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Health
Tips from Cougars
Cancer
 Apples
May Fight Cancer
A
story appearing in the latest issue of Nature, by researchers at
Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. report that fresh apples contain
chemicals that interfere with the growth of colon and liver tumor
cells in laboratory cultures. In the latest study, Cornell's assistant
professor of food science and toxicology and senior investigator
Dr. Rui Hai Liu suggests that compounds called phytochemicals provide
antioxidant and cancer -preventing effects. Antioxidants reduce
the activity of free radicals, damaging oxygen molecules linked
to cell and tissue damage that may lead to cancer . Liu says that
in an apple extract, the combination of hytochemicals, such as flavonoids
and polyphenols, interfere with growth of cancer cells. When the
extracts were combined with a human colon cancer cell line, extracts
made with and without the apple skin inhibited cell growth by 43
percent and 29 percent respectively. When the same experiment was
conducted using liver cancer cells, extract made with apple skin
reduced cell growth by 57 percent, while extract made without the
skin inhibited growth by 40 percent. The researchers also found
that eating 3.5 ounces of apple can provide the same antioxidant
effect as downing 1,500 milligrams
of vitamin C.
Study
Examines How Compound in Red Wine May Fight Cancer
Findings
were published in the July issue of the journal Cancer Research,
concludes that the compound resveratrol, which acts like an antibiotic
to protect grapes from fungus, may turn off a protein that guards
cancer cells from cancer-fighting therapies such as chemotherapy.
Researchers believe that this is how an antioxidant found in grapes
and red wine fights cancer . The benefits of drinking a glass of
red wine have been touted over the past decade after the discovery
of what has been called the "French paradox" that the French had
low rates of heart disease despite high-cholesterol diets. Studies
have shown the key may be the glass or two of red table wine at
dinner. A few years ago, researchers found that resveratrol kept
cells from turning cancerous and stopped the spread of malignancies.
Resveratrol also blocked cell inflammation, which is linked to arthritis
and other diseases. Resveratrol can be found in dozens of foods,
including mulberries and peanuts. All wines have some resveratrol,
but red wine seems to be its richest source.
Pawpaws'
Cancer Clue
A chemical found in the pawpaw could help scientists understand
how to treat cancer. Researchers at the University of Southampton
are in a worldwide race to be the first to synthesize a key property
of the exotic fruit. Pawpaws and other members of the custard apple
family contain the key chemical. Dr Richard Brown, who is leading
the research at Southampton, told BBC News Online he hoped to make
a copy of one of the more simple forms of the chemical "within months".
The promise of this work is that we will be able to kill off cancer
cells that have become resistant to conventional chemotherapy treatment.
Dr Richard Brown from the University of Southampton and his team
have just received a £100,000 grant from the Leverhulme Trust, which
funds research, to develop the project. He said: "The promise of
this work is that we will be able to kill off cancer cells that
have become resistant to conventional chemotherapy treatment."
'Early stages'
The chemicals in the seeds, fruits and twigs of pawpaws which could
help treat cancer are found in very small amounts and will kill
healthy cells as well as cancerous ones. The aim of research team
at the University of Southampton is to develop a synthetic copy.
Once that has been achieved, the scientists hope they will be able
to locate what is toxic about the chemicals and change the molecular
structure so the cancer cells, and not healthy ones, are targeted
Dr Brown, a Royal Society University Research Fellow, said: "The
trick obviously is to enhance their toxicity towards cancerous cells."
He added that the research was aimed at furthering scientific understanding
of how these chemicals worked, rather than being part of direct
work on a particular drug. "Normally it takes eight to 15 years
to get a drug for the market. Perhaps that's a very ambitious and
optimistic goal. "We are in the very early stages of this work,
but it is very exciting," he added. Dr Mary Berrington, of the Cancer
Research Campaign, said: "This may prove to be another example of
the use of natural substances in helping scientists devise new ways
of tackling cancer."
Magnets
Put Heat on Prostate Cancer
Implanted magnetic rods could be a new treatment for prostate cancer,
say researchers. They say that, if proved successful, the technique
could rid men of the cancer with fewer side-effects than if they
are given radiotherapy or surgery. The magnetic alloy rods are 1.4cm
long and only a millimeter in diameter. Once the tumour has been
located, the rods can be implanted within it, and then an external
alternating magnetic field is used to heat the rods up. Typically,
around 60 rods would be implanted using a hollow needle, with the
patient under a spinal anaesthetic. The procedure could take less
than an hour to complete, with the patient sent home the same day.
