7,000 studies in the last 40 years, over 40 per cent of all cancers are a direct result of our diet, body structure and exercise habits.

The panel in its 521-page report - Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer - prepared after five years of analysis , made crucial recommendations that people across the globe must follow to minimise their chances of getting cancer. However, Indians fared badly with regard to most of the recommendations . Studies revealed they consume just 130 gm of fruits and vegetables a day as against the recommended amount of 400 gm. While salt consumption shouldn’t be more than 6 gm a day, Indians consume anywhere between 10-15 gm.

Consumption of red meat was found to have a direct link with cancer - with over 64 per cent of non-vegetarians in India consuming more than the recommended amount of under 500 gm a week. The same is the case with the consumption of soft drinks and fast food as well. Then, while more than 30 ml of alcohol a day is dangerous, binge drinking is on the rise here.

New mothers should ideally breastfeed their children for six months, but Indian mothers do so for just about two months, on average. So, only 51 per cent of the infants are breastfed for the first six months.

Treat these statistics as a wake-up call and start making small changes to your lifestyle to keep cancer at bay.

The fourth annual Thunder Goes Pink event began Friday at the arena and will continue at 7:30 p.m. today. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society’s Stockton field office and St. Joseph’s Foundation Breast-Cancer Services.

The Thunder played the game on pink ice and in jerseys trimmed with pink lightning bolts, and the outside of Stockton Arena was lit by pink lights.

The crowd of 6,976 included fans wearing pink jerseys, hats, shirts, sweaters and wigs, and some decided to dye their hair.

Tammy Coutroul of Oakdale had pink highlights in her hair to complement her jersey.

“I thought it would be fun, and this event goes beyond belief,” said Coutroul, 42, who has attended each Thunder Goes Pink event. “It’s so important to raise awareness for this disease.”

The Thunder will donate $2 from each ticket sold this weekend to charity; the team has raised $110,000 in the first three years.

Contact reporter Scott Linesburgh at (209) 546-8281 or slinesburgh@recordnet.com.

Volunteers pay $90 each for the privilege of working as a crew member, helping to set up camps, clean up behind the walkers, serve meals and provide support. But many of them already have a much larger emotional investment.

Gary West of Colleyville does it for his 43-year-old daughter, Sheri West Lewis, who died just days before she was to walk in the event in 2007.

daughter fought for 51/2 years,” West said Thursday as he helped mark a tent grid at Brookhaven College, where this weekend’s walkers will sleep between legs of their effort.

West still pauses to overcome emotion while giving details of his daughter’s illness. Lewis discovered a lump on her breast while on a 2001 business trip to New York, where she was consulting a sponsor of the 3-Day walk.

“From then until her passing, she was really involved,” said West, who has worked as a crew member since 2004. “She insisted that her mother and I get involved.”

In 2006, his daughter had chemotherapy two days before the walk.

“She walked 40 miles of the 60 during that 3-Day,” West said.

Dallas is one of 15 cities to host a Breast Cancer 3-Day walk. About 2,900 walkers have raised $2,300 each to participate in the 60-mile trek through Addison, Farmers Branch, Dallas and Richardson.

Last year, the Dallas walk raised $7.9 million. Eighty-five percent of the proceeds go to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, with 15 percent going to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

The walkers will complete their 60 miles on Sunday, with a closing ceremony at Fair Park.

‘Extremely selfless’

Volunteers hand out treats along the route, offer words of encouragement and even give foot massages.

“Everybody who works crew for the Breast Cancer 3-Day is extremely selfless,” West said. “You wind up having such emotional rewards. You do it once, you’ll understand.”

The walkers who receive the support are grateful.

“They give you the energy to keep walking,” said Jill Cumnock of Frisco, who is walking for her mother, who died of breast cancer in 1981.

Laura Johnson of Saginaw said crew members help the walkers from start to finish.

“They are awesome,” she said. “They are all along the route. They are cheering us on. They are supplying us with everything we need, even if we forget something. Their emotional support is better than anything,”

Johnson is walking for a friend who has metastatic breast cancer and has been fighting for 17 years.

“I am walking for her,” she said. “I am fighting for her.”

Felicia Christian of Waxahachie said the volunteers are pleasant and show a genuine interest in the walkers’ needs.

