PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

..And I Love You So

In black box click on right

mouse button to stop music

Preventative Measures

To date, no screening tests have been shown to be effective. Often there are no symptoms in the early stages and in many cases, the cancer has spread by the time it is found. Therefore, it is important for women NOT to discount their feelings of disease, but to pay attention to the vague Symptoms that persist longer than the length of time it would take for a normal flu (3 to 4 weeks) to subside.

Insist on a thorough bimanual-rectovaginal pelvic examination annually as well as a PAP test, CA125 determinations, and transvaginal sonography (TVS) if you have a history of ovarian cancer syndrome in your family or you are experiencing several or many of the Symptoms

A prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) is recommended by the age of 35 or when childbearing is completed for patients who are members of a family with a heridity ovararian cancer syndrome.

~ New Information ~

NEW POTENCY FOUND IN GENES LINKED TO BREAST, OVARIAN CANCERS:
Rick Weiss Washington Post - Published 10/24/2003
Women who inherit mutated versions of either of the two major genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer face extremely high odds of getting one of those cancers even if there is no history of either disease in their families, according to a study of cancer genetics.

The finding removes what scientists now say was a false sense of security among women who carry one of the gene mutations but have no cases of breast or ovarian cancer in their families. Based on previous studies that had analyzed the question differently, some doctors have been counseling such women that the cancer genes were less of a threat to them, perhaps because their genetic lineage conferred some compensatory protection.

The new findings, reported in today's issue of the journal Science, lend support to the idea that most Ashkenazi Jewish women -- an ethnic group in which one in 40 women carries the mutations -- should get tested to see if they carry mutated versions of either gene, known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Those who test positive, several researchers and doctors said, should now seriously consider having their ovaries removed when they're finished having children. That operation has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast cancer by about 50 percent. For all the newfound potency of those cancer genes, however, the study also offers surprising evidence of the powerful influence that nongenetic factors can have.

The study shows, for example, that moderate exercise and maintaining a healthful weight can significantly delay the onset of breast cancer, even in women who inherit the most dangerous mutations. The report also finds an enormous increase in the risk of breast cancer in U.S. women with the mutations who were born after 1940, as compared to those born with the same mutations before 1940. That suggests that changes in U.S. women's environment or lifestyle have vastly increased the basic risk conferred by these genes.

The new findings come from a painstaking study that began with 1,008 Ashkenazi women who had breast cancer diagnosed in the New York City area between 1996 and 2000. Among them, 104 tested positive for mutations in BRCA1 or 2 -- the two genes most heavily implicated in breast and ovarian cancer.

The new study improved on previous ones by conducting genetic tests on all of the patients' extended family members. It showed that fully half of all cancer patients with BRCA mutations had no history of ovarian or breast cancer in their mothers, sisters, grandmothers or aunts -- simply because of chance events. In most cases, it was because the mutation was passed down silently through fathers, in whom it usually has no effects.

But regardless of family history, the study showed, all women bearing BRCA1 or 2 mutations have the same extremely high risks of developing breast cancer: 20 percent by age 40, 55 percent by age 60, and greater than 80 percent by age 80. For ovarian cancer, lifetime risk was 54 percent for mutations in BRCA1 and 23 percent for BRCA2, compared with a typical U.S. risk of less than 2 percent.

~ New Information ~

TALC USE POSES RISK FOR OVARIAN CANCER: Harvard Medical School researchers say a significant association between the use of talc-containing products and invasive serious ovarian cancer has emerged from a long-term study. A 14-year study of 78,630 women found that perineal talc use may increase the risk of this type of ovarian cancer, the most common and lethal form of ovarian cancer. Dr. Daniel W. Cramer, Harvard professor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of the research team says women should not use talc products.

~ New Information ~

DRUG FOR ADVANCED OVARIAN CANCER: An anti-cancer agent has been approved in 15 European coutries for an advanced form of ovarian malignancy. The drug Caelyx (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride), made by Alza Corp. of Mountain View, Calif., was approved by the European Union's Commission of the European Communities for treating advanced ovarian cancer in women who have failed first-line platinum-based therapy. Caelyx is marketed in the U.S. as Doxil (doxorubicin HCl liposome injection). It was approved in the U.S. in 1999 to treat metatastic ovarian cancer in women who did not respond to other treatment.

