Just in case you missed it: American researchers have shown that men who have sex once a month or less have a greater risk of heart disease compared to those who are at it at least twice a week.
So if you're looking for an excuse to drag your partner to bed, it's your lucky day - or night.
Original post by The Sun (click on the author link above to see full post)
To analyze retrospectively the results of postoperative radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer and to investigate the clinical significance of nadir prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value within 12 months (nPSA12) as an early estimate of clinical outcome after radiotherapy.
original Post by URO Today (click on the author link above to see full post)
Comedian Kanpei Hazama, who is currently half way through his round-the-world marathon bid, has been diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer, it has been learned.
Hazama, 60, departed from Osaka in December 2008 and arrived in Turkey last month after he crossed the Pacific, North America, the Atlantic and Europe by running and sailing.
Original post by MDN News (click on the author link above to see full post)
LifeLines, a supportive and informative resource for prostate cancer patients and their partners in northern Bergen County, will meet from 7:45 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the Church of the Presentation, 271 West Saddle River Road in Upper Saddle River. Prostate cancer patients formed the group to share information and experiences about available treatment and service resources.
Original post by NorthJersey (click on the author link above to see full post)
Good old Andrew Lloyd Webber. He's beaten prostate cancer, now he says he's "fighting fit" and ready for a new battle - this time with the Beeb. Original post by Mirror UK (click on the author link above to see full post) And here is the rest of it
SCIENTISTS have demonstrated how extracts of mango and edible mushroom could be used in making drugs to prevent or stop breast, colon, leukemia and prostate cancers. CHUKWUMA MUANYA reports.
CAN meals rich in mangoes and edible mushroom help to prevent or/and stop the spread of cancers? Mangoes and mushrooms have been discovered to contain ingredients that could be used for the production of new drugs for the treatment of cancers.
Scientists have discovered how a promising cancer drug, first discovered in a wild mushroom, works. The University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, team believe their work could help make the drug more effective, and useful for treating a wider range of cancers.
Cordycepin, commonly used in Chinese medicine, was originally extracted from a rare kind of parasitic mushroom that grows on caterpillars. The study appeared in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Also, mango has been found to prevent or stop certain colon and breast cancer cells in the laboratory. A new study by Texas AgriLife Research food scientists, United States, who examined the five varieties most common in the U.S.- Kent, Francine, Ataulfo, Tommy/Atkins and Haden- found some impact on lung, leukemia and prostate cancers but was most effective on the most common breast and colon cancers. Mango is botanically called Mangifera indica and belongs to the plant family Anacardiaceae. Mango is mangoro (the fruit), mangorohi (the tree) in Fula-Fulfulde; umangohi in Idoma; mangolo in Igala; mangulo in Igbo; and mangoro or oro oyinbo in Yoruba.
Nigerian researchers have also determined the protein content of three wild mushroom species growing in Owo Local Government areas of Ondo State: Termitomyces robustus (known as Ewe in Yoruba), Lentinus squarrosulus Mont (known as Tifa in Yoruba) and Lentimula edodes (known as Sheshe-Ope in Yoruba).
According to the result of the study published in Ethnobotanical Leaflets and Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (formerly Qualitas Plantarum), the highest amount of protein was found in Lentinus squarrosulus Mont (37.80mg/ml), followed by Termitomyces robustus (33.00mg/ml) and least found in Lentimula edodes (17.00mg/ml).
The researchers include: R. A. Jose of the Department of Science Technology, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State; and J. Kayode of the Department of Plant Science, University of Ado-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Over the last decade, mushrooms have been studied as a novel functional food in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. Mushrooms, which have been used as food from time immemorial for their taste and flavour, have in recent times been found to be highly nutritious and medicinal. They are rich in high quality protein, minerals and vitamins such as folic acid but low in fat content.
In Nigeria, wild edible mushrooms are one of the important minor forest products, which are locally traded in local market of the country. Due to their high content of protein, vitamins and minerals, mushrooms are considered as "poor man's protein".
Previous studies had asserted that the maximum protein content and the best amino acid balance are found in mushrooms just before the caps expand. It has also been established that the major food value of mushroom lies in their protein components.
The results of the Ondo State study revealed that these mushrooms are nutritiously good for consumption. In fact, previous studies had revealed that edible mushrooms contained all the essential amino acids as well as most commonly occurring non-essential amino acids and amides.
The study found that mushrooms are low in calories, have no cholesterol and are virtually free of fat and sodium. Mushrooms also contain other essential minerals like selenium, which works with vitamin E to produce antioxidants that neutralise "free radicals" which can cause cell damage.
