Physicians have for a longer period of time wondered if hot beverages like tea and coffee increased the chances of getting esophageal cancer. Studies were conducted among people who had higher esophageal cancer rates (abnormal rates) and tried to find out the factors responsible for the condition.
People were monitored and documented for their alcohol consumption, smoking, tea and coffee habits and tried to get statistics of all the risk factors separately to know which contributed the most and which contributed the least towards esophageal cancer. Even though they found out that coffee and tea were the main causes they also observed that the people who had esophageal cancer came from poor economic and social backgrounds who could not consume more fruits and vegetables. They did not brush their teeth properly which was also considered as a major risk factor. They drank piping hot tea and coffee. They were so hot that even a finger could get hurt. This finding enabled the researchers to associate the link between hot tea, coffee and esophageal cancer. The piping heat of the beverages were said to be responsible for the cause of damage to the esophageal cell lining and in a longer run resulted in esophageal cancer.
But, there are also theories and new research observations that consumption of coffee lowers the cancer risk of pharynx, esophagus and oral cavity. A study was conducted among general public in Japan who consumed more amounts of coffee. They studied their subjects (40,000) who did not have any hereditary evidence of esophageal cancer in the age group of forty to sixty four for nearly fourteen years and found that men had were susceptible to esophageal cancer three to four times higher than women. The risk of esophageal cancer increased when they were also consuming alcohol and smoking whereas the risk was lower when they did not even though they drank coffee regularly. Hence researchers concluded that if smoking and alcohol consumption is controlled, it would lower the risk of getting esophageal cancer and found that coffee alone does not increase or lower the risk.
Green tea is known for its health benefits and it is found to be true when it comes to esophageal cancer too. Some of the medical conditions that can benefit from drinking green tea include rheumatoid arthritis, infection, cancer, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and immunity. Green tea is very special because of its rich contents called EGCG or epigallocatechin, catechin polyphenols and so on. EGCG is known to be a very powerful anti oxidant that inhibits the cancerous cell growth.
Information About Healthcare - Tips - Disease - Treatment - Cure
March 13, 2013
Effective Cancer Treatment – Chemotherapy
Cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases that have arisen in the recent decade on a faster note. The development of cancer is so fast that it is very difficult to detect in the initial stages. The main issue with some cancer patients is that there are no symptoms in the initial stages and they live their normal life as it is, and the pain starts after the cancerous cells have spread to the lymph nodes or bones or sometimes other parts of the body.
Cancer chemotherapy is one of the most effective and successful treatments for curing cancer. The main advantage of this therapy is that it destroys the cancer cells. It is given in several doses in the form of pills or injections. Sadly, chemotherapy is followed by certain side effects, which, in certain cases, may not disappear after the treatment is over. Therefore, before undergoing chemotherapy, it is important that the patients should have strong will-power and determination to undergo this therapy. The main aim of this type of treatment is to cure and control cancer as well as ease the cancer symptoms at the earliest.
Chemotherapy can be given after or before surgery or along with radiation therapy. If given before surgery, then it is meant to shrink the size of the cancer, and if given after surgery, then it is to kill the cancer cells remaining behind after surgery, and may re-grow in the patient's body. To be given before surgery or after surgery or along with radiation therapy depends on the condition of the patient, the extent to which the cells have spread in his / her body and his / her age.
Also, there are different types of chemotherapy, like first line chemotherapy, second line chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Again, the type of chemotherapy given to the patient depends on the above mentioned factors. This type of treatment can also be given to cease bone pain, in case the cancer has reached the bones or other parts of the body, and it is not possible to remove it by surgery or radiation treatment or kill the cells using some combination of chemotherapy drugs. This type is called palliative chemotherapy treatment.
Be it whatever type, chemotherapy has proved to be successful in killing the cancer cells, reducing the size of tumor for surgery, preventing the cells from re-growth to prevent recurrence of cancer cells and reducing bone pain, in cases where the tumor is not curable. This type of treatment, though backed with side effects, has also proved to be effective to prolong the life of the cancer patients.