~ New Information ~

CANCER VACCINE "CLOSE": Scientists believe they are close to developing a vaccine for cancer, and trials should have started by now. The vaccine has proved effective on mice - stopping the growth of all cancer tumors. The vaccine is based on gene therapy and appears to wake up the body's immune system encouraging it to attack and kill cancer tumors.

Professor Alan Kingsman, from Oxford Biomedica which has developed the vaccine, said the immune system attacks the tumors in the same way as it attacks normal infections. "What the cancer vaccine seeks to do is get the body's immune system to destroy tumour cells, to see those tumour cells, recognize them as dangerous and destroy them in much the same way as it destroys viruses and bacteria when we get an infection." He added, "Then the antibodies and cells of the immune system cruise around the body looking for that protein, recognize it as dangerous, and blows those cells away." Scientists across the world are working on programmes aimed at developing an anti-cancer vaccine. Since cancer is basically a genetic disease, most are working on gene therapy. Since work is at the early stage, it will not be commercially available until 2007 at the earlist.

~ New Information ~

BLUE SPRAY-ON "STICKING PLASTERS: Blue spray-on "sticking plasters now being used to form a gel as an internal wound dressing during delicate keyhole surgery may have valuable anti-angiogenesis properties. This gel is being tested to see if it can suffocate tumors and fibroids by blocking their blood supply. Tumors will wither and die if their blood supply is cut off. It is also being tested as a way of treating aneurysms.

GENETICALLY AIMED CANCER DRUG SHOWS PROMISE: A new drug that takes aim at one of cancer's basic genetic flaws has shown promise in early tests on humans. It has halted tumor growth and makes them more vulnerable to chemotherapy. This new drug focus's on the precise genetic mutations that make tumors different from healthy tissue. Recently, researchers presented data on the experimental use of a drug named IMC-C225. Dr. John Mendelsohn, now president of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, discovered this drug now being developed by ImClone Systems, Inc..

Although in the early stages of testing, the drug shows potential for victims of colon cancer, and head and neck cancer when standard treatments have failed. The drug appears to make the tumors stop growing. This leaves them open to the killing power of standard chemotherapy treatments. Almost every pharmaceutical company is testng drugs to stop tumor growth by exploiting this or similar targets. The first drug of this type to be marketed was Genentech's Herceptin, approved in 1998.

Herceptin and IMC-C225 are antibodies that block epidermal growth factors receptors. These are spots on the cell that get chemical signals which prompt them to divide. Because of a genetic mutation, many cancer cells have extra copies of these receptors, which help fuel their out-of-control growth. Herceptin blocks a growth factor receptor that is often found in breast cancer cells. IMC-C225 is aimed at one found in a number of other tumors. Although tests have been primarily against colon cancer, tests will be conducted against other cancers, such as ovarian cancer. Dr. James Abbruzzese of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is using the drug experimentally on patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. That is very difficult to treat.

Dr. Lori Goldstein of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia predicts that most cancer studies will soon involve similar treatments that go after the specific genetic disruptions that cause cancer to grow out of control. "The hope is to characterize each tumor with DNA analysis to target the therapy directly," she said.

CANCER DRUGS HAVE PROMISE, SIDE EFFECTS: Drugs designed to stop tumors by cutting off their blood supply have shown modest benefit in tests against three kinds of cancer, but have also raised concerns regarding possible dangerous side effects of their use. Angiogenesis inhibitors as they are called, are among the most closely watched new developments in cancer research. In animal studies, they sometimes dramatically reverse cancer, and hopes are high they will do the same in people.

Several reports on mid-size studies of these medicines were recently reported at an annual cancer conference sponsored by the American Society of Clinical Oncology. These studies offer proof, experts say, that the concept is sound: Attacking tumors' ability to sprout blood vessels clearly inhibits cancer growth, even in terminally ill patients who have tried all of the standard cancer drugs. However, there appears to be a variety of unwanted side effects, some of which are fatal.