Studies have suggested that selenium may reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, it may slow the progress of Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) disease and may aid in symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatitis and asthma. Studies show men who eat selenium rich foods may lower their risk of prostate cancer.
Potassium, which is widely reputed for being good for the heart, is also found in mushrooms. It has been suggested that a diet with potassium may help to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Copper is another essential mineral found in mushrooms. Copper aids iron, which is also known for making red blood cells and delivers oxygen to the body.
Mushrooms also contain three B-Complex vitamins; riboflavin for healthy skin and vision, niacin that aids the digestive and nervous systems, and pantothetic acid which helps the nervous system and hormone productions.
Previous studies have suggested that mango possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hypoglycemic (lowers blood sugar) effects in man and mammalian experimental animals.
Researchers had confirmed the anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties of the stem-bark aqueous extract of mango in rats and mice.
An aqueous decoction of mango stem bark (MSB) has been developed in Cuba on an industrial scale to be used as a nutritional supplement, cosmetic, and phytomedicine, with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immunomodulatory properties.
In another study, flavonoids from mango effectively reduce lipid levels in serum and tissues of rats induced hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids/fats).
Researchers have also shown the protective effect of mango polyphenols on human T lymphocytes (white blood cells) against activation-induced cell death. The aqueous stem bark extract of mango (Vimang) has been reported to have antioxidant properties and prevents cell death in HIV/AIDS.
Researchers suggest that the different chemical constituents of the plant, especially the polyphenolics, flavonoids, triterpenoids, mangiferin, and other chemical compounds present in the plant may be involved in the observed anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and hypoglycemic effects of the plant's extract.
Also known as "Chinese caterpillar mushroom", "Semitake" and "JinShuBao", the cordyceps mushroom (usually the cordyceps sinensis variety) has been used in Chinese medicine for many centuries to make lung and kidney tonics.
The cordyceps mushroom gained fame when Chinese Olympic athletes in 1992 credited their successes to taking the mushroom as a supplement.
However, although the mushroom-based drug showed great promise, it was quickly degraded in the body. It can be given with another drug to combat this - but the second drug can produce side effects that limit its potential use.
As a result, researchers turned their interest to other potential candidate drugs, and exactly how cordycepin worked on the body's cells remained unclear.
Researcher Dr Cornelia de Moor said: "Our discovery will open up the possibility of investigating the range of different cancers that could be treated with cordycepin. It will be possible to predict what types of cancers might be sensitive and what other cancer drugs it may effectively combine with. It could also lay the groundwork for the design of new cancer drugs that work on the same principle."
The researchers have also developed a method to test how effective the drug is in new preparations, and combinations with other drugs, which might solve the problem of degradation more satisfactorily.
De Moor said: "This is a great advantage as it will allow us to rule out any non-runners before anyone considers testing them in animals."
The Nottingham team observed two effects on the cells - at a low dose cordycepin inhibits the uncontrolled growth and division of the cells, and at high doses it stops cells from sticking together, which also inhibits growth.
Both of these effects probably have the same underlying mechanism - that cordycepin interferes with how cells make proteins.
At low doses cordycepin interferes with the production of mRNA, the molecule that gives instructions on how to assemble a protein. And at higher doses it has a direct impact on the making of proteins.
In Chinese medicine, cordyceps has been used primarily to treat lung problems, specifically given when patients cough up blood or show other signs of lung inflammation.
A study by Taiwanese researchers showed cordyceps could be used to reduce lung inflammation in mice with symptoms of asthma. While cordyceps did not prove as effective as two other agents (including prednisolone, which is the active ingredient in several anti-asthma medications but whose side-effects can be as serious as inducing diabetes), the scientists did show cordyceps could indeed be used for lung problems.
Korean researchers showed that cordyceps is a great help in blocking the expression of rheumatoid arthritis. It potently blocked various chemicals that trigger rheumatoid arthritis.
More promising than its use in fighting inflammatory problems is its potential as a cancer-fighting agent. Like other medicinal mushrooms, the cordyceps mushroom contains a high concentration of polysaccharides.
Polysaccharides are molecules that have cancer-fighting properties; numerous studies have shown that polysaccharide-rich compounds inhibit the growth of cancerous tumours in lab animals.
Certain types of cordyceps have polysaccharides containing selenium, a chemical element that is toxic in large amounts, but trace amounts of selenium are necessary for cellular health. Selenium also forms the active centers of certain enzymes which act as anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants prevent cell damage caused by unstable molecules, or "free radicals", and cells damaged by free radicals are one of the causes of cancer.