The rods used in this study would generate as much heat as a 30-watt
light bulb. This both kills cancer cells and clots the tumor's blood
supply. The temperature of the rods is relatively easy to control,
allowing doctors to limit the amount of damage to the tissues surrounding
the prostate gland. Dr Robert Tucker, of the Univeristy of Iowa,
said: "Our results, and those of our international collaborators,
suggest that these rods could be extremely effective in treating
the cancer with potentially fewer side-effects. "We think this approach
could be useful against other localised tumours." After the treatment
has finished, the cobalt and palladium rods are left in place -
meaning that the therapy could be repeated if tests suggested that
the cancer might be returning. The major disadvantages of radiotherapy,
and particularly therapy, is the risk of damage to delicate tissues
surrounding the gland. Patients who have had their prostate removed
can often face problems with sexual function, or even incontinence.
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly-diagnosed cancers in
the UK in men, although recent figures suggested that survival rates
were improving. The prostate gland lies close to the bladder and
is responsible for making a component of semen.
Common
Cold Virus 'Linked to Cancer'
Scientists have identified a connection between the common cold
virus and viruses that trigger cancer. Researchers at St. Andrews
University in Fife are hoping to use the similarities between the
two to find new ways of treating cancer. The Cancer Research Campaign
Scotland estimates that one sixth of all cancers are caused by infection
with a virus, including cervical cancer and some kinds of leukaemia,
although until now the reason for this has been a mystery. Professor
Ron Hay, who heads the research team, said: "We are using a cold
virus to try to crack the problem because although it does not cause
cancer itself, it has features in common with viruses that do. "Our
new research should tell us about the mechanisms viruses use to
trigger cancer, perhaps helping in the design of life-saving new
drugs." The research will receive $500,000 (US) from the Cancer
Research Campaign over the next three years. Professor Gordon McVie,
the director general of the Cancer Research Campaign, welcomed the
development. He said: "Prof Hay's research is important because
if we can find out how viruses cause cancer, we could develop new
ways of preventing or treating the disease. "It would be particularly
satisfying if a common cold virus, which has been a nuisance to
us for centuries, could one day help to save lives." Cancer occurs
when cells divide out of control, and when viruses infect cells
they sometimes remove the brakes that prevent this happening.
BREAST
CANCER WHAT IS IT?
The term cancer covers more than a hundred diseases that share one
trait: In all of them, cells grow out of control and destroy healthy
tissues. For women in the United States, the most common type is
breast cancer. Though that fact is alarming, another fact is worth
keeping in mind: If you find a lump in your breast that turns out
to be cancer, and you get treatment early-before it spreads beyond
the breast-you have a good chance of leading a long, healthy life.
In fact, the death rate from breast cancer has been going down for
the past ten years. Even a cancer that spreads may not be deadly.
How fast it grows and whether it turns out to be fatal depend on
a number of things, including your age, your overall health, and
how well your immune system-with medical help-can fight it.
(BREAST CANCER) WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Normally, cells divide and replace themselves in an orderly fashion,
controlled by genes in each cell. But sometimes a cell will change-mutate-and
grow out of control. Since your body has trillions of cells, such
changes are probably common. Usually your immune system seeks and
destroys mutated cells. But when it is weakened by stress or illness,
it may fail to get them all. Even a healthy immune system can miss
a few. When cells grow uncontrolled in the breast, they form a type
of lump called a tumor. Not all breast lumps are tumors. Most lumps
are harmless masses of fat or other tissue and do not increase your
risk of breast cancer. Even lumps that are tumors are usually harmless,
or benign. That means they don't spread to other parts of the body.
A tumor is defined as cancer only when it can invade nearby tissues
and organs and damage them. Then it is called malignant. If a breast
cancer spreads, it usually shows up first in the lymph nodes near
the armpit. These nodes are part of the lymphatic system, which,
like the blood-circulation system, carries fluids throughout the
body. The fluid known as lymph may carry cancer cells to other parts
of the body, where they can start new tumors.
(BREAST CANCER) WHAT CAUSES IT?
No one knows why some women-and even some men-get breast cancer
and others don't, but certain factors increase the risk. Some, such
as age, gender, and family history, are beyond your control. But
others, including diet and exercise habits, are things you can change.
