SURGEON´S SMART KNIFE DETECT CANCER CELLS IN TUMOUR OPERATIONS

When surgeons remove tumor tissue they try to leave a "margin" of healthy tissue to ensure all the cancer is removed. Sometimes this means the patient has to remain under general anaesthetic for another 30 minutes or so while tissue samples are sent for analysis to check if the margin is clear. Even then, it is still possible that some cancerous tissue remains, and the patient has to undergo further surgery to remove it.

Now, a new technique based on an "intelligent knife," called the "iKnife," promises to remove the need for lab analysis and the accompanying delay, and it also helps avoid repeat surgeries.

The iKnife sniffs the "smoke" created by the electrosurgical removal of cancerous tissue and tells the surgeon almost immediately if the tissue it has come from is healthy or cancerous.

This first study appears online this week in Science Translational Medicine, in which the iKnife is tested in the operating room.

In tissue samples from 91 patients, researchers at Imperial College London using the iKnife achieved 100% accuracy in diagnosing whether the samples were cancerous or not.

Study author Dr. Zoltan Takats is the inventor of the iKnife. Asked if his new surgical tool would be confined to use in only certain types of cancer, he told Medical News Today:

"It is a generally applicable tool, we believe it will be useful for many different types of cancer surgeries."

On the question of cost-effectiveness, Dr. Takats told us:

"We believe that it will be a cost-saver - due to elimination of intraoperative histology, shorter intervention times and lower rate of re-operations."

iKnife combines electrosurgery with new mass spectrometry techniques

The iKnife is a combination of an established technology called electrosurgery that was invented in the 1920s and a new technology that is still emerging, called rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS).

In electrosurgery, the surgeon's knife delivers an electric current that heats the target tissue and cuts through it while causing minimum loss of blood.

The heat from the current vaporizes the tissue, which gives off a smoke that is normally sucked away with an extractor.

The mass spectrometer technology behind REIMS almost instantly identifies the chemicals present in human tissue by analyzing the smoke that is released during electrosurgery.

Cells produce thousands of metabolites in various concentrations, depeding on their cell type. So once the REIMS technology is primed with the profiles of healthy and cancerous cells, it can rapidly use these to screen the sample of smoke and inform the surgeon whether it is from a tumor or healthy tissue.

Results delivered in under 3 seconds

By comparing the chemical profile of the tissue it is sampling to the reference library, the iKnife can deliver a result in under 3 seconds, say the researchers.

But for this study, the surgeons carrying out the procedures were not allowed to see the nearly instant readings from the iKnife.

The researchers now hope to run a clinical trial that tests whether giving surgeons access to iKnife readings during operations improves outcomes for patients.

Dr. Takats says in a statement:

"These results provide compelling evidence that the iKnife can be applied in a wide range of cancer surgery procedures."

As the technology delivers almost instant results, it allows "surgeons to carry out procedures with a level of accuracy that hasn't been possible before", he adds, noting that they "believe it has the potential to reduce tumor recurrence rates and enable more patients to survive."

Source: Medical News Today

FDA STRENGTHENS WARNINGS ON TANNING BEDS TO REDUCE CANCER RISK

Tanning beds and sunlamps will be required to carry stronger warning labels under new regulations proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is also recommending the machines not be used by people under the age of 18.

The FDA said that it plans to reclassify sunbeds from low-risk to moderate-risk products, meaning they will need to be cleared by the agency before being allowed onto the market.

Faulty equipment has led to patients being burned or exposed to too much radiation, Jeffrey Shuren, director of the FDA's center for devices and radiological health, said in an interview.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Basal cell and squamous cell cancer, the two most common forms, are generally curable; but melanoma, the third most common type, is deadly.

In 2009, the most recent year numbers are available, 61,646 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanoma and 9,199 people died, according to the CDC.

The FDA's proposed regulations stop short of recommendations made by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, which in 2009 concluded that commercial tanning devices were more dangerous than previously thought and recommended people under 18 be banned from using them.