Cancer chemotherapy is one of the most effective and successful treatments for curing cancer. The main advantage of this therapy is that it destroys the cancer cells. It is given in several doses in the form of pills or injections. Sadly, chemotherapy is followed by certain side effects, which, in certain cases, may not disappear after the treatment is over. Therefore, before undergoing chemotherapy, it is important that the patients should have strong will-power and determination to undergo this therapy. The main aim of this type of treatment is to cure and control cancer as well as ease the cancer symptoms at the earliest.
Chemotherapy can be given after or before surgery or along with radiation therapy. If given before surgery, then it is meant to shrink the size of the cancer, and if given after surgery, then it is to kill the cancer cells remaining behind after surgery, and may re-grow in the patient's body. To be given before surgery or after surgery or along with radiation therapy depends on the condition of the patient, the extent to which the cells have spread in his / her body and his / her age.
Also, there are different types of chemotherapy, like first line chemotherapy, second line chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Again, the type of chemotherapy given to the patient depends on the above mentioned factors. This type of treatment can also be given to cease bone pain, in case the cancer has reached the bones or other parts of the body, and it is not possible to remove it by surgery or radiation treatment or kill the cells using some combination of chemotherapy drugs. This type is called palliative chemotherapy treatment.
Be it whatever type, chemotherapy has proved to be successful in killing the cancer cells, reducing the size of tumor for surgery, preventing the cells from re-growth to prevent recurrence of cancer cells and reducing bone pain, in cases where the tumor is not curable. This type of treatment, though backed with side effects, has also proved to be effective to prolong the life of the cancer patients.
Healing Cancer - Learn About Ways to Remove It So It Won't Come Back
Have you ever wondered why a person dies after being successfully treated for cancer? When a doctor tells a patient they have got it all, that doesn't mean you can carry on living the same way you were, when the cancer first appeared. Only a person who is ill informed or a fool would do that.
We don't get cancer, our bodies grow it and the reason it grows is because of factors relating to modern living. It's our artificial food, the toxic chemicals we use believing them to be harmless and generally a life void of the 7 necessities of life. Cancer wasn't a problem many years ago and now days is only a problem in developed countries so you don't have to be a genius to figure out the causes of it.
Cancer is similar to a disease called scurvy that was a problem 200 years ago. Scurvy is a deficiency disease where the body is deficient in vitamin C. Of course there is not a treatment or a drug to cure scurvy but is easily corrected by an intake of food containing the missing vitamin. Cancer is also a deficiency disease but a more serious one and none of our current ways of treating it will correct that. That's why so many people are dying of the problem.
With deficiency diseases it is pointless just removing the symptoms. A symptom is a sign that's telling the body that something is wrong and a better way or the only way is to enhance our natural defence system which is the immune system. Why do we have treatments that only remove growths? It's because our entire drug based western health care which is tightly controlled by pharmaceutical companies is money orientated whereas no one can profit from natural ways as nature can not be patented.
We don't get cancer, our bodies grow it and the reason it grows is because of factors relating to modern living. It's our artificial food, the toxic chemicals we use believing them to be harmless and generally a life void of the 7 necessities of life. Cancer wasn't a problem many years ago and now days is only a problem in developed countries so you don't have to be a genius to figure out the causes of it.
Cancer is similar to a disease called scurvy that was a problem 200 years ago. Scurvy is a deficiency disease where the body is deficient in vitamin C. Of course there is not a treatment or a drug to cure scurvy but is easily corrected by an intake of food containing the missing vitamin. Cancer is also a deficiency disease but a more serious one and none of our current ways of treating it will correct that. That's why so many people are dying of the problem.
With deficiency diseases it is pointless just removing the symptoms. A symptom is a sign that's telling the body that something is wrong and a better way or the only way is to enhance our natural defence system which is the immune system. Why do we have treatments that only remove growths? It's because our entire drug based western health care which is tightly controlled by pharmaceutical companies is money orientated whereas no one can profit from natural ways as nature can not be patented.
We don't get cancer, our bodies grow it and the reason it grows is because of factors relating to modern living. It's our artificial food, the toxic chemicals we use believing them to be harmless and generally a life void of the 7 necessities of life. Cancer wasn't a problem many years ago and now days is only a problem in developed countries so you don't have to be a genius to figure out the causes of it.