THINGS YOU CAN'T CHANGE
Age
The older you are, the higher your risk. Breast cancer is uncommon
in women younger than age 35. Most cancers are found in women age
50 and older. Gender
Research points to a link between breast cancer and the female hormone
estrogen. This may explain why breast cancer is rare among men (who
account for about 1 percent of all cases).
Family history
If your mother or sister has had breast cancer, your risk of getting
breast cancer rises. This is the number one reason for having extra
checkups, as well as for getting mammograms before the usual age
of 40. Even so, the risk is not as great as some people fear. Only
5 to 9 percent of breast cancers are thought to be family-linked.
This is more likely if your relative got the disease before menopause.
If that relative was outside your immediate family, however-an aunt
or grandmother, say-your risk is probably normal.
Age of first menstruation and menopause
The earlier a woman begins menstruating, the higher her risk seems
to be. The age when a woman's periods stop is a factor, too. Women
who go through menopause before age 45 appear to have a slightly
lower risk than those who enter menopause between ages 45 and 54.
Why these variations matter is unclear, but the risk may relate
to the prolonged presence of estrogen.
Age at first childbirth
The risk is higher for a woman who has never given birth to a child
than for one who has. And the later you have your first child, the
greater your risk. For example, if you are over 30 when you have
your first baby, your risk is two to five times higher than that
of a woman who had her first baby at 18.
THINGS YOU CAN CHANGE
Diet
Until recently, high-fat foods-such as whole dairy products and
fatty meats-were suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer.
Now researchers aren't sure. They still see a strong link between
high-fat diets and some other cancers-colon cancer, for example.
But they're puzzled by a large study that shows equal rates of breast
cancer among women eating low-fat and high-fat foods. Still, chances
are your diet is important. It's a fact that breast cancer is five
times less common among women in Japan than among women in the United
States, and when Japanese women move to the United States and adopt
an American diet, more of them get breast cancer. No one really
knows why, but for now, your best bet is to follow a balanced diet
high in fresh vegetables and fruits, whole-grain cereals and breads,
and beans, potatoes, and pasta.
Body weight
Being heavy-20 percent or more above the weight most experts agree
is best for your age, height, and build-raises your chance of breast
cancer.
Alcohol use Moderate drinking-even a daily shot of liquor, bottle
of beer, or glass of wine-doesn't raise your risk much. But the
more you drink, the greater your risk.
Exercise
Lack of exercise increases your risk.
Hormone supplements
Some experts believe that taking birth control pills, which contain
estrogen and progestin, may promote breast cancer. Hormone replacement
therapy-another source of estrogen and progestin and a common treatment
for menopause and osteoporosis-may also increase your risk slightly.
On the other hand, estrogen may reduce the risk of heart disease
for some women. Discuss the pros and cons of birth control pills
and hormone therapy with your doctor. When hormone replacement therapy
is taken for a short time to ease the symptoms of menopause, it
probably doesn't increase your risk.
Exposure to radiation
The low levels of radiation in dental X-rays and mammograms won't
increase your risk. But women who have frequent or high-dose exposure
to radiation-for instance, X-ray treatments for acne or for cancers
such as Hodgkin's disease-may be at high risk, particularly if they
are exposed in childhood or adolescence.
Exposure to pesticides
Some researchers believe that chemical pesticides in foods can lead
to breast cancer. Most see no clear connection, however. If you're
concerned, peel your produce or rinse it well to reduce the amount
in your food.
(BREAST CANCER) WHAT YOUR DOCTOR CAN DO FOR
YOU
The four standard ways to treat breast cancer are surgery, radiation
therapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. You and your doctor
can decide which are best for you.
Surgery
Removal of the tumor is the most common treatment. If it is small
and confined to the breast, your doctor may do a lumpectomy, cutting
out the tumor and a small amount of tissue around it. When combined
with radiation therapy, a lumpectomy can work as well as more extensive
surgery. Larger tumors may call for mastectomy-removal of all or
a large portion of the breast. If the cancer has spread to the lymph
nodes under your arm, those can be treated with chemotherapy or
sometimes radiation. Reconstruction, either during this operation
or later, can help restore the breast's natural look. Generally,
the surgeon will also remove a small sample of the lymph nodes in
the armpit to check for cancer too small to feel.