“They have excellent volunteers out here,” said Christian, who is walking for friends and family who are survivors of the disease.

Many crew volunteers have previously walked the event, including Andrea Keller of Irving.

“This year, she’s decided to crew,” West said. “She’s getting to experience it from both sides of the garbage can.”

Keller can be found sporting a neon-green shirt identifying herself as a Sole Sisters team member, supporting both Sheri Lewis and Kristi Johnson, a sister of a fellow teacher who died earlier this year of breast cancer.

“I loved walking, but I’m much more the person who cheers you and is always excited to do different things,” Keller said. “I am so excited to be behind the scenes.”

From all over

Many volunteers are from outside North Texas, including Richard Needham of Lawton, Okla.

Needham walked the 2007 3-Day in Philadelphia with a woman he was dating who had twice had breast cancer. While that relationship did not work out, he stayed with 3-Day. Last year, he walked in Washington, D.C.

“I got hooked the first walk; to me it’s an awesome cause,” Needham said. “I want to walk or crew every city that this does.”

Like Keller, Needham was seeking a new perspective – as a volunteer.

“I know how to walk. I wanted to see what the other side of the 3-Day is like, so I decided to crew this year,” Needham said.

“I’ve always wanted to see what everything looks like, because as a walker, you come into camp and everything is all set up.”

Crew members set up large tents for dining, showers and medical support, while walkers generally set up their own two-man tents for sleeping.

The volunteers also raise additional money to help find a cure.

But not everything can be measured in dollars, West said.

“It gives one a feeling of peace, knowing that what little you are doing is hopefully going to keep my granddaughter or somebody else’s daughter or sister from going through what my daughter went through,” West said. “Everybody’s goal – who is out here working – is to be here when they finally come up for a cure for breast cancer and stop it.”

Source : www.dallasnews.com

Twenty to 25 percent of breast cancers overexpress HER2, which leads to increased growth of cancer cells and a worse prognosis. Fortunately, the development of drugs that specifically target HER2-positive cells has improved prognosis for women with HER2-positive breast cancer.

A question that remains uncertain is the need for HER2-targeted therapy among women with small (1 centimeter or less) HER2-positive breast cancers. To explore the behavior of these small cancers, researchers in the United States and Italy conducted studies of women with HER2-positive and HER2-negative breast cancers.

The U.S. study evaluated the records of 965 women with small cancers that had not been treated with HER2-targeted therapy or chemotherapy.[1] Ten percent of patients in this study had HER2-positive tumors. By the end of five years, 6% of women with HER2-negative breast cancer had a recurrence compared with 23% of women with HER2-positive breast cancer. The risk of recurrence for HER-2 positive tumors was five times that of HER-2 negative tumors, and the risk for distant recurrence was increased by almost eightfold.

The Italian study evaluated 150 women with small HER2-positive breast cancers and 229 women with small HER2-negative breast cancers.[2] None of the women had been treated with Herceptin.

* In patients who were hormone receptor-positive and HER-2 negative, the five-year disease-free survival was 99%.
* In patients who were hormone receptor positive and HER-2 positive, the five-year disease-free survival was 91%.
* In patients who were hormone receptor negative and HER-2 negative, the five-year disease-free survival was 92%.
* In patients who were hormone receptor negative and HER-2 positive, the five-year disease-free survival was 91%.

These authors concluded: “Patients with node-negative, HER2 positive, pT1a-b breast cancer have a low risk of recurrence at 5 years of follow-up. In patients with hormone receptor-positive disease and pT1a-b,NO tumors, HER2 overexpression was associated with a worse PFS.”

Comments: The results of these two studies suggest that even small HER2-positive breast cancers have an increased risk of recurrence. Consideration of adjuvant treatment with HER2-targeted therapy may be important for most women with HER2-positive breast cancer regardless of the size of the cancer. It should be noted, however, that these studies did not directly assess the effectiveness of HER2-targeted therapy in women with small cancers.

An accompanying editorial cautions that HER2-targeted therapy still may not be warranted in women with very small cancers (T1a or microinvasive; 0.5 cm or smaller).[3] The authors of the editorial state: “We suggest that consideration of trastuzumab plus chemotherapy generally be limited to patients with T1b or larger cancers, and we believe that among patients with small T1a or microinvasive cancers, it is less likely that the tradeoffs of risk and benefit warrant chemotherapy plus trastuzumab.”