Cancer is similar to a disease called scurvy that was a problem 200 years ago. Scurvy is a deficiency disease where the body is deficient in vitamin C. Of course there is not a treatment or a drug to cure scurvy but is easily corrected by an intake of food containing the missing vitamin. Cancer is also a deficiency disease but a more serious one and none of our current ways of treating it will correct that. That's why so many people are dying of the problem.
With deficiency diseases it is pointless just removing the symptoms. A symptom is a sign that's telling the body that something is wrong and a better way or the only way is to enhance our natural defence system which is the immune system. Why do we have treatments that only remove growths? It's because our entire drug based western health care which is tightly controlled by pharmaceutical companies is money orientated whereas no one can profit from natural ways as nature can not be patented.
We don't get cancer, our bodies grow it and the reason it grows is because of factors relating to modern living. It's our artificial food, the toxic chemicals we use believing them to be harmless and generally a life void of the 7 necessities of life. Cancer wasn't a problem many years ago and now days is only a problem in developed countries so you don't have to be a genius to figure out the causes of it.
Cancer is similar to a disease called scurvy that was a problem 200 years ago. Scurvy is a deficiency disease where the body is deficient in vitamin C. Of course there is not a treatment or a drug to cure scurvy but is easily corrected by an intake of food containing the missing vitamin. Cancer is also a deficiency disease but a more serious one and none of our current ways of treating it will correct that. That's why so many people are dying of the problem.
With deficiency diseases it is pointless just removing the symptoms. A symptom is a sign that's telling the body that something is wrong and a better way or the only way is to enhance our natural defence system which is the immune system. Why do we have treatments that only remove growths? It's because our entire drug based western health care which is tightly controlled by pharmaceutical companies is money orientated whereas no one can profit from natural ways as nature can not be patented.
March 10, 2013
Lung Cancer Explained
Lung cancer results from abnormal cellular proliferation of cells in the lung area. It is caused due to a failure in the regulation of cell replication. Cancer of the lungs usually begins in the lungs and spread to other parts of the body if not diagnosed on time. Based on cellular appearance on the microscope, there are two types of lung cancer. The first is small cell lung carcinoma, while the second is non-small cell carcinoma. Also, cancer of the lungs can arise from various parts of the lungs such as the epithelial cells or the pleural which covers the lungs. This article will focus on causes of lung carcinoma, how this disease is diagnosed and symptoms as well as treatment.
Cancer of the lungs may be caused by a variety of factors. The leading cause of lung carcinoma is cigarettes. In the united-states alone, approximately seventeen thousand people which is about 10 % of lung carcinoma patients fall within this category. It has been discovered that smoking suppress certain genes which regulate cell proliferation. Non smokers who stay near cigarette smoke are also at risk of lung cancer. This passive smokers develop lung cancer at a lower pace compared to active smokers. With low tar cigarettes, however, no risk as been associated.
Another cause of cancer of the lungs is asbestos. Asbestos are non-combustible natural mineral mined from the earth-crust. They are useful in building and construction in industries, houses and ships. Asbestos easily disintegrates and are air-borne when they become old. These tiny, microscopic fibers are deposited in the lining of the lungs where they remain for several years before undergoing malignant transformation to become cancer.
Genetics play a factor in lung carcinoma because a family history of the disease posses as a big risk factor in developing the condition.
Other causes of lung carcinoma includes: high levels of air pollution, some types of gases such as radon gases, and high levels of radiation such as one administered during therapy.
Symptoms include: pleural effusion, abnormal coughing, decreased lung functions, abdominal swelling, facial paralysis and nail problems.
Three main treatment options used in cancer treatment is radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy.
Radiotherapy is the use of powerful radiations in the treatment of lung cancer. It is associated with severe side-effects such as loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, and so on. Ionizing radiation used consist of electromagnetic wave and accelerated particles. Radiotherapy involves the use of implants in the treatment of cancer of the tongue, breast or rectum. It is a short distance treatment such that the patient is in contact with the radiation source.