Radiation therapy
This is also called radiotherapy or irradiation. It uses high-energy
rays to damage cancer cells and stop them from growing. It affects
only the cells in the treated area.
Chemotherapy
This treatment uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. Because
the drugs travel by way of the bloodstream through your entire system,
chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment.
Hormone therapy
Some breast cancer cells flourish in the presence of estrogen, which
seems to stimulate tumor growth. Hormone therapy uses drugs such
as tamoxifen to prevent cancer cells from getting the estrogen they
need to grow. Tamoxifen also mimics some of the hormone's beneficial
effects on the bones and cardiovascular system. It does have a downside,
however: The drug may increase the risk of uterine cancer and dangerous
blood clots.
Treatment combinations
Usually a surgeon will suggest lumpectomy and lymph node sampling,
followed by radiation. If any cancer cells show up in the lymph
nodes, your doctor will most likely suggest a few months of chemotherapy.
This helpful "adjuvant" therapy makes a full recovery more likely.
Sometimes a doctor uses chemotherapy to shrink a tumor before surgery.
This type of chemotherapy is called "neoadjuvant" therapy.
SOME
WORDS YOU MAY HEAR
Adenocarcinoma: cancer that starts in a gland; the most common
form of breast cancer. (See sarcoma.)
Adjuvant therapy: chemotherapy or hormone therapy given after
surgery to destroy any cancer the surgery didn't reach.
Benign: not cancerous. Benign tumors will not spread to the
rest of the body. Biological therapy: treatment to help the
immune system fight disease. Also called immunotherapy.
Biopsy: removal of a tissue sample so it can be examined
under a microscope. Carcinoma: cancer that begins in the
lining or covering of an organ. Chemotherapy: use of drugs
to combat cancer. These drugs kill some healthy cells along with
cancer cells, and may cause hair loss and other side effects. Clinical
trials: research studies that involve patients. Each study is
designed to answer scientific questions and to find better ways
to prevent or treat a disease.
Cyst: a closed sac or capsule filled with fluid. Cysts are
not cancerous. Duct: a small channel in the breast through which
milk passes to the nipple. Cancer that begins in a duct is called
ductal carcinoma.
Excisional biopsy: removal of an entire tumor for examination.
Incisional biopsy: removal of some tissue for examination.
Invasive cancer: cancer that has spread beyond the tissue
where it first developed. Invasive breast cancer is also called
infiltrating cancer. Lumpectomy: surgical removal of a tumor
and some surrounding tissue, leaving most of the breast intact.
Lymph nodes: small, bean-shaped structures found along the
lymphatic system.
Lymphatic system: tissues and organs (including the lymph
nodes, bone marrow, and spleen) that produce and store cells that
fight infection and disease.
Malignant: generally cancerous and growing. Metastasize:
the spread of cancer from the original site to another part of the
body.
Microcalcifications: specks of calcium deposits in the breast
that can be detected by mammograms. They sometimes signal breast
cancer.
Modified radical mastectomy: complete removal of the breast
and underarm lymph nodes, leaving the pectoral muscles of the chest
intact.
Needle aspiration biopsy: removal of a tissue sample or fluid
by suction through a fine needle so it can be examined.
Neoadjuvant therapy: chemotherapy used to shrink a tumor
before surgery. Oncologist: physician who specializes in cancer
treatment.
Prognosis: probable outcome or course of a disease; chance
of recovery. Radiation therapy: killing of cancer cells with
X-rays. Remission: disappearance of signs and symptoms. A remission
can be temporary or permanent.
Sarcoma: cancer that starts in bone, muscle, fat, or connective
tissue; a rare form of breast cancer. (See adenocarcinoma.)
Staging: method of classifying the progress of a cancer.
The stage depends on both the size of the tumor and its spread,
if any, to other parts of the body. The least advanced cancer is
Stage I; the most advanced is Stage IV.
(BREAST CANCER) LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Prevention for high-risk women In a recent study by the National
Cancer Institute of women with a high risk of breast cancer, researchers
found that women who took tamoxifen reduced their risk of getting
invasive breast cancer by about half. Now scientists are comparing
tamoxifen to another drug, raloxifene, which is normally used to
prevent bone loss in post-menopausal women. Raloxifene also appears
to reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women, but with
fewer side effects than tamoxifen. The Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene,
or STAR, is recruiting women who are past menopause and who have
a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer to take part in the
clinical trial. For more information, contact the NCI's Cancer Information
Service at 1-800-422-6237.