Chinese researchers exploring the selenium-rich polysaccharides from certain types of cordyceps in tumor-bearing lab mice found that cordyceps showed "significant anti-tumor action with the inhibitory rate of 46.92 per cent.
Meanwhile, Korean researchers discovered that an aqueous extract of the same species of cordyceps (cordyceps militaris) could also be used to kill human breast cancer cells. The cordyceps mushroom has been studied by medical researchers for some time - the first scientific publication on cordycepin was in 1950.
Cordyceps is not as well researched as Reishi but Cancer Research United Kingdom suggests that, 'Cordyceps may be useful for cancer patients due to its enhancement of cell-mediated immunity, oxygen free radical scavenging and support for cellular bioenergy systems'.
Medicinal mushrooms have latent cancer preventative properties. Studies in Japan and Brazil strongly suggest that regular consumption over prolonged periods significantly reduce the levels of cancer incidence.
Cancer Research UK also found increasing experimental evidence that medicinal mushrooms can have a cancer preventative effect, demonstrating both high anti-tumor activity and restriction of tumor metastasis. A 14-year survey in Japan revealed cancer rates of workers at medicinal mushroom farms were one in 1000 compared to one in 600 for the general population.
Professor Janet Allen is director of research at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which funded the mango study.
She said: "This project shows that we can always return to asking questions about the fundamental biology of something in order to refine the solution or resolve unanswered questions. The knowledge generated by this research demonstrates the mechanisms of drug action and could have an impact on one of the most important challenges to health."
Though the mango is an ancient fruit heavily consumed in many parts of the world, little has been known about its health aspects. The National Mango Board commissioned a variety of studies with several U.S. researchers to help determine its nutritional value.
Dr. Susanne Talcott, who with her husband, Dr. Steve Talcott, conducted the study on cancer cells said: "If you look at what people currently perceive as a superfood, people think of high antioxidant capacity, and mango is not quite there. In comparison with antioxidants in blueberry, acai and pomegranate, it's not even close."
Talcott noted: "But the team checked mango against cancer cells anyway, and found it prevented or stopped cancer growth in certain breast and colon cell lines.
"It has about four to five times less antioxidant capacity than an average wine grape, and it still holds up fairly well in anticancer activity. If you look at it from the physiological and nutritional standpoint, taking everything together, it would be a high-ranking super food. It would be good to include mangoes as part of the regular diet."
The Talcotts tested mango polyphenol extracts in vitro on colon, breast, lung, leukemia and prostate cancers. Polyphenols are natural substances in plants and are associated with a variety of compounds known to promote good health.
Talcotts said: "Mango showed some impact on lung, leukemia and prostate cancers but was most effective on the most common breast and colon cancers. What we found is that not all cell lines are sensitive to the same extent to an anticancer agent.
"But the breast and colon cancer lines underwent apotosis, or programmed cell death. Additionally, we found that when we tested normal colon cells side by side with the colon cancer cells, that the mango polyphenolics did not harm the normal cells."
The duo did further tests on the colon cancer lines because a mango contains both small molecules that are readily absorbed and larger molecules that would not be absorbed and thus remain present in a colon.
She said: "We found the normal cells weren't killed, so mango is not expected to be damaging in the body. That is a general observation for any natural agent, that they target cancer cells and leave the healthy cells alone, in reasonable concentrations at least."
The Talcotts evaluated polyphenolics, and more specifically gallotannins as being the class of bioactive compounds (responsible for preventing or stopping cancer cells). Tannins are polyphenols that are often bitter or drying and found in such common foods as grape seed, wine and tea.
The study found that the cell cycle, which is the division cells go through, was interrupted. This is crucial information, Suzanne Talcott said, because it indicates a possible mechanism for how the cancer cells are prevented or stopped.
Talcotts said: "For cells that may be on the verge of mutating or being damaged, mango polyphenolics prevent this kind of damage. From there, if there is any proven efficacy, then we would do a larger trial to see if there is any clinical relevance."
The Talcotts hope to do a small clinical trial with individuals who have increased inflammation in their intestines with a higher risk for cancer.
According to The Useful Plants of Tropical West Africa by H. M. Burkill, the bark has astringent properties. A macerate is widely taken for diarrhoea and dysentery in Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Congo. In Ivory Coast, a decoction is used as a wash for the head in migraine, and is widely used as a mouth-wash for the relief of toothache, sore gums, sore-throat, etc. in Nigeria, and in Congo. This is taken in Ivory Coast as a diuretic against urethra discharge.