Cancer of the lungs may be caused by a variety of factors. The leading cause of lung carcinoma is cigarettes. In the united-states alone, approximately seventeen thousand people which is about 10 % of lung carcinoma patients fall within this category. It has been discovered that smoking suppress certain genes which regulate cell proliferation. Non smokers who stay near cigarette smoke are also at risk of lung cancer. This passive smokers develop lung cancer at a lower pace compared to active smokers. With low tar cigarettes, however, no risk as been associated.
Another cause of cancer of the lungs is asbestos. Asbestos are non-combustible natural mineral mined from the earth-crust. They are useful in building and construction in industries, houses and ships. Asbestos easily disintegrates and are air-borne when they become old. These tiny, microscopic fibers are deposited in the lining of the lungs where they remain for several years before undergoing malignant transformation to become cancer.
Genetics play a factor in lung carcinoma because a family history of the disease posses as a big risk factor in developing the condition.
Other causes of lung carcinoma includes: high levels of air pollution, some types of gases such as radon gases, and high levels of radiation such as one administered during therapy.
Symptoms include: pleural effusion, abnormal coughing, decreased lung functions, abdominal swelling, facial paralysis and nail problems.
Three main treatment options used in cancer treatment is radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy.
Radiotherapy is the use of powerful radiations in the treatment of lung cancer. It is associated with severe side-effects such as loss of hair, nausea and vomiting, and so on. Ionizing radiation used consist of electromagnetic wave and accelerated particles. Radiotherapy involves the use of implants in the treatment of cancer of the tongue, breast or rectum. It is a short distance treatment such that the patient is in contact with the radiation source.
Cancer In The Bladder: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Bladder cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in your bladder, a balloon-shaped organ in your pelvic area that stores urine. It is the fourth most common type of cancer in men and the eighth most common type in women. Tumors can develop on the surface of the bladder wall or in more severe cases, within the wall and into the underlying muscles. Cancer in the bladder typically affects older adults, though it can occur at any age. Bladder tumors are 2 to 3 times more common in men.
Causes of Bladder Cancer
Smoking, gender, and diet can affect the risk of developing bladder cancer. Bladder carcinomas are also associated with industrial exposure to aromatic amines in dyes, paints, benzedine, nitrates, solvents, leather dust, inks, combustion products, rubber, and textiles. The period between exposure to the carcinogen and development of symptoms is about 18 years.
There is currently limited evidence that diet plays a part in the development of bladder cancer, but a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat may help reduce the risk. Urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, and other causes of chronic bladder irritation have been linked with bladder cancer (especially squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder), but they do not necessarily cause bladder cancer.
Signs of Bladder Cancer
In early cases around 25% of patients have no symptoms. Commonly the first sign of bladder tumours is blood in the urine, pain after urination, urinary frequency and dribbling. However, these signs and symptoms are not specific to bladder cancer, and may also be caused by non-cancerous conditions, including prostate infections and cystitis.
Types of Bladder Cancer
Cancers are divided into superficial and invasive disease. Superficial bladder cancer is limited to the innermost linings of the bladder. Invasive bladder cancer has at least penetrated the muscular layer of the bladder wall. Less than 5% of bladder cancers in the United States are squamous cell carcinomas, however, worldwide this is the most common form, accounting for 75% of bladder carcinoma in underdeveloped nations. Urothelial carcinoma (transitional cell carcinoma) is by far the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States.
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer
Cancer in the bladder is usually curable if it is diagnosed while the cancer is still contained in the bladder, and up to 80% of tumors are diagnosed at this early stage. A biopsy for bladder cancer is usually done during cystoscopy. CT and Ultrasound scans, urinalysis and arteriography may also be done.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Treatments include bladder cancer surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biologic therapy. The stage and grade of the cancer provides important information and can help guide treatment. Superficial bladder tumors are surgically removed with chemotherapy being added to the treatment regime to help prevent recurrence. Radical cystectomy and urinary diversion (an external bag) is usually undertaken for invasive bladder cancer.
Several new compounds have shown activity against transitional cell bladder cancer and are now being tested in combination chemotherapy trials. BCG immunotherapy is the most effective intravesical therapy and involves a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis. Immunotherapy in the form of BCG instillation is also used to treat and prevent the recurrence of superficial tumors. Alternative bladder cancer treatments such as herbal treatment may also be of some benefit.