References:

[1] Gonzalez AM, Litton JK, Broglio KR et al. High risk of recurrence for patients with breast cancer who have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive, node-negative tumors 1 cm or smaller. Journal of Clinical Oncology [early online publication]. November 2, 2009.

[2] Curigliano G, Viale G, Bagnardi V et al. Clinical relevance of HER2 overexpression/amplification in patients with small tumor size and node-negative breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology [early online publication]. November 2, 2009.

[3] Burstein HJ, Winer EP. Refining therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive breast cancer: T stands for trastuzumab, tumor size, and treatment strategy. Journal of Clinical Oncology [early online publication]. November 2, 2009.

source : professional.cancerconsultants.com

“I’m happy to tell you that having been through surgery and chemotherapy and radiation, breast cancer is officially behind me. I feel absolutely great and I am raring to go.”

In California, where politics and drama are wedded, the Republican candidate’s public embrace of a disease that has ravaged millions of American women could resonate with women, who comprise the majority of the state’s 17 million voters and traditionally have been willing to cross party lines for candidates they like, experts said.

But experts also suggest that Fiorina’s recent challenges, however moving, will not distract incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, nor Fiorina’s GOP opponent in the June primary, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, from raising tough issues, including Fiorina’s spotty voting record and her controversial history as Hewlett-Packard CEO.

Male and female politicians have openly discussed their battles with cancer before - most recently, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., who publicly described her breast cancer battle this year.
Turning point

But it is a political turning point for a first-time candidate for major office who recently went through cancer treatments to so boldly go public, said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for the American Woman and Politics at Rutgers University.

“I think we’re in new territory here,” Walsh said. Fiorina “addressed it head-on, which is what you should do. She put it out there. She’s owning it. Doing that gives people the chance to hear it, then move on.”

At her Bay Area campaign kickoff Friday in Pleasanton, Fiorina, 55, briefly referred to her new hairstyle before moving to other topics, such as the shooting deaths of 13 people Thursday at Fort Hood, Texas.

But will Fiorina’s references to her cancer come off as too political?

“If it feels like it is just being used to pull at your heartstrings, then that won’t resonate,” Walsh said, “or if it feels like it is being used to distract people from her record. But it didn’t feel that way on day one.”

Ellen Malcolm, who heads the Democratic women’s pro-choice political action committee Emily’s List, said, “I’m sure women are very sympathetic because we all worry about it, we all know people who have had it - or we have had it ourselves.”
Won’t draw in votes

But Fiorina’s frankness about her cancer battle in itself won’t translate to votes, Malcolm said. “She is out of step with the majority of voters, much less women,” Malcolm said. “Barbara (Boxer) is a tough fighter for women, and they’ve been the foundation of her victories since day one.”

Still, Fiorina may have tapped an issue with a deep imprint on educated suburban professional women who have been especially affected by the disease. Next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women in the United States. Two-thirds of invasive breast cancers are found in women age 55 or older, according to the American Cancer Society.

Fiorina learned of her breast cancer diagnosis moments before her address to the California Republican Convention in February. After months of treatment, she wore a wig in early campaign print advertisements but changed that weeks ago, telling staffers she wanted to be “transparent.”

Walsh said a key question is what Fiorina plans to do next. Cancer survivor Wasserman Schultz used her experience to create policy. After the Florida Democrat disclosed her cancer earlier this year, she introduced legislation to spend $9 million a year on public education and support for women with breast cancer.
Views on health care

In her campaign rollout this week, Fiorina said she opposes the Democratic health care plan, adding that her husband’s generous health care plan covered her cancer treatments. Saying she “believes in (health care) reform,” her position hewed to the Republican plan in Congress, which would create more low-cost clinics and allow insurance companies to compete across state lines.

Fiorina’s unusual public discussion of her cancer has not gone unnoticed - especially among cancer survivors.

“I guess she’s seen the bowels of hell, so how can Barbara scare her?” said Lucille Mejia, a Central Valley Democratic Party activist who has battled breast cancer.