Herceptin
About one third of all invasive breast cancers have extra copies
of a gene called epidermal growth factor receptor2, or Her2/neu.
These cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal breast cells.
They also tend to be more aggressive than cancer cells without extra
copies of the gene. Trastuzumab, sold under the trade name Herceptin,
is an antibody that sticks to the protein made by the Her-2/neu
gene. The drug slows cancer cell growth, and may also spur the body's
immune system to attack cancer cells. In clinical trials with women
whose cancer had spread beyond the breast, Herceptin made chemotherapy
50 percent more effective. Researchers are now looking to see if
Herceptin and chemotherapy together can keep cancer from coming
back. Herceptin should only be used after a lab test has shown that
the tumor has too many copies of the gene.
Better Screening
Some new screening methods are being developed to identify women
at high risk of breast cancer, or to detect breast cancer in its
early stages:
>> Digital mammography lets doctors view mammograms on a computer
screen; it gives fewer false positives than the traditional method.
>> Ductal lavage is a way of gently washing cells out of the
milk duct through the nipple and inspecting them for precancerous
changes.
>> Genetic tests can now identify women who may be at especially
high risk because she has certain genes.
(BREAST CANCER) HOW TO DO A BREAST SELF-EXAM
Regular breast self-exams are one of the best ways to find a cancerous
tumor when it is small, before the cancer has spread. Check at the
same time every month, two to three days after your period. (Remember,
self-examination is not a substitute for regular exams by a doctor.)
1 Stand in front of a mirror with your arms at your sides. Look
for anything unusual on your breasts: dimples, scaly patches, puckers,
or discharge coming from a nipple.
2 Look for changes in the contours of your breasts. Watch them carefully
in the mirror as you lift your hands behind your head, clasp your
hands, and press them against the back of your head.
3 Check again with your hands on your hips and your elbows pulled
forward.
4 Squeeze your nipples gently to check for discharge.
5 With one arm raised, use the fingertips of your other hand to
feel your breast for any lumps under the skin. Start in your armpit
and move toward your breast, pressing in small areas about the size
of a quarter. (Try this in the shower; your fingers will slide more
easily over soapy skin.)
Use a definite pattern-a spiral, line, or wedge. Cover the entire
breast, including the upper chest and underarm. Repeat on the other
side.
Spiral: Start at the outer edges of the breast and slowly
work your way around the breast in smaller and smaller circles.
Line: Start under your arm and slowly move toward and then
across the breast. Wedge: Start at the outer edge of the
breast and move slowly toward the middle, then back to the edge.
Repeat until you have covered the whole breast.
6 Repeat step 5 lying on your back, with one arm over your head
and a pillow under your shoulder. Use one of the patterns above
to check each breast.
If you find a lump, unusual firmness, a change in shape, or any
discharge from a nipple, call your doctor right away.
(BREAST CANCER) THE TOP TEN ANTICANCER FOODS
Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, and grains can help lower your
cancer risk. Try to add some of these anticancer foods to your diet.
Strawberries are high in fiber and phytochemicals-powerful
cancer-fighting substances. Other kinds of berries can also reduce
your cancer risk. Try cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, and
blueberries.
Tomatoes are packed with vitamin C and contain lycopene, which
gives them their red color and also helps fight cancer.
Oranges Along with vitamin C, oranges have more than 170
phytochemicals, including 20 antioxidants. Antioxidants are natural
substances that scientists think may help fight disease.
Garlic The sulphur compounds that give garlic its strong
flavor also slow the growth of cancer tumors. Onions, leeks, shallots,
and chives give you some of the same benefits.
Tea is rich in polyphenols, which may stop young tumor cells
from growing out of control.
Whole Wheat grains have as many phytochemicals as fresh produce.
In fact, grain-lovers have only one-third the risk of cancer as
people who rarely eat whole grain bran or cereal.
Carrots get their orange color from beta-carotene, a substance
that can cut your cancer risk.
Cabbage-along with its cousins broccoli and brussels sprouts-has
more cancer-fighting substances than anything else in the produce
aisle.
Spinach is loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene. Both
are antioxidants that protect healthy cells from damage.
Beans contain substances called protease inhibitors that
may make it harder for cancer cells to enter nearby tissue.