Risk Reduction
Stopping smoking can reduce the risk of getting bladder cancer and if you have been diagnosed with superficial bladder cancer, stopping smoking will reduce the risk of developing more tumours in the future. Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of 50%-80% and therefore, doctors recommend cystoscopy screening every three months for the first two years after treatment. People who drink a lot of fluids each day have a lower rate of bladder cancer.
Survival Rates
The prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer, whether it is superficial or invasive bladder cancer, and whether it has spread to other places in the body. Superficial bladder cancer has a good prognosis, with 5-year survival rates of 82-100%. If a tumor has grown into the wall of the bladder but has not spread to other organs, treatment usually involves surgical removal of the tumor, or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with a five-year survival rate of 60% to 75%. Patients with more deeply invasive tumors,which are also usually less well differentiated, and those with lymphovascular invasion experience 5-year survival rates of 30% to 50% following radical cystectomy.
Causes of Bladder Cancer
Smoking, gender, and diet can affect the risk of developing bladder cancer. Bladder carcinomas are also associated with industrial exposure to aromatic amines in dyes, paints, benzedine, nitrates, solvents, leather dust, inks, combustion products, rubber, and textiles. The period between exposure to the carcinogen and development of symptoms is about 18 years.
There is currently limited evidence that diet plays a part in the development of bladder cancer, but a diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in fat may help reduce the risk. Urinary infections, kidney and bladder stones, and other causes of chronic bladder irritation have been linked with bladder cancer (especially squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder), but they do not necessarily cause bladder cancer.
Signs of Bladder Cancer
In early cases around 25% of patients have no symptoms. Commonly the first sign of bladder tumours is blood in the urine, pain after urination, urinary frequency and dribbling. However, these signs and symptoms are not specific to bladder cancer, and may also be caused by non-cancerous conditions, including prostate infections and cystitis.
Types of Bladder Cancer
Cancers are divided into superficial and invasive disease. Superficial bladder cancer is limited to the innermost linings of the bladder. Invasive bladder cancer has at least penetrated the muscular layer of the bladder wall. Less than 5% of bladder cancers in the United States are squamous cell carcinomas, however, worldwide this is the most common form, accounting for 75% of bladder carcinoma in underdeveloped nations. Urothelial carcinoma (transitional cell carcinoma) is by far the most common type of bladder cancer in the United States.
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer
Cancer in the bladder is usually curable if it is diagnosed while the cancer is still contained in the bladder, and up to 80% of tumors are diagnosed at this early stage. A biopsy for bladder cancer is usually done during cystoscopy. CT and Ultrasound scans, urinalysis and arteriography may also be done.
Treatment for Bladder Cancer
Treatments include bladder cancer surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and biologic therapy. The stage and grade of the cancer provides important information and can help guide treatment. Superficial bladder tumors are surgically removed with chemotherapy being added to the treatment regime to help prevent recurrence. Radical cystectomy and urinary diversion (an external bag) is usually undertaken for invasive bladder cancer.
Several new compounds have shown activity against transitional cell bladder cancer and are now being tested in combination chemotherapy trials. BCG immunotherapy is the most effective intravesical therapy and involves a live attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis. Immunotherapy in the form of BCG instillation is also used to treat and prevent the recurrence of superficial tumors. Alternative bladder cancer treatments such as herbal treatment may also be of some benefit.
Risk Reduction
Stopping smoking can reduce the risk of getting bladder cancer and if you have been diagnosed with superficial bladder cancer, stopping smoking will reduce the risk of developing more tumours in the future. Bladder cancer has a recurrence rate of 50%-80% and therefore, doctors recommend cystoscopy screening every three months for the first two years after treatment. People who drink a lot of fluids each day have a lower rate of bladder cancer.
Survival Rates
The prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer, whether it is superficial or invasive bladder cancer, and whether it has spread to other places in the body. Superficial bladder cancer has a good prognosis, with 5-year survival rates of 82-100%. If a tumor has grown into the wall of the bladder but has not spread to other organs, treatment usually involves surgical removal of the tumor, or combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with a five-year survival rate of 60% to 75%. Patients with more deeply invasive tumors,which are also usually less well differentiated, and those with lymphovascular invasion experience 5-year survival rates of 30% to 50% following radical cystectomy.