A.S. Daba and O.U. Ezeronye of the Division of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Observatory Cape Town, South Africa, have evaluated the anti-tumor activity of mushroom fruit bodies and mycelial extracts using different cancer cell lines.
The study is titled: "Anti-cancer effect of polysaccharides isolated from
higher basidiomycetes mushrooms."
According to the study published in Minireview, these polysaccharide extracts showed potent antitumor activity against sarcoma 180, mammary adenocarcinoma 755, leukemia L-1210 and a host of other tumors. The antitumor activity was mainly due to indirect host mediated immunotherapeutic effect. These studies are still in progress in many laboratories and the role of the polysaccharides as immunopoten
tiators is especially under intense debate.
Indeed, recent investigations has been channeled on the development of
immunotherapy to target and remove cancer cells as well as on substances such as immunopotentiators, immunoinitiators and biological response modulators
(BRM) that act to prevent carcinogenesis and induce carcinostasis. Mushrooms belong to this group of immunoceuticals by their mode of action.
The researchers wrote: "Mushroom polysaccharides offer a lot of hope for cancer patients and sufferers of many devastating diseases. A fundamental principle in oriental medicine is to regulate homeostasis of the whole body and to bring the disease person to his or her normal state.
"A variety of polysaccharides from a number of mushroom varieties have been demonstrated to enhance the immune system. All of these have shown significant
antitumour activity as a result of their ability to activate the host immune system rather than direct cytotoxicity. The mushroom polysaccharides appear to be well tolerated and compatible with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
"However, studies that identifies the molecular mechanisms that occur in specific immune modulation by mushroom polysaccharides such as receptors and what downstream events are triggered by the binding of these polymers to their target cells are urgently needed." NGRGuardianNews
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Considering having a surgeon remove your cancerous prostate using a robot? You might want to see a surgeon who has done at least 80 operations for the best results, according to the authors of a new research review.
And while the robot-assisted operation is now the "dominant approach" to this surgery in the US and is gaining popularity in other wealthy nations, there's still too little information on how patients fare after the surgery, Dr. Declan G. Murphy of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne, Australia and his colleagues write.
Laparoscopic surgery, in which a surgeon performs the operation through small incisions, usually with the help of a surgical robot, has been touted as carrying a lower risk of incontinence and impotence than the standard "open" form of the surgery.
To know more about Prostate Cancer But a US study on nearly 9,000 men published in October 2009 found that while open and minimally invasive surgery were equally good for getting rid of prostate cancer, the risk of incontinence and impotence was higher with the minimally invasive approach.
In the current study, Murphy and his team looked at 68 studies of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery to better understand its downsides. Lack of information on outcomes isn't only a problem for robot-assisted surgery, but "bedevils" the scientific literature on prostate removal overall, the researchers note in the journal European Urology.
In about one in 250 surgeries, the robot failed to work properly. There was also a lack of data on how well patients functioned after surgery, and how patients with high-risk prostate cancer fared long-term.
And while some studies showed low complication rates, the researchers add, those rates went up when doctors used a standardized approach to reporting complications. The authors did not compare robotic surgery complication rates to traditional surgery rates.
The researchers also found that surgeons who have done fewer than 20 of the robot-assisted procedures can achieve "acceptable operating times." Keeping surgeries shorter is a goal because it usually means fewer complications. It may be necessary, however, for surgeons to do 80 or more procedures to ensure that they do not leave cancerous tissue behind.
Also, the researchers add, robot-assisted surgery is no easier to perform and has no better outcomes in patients with conditions that can worsen surgical outcomes, such as being obese, having a large prostate, or having had previous surgery in the area.
Finally, the researchers note, expenses associated with the procedure--the robot costs at least 1.8 million ($2.6 million) to install, 100,000 ($145,000) a year to run, and 1,500 ($2,200) extra for each surgical case-mean the procedure is "prohibitively" expensive "for many hospitals and indeed many countries."
The researchers conclude: "The significant learning curve should not be understated, and the expense of this technology continues to restrict access to many patients."
SOURCE: European Association of Urology, online December 16, 2009
By Henry L. Davis NEWS MEDICAL REPORTER January 09, 2010, 6:26 AM
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has announced that it has updated its practice guidelines for physicians to stress active surveillance rather than treatment for many men with low-risk prostate cancer.
Roswell Park Cancer Institute played a key role in the new recommendations, with three physicians serving on the network’s 23-member guideline panel, including Dr. James Mohler, who led the group.