(BREAST CANCER) SIDE EFFECTS
Cancer treatments can have side effects. Radiation may cause fatigue,
"sunburn" where the rays are aimed, and breast tenderness or soreness.
Chemotherapy can cause nausea, loss of appetite, and hair loss.
Some types of chemotherapy may bring on early menopause and cause
permanent or temporary infertility. But people don't always have
these reactions, and most of them pass after treatment ends.
What
Is Cancer Of The Vulva?
February 16, 2001
Gloria: My mother had Paget's disease of the vulva. Is this the
same as cancer of the vulva?
Dr. Dean: Yes this is. Cancer of the vulva is an important cancer
-- it kills women. They never knew what hit them because it is often
overlooked. Paget’s disease can resemble eczema (reddened skin)
and can be itchy, so a woman might think that she is having an irritation,
but there are many other reasons cancer of the vulva is overlooked.
About 20 percent of women who have vulvar cancer do not have any
symptoms at all. I would advise women to get a mirror and once a
month, just like breast self-examination, take a look. Don't be
afraid, it wont' bite you. Take a look at it and you may see something
and pick it up early, because the surgery for vulvar cancer is disfiguring.
And the rate of vulvar cancer, by the way, is increasing exponentially.
We are very frightened about this emerging epidemic. It may have
something to do with the human papilloma virus; we're not quite
sure. The treatment for vulvar cancer is excision and radiation.
Like I said this can be disfiguring. Paget’s disease frequently
appears with breast cancer. Vulvar cancer can spread into the urethra,
bladder, vagina, perineum, anus and rectum. Frequently, women are
diagnosed by simply having a pap smear. Post-menopausal women are
at greatest risk, but I encourage all women to keep a good lookout.
Vulvar cancer can begin as something that looks like a dermatological
condition, with redness or irritation or a little scaling or flaking,
the kind of thing I think most women would not pay a lot of attention
to.
Herceptin:
the new weapon against breast cancer
Women have long feared the threat of acquiring breast cancer, a
disease that is known to kill almost a million women every year,
less than half of that from the United States and some first world
countries in Europe alone. Treatments for the disease, which range
from hormone therapy and chemotherapy, to surgical removal of the
affected breast, have resulted in success, albeit relatively. Still
it has been long hoped that a better cure would be found. A new
breast-cancer drug is being released into the market. Herceptin,
developed by Genentech, Inc., a private medical institution, claims
that the drug is set on supressing the development of breast cancer
cells making them vulnerable to chemotherapy. Officials of the San
Francisco drug firm said that Herceptin is the "first [drug] to
be used to slow down breast cancer." They also claimed that the
drug was developed as a new, non-toxic option for women who are
suffering from breast cancer.
A cure in the making
Herceptin was developed after Trastuzumab, the first monoclonal
antibody (or an antibody that contains innumerable copies of itself)
to slow breast cancer. Herceptin targets cancer cells that produce
a protein called HER-2, which cancer cells utilize. Primarily, Herceptin
works by binding to the HER-2 growth factor receptors present in
excessive amounts on the surface of the cancer cells, blocking it
and therefore slowing the growth of HER-2 human breast cancer cells.
Before the development of the new anti-breast cancer drug, researchers
found that some cancers have extra copies of the HER-2 gene. The
abnormality is not inherited but rather an error acquired during
the lives of some people. Researchers at the UCLA estimate that
20 to 30% of females with breast cancers have extra HER-2 genes
in their tumors, equivalent to as many as 60,000 cases per year
in the U.S. This research have also shown that women with cancers
that "overexpress" HER-2 are more likely to suffer relapses after
treatment with standard drugs and do not survive as long as women
with normal amounts of the gene. Researchers then set out to find
a way to block the HER-2 receptors and thus dampen the signals telling
the tumor cells to keep growing. A new monoclonal antibody was developed
after Trastuzumab . Researchers think that when the antibody, now
named Herceptin attaches to the receptor like a key fitting a lock,
it prevents growth factor molecules from attaching. The problem
is that females with breast cancer have not been routinely screened
for HER-2 overexpression because there had not previously been a
treatment that targets this condition directly. According to the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has gained its approval
in November of 1998, when Herceptin was used alone in females with
breast cancer and a history of chemotherapy, the response rate was
16%, out of over 200 included in a trial. Around 30 women experienced
slowed progression of the disease and even tumor shrinkage. When
combined with other drugs like the overall response rate was 52%,
and it lasted for 9 months. According to the FDA, Herceptin when
combined with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, it resulted in
even longer-lasting response.