“Some people are afraid to do what needs to be done because it’s ‘unattractive,’ ” she said. “But she’s sending two messages. One is: ‘I intend to beat (Boxer).’ And two is: ‘Look at me for what I am on the inside.’ ”

Mejia hopes Fiorina’s example can transcend politics and become a lesson for others.

“If she can save lives at the same time,” Mejia said, “back flips and five stars for her.”

souce : www.sfgate.com

The House drive for healthcare reform, Obama’s top domestic priority, was bolstered Thursday by the backing of the American Medical Association, which represents U.S. doctors, and AARP, the powerful lobbying group for older Americans.

“I urge Congress to listen to the AARP, listen to the AMA, and pass this reform for hundreds of millions of Americans,'’ Obama said in a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room. “We are closer to passing this reform than ever before.'’

Failure in the Democratic-controlled House would be a huge political blow to Obama, who planned to visit the Capitol Friday for a pep talk to House Democrats before the vote.

House leaders have struggled to win over some party moderates who have lingering concerns about the bill’s cost and its provisions on abortion.

“I think it’s going to be close,'’ House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said of the vote, but he expressed confidence the measure would get the 218 votes needed to pass. House Democrats hold 258 seats in the chamber.

Asked if she had the votes lined up, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “We will.'’

Republicans are united in opposition to the sweeping overhaul, which is designed to rein in costs, expand coverage to millions of uninsured and bar insurance practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

If the healthcare bill passes the House the action would move to the Senate, which is preparing its own version. Obama wants to sign a bill by year’s end, but Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has indicated that deadline might slip.

About 1,000 protesters opposed to the healthcare reform effort gathered on the lawn outside the Capitol, waving yellow ‘’Don’t Tread on Me'’ flags and signs, including one reading ‘’Stop the Obama-nation of America.'’

BILL HELPS SENIORS

AARP said the House bill would help seniors pay for their prescription drug coverage and strengthen Medicare, the government-run health program for the elderly.

“We can say with confidence that it meets our priorities for protecting Medicare, providing more affordable health insurance for 50 to 64-year-olds, and reforming the healthcare system,'’ Nancy LeaMond, executive vice president, said.

Along with the doctors’ and seniors’ lobbying groups, the American Cancer Society also endorsed the bill.

The overhaul would spark the biggest changes in the U.S. healthcare system since the creation of the Medicare program for the elderly in 1965.

The House bill would require individuals to buy insurance and all but the smallest employers to offer health coverage to workers. It also would provide subsidies to help purchase insurance and would eliminate the industry’s exemption from federal antitrust laws.

House Democratic leaders are trying to address concerns by some members who want to be sure federal subsidies are not spent to pay for abortions. Democrats who support abortion rights want to ensure the bill does not exceed current restrictions on using federal money to finance abortions.

The Senate’s version of a healthcare bill has been bogged down as Democratic leaders await cost estimates from congressional budget analysts and search for an approach that could win the 60 votes needed to overcome Republican procedural hurdles.

Both the House and Senate bills include a government-run public insurance option that Obama and supporters say would create competition in the insurance market. Critics say it would lead to a government takeover of the sector.

If the two chambers finally pass their bills, differences in the two would have to be reconciled before a single reform bill would go to Obama for his signature.

“I think we can do all this before Christmas,'’ Pelosi told reporters.

(Additional reporting by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Patricia Wilson and Vicki Allen)

source : www.insurancejournal.com

“All I knew was that my mom was sick and had to go get treatment at a hospital once a month,” said Sullivan, who is now 24 and lives in Framingham. “Those days of her treatment, my mom would come home and stay in bed and my dad and I would get her an ice cream sundae to make her feel better.”

After getting all the recommended treatments, Sullivan said his mom, JoAnne, seemed cured. Sullivan went on to attend Bryant University and, on his mom’s 10th anniversary of being cancer-free, he participated in the school’s Relay for Life and raised about $8,000.

But soon after reaching her cancer milestone, Sullivan said his mom went to the doctor complaining of back pain only to learn that her cancer had spread to her spine.

“We hit the panic button, and my mom urged me to help fight this disease,” Patrick said. “She knew that any money I raised would not help her, but she said if it was able to help just one son be able to stay with his mom for one more day, one more week, one more year, than it was all worth it.”