Recently, doctors reported studies on drugs developed by Genentech and Sugen that are designed to block tumors' use of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. VEGF is a key fuel that allows the cancer to grow new blood vessels and repair old ones. Without a new blood supply, cancers never get bigger than a pinhead. The drugs were given only to people deemed to have spreading, incurable tumors, sometimes by itself, sometimes with standard chemotheraphy treatments. Doctors say that while no one was clearly cured, the anti-VEGF compounds did seem to slow the tumors' spread, at least for a few months. However, the study also shows the drugs' potential hazards. Six patients developed sudden, catastrophic bleeding from their tumors, killing four of them. Other dangerous side effects include high blood pressure and blood clots.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION: Acetaminophen--the pain reliever found in medications such as Tylenol--has even more power than previously thought. It reduces a woman's risk of ovarian cancer.

A joint study between Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School showed that longtime, regular use (1 to 6 tablets per week for at least 6 months) of acetaminophen appears to reduce a woman's risk of ovarian cancer by up to 60%. Even better, daily use (1 tablet per day) of acetaminophen for more than 10 years appears to reduce risk by up to 80%. The study did not assess precise doses (i.e., regular or extra-strength tablets).

Women at high risk for the disease, such as those who have a family history of ovarian cancer, should talk to their doctor about making acetaminophen part of their risk-reduction program.

Other studies have shown that limiting daily fat intakes also can reduce a woman's risk of ovarian cancer. The Journal of the American Cancer Institute reported that women who ate more than 10 grams of saturated fats per day had a 20% greater risk of ovarian cancer. Some other studies have suggested that eating leafy green and yellow vegatables also may reduce risk for the disease. (from RealAge Tip of the Day, Monday, March 13, 2000).

NEW CLINICAL TRIALS WEBSITE. The National Library of Medicine has opened a Internet-based registry for clinical trials at the following website: http://clinicaltrials.gov New Clinical Trials This new Internet site will make it easier to find data on clinical trials. If you have exhausted other sources, try this one. It will list 4,000 studies at 47,000 sites nationwide, mostly government, or university sponsored ones. Congress has mandated that it be comprehensive, so more studies are expected to be added in coming months. If your doctor announces that there are no more chemotheraphy or other treatments available to you, check this site out. Clinical trials can offer patients access to cutting-edge therapies and top-notch care. There are dangers with experimental treatments so check them out carefully.

HEADED FOR CHEMOTHERAPY AND WANT TO KEEP AS MUCH OF YOUR HAIR AS POSSIBLE? This is a subject that I have been meaning to touch on for a long time. After Faye went through her first chemotheraphy treatments and lost most of her hair, we found, through her hair stylist, a product that they said should help prevent the hair loss often associated with chemotheraphy. It is called NIOXIN. Your beauty salon, or hair stylist should be able to tell you more about it. I do know that Faye used it with considerable success in subsequent chemotheraphy treatments. It saved her from having to wear the wigs and head wraps she had bought. It is not inexpensive, but to us, it was a worthwhile expense. It helped give her a better image of herself. Check it out if you have an interest.

TEST FOR OVARIAN CANCER HAS PROMISE. From an interview with Ask Doctor H / Mitchell Hecht, M.D., philly.com The Inquirer Magazine Health & Science Oct. 11, 1999. Question: I just read about a new screening test for ovarian cancer. What can you tell me about it? Answer: Ovarian cancer is one of the two cancers that especially frighten me. The other is pancreatic cancer. It's the lack of good early detection methods for these two cancers that I find most disappointing. The problem with ovarian cancer detection is that the early symptoms are vague or nonexistant, and by the time ovarian cancer is typically found, it's at a fairly advanced stage. Only 25 percent of ovarian cancers are found at an earlier stage. More than half the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer die from it within 5 years. However, with early detection, it's estimated that the five-year rate increases to more than 90 percent.

Currently, there is no commercially available screening tests for detecting early ovarian cancer. A protein called CA-125 released from ovarian cells may be found in elevated amounts in the blood of many women with ovarian cancer. The problem is that sometimes there's ovarian cancer but not enough protein is released so the test misses it, or a benign ovarian condition may increase the blood CA-125 level when there's no cancer.