Not without hitches
Despite the improved response to Herceptin, patients are not living
much longer. According to a research done at UCLA, the one year
survival rate was 78% for patients getting Herceptin plus chemotherapy,
compared to 67% for patients getting chemotherapy alone. According
to Neil Cohen, a spokesman for Genentech Inc., 15 deaths and 47
other adverse reactions had been linked to Herceptin use since it
came out in the market. The adverse reactions included allergic
shock and extreme respiratory distress. An estimated 23,000 patients
have been tested so far with this drug. Furthermore, in 9 of the
15 deaths, symptoms arose within 24 hours of the time Herceptin
was administered. FDA panelists voted against use of Herceptin with
certain chemotherapeutic drugs, noting that patients taking those
combinations were at increased risk for cardiotoxicities, including
heart failure. Other side effects reported by the FDA includes infusion
reactions like fever and chills. The FDA said that there were increased
gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea, and infections when herceptin
was given in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs. In conclusion,
as Dr. Lori Goldstein of the Fox Chase Cancer Center puts it, "although
we can’t cure these patients with breast cancers, by ridding them
of all their tumor, I think new approaches such as this (Herceptin)
may improve their quality of life, and prolong their life without
curing them."
Study
Links Breast Cancer to Alcohol
By Alternative Medicine Update
A new study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggests
that women who drink alcohol may have an increased risk of contracting
breast cancer. The report looks at the size of problems caused by
legal and illicit drugs. It shows in 1997-1998, smoking, alcohol
and illicit drugs led to more than more than 200,000 episodes of
hospitalization. They also contributed to an estimated 20,000 deaths
in Australia. One of the report's author's, Chris Stevenson, says
the report also revealed a link between alcohol consumption and
breast cancer. Mr Stevenson says the reasons behind a link are not
yet fully known, but drinking alcohol seems to increase estrogen
levels in women, which can then lead to a greater risk of contracting
breast cancer.
Sex
Linked to Rise in Cervical Cancer
A SHARP rise in rates of pre-cancer of the cervix among young women
is probably the result of increased sexual activity since the Sixties,
says research published today. The effect of the Pill and the lessening
of stigma attached to pregnancy before marriage have contributed
to a threefold increase over 10 years, said Dr Amanda Herbert, who
conducted the research. Untreated it developed into cancer in one
in three women. Dr Herbert, a consultant cytopathologist at St Thomas's
Hospital, London, said the increase had been masked by a national
cervical screening programme which had reduced cases of cancer and
deaths. The programme was given formal status in 1988. Human papilloma
virus is the main cause of cervical cancer and is spread by sexual
intercourse. Dr Herbert has studied pre-cancer and found more than
19,000 cases in 1991 compared with 2,211 in 1971 and 5,924 in 1981.
Thirty years ago screening was available, but was not organised
nationally. Dr Herbert said some of the increase could be accounted
for by the greater numbers of young women screened by 1991, but
not all of it. In the 1991 group, cases peak among women aged 25-30.
In 1981 the peak was among women four or five years older. Dr Herbert
said that if the pre-cancer cases had not been picked up by screening
and treated, cases of cancer of the cervix could have been expected
to have doubled in older women. She said yesterday: "These findings
tell us that just because cervical cancer is now much less common,
we must not become complacent. It is crucial that women have regular
tests and do not miss the opportunity to reduce that risk. We have
known for a long time that cervical cancer is associated with sexual
activity. "We saw an increase after the First and Second World Wars
when there was greater opportunity for men and women to get around.
Then there was the sexual revolution of the Seventies. I am not
saying that it is caused by wild promiscuity. One extra partner
increases the risk." The study in the journal Cytopathology said
that the cost of national screening had been questioned, but it
was important that young women continued to be screened, said Dr
Herbert. There was some indication that the high number of pre-cancers
of the cervix in young women was starting to fall, possibly because
of greater use of condoms for fear of Aids, she said. Dr Anne Szarewski,
of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, said: "Without screening we
would probably be seeing an epidemic." She added: "We estimate that
by 2025 screening could prevent 5,000 cancers a year." The incidence
of cervical cancer fell 42 per cent between 1988 and 1997. It causes
1,100 annual deaths in England and Wales.
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