A big change in the guidelines is the recommendation for active surveillance instead of treatment for men with very-low- risk prostate cancer and a life expectancy estimated at less than 20 years, and for men with low-risk prostate cancer and a life expectancy of less than 10 years. The very-low-risk category is new and represents patients with what’s considered “insignificant” prostate cancer. The new guidelines reflect the debate in medical circles over what is the most appropriate action to take with early-stage prostate cancer.
The problem starts with the PSA test to detect prostate cancer. It can’t tell the difference between harmless tumors and those that will grow into dangerous cancers but has led to suspected tumors being diagnosed much earlier, leading many patients to rush into unnecessary therapies that drive up costs and risk complications.
The other dilemma for the 192,800 men who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year is that each therapy, such as surgery and radiation, has its advocates, as well as its pros and cons. But it’s unclear which one is best. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2008 concluded that not enough scientific evidence exists to identify a treatment as most effective at prolonging life or limiting such side effects as incontinence.
Active surveillance is considered an option because prostate cancer is generally slow-growing. Experts estimate that 40 percent of patients 65 and older will die of other causes before their cancer requires treatment.
Active surveillance involves monitoring the disease and intervening if the cancer progresses. Patients in active surveillance should obtain regular prostate exams and PSA tests, according to the guidelines.
“Growing evidence suggests that overtreatment of prostate cancer commits too many men to side effects that outweigh a very small risk of prostate cancer death,” Mohler, chairman of urology at Roswell Park, said in a statement.
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network panel reviewed data showing that 23 percent to 42 percent of all prostate cancers detected in the United States by PSA tests and digital rectal exams are overtreated.
Despite the greater emphasis on active surveillance, Mohler said final decisions on care should be based on a careful review of a patient’s particular situation, including life expectancy, disease characteristics, general health condition, potential side effects of treatment and the patient’s preferences.
Drs. Robert Huben, chief of urology at Roswell Park, and Michael Kuettel, chairman of radiation medicine, also served on the panel.
The head of one of the leading prostate cancer advocacy groups praised the changes in the guidelines. “The recognition of active surveillance in recent years has been a good development,” said Thomas Kirk, president and chief executive officer of US TOO International, a network of more than 300 support groups around the world, including Buffalo. Source:http://www.buffalonews.com
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Sexual function in prostate cancer patients receiving beam radiation decreases within the first two years and then stabilizes, U.S. researchers found.
Researchers at the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and University of California, Davis, School of Medicine evaluated 143 prostate cancer patients receiving external beam radiation therapy who completed baseline data on sexual function before treatment and at follow-up visits. Senior author Dr. Richard Valicenti of the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, said patients were analyzed on sexual drive, erectile function, ejaculatory function and overall satisfaction for a median time of about four years.
The study authors found the strongest predictor of sexual function after treatment was sexual function before treatment and the only statistically significant decrease in function occurred in the first two years after treatment -- and function then stabilized with no significant changes thereafter.
The findings are published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A healthy weight and regular exercise may help protect men from one of the most common side effects of prostate cancer surgery, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 165 men who had their prostate glands removed due to cancer, those who were not obese and were getting regular exercise before surgery had the lowest prevalence of long-term urinary incontinence.
What's more, even among obese men, those who had been physically active before surgery were less likely to be incontinent one year after surgery.
All of the men in the study had undergone radical prostatectomy, where a surgeon removes the prostate gland and some of the surrounding tissue. Urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction are common side effects, though both often improve over time. So far, most efforts to prevent lasting side effects have focused on improving surgical techniques -- limiting damage to the nerves, muscles and blood vessels around the prostate gland.
But these latest findings suggest that there are also lifestyle measures men can take to cut their risk of lingering urinary incontinence, said lead researcher Dr. Kathleen Y. Wolin, an assistant professor of surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
"This is another reason for men to get up and get active," she told Reuters Health in an interview.
In general, men with prostate cancer, like all other men, are encouraged to follow a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular exercise. A study published last month found that among men with prostate cancer, those who got as little as 15 minutes of exercise per day had lower death rates than inactive men during the two-decade study period.
"We strongly recommend that men with prostate cancer talk with their physicians about how to fit physical activity into their lives if they are currently sedentary," Wolin said.
For their study, published in the Journal of Urology, Wolin and her colleagues looked at urinary incontinence rates among 165 men roughly one year after radical prostatectomy. Before surgery, all of the men had reported on their exercise habits; those who said they exercised for at least one hour per week were considered active.
Overall, the researchers found that obese, sedentary men had the highest rate of long-term incontinence, at 41 percent. Active, non-obese men had the lowest rate, at 16 percent.
Among obese men who were physically active, one-quarter were incontinent, which was identical to the rate among non-obese, inactive men -- suggesting, the researchers say, that exercise can offset the negative effects of obesity.