The screening test you describe is probably the one developed by Yan Xu of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Xu has discovered a fat molecule called LPA measured in the blood that seems to be a much more sensitive test for detecting early ovarian cancer.

The Aug. 26, 1998, edition of the Journal of American Medical Association reported the results of Xu's study. The study involved 165 women - 48 with known ovarian cancer, 48 apparently healthy, and the remainder with other cancers or benign non-cancerous gynecological diseases such as uterine fibroids or endometriosis.

The LPA test correctly identified 9 out of 10 patients with early ovarian cancer, while the CA-125 test found only 2. In advanced ovarian cancer, LPA identified 34, while the CA-125 blood test identified only 16.

The only problem with the LPA assay is that it isn't quite as specific as we'd like for general screening. Five of 48 healthy women, and 4 of 17 women with non-cancerous gynecological diseases had an elevated LPA level.

However, used in conjunction with the CA-125 test, and a vaginal ultrasound to image the ovaries in detail, the LPA holds tremendous promise as an effective screening test for detecting ovarian cancer at an early and curable stage.

I've contacted Xu, and she told me that her laboratory is developing in conjunction with Atairgin Technologies an LPA test that could be available commercially once it met FDA approval standards. Currently,the test is not FDA-approved and is unavailable except at a few trial clinics.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among U.S. women, claiming more than 15,000 lives a year. Clearly, early detection is needed.

To learn more about ovarian cancer or become an advocate for improved funding of ovarian cancer research, contact the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance at 202-331-1332 or the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345. Mitchell Hecht is a physician specializing in internal medicine. Send questions to: Ask Dr. H, Box 767787, Atlanta, GA 30076. Due to the large volume of mail, personal replies are not possible.

SCIENTISTS FIND PROTEIN THAT STARVES TUMORS. Researchers at Boston's Children Hospital and Harvard Medical School have found that antithrombin, a protein that controls the formation of blood clots, changes in molecular shape to become a cancer fighter. The transformation happens when it is cut by an enzyme that can originate from cancer tumors. This action is similar to that of two other proteins, endostatin and angiostatin, that the Folkman-O'Reilly team found last year. Human trials start soon. O'Reilly found this while studying a curious thing about small cell lung cancer. When patients with this cancer were treated with radiation, the primary tumor is suppressed, but very often the patient then develops cancer at another site. The new cancer developed only when the first cancer was in retreat. (Something that seems to happen in most cancers) It appears that the big tumor was preventing formation of little ones, until it was forced to retreat. This means that the big tumor was secreting some protein that suppressed the other tumors. The researchers isolated this protein and found that antithrombin molecules that had been reshaped, were able to inhibit angiogenesis, which is the formation of blood vessels, needed for cancer to thrive and spread.

STUDY SAYS OVARY REMOVAL CUTS BREAST CANCER RISK FOR SOME. A new study says that women at high risk of developing breast cancer because of a genetic mutation can reduce the risk as much as 67% by having their ovaries removed. The study focused on women who had tested positive for a mutation of the BRCA1 gene, a condition linked to a high risk of breast cancer. According to the study, among those who had ovary removal surgery, there was a 67% reduction in the incidence of breast cancer after 10 years. For women followed for between five and 10 years, the risk reduction was even greater - about 72%. According to the study, for a woman with the mutated gene, and a family history of breast cancer, the lifetime risk of breast cancer can be as high as 80%. For ovarian cancer, 40 to 50%. Removing the ovaries has been used to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Some experts also believe the surgery can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer by limiting hormones that can encourage tumor growth. The study does not suggest that ovarian removal is the solution for all women with the BRCA mutation or even that all women should be tested for it since only a small percentage of women are affected. Only 5,000 to 9,000 breast cancers diagnosed annually out of about 183,000 can be linked to the BRCA1 gene. Women who have a family history suggesting a high risk, should talk to genetic counselors for help evaluating their medical options.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BRACA GENES IN BREAST/OVARIAN CANCER. Five years ago, researchers discovered the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes are linked to inherited breast and ovarian cancers. These genes have been the focus of intense study, which is now resulting in a much better understanding of how they work and what happens when they do NOT work. The BRCA1 gene fails to do the repair work to prevent cancer when it is defective. BRCA1 is a tumor-suppressing gene because it prevents uncontrolled cell growth when working properly. When damage to DNA occurs, the BRCA1 gene sends three repair proteins to fix what can be possible cancer-causing damage. If a woman has inherited a faulty copy of the BRCA1 gene, the repairs do not work. This makes them more likely to suffer cell damage from radiation or toxins. So far the findings are limited to what happens in test tubes and slides.