The FDA's regulations also stop short of new rules being developed by some U.S. states.

More than 30 states regulate the use of tanning facilities to differing degrees. Delaware, New Hampshire and North Dakota, for example, ban the use of indoor tanning by anyone under age 14 unless medically necessary and they require parental consent for those between the ages of 14 and 18.

Some states, including Georgia, Illinois and Maine, ban tanning beds for children under the age of 14, and eighteen states require tanning bed operators to limit exposure time to a manufacturers' recommendations and provide eye protection.

In January 2012, California became the first state to ban tanning beds for all people under 18.

The Indoor Tanning Association argues vigorously that the decision on whether a teen is allowed to suntan is one for parents, not government, and it supports parental consent. But it is fighting the growing number of states issuing bans.

"Is the next step to ban teens from sun bathing at public beaches and pools?" the association asked in a statement last year in opposition to New Jersey's proposal to ban tanning bed use for those under 17.

"You also have to consider the health risks associated with banning teenagers from using tanning salons," it said. "They will just go outside with no adult supervision and no trained staff where they are much more likely to get sunburned."

The FDA's actions follow a 2010 meeting of a federal advisory panel which unanimously recommended that the agency reclassify tanning devices. Panelists had mixed views on whether to implement a ban on minors.

An estimated 5.6 percent of U.S. adults reported indoor tanning at least once in 2010, with the highest rates among white, female 18 to 25-year-olds, according to the CDC, which notes that frequent exposure to UV rays for people under the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent.

"For right now our proposal tries to focus on providing better information for consumers," Shuren said, "including a warning on the tanning beds themselves that they shouldn't be used in people under 18," he said.

Depending on the feedback the agency receives to its proposal, it may make changes to the final order, he said.

CANCER INCREASES BANKRUPTCY RISK, EVEN FOR INSURED

Cancer patients are at much greater risk of bankruptcy than people without cancer, according to a large new study. And while the new health care law promises insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans who lack it now, the high cost of cancer care can push many patients, especially younger women, into financial trouble, experts say.

“We need to look into why this happening and see if there is something we as a society can do to reduce that risk,” says Dr. Scott Ramsey, director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research in Seattle and lead author of the study published Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs.

Ramsey and his colleagues matched 197,840 adults from a western Washington cancer registry with an equal number of cancer-free adults by age, zip code and sex. They then determined who had filed for bankruptcy, using court records.

The researchers found that 4,408 of those diagnosed with cancer between 1995 and 2009 had filed for bankruptcy, compared to 2,291 of those without cancer. Overall, cancer patients were 2.5 times as likely as others to file for bankruptcy.

Non-white females were the most likely to file, while patients 65 or older were the least likely -- possibly because they were covered by Medicare and eligible for Social Security.

Bankruptcy rates among the younger groups were up to 10 times that of the older patients. “People who have fewer assets, less income and less generous insurance because of entry level jobs or no insurance are more vulnerable to severe financial distress,” Ramsey says.

The highest rates of bankruptcy were among those with thyroid cancer, which mostly affects younger women. The lowest were in men with prostate cancer, which typically strikes at an older age.

“They used an ingenious way of getting this information,” says Dr. David Himmelstein, an internist and professor of public health at the City University of New York. And though the researchers don’t have information on the cancer patients’ insurance coverage, “previous studies tell us that about three-quarters of people who say that illness was a major factor in their bankruptcy had private health insurance, at least when they first got sick,” Himmelstein says.

That rings true for Janet Literski, 57, who had purchased health insurance as an independent contractor working in sales. When she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2008 Literski discovered her insurance covered only part of her surgical costs and none of her diagnostic tests. Then there were co-payments and deductibles. By the time she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer two years later, she was about $150,000 in medical debt.

In 2011, no longer able to work, Literski and her disabled husband filed for bankruptcy. “It was a gut wrenching decision because you feel like a personal failure, and that makes me angry because I had tried to do everything right,” Literski says. “I had health insurance, I was working.”