Exactly why exercise might prevent incontinence is unclear. One possibility, Wolin said, is that exercisers have better overall muscle tone, which may help with bladder control.
Another potential reason is that long-time exercisers are more likely to follow their doctors' advice on performing post-surgery Kegel exercises, which strengthen the pelvic-floor muscles and may improve incontinence and sexual function.
According to Wolin, more studies are needed to see whether certain types and intensities of exercise are more effective than others -- and how exercise habits after prostate surgery may affect long-term incontinence risk.
Southern Baptist Convention President Dr. Johnny Hunt of Towne Lake will undergo surgery today to remove a cancerous prostate.
The 57-year-old senior pastor of First Baptist Woodstock announced in November his prostate cancer diagnosis and plans to undergo initial treatment in January.
Jim Law, executive pastor of the church, said Hunt's surgery would be done at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. "Dr. Hunt would like to thank so many churches and individuals who have interceded on his behalf these past few weeks," Law said in a statement released through the Baptist Press. "He is deeply grateful and has sensed the prayers and the love that has been demonstrated to him in so many ways by many Southern Baptist brothers and sisters."
Hunt and his wife, Janet, "have come to this decision after much prayer and seeking the Lord," Law said in the statement referring to the operation.
Hunt was elected the convention's president during its annual meeting in Indianapolis in June 2008. He was re-elected at the 2009 meeting in Louisville, Ky.
With 16.2 million members, the Nashville-based convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.
First Baptist Woodstock, which has more than 17,600 members, is Cherokee's largest church and the third-largest place of worship in metro Atlanta.
An experimental drug is on the way, which might be effective to fight brain cancer (glioblastoma) and prostate cancer.
The researchers are experimenting on this drug at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre (UTSMC). According to Jerry Shay, professor of cell biology, the drugs are promisisng because they attack not only the tumour cells but also the rare cancer stem cells in the body. So, it would be effective to root out cancer from the body.
"Because it attacks a mechanism that's active in most cancers, it might prove to be widely useful, especially when combined with other therapies," said Shay.
The researchers did the observation by putting two isolated trials such as human cells and rodents.
In the brain cancer experiment in rodent trials, the researchers also noticed that the drug crossed from the bloodstream into the brain, which is especially important because many drugs cannot even cross the blood-brain barrier.
Glioblastomas are the most common malignant brain tumours in adults and also very difficult to treat because of its tightly constructed walls, which prevent proper absorption.
Clinical Cancer Research has published this finding in its January issue.
Pomegranates have made headlines in the past for being helpful in fighting prostate cancer and benefiting the heart. Now researchers find that eating the fruit may reduce the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer.
Pomegranates are a rich source of a type of phytonutrient (plant-based nutrient) called ellagic acid, which belongs to a larger group of compounds known as ellagitannins. Ellagitannins are water-soluble, which makes them easy for the body to absorb. When naturally occurring ellagitannins (found in fruits such as pomegranates, raspberries, and others), they are broken down into ellagic acid, glucose, and other substances.
The principal investigator of the new study, Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Durante, California, noted in the news release from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) that phytonutrients have the ability to “suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen responsive tumors.”
The ellagic acid found in pomegranates inhibits aromatase, an enzyme that transforms androgen to estrogen. Because aromatase has a major role in breast cancer, the ability of pomegranates to suppress this enzyme means they have the potential to inhibit the growth of breast cancer.
Dr. Chen and his colleagues evaluated whether the phytonutrients in pomegranates can inhibit aromatase and ultimately cancer growth. From a group of ten ellagitannin-derived compounds in pomegranates, they found that the fruit has the potential to prevent estrogen-responsive breast cancers. A metabolite of ellagic acid, called urolithin B, significantly inhibited breast cancer cell growth. Gary Stoner, PhD, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Ohio State University, who was not associated with the study, noted that the results are promising enough to warrant further experiments with pomegranate in both animals and humans. Powel Brown, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and chairman of the Clinical Cancer Prevention Department at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, concurred with Stoner’s assessment and suggested that future research focus on testing pomegranate juice for its impact on estrogen levels, menopausal symptoms, and as a cancer preventive agent.
Pomegranates have been the subject of much research in the fight against prostate cancer as well. One example is a recent study published in October 2009 in which scientists found that pomegranate extract induced the death of prostate cancer cells. A subsequent study noted that the ellagic acid in pomegranate juice may be responsible for its benefits against prostate cancer.