Sullivan graduated from Bryant in May 2008. That October, his mom succumbed to her cancer.

Sullivan went on to participate in four relays and he became the top fundraiser for each one. It is because of his efforts to help the American Cancer Society that it will honor him tonight at the Braintree Sheraton.

Even after graduating from Bryant, the school asked him to come back and be a motivational speaker at its annual Relay for Life - an event in which he again participated and raised more than $20,000. At the relay, after Sullivan told the story about his mom, a neighbor of the college heard him speaking and was so moved he came over to give a donation.

“It’s things like that, where I know personally I’m not curing cancer but, if by that speech I was able to inspire some sort of emotion in another person, it’s worth it,” Sullivan said.

“I was as close as a son could be to his mom,” he said. “My dad, Joseph, is a hockey coach at a local college, and if he had a game I would drive over an hour from Bryant just to sit with my mom and hang out and watch TV, so she wouldn’t be alone.”

Sullivan, his dad, and his younger sister, Meaghan, started the JoAnne Sullivan Memorial Fund shortly after her death. Their first event was hosting a golf tournament at the Framingham Country Club in August, raising $50,000 for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to go to breast cancer research.

Sullivan, a professional boxing promoter in Providence, said he is determined to fulfill the promise he made to his mom to help other mothers and sons cope with cancer.

“I think I do have a powerful message and I can influence people to take a stand against cancer.”

source:www.metrowestdailynews.com

In addition to undergoing each of the procedures, the Barrington resident has to deal with travelling to Boston to receive treatments at least once or twice a week in a car with over 200,000 miles on it.

The accumulated strain of medical bills, medication costs, gas, tolls and the price of parking has begun to have an effect on Moulton, who has been out of work since September of last year.

In an effort to provide some stability and ease her financial burden, a group of close knit friends have come together to organize the Friends for Leigh Cancer Benefit being held at the Newmarket American Legion on Nov. 7. There will be a DJ, dancing, karaoke, raffles, food, beverages and games.

In order to spread the word to as many people as possible, organizers Casey Todd of Barrington, and Sam Newton of Epping, created a Facebook page for the event that was met with an overwhelming response.

“We’ve received checks from people who don’t even know Leigh, and we’re getting responses from people she went to high school with and hasn’t seen in years,” said Todd.

A former service worker who spent nine years helping developmentally challenged adults and currently spends 10 hours a week as a case manager for children with mental health deficiencies, Moulton had to come to terms with receiving the kind of support and care she is used to doling out.

“Leigh is someone who is always on the other side, helping everyone and everything out,” said Newton. “This is our chance to do for her what she would do for anyone.”

“I can’t begin to comprehend the amount of people, and the kindness and generosity they’re showing me,” said Moulton.

The constant cycle of surgeries, treatments and hospital visits have only served to make Moulton into a more determined person who is looking to live each day to the fullest.

“This cancer has changed me in a way that I am going to live each day and try every new thing I can possibly imagine,” she said. “I’ve decided to wake up each morning that I feel well and say to myself, ‘You’re healthy today so get out and live.’”

Moulton has also found comfort, solace and even inspiration from a very special friend named Zoey.

Given only three months to live after being diagnosed with cancer 2½ years ago, the 11-year old golden retriever has become a genuine partner in the daily struggle each of them faces.

“Even though I know she’s just a dog, she’s been another inspiration to keep me going,” said Moulton. “It kind of makes you proud to go for walks with her, and know that you both have cancer and you both just keep on walking and keep on going.”

Aside from the money raised at the event, Moulton hopes to heighten the awareness for ovarian cancer.

“You don’t see a lot of information out there about ovarian cancer, and by the time people are diagnosed they’re usually at a stage that’s too late,” she said.

Moulton stressed the importance of self-advocating and pushing for tests.

“For anyone who’s had a history of it in their families, it’s even more crucial to get tested,” she said.

“Putting all of the monetary donations aside, I think one of the best benefits for Leigh is that she’s going to see all of the support that is out there for her,” said Newton.

“Knowing there’s that many people behind you,” said Moulton, “you really don’t just want to turn it in and quit. You want to be able to fight and be an example for someone who’s going through this and may be struggling to find that motivation to keep fighting with everything they’ve got.”

Source : www.seacoastonline.com