March 8, 2013
Why Only Some Smokers Get Lung Cancer?
Smoking is the most potent known cause of lung cancer. The question is: Why do some longtime smokers come down with the deadly disease whereas others escape it? New research points to a genetic culprit that also was fingered as upping a person's likelihood of becoming hooked on cigarettes.
Two new studies link a variation in a gene residing on chromosome 15 (of a person's 23 pairs of chromosomes) to a heightened risk of developing lung cancer; a third study suggests that the same mutation affects a person's tendency to become addicted to smokes and, by extension, develop the dreaded disease. Lung cancer is diagnosed in some 200,000 Americans and kills more than 150,000 each year.
The new research—published in both Nature and Nature Genetics—suggests that people with this genetic flaw have a 30 percent greater chance of developing the often-fatal illness. But the studies differ on the potential added risk of addiction. The findings offer insight into how this particular genetic variation and smoking interact to cause lung cancer. They provide "new targets for starting to think about how to treat drug addiction and, also, of course, for the prevention or treatment of lung cancer," says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Bethesda, Md., who was not involved in the study.
The research teams scanned a catalog of 300,000 minute changes in the genome in which a base (unit of genetic material) was either deleted, duplicated or substituted. (Such alterations are known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs.) In one study, scientists from Iceland-based biotechnology company deCODE genetics tried to correlate these genetic variants with a person's smoking habits; the other research efforts attempted to tie them to lung cancer.
The deCODE group surveyed 50,000 Icelandic smokers about their habits; using information gleaned from that survey as well as from genomic scans of 40,000 admitted smokers in the bunch, the researchers zeroed in on a variant of the gene CHRNA, which codes for a receptor on nerve cells that can be stimulated by nicotine. The altered version of the gene was more common in the heaviest smokers than it was in the rest of the population. "Nonsmokers have a higher frequency of this variant than smokers that smoke between one to 10 cigs per day," notes neurologist Kári Stefánsson, deCODE's CEO, "because if you smoke and you have this variant, you tend to smoke more than 10 cigs per day."
When Stefánsson's team applied the stats to the incidence of lung cancer, it found that individuals with two copies of the altered gene had a whopping 70 percent greater chance of developing lung cancer; those with one copy had a 30 percent higher risk.
These findings are virtually identical to those of the other studies—one (in Nature) conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France (which was based on examinations of some 11,000 volunteers, 7,500 of whom were smokers) and the other (in Nature Genetics) by a team at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, which examined 9,000 individuals, some 4,000 of whom were smokers.
Paul Brennan, who led the IARC study, says he initially believed that the risk of getting lung cancer was elevated by the genetic predisposition to become addicted. "The genes made you more likely to smoke, made you likely to smoke more, made you less likely to give up, and therefore more likely to develop lung cancer," he says. But his research showed that, in fact, the gene appeared to independently increase a person's risk of developing the disease—with no link to addiction.
NIDA's Volkow suggests that the gene variant may lead certain individuals to smoke more due to its effect on the brain's reward centers (associated with addictive behavior) and may increase the risk of cancer, too, because it also plays a role in lung tissue function. Epidemiologist Christopher Amos, who led the Texas study, notes that the same nicotine receptor implicated in this study was shown in previous research to prompt tumor growth in other areas of the body, most notably the thymus (an organ located near the lungs that produces immune cells). "Nicotine or its derivatives can stimulate cells to proliferate, participate in new blood vessel development, and also not undergo cell death," he says, which are all characteristics of tumor formation and growth. "So that raises the possibility that there's a direct effect through nicotine in activating cells to go on to become cancerous."
Brennan says more research is needed before the findings can be put into play.
"There's not a public health message here that you can find out what version of the gene you have and decide whether to keep on smoking or not," he says. "You have to bear in mind that there are so many other disease[s] that are caused by smoking."