In an Oklahoma State University review, researchers noted that pomegranate juice has been shown to significantly reduce atherosclerotic lesions in mice and intima media thickness in cardiac patients, and to reduce both serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients, all of which benefit the heart.
Stoner suggests that individuals “might consider consuming more pomegranates to protect against cancer development in the breast and perhaps in other tissues and organs.” Given that research indicates that pomegranates may help fight prostate cancer, benefit the heart, and also fight serious infections such as MRSA, it seems like good advice.
SOURCES: American Association for Cancer Research, news release Jan. 5, 2010 Basu A, Penugonda K. Nutrition Reviews 2009 Jan; 67(1): 49-56 Kasimsetty SG et al. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2009 Nov 25; 57(22): 10636-44 Koyama S et al. Growth Hormone & IGF Research 2009 Oct 21
Three proteins may be used to diagnose ovarian cancer, according to a new study released on Wednesday.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from 34 women with ovarian cancer and 70 women without the disease to evaluate six proteins identified as potential indicators of ovarian cancers.
Garnet Anderson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and colleagues found that levels of three of the six proteins began to increase slightly in patients with ovarian cancer three years before diagnosis.
Anderson wrote in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that the elevated levels aren't really what we'd probably define as abnormal until within the last year before diagnosis of ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is rare, but can be deadly. There is no simple and reliable screening program to test for the medical condition in women who do not have symptoms. When the cancer id diagnosed in its early stage, the five-year survival rate can be as high as 93 percent, according to the American Cancer Society.
Therefore, a screening method that can detect ovarian cancer in its early stage is desired.
The researchers wanted a screening method just that can be used like the PSA test for prostate cancer. However, the prostate specific antigen is by itself not a reliable indicator.
Study finds that imetelstat targets mechanism that allows cancer cells to divide
MONDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthDay News) -- An experimental drug called imetelstat shows promise in treating glioblastoma brain cancer and prostate cancer, according to the results of preclinical studies in which the drug was tested on human prostate cancer cells and in rodents with glioblastoma.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that the drug had an effect on most tumor cells, as well as cancer stem cells believed to cause most of a cancer's growth. Tests in mice with glioblastoma also showed that the drug was able to cross from the bloodstream into the brain. Most drugs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
The glioblastoma study is published in the January issue of Clinical Cancer Research, and the prostate cancer study was published online in the International Journal of Cancer.
Imetelstat (also called GRN163L) is being tested in clinical trials as a treatment for breast cancer, lung cancer and lymphocytic leukemia. The drug targets a mechanism that allows cancer cells to continue dividing. "Because it attacks a mechanism that's active in most cancers, it might prove to be widely useful, especially when combined with other therapies," Dr. Jerry Shay, a professor of cell biology at the university and senior co-author of both studies, said in a university news release.
More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about brain tumors.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, news release, Jan. 4, 2010
German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
To review and summarize evidence from longitudinal studies on the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and the risk of prostate cancer (PC).
Relevant prospective cohort studies and nested case-control studies published until July 2009 were identified by systematically searching Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases and by cross-referencing. The following data were extracted in a standardized manner from eligible studies: first author, publication year, country, study design, characteristics of the study population, duration of follow-up, PC incidence/PC mortality according to serum vitamin D status and the respective risk ratios, and covariates adjusted for in the analysis. Due to the heterogeneity of studies in categorizing serum vitamin D levels, all results were recalculated for an increase in serum 25(OH)D by 10ng/ml. Summary odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using meta-analysis methods.
Overall, eleven original articles were included, ten of which reported on the association between serum vitamin D levels and PC incidence and one article reported on the association with PC mortality. Meta-analysis of studies on PC incidence resulted in a summary OR (95% confidence interval, CI) of 1.03 (0.96-1.11) associated with an increase of 25(OH)D by 10ng/ml (P=0.362). No indication for heterogeneity and publication bias was found.
According to available evidence from longitudinal studies, serum 25(OH)D is not associated with PC incidence.
Inhibiting TNF-receptor associated protein-1 (TRAP-1) may prevent cancer cell death, according to investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. They also note that TRAP-1 is a marker of localized and metastatic prostate cancer and is required for prostate cancer cell viability.
The report will appear in the January 2010 issue of the American Journal of Pathology in a paper titled “Cytoprotective Mitochondrial Chaperone TRAP-1 as a Novel Molecular Target in Localized and Metastatic Prostate Cancer.”
Since TRAP-1 is known to regulate cell death, the researchers decided to study its role in prostate cancer. They found that the protein was highly expressed in both high-grade human prostate cancer lesions and mouse models of prostate cancer but not in benign or normal prostate tissue.