Literski is now covered by Medicaid and receives disability payments and though she hasn’t been told she’s in remission, she says she is “healthy enough.”

Ramsey says cancer centers need to do a better job of assessing each patient’s financial status, offering credit counseling, and managing patient care.

Steven Wieckowski, a financial counselor with the national nonprofit GreenPath Debt Solutions, advises newly diagnosed cancer patients to assess how the diagnosis might impact their income; to review their health insurance policy coverages; to determine whether they’re signed up for a disability plan at work; to prioritize their bills, putting housing, utilities, food, car payments and child care at the top of the list; and to reach out to credit card companies and the holders of student loans to ask for deferral.

“When cancer strikes, a lot of folks feel so out of control,” Wieckowski says. These steps can put people back into control of this portion of their life.”

Ramsey believes the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which will extend health insurance coverage to more than 30 million Americans, could reduce bankruptcy rates.

But Himmelstein, who examined Massachusetts bankruptcy rates two years after the state implemented a health reform law similar to the federal law, isn’t hopeful.

“We found little or no impact, basically because the insurance coverage people got was so skimpy that it offered inadequate financial protection,” he says.

Source: NBC News Health

CAN A MENOPAUSAL HORMONE THERAPY CAUSE CANCER?

The Women’s Health Initiative study found that women taking combined hormone therapy (also called postmenopausal hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy) to manage menopausal symptoms may have a higher risk of breast cancer. Combined hormone therapy is a combination of estrogen and progestin (a form of progesterone made in a laboratory). It is used to help women cope with menopausal symptoms and prevent osteoporosis. Hormone therapy with estrogen alone is only given to women who have had a hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus) because estrogen increases the risk of uterine cancer.

The Women’s Health Initiative also found that women taking combined hormone therapy had a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. However, they had a lower risk of colorectal cancer and bone fractures. Because of these risks, many doctors recommend that women do not take combined hormone therapy or only take low doses for a short time. Combined hormone therapy is not usually recommended for women with a history of breast cancer or those who have a higher risk of breast cancer.

Recent research also showed that women who received combined hormone therapy have a higher risk of dying of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if they develop the disease. However, woman in the study taking combined hormone therapy were not more likely to develop NSCLC than women who were not taking combined hormone therapy. The study also showed that the risk of dying from lung cancer was higher for women with NSCLC who smoke and take combined hormone therapy.

Research on combined hormone therapy is controversial and ongoing. The risks and benefits of the treatment are different for each woman. If you are considering hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms, it is important to talk with your doctor about your symptoms, medical history, and your options for relieving the symptoms, including the risks and benefits and how long you should take hormone therapy.

Source: Cancer.net web page

Manual of Prostate Cancer: Up-to-date Information about prostate cancer and therapeutic options

http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Prostate-Cancer-Up---date/dp/1481780387/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1357759482&sr=8-3&keywords=luis+mendoza+cancer

CAN ORAL SEX CAUSE THROAT CANCER?

Michael Douglas was diagnosed with throat cancer (oropharyngeal cancer) three years ago. He initially said it was caused by years of heavy smoking, alcohol abuse and stress. However, he recently told The Guardian newspaper that it was caused by oral sex (cunnilingus).

In an Interview with Guardian reporter, Xan Brooks, Douglas said that his type of cancer was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) "which actually comes from cunnilingus". His agent later said Douglas had been talking generally, and not about his own cancer, but the Guardian responded by publishing the sound recording of the interview that clearly showed he blamed oral sex for his cancer, and not years of drinking, smoking and stress.

Douglas first revealed details of his throat cancer in the David Letterman Show, in September 2010.

So, what is the risk of developing throat cancer from oral sex?

Gypsyamber D'Souza, PhD, MPH, from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and team explained at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, that throat cancers that arise from HPV do not appear to raise the risk for domestic partners of the same cancer.