Two new studies link a variation in a gene residing on chromosome 15 (of a person's 23 pairs of chromosomes) to a heightened risk of developing lung cancer; a third study suggests that the same mutation affects a person's tendency to become addicted to smokes and, by extension, develop the dreaded disease. Lung cancer is diagnosed in some 200,000 Americans and kills more than 150,000 each year.
The new research—published in both Nature and Nature Genetics—suggests that people with this genetic flaw have a 30 percent greater chance of developing the often-fatal illness. But the studies differ on the potential added risk of addiction. The findings offer insight into how this particular genetic variation and smoking interact to cause lung cancer. They provide "new targets for starting to think about how to treat drug addiction and, also, of course, for the prevention or treatment of lung cancer," says Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Bethesda, Md., who was not involved in the study.
The research teams scanned a catalog of 300,000 minute changes in the genome in which a base (unit of genetic material) was either deleted, duplicated or substituted. (Such alterations are known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs.) In one study, scientists from Iceland-based biotechnology company deCODE genetics tried to correlate these genetic variants with a person's smoking habits; the other research efforts attempted to tie them to lung cancer.
The deCODE group surveyed 50,000 Icelandic smokers about their habits; using information gleaned from that survey as well as from genomic scans of 40,000 admitted smokers in the bunch, the researchers zeroed in on a variant of the gene CHRNA, which codes for a receptor on nerve cells that can be stimulated by nicotine. The altered version of the gene was more common in the heaviest smokers than it was in the rest of the population. "Nonsmokers have a higher frequency of this variant than smokers that smoke between one to 10 cigs per day," notes neurologist Kári Stefánsson, deCODE's CEO, "because if you smoke and you have this variant, you tend to smoke more than 10 cigs per day."
When Stefánsson's team applied the stats to the incidence of lung cancer, it found that individuals with two copies of the altered gene had a whopping 70 percent greater chance of developing lung cancer; those with one copy had a 30 percent higher risk.
These findings are virtually identical to those of the other studies—one (in Nature) conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France (which was based on examinations of some 11,000 volunteers, 7,500 of whom were smokers) and the other (in Nature Genetics) by a team at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, which examined 9,000 individuals, some 4,000 of whom were smokers.
Paul Brennan, who led the IARC study, says he initially believed that the risk of getting lung cancer was elevated by the genetic predisposition to become addicted. "The genes made you more likely to smoke, made you likely to smoke more, made you less likely to give up, and therefore more likely to develop lung cancer," he says. But his research showed that, in fact, the gene appeared to independently increase a person's risk of developing the disease—with no link to addiction.
NIDA's Volkow suggests that the gene variant may lead certain individuals to smoke more due to its effect on the brain's reward centers (associated with addictive behavior) and may increase the risk of cancer, too, because it also plays a role in lung tissue function. Epidemiologist Christopher Amos, who led the Texas study, notes that the same nicotine receptor implicated in this study was shown in previous research to prompt tumor growth in other areas of the body, most notably the thymus (an organ located near the lungs that produces immune cells). "Nicotine or its derivatives can stimulate cells to proliferate, participate in new blood vessel development, and also not undergo cell death," he says, which are all characteristics of tumor formation and growth. "So that raises the possibility that there's a direct effect through nicotine in activating cells to go on to become cancerous."
Brennan says more research is needed before the findings can be put into play.
"There's not a public health message here that you can find out what version of the gene you have and decide whether to keep on smoking or not," he says. "You have to bear in mind that there are so many other disease[s] that are caused by smoking."
Liver Cancer – Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is a cancer arising from the liver. It is also known as primary liver cancer or hepatoma. The liver is made up of different cell types (for example, bile ducts, blood vessels, and fat-storing cells). However, liver cells (hepatocytes) make up 80% of the liver tissue. Thus, the majority of primary liver cancers (over 90 to 95%) arises from liver cells and is called hepatocellular cancer or carcinoma.
Primary liver cancer is rarely discovered early and often doesn't respond to current treatments — thus, the prognosis is often poor. Even when treatments fail to provide much improvement in the liver cancer itself, pain and other signs and symptoms caused by liver cancer can be aggressively treated to improve quality of life. But the most important news about primary liver cancer is that you can greatly reduce your risk by protecting yourself from hepatitis infection and cirrhosis, the leading causes of the disease.