In addition, TRAP-1 overexpression in noncancer prostate cells inhibited cell death, whereas TRAP-1-deficient prostate cancer cells had enhanced levels of cell death. Moreover, treatment with gamitrinibs, a class of small molecules that inhibit TRAP-1, resulted in prostate cancer cell death but not death of noncancerous prostate cells.
Dario C. Altieri, M.D., who led this research, reported in February on the synthesis and properties of gamitrinib as a treatment for prostate cancer in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. He designed gamitrinibs to selectively target Hsp90 in human tumor mitochondria. TRAP-1 is a mitochondria-localized Hsp90 chaperone. Therefore, Dr. Altieri believes that based on his research, targeting TRAP-1 via gamitrinib may be a viable therapeutic strategy for patients with advanced prostate cancer.
Dr. Altieri’s experiments also found that TRAP-1 was differentially expressed in localized and metastatic prostate cancer compared with normal prostate.
A similar approach may be also suitable for other types of cancer, as TRAP-1 is broadly expressed in disparate human malignancies, Dr. Altieri continues. He plans to “further dissect the biology of TRAP-1 cytoprotection in cancer cells and test whether disabling its function may overcome drug resistance, the most common reason of treatment failure and dismal outcome in patients with advanced prostate cancer.”
Moderate amounts of regular exercise may lower mortality rates for prostate cancer survivors, according to a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Conference.
The study's authors explained that previous investigations focused on how exercise affected the risk of developing prostate cancer but failed to identify the exact molecular effects that exercise had on prostate cancer.
To examine exercise in relation to overall survival rates in prostate cancer survivors, lead author, Stacey Kenfield, ScD, epidemiology research associate at the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues assessed physical activity levels for 2686 males with prostate cancer before and after diagnosis. Researchers found that men who engaged in 3 or more hours of Metabolic Equivalent Tasks (MET) a week—equivalent to jogging, biking, swimming, or playing tennis for about a half-hour per week—had a 35% lower risk of overall mortality. Furthermore, men who walked ≥90 minutes at a normal to brisk pace had a 51% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to men who walked <90 minutes at an easy walking pace.
“We saw benefits at very attainable levels of activity,” said Kenfield. “Our data indicate that for prostate cancer survivors, a moderate amount of regular exercise may improve overall survival, while ≥5 hours per week of vigorous exercise may decrease the death rate due to prostate cancer specifically.”
A nude mouse used for cancer research at the Biology Research laboratory of Cancer Regional Centre François Baclesse in France. US researchers have found an antibody that hunts down prostate cancer cells in mice and can destroy the killer disease even in an advanced stage, a study showed Monday.
AFP - WASHINGTON — US researchers have found an antibody that hunts down prostate cancer cells in mice and can destroy the killer disease even in an advanced stage, a study showed Monday.
The antibody, called F77, was found to bond more readily with cancerous prostate tissues and cells than with benign tissue and cells, and to promote the death of cancerous tissue, said the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
When injected in mice, F77 bonded with tissue where prostate cancer was the primary cancer in almost all cases (97 percent) and in tissue cores where the cancer had metastasized around 85 percent of the time.
It recognized even androgen-independent cancer cells, present when prostate cancer is incurable, the study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania showed.
F77 "initiated direct cell death of prostate cancer cells... and effectively prevented tumor outgrowth," it said.
But it did not target normal tissue, or tumor tissues in other parts of the body including the colon, kidney, cervix, pancreas, lung, skin or bladder, the study showed. he antibody "shows promising potential for diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, especially for androgen-independent metastatic prostate cancer," which often spreads to the bones and is difficult to treat, the researchers wrote in PNAS.
Currently, the five-year survival rate for metastatic prostate cancer is just 34 percent, according to the study.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, claiming half a million lives each year worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Being diagnosed with prostate cancer may raise men's risk of having a heart attack or stroke, especially in the first week after diagnosis. Researchers found an increased risk of about 30 percent during the year after prostate cancer diagnosis. The risk of suicide during this time also increased, although this was much less common than heart problems. What do we know already? The numbers of men being diagnosed with prostate cancer are increasing, especially now that a blood test (called prostate-specific antigen, or PSA) that can help detect potential prostate cancer is more widely used. This may mean that more men are diagnosed early, and some may have a better chance of being treated and surviving their cancer.
However, we're not sure that all men with prostate cancer benefit from treatment. The research isn't clear. Part of the trouble is that many prostate cancers grow very slowly, and might never have caused any trouble if they'd not been picked up. Others grow much more quickly. It's hard to tell which cancers are likely to need treatment, and which are best left alone.