Dr. D'Souza explained that in their pilot study, they found that the prevalence of HPV among partners/spouses of an affected patient was approximately 7%, no different from that of the general population.

The team found that the HPV 16 subtype was present in just 2% of female partners and 0% of male partners. HPV 16 is responsible for the majority of throat cancers. Of the partners/spouses who underwent a visual oral exam, none had cancer or pre-cancer.

D'Souza explained that the risk of developing head and neck cancers for people whose partners have HPV-related cancer is very low.

At a press briefing, D'Souza said "Many people become infected but are able to clear those infections."

The researchers added that partners who have been together for a long time probably already share whatever infections they have. No changes in physical intimacy are needed, they emphasized. Put more simply "Couples will infect each other with whatever they have anyway - oral sex will neither increase nor reduce infection risk".

Oral sex with 6 or more partners raises risk of throat cancer, said one study

In a study published in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine), Dr Maura Gillison of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and team suggested that people who have oral sex with at least 6 different partners have a significantly higher risk of developing throat cancer.

The team recruited 100 patients who had recently been diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer, as well as 200 "healthy" individuals (the control group).

They found that people who had at least 6 oral-sex partners during their lifetime were 3.4 times more likely to have throat cancer. Those with 26 or more vaginal-sex partners had a 3.1 times higher risk of developing throat cancer.

What are the risk factors for throat cancer?

Smoking - this is by far the most important risk factor for throat cancer. Regular, long-term, heavy smokers are 20 times more likely to develop some type of throat cancer compared to non-smokers.

Alcohol - heavy, chronic alcohol consumption, particularly spirits, also raises the risk of developing throat cancer.

People who do both - drink and smoke a lot - have the highest risk.

Frequent heartburn - non-drinkers and non-smokers who have frequent heartburn have a higher risk of developing cancers of the throat and vocal cord.

Source: Medical News Today

ANTI-CANCER DRUG REVERSES ALZHEIMER´S DISEASE IN MICE

An anti-cancer drug may reverse memory problems in an Alzheimer's Disease mouse model, according to new research carried out at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The study, published in the journal Science, examined previously published outcomes on the drug bexarotene - which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in cutaneous T cell lymphoma.

The researchers established that the drug does notably improve cognitive deficits in mice expressing gene mutations associated with human Alzheimer's disease, however, they could not verify the effect on amyloid plaques.

Four comments in the journal Science mention that several teams of scientists have been unable to replicate the medication's (bexarotene's) effect on amyloid plaques.

Senior author Rada Koldamova, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in Pitt Public Health's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, said, "We believe these findings make a solid case for continued exploration of bexarotene as a therapeutic treatment for Alzheimer's disease."

Dr. Koldamova and her team were studying mice expressing human Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) - the only known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease, or APOE3 - known not to raise the risk for Alzheimer's disease - when a Case Western Reserve University study was published last year.

It claimed that bexarotene elevates memory and rapidly cleared amyloid plaques from the brains of Alzheimer's model mice expressing mouse Apolipoprotein E (APOE).

Amyloid plaques are made up of toxic protein fragments known as amyloid beta that are known to damage neurons in the brain and are believed to result in the memory deficits linked to Alzheimer's disease, and eventually death.

Bexarotene is a compound chemically associated with vitamin A that triggers Retinoic X Receptors (RXR) found all over the body including neurons and other brain cells. Once they are activated, the receptors bind to DNA and control the expression of genes that guide many different biological functions.

Elevated levels of APOE are one result of RXR activations by bexarotene. The researchers started examining similar compounds over 10 years ago.

Source: Medical News Today

OMEGA-3 ROLE IN PREVENTING ORAL AND SKIN CANCERS

Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may help in the prevention of early- and late-stage oral and skin cancers, according to a study published in the journal Carcinogenesis.

UK researchers from Queen Mary, University of London grew cell cultures in the laboratory from several different cell lines. These included both malignant oral and skin cancers, alongside pre-malignant cells and normal skin and oral cells.