Secondary Liver Cancer Most of the time when cancer is found in the liver it did not start there but spread to the liver from a cancer that began somewhere else in the body. These tumors are named after the place where they began (the primary site) and are further described as metastatic. For example, cancer that started in the lung and spread to the liver is called metastatic lung cancer to the liver. The rest of the information given here covers only primary liver cancer, that is, cancer that starts in the liver.
Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Most people don't have signs and symptoms in the early stages of liver cancer, which means the disease may not be detected until it's quite advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include some or all of the following:
Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right part of your abdomen, that may extend into your back and shoulder. Pain that occurs in the right upper area of the abdomen. The liver is a very nerve rich organ and can be sensitive to changes.
Appetite - People with liver cancer may experience a continuous loss of appetite or feel very full after a small meal.
Worsened hepatitis or cirrhosis symptoms - More severe symptoms in people who have chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis are signs of liver cancer. These symptoms could include fluid in the abdomen, a symptom known as ascites, or the need for more and more water tablets (diuretics) to control the amount of fluid in the abdomen.
Abdominal pain is a very common symptom, and also common in children. Unfortunately, because there are so many possible causes of abdominal pain, and many cases are not serious, many cases of acute appendicitis are misdiagnosed each year as gastroenteritis or some other similar condition, especially in children and infants. Although appendicitis is an uncommon condition, it can be fatal. And there are many other serious conditions that may cause abdominal pain.
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment -bilirubin- in the blood).
Esophageal varices (occurs when the tumor invaded and blocked the portal vein and the blood drains through esophageal veins).
Rarely: bleeding problems. Many of the proteins required for proper blood clotting are created in the liver. Remove these proteins and blood clotting decreases.
Chronic weight loss or wasting. The liver processes all the building blocks. If it fails to process, the body fails to maintain itself.
Primary liver cancer is rarely discovered early and often doesn't respond to current treatments — thus, the prognosis is often poor. Even when treatments fail to provide much improvement in the liver cancer itself, pain and other signs and symptoms caused by liver cancer can be aggressively treated to improve quality of life. But the most important news about primary liver cancer is that you can greatly reduce your risk by protecting yourself from hepatitis infection and cirrhosis, the leading causes of the disease.
Secondary Liver Cancer Most of the time when cancer is found in the liver it did not start there but spread to the liver from a cancer that began somewhere else in the body. These tumors are named after the place where they began (the primary site) and are further described as metastatic. For example, cancer that started in the lung and spread to the liver is called metastatic lung cancer to the liver. The rest of the information given here covers only primary liver cancer, that is, cancer that starts in the liver.
Signs and Symptoms of Liver Cancer
Most people don't have signs and symptoms in the early stages of liver cancer, which means the disease may not be detected until it's quite advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include some or all of the following:
Abdominal pain, especially in the upper right part of your abdomen, that may extend into your back and shoulder. Pain that occurs in the right upper area of the abdomen. The liver is a very nerve rich organ and can be sensitive to changes.
Appetite - People with liver cancer may experience a continuous loss of appetite or feel very full after a small meal.
Worsened hepatitis or cirrhosis symptoms - More severe symptoms in people who have chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis are signs of liver cancer. These symptoms could include fluid in the abdomen, a symptom known as ascites, or the need for more and more water tablets (diuretics) to control the amount of fluid in the abdomen.
Abdominal pain is a very common symptom, and also common in children. Unfortunately, because there are so many possible causes of abdominal pain, and many cases are not serious, many cases of acute appendicitis are misdiagnosed each year as gastroenteritis or some other similar condition, especially in children and infants. Although appendicitis is an uncommon condition, it can be fatal. And there are many other serious conditions that may cause abdominal pain.
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by an accumulation of bile pigment -bilirubin- in the blood).
Esophageal varices (occurs when the tumor invaded and blocked the portal vein and the blood drains through esophageal veins).
Rarely: bleeding problems. Many of the proteins required for proper blood clotting are created in the liver. Remove these proteins and blood clotting decreases.
Chronic weight loss or wasting. The liver processes all the building blocks. If it fails to process, the body fails to maintain itself.
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