December 2009 Archives
What a fabulous early New Year’s gift!
Yesterday Scottish scientists reported their initial finding that a sugar change in blood may signal the presence of breast cancer. This research could lead to a simple blood test to screen patients for the onset of breast cancer. Providing a blood sample would be much less intrusive and less costly than a biopsy.
A U.S. charity has supplied the scientists with funding to conduct additional research on this exciting preliminary discovery. The original article can be found at http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/editor-s-picks-ignore/blood-test-could-hold-key-to-breast-cancer-1.995228. Let’s pray that the initial results will be confirmed in 2010. I, for one, would opt for a simple blood test any day over a biopsy, even a fine-aspiration biopsy.
On that note of optimism, have a blessed, safe and healthful New Year!
Jan
Red wine has an aspirin-like effect, reducing the blood’s ability to clot, and also contains antioxidants. It’s great for the heart, but what about breast cancer? Perhaps the jury is finally in on this issue.
The latest study of breast cancer survivors who consume alcohol was reported in San Antonio, TX this month (http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/SABCS/17444). Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the eight-year research project showed that early-stage breast cancer survivors who drank an average of at least three to four alcoholic beverages per week had a 34 percent higher risk of recurrence than those who drank less than one drink per week or no alcohol. (One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce glass of beer, or a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor.) This risk was even higher for those who were post-menopausal, overweight or obese.
Per WEEK, not per day? So much for enjoying the entire Mediterranean diet guilt-free.
Precisely how alcohol consumption influences breast cancer risk is not fully understood, says the lead researcher on the study, Marilyn L. Kwan, Ph.D., a staff scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, CA. But estrogen, which fuels the growth of most types of breast cancer, is likely a culprit. “It has been suggested that alcohol could increase the risk of breast cancer by increasing estrogen metabolism and circulating levels of estrogen, thus promoting growth of the tumor,” says Dr. Kwan. “A similar mechanism might be responsible for increasing the risk of breast cancer recurrence.”
As a lymphedema patient-advocate I know Dr. Kwan and have great respect for her work. I plan to take her research seriously.
During the seven years between my first diagnosis and my recurrence, I might have averaged at least three drinks of wine a week. I’m post-menopausal, although not overweight. And I will be going off Arimidex (which reduces estrogen levels in the body) in early March. Therefore, I will call my oncologist to determine what these results mean for me. It appears from the study that two drinks a week did not increase the risk of recurrence, but is that okay for me personally?
Like Dr. Kwan, I encourage early-stage breast cancer survivors or their caregivers to consult their medical professionals to assess personal risk. Breast cancer is such a diverse disease, and red wine in small-to-moderate amounts might benefit those with a personal or family history of heart disease.
My poor oncologist. Is he prepared for my next question-of-the-week about lifestyle choices? But I am compelled to ask. A second recurrence is not one of my New Year’s resolutions! And non-alcoholic drinks can be pretty tasty. Just ask my non-imbibing Christian friends, who engage wine-drinking Christians in constant debates about the biblical propriety of consuming alcohol.
Here’s a Martinelli’s toast to your health for the New Year, and a very Merry Christmas.
Jan
A new study has revealed, at a molecular level, why those who regularly exercise are healthier as they age. The active people had cells that, when viewed under a microscope, were younger than those of the inactive people who participated in the study. This finding may explain how exercise helps prevent degenerative diseases associated with aging, such as heart attacks, diabetes and cancer.
Even though I got cancer at 43 despite my regular running routine, I believe this study: exercise is vital to health and keeps people youthful. Perhaps I would not have endured my grueling treatments as well if I had not exercised regularly before cancer struck.
The article describing this research can be found at: http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20091201/molecular-proof-exercise-keeps-you-young?ecd=wnl_skin_120909
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