The focus was mainly on a type of cancer called squamous-cell carcinoma. This is one of the major forms of skin cancer affecting the outer layers of the skin (mainly made up of squamous cells). The researchers point out that squamous-cell carcinoma can also occur in the lining of the digestive tract, lungs and other areas of the body.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas are the sixth most common skin cancer worldwide, the researchers say, and are difficult and expensive to treat.

Omega-3 induced cancer cell death

When the researchers carried out in vitro tests by adding fatty acids into the cell cultures, results showed that omega-3 fatty acids induced cell death in malignant and pre-malignant cells in doses that did not affect normal cells.

Professor Kenneth Parkinson, head of the oral cancer research group at Queen Mary's Institute of Dentistry, says:

"We found that the omega-3 fatty acid selectively inhibited the growth of the malignant and pre-malignant cells at doses which did not affect the normal cells."

"Surprisingly, we discovered this was partly due to an over-stimulation of a key growth factor (epidermal growth factor) which triggered cell death. This is a novel mechanism of action of these fatty acids," Prof. Parkinson adds.

Potential cure for oral and skin cancers?

The scientists say that because the doses needed to kill the cancer cells did not affect normal cells, this means Omega-3 fatty acids could be used for the prevention and treatment of oral and skin cancers.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are found mainly in oily, fatty fish. Previous research has found that omega-3 may have numerous health benefits, including helping to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Research from the University of Pittsburgh has also suggested that high consumption of the fatty acids can improve memory in young adults.

Increasing omega-3 levels 'may reduce cancer risk'

Because omega-3 cannot be made in large quantities by the human body, the main way to increase levels is to consume foods that are rich in it. Advice on fish and omega-3 fatty acids from the American Heart Association recommends at least two servings (3.5 ounces for each) of oily fish every week.

Many other foods also contain high levels of omega-3, including:

·         Salmon

·         Walnuts

·         Ground flax seeds

·         Sardines

·         Beef (from grass-fed cows)

·         Soybeans

·         Halibut

·         Scallops

·         Shrimp

·         Tofu.

Source: Medical News today

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CANCER PATIENTS WHO CAN NOT AFFORD THE PAYMENT OF CANCER DRUGS

Many cancer patients are unable to pay for prescription drugs either because they are uninsured, under-insured, or simply can’t make the co-payments on their prescriptions. Because of this, some pharmaceutical companies have developed Prescription Assistance or Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs) that offer medications to some people who cannot afford them. The companies often restrict the programs to: U.S. citizens; people who make below a certain income; people who either lack prescription drug coverage or those with coverage whose insurer has denied coverage of a particular drug. However, if you are denied access to a program, you may appeal the decision. Be sure to let the company know your circumstances, as they may work with you to find a solution. More HERE

TRAVEL AND LODGING RESOURSES FOR CANCER PATIENTS

The following national organizations offer help for people with the traveling and lodging resources for cancer patients and their families. People should contact organizations directly to learn more about the specific programs and services. This list below is valid to US only. In addition to this national list, many organizations serve people in their local communities; talk with your health care team about the groups in your area that may be able to help.  

Air Care Alliance www.aircareall.org 888-260-9707	Corporate Angel Network www.corpangelnetwork.org 866-328-1313
Air Charity Network/Angel Flight America www.aircharitynetwork.org 877-621-7177	Hope Lodge www.cancer.org/hopelodge 800-227-2345
Air Compassion America www.aircompassionamerica.org 866-270-9198	Joe’s House www.joeshouse.org 877-563-7468
Air Compassion for Veterans www.aircompassionforveterans.org 888-662-6794	LifeLine Pilots www.lifelinepilots.org 800-822-7972
Angel Flight Samaritans www.angelflightsamaritan.org 800-296-1217	National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses www.nahhh.org 800-542-9730
National Patient Travel Center www.patienttravel.org 800-296-1217