Recent studies have shown up to 75% of breast cancer patients who have family histories of breast and ovarian cancer have defects in the BRCA1 gene. Other studies have shown less risk in having a defective copy of the BRCQ1 or BRCA2 (the other tumor-suppressor) genes. A TEST TO DETERMINE IF A WOMAN HAS THE DEFECTIVE GENES IS WIDELY AVAILABLE TODAY. When the BRCA1 gene is defective, repairs don't happen. Though most cells will die, some do not, surviving by fixing themselves, in a faulty manner. As a result, these cells can become cancerous. Women known to have defective BRCA1 genes may want to limit their exposure to X-rays or other radiation. This is because the cells do not have the proper method to repair the damage than can result. X-rays are just one of many potentially harmful things, and eliminating them does not mean the end of risk for women with the defective BRCA genes.

FLAX AS A CANCER FIGHTING AGENT. Flax is one of the first crops to be grown on earth. It has been in use for centuries for medicinal purposes. It now has a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Flaxseed and flax oil are coveted by health-conscious consumers today. Some say it is the missing link in the American diet. Ground or whole flaxseeds can be baked into muffins, breads, cookies, added to soups or casseroles, sprinkled on salads, cereals or yogurt. One should check the labels of multigrain, baked goods and cereals and buy those with flaxseed. Flax is good for many things. It is rich in alpha linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps prevent blood platelets from sticking together and to artery walls. This leads to a decreased tendency for blood clots to form, reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Use of flaxseed or oil can lead to reduced cholestrol and LDL. It is a good source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. It is good for fighting constipation. Studies and clinical trials show that certain molecules in flaxseed convert in the colon to lignans, which play a protective role against cancer, notably those triggered by hormones (breast, ovarian, uterine and prostate), similar in the way that eating soy foods is thought to decrease the risk of some cancers.

Flaxseed is the richest source of lignan. Although a dense source of alpha linolenic acid, flax oil contains very low amounts of lignan precursors because they are lost in pressing the flaxseeds to make the oil. Lignans help protect against cancer because they are antioxidants. These are substances that defend against cancer-causing free radical molecules. Lignan are converted by natural flora (bacteria that resides in the colon) to estrogenlike byproducts which are absorbed into the blood. These plant-derived phytoestrogens compete with the bodies own estrogen for binding sites in the breast, ovaries, and uterus. Many breast and female reproductive cancers are caused by the bodies own estrogen. Chronic exposure to a woman's own estrogen can incease her risk of cancer. However, when her estrogen has to complete with phytoestrogens from lignans, her own estrogen often can't find a binding place. This seems to decrease the likelihood of tumor formation. Experiments on rats have shown that flaxseed lignans have not only prevented breast tumors from growing, but also decrease the size of any existing tumors by 50% over a seven week period.

To obtain more information regarding the use of flaxseed or oil, search the Internet for those terms, talk to your nutritionist, local health food store, or visit the library.

TUMOR STARVING DRUGS SHOW PROMISE IN NEW TESTS. Recent reports out of Boston regarding animal research, indicate four new tumor-starving drugs, including endostatin and angiostatin, have shrunk hard-to-treat and more human-like cancers than any tested against to date. These compounds, called angiogenesis inhibitors, choke off tumors' critical blood supply. The compounds may be valuable in cancer prevention, as well as treatment. They can prevent premalignant cells from escalating to cancer. They also limit the growth of small but mature cancer cells, and shrank large, terminal tumors by up to 71%. Angiogenesis inhibitors target the network of tiny blood vessels that tumors need to grow and spread to other parts of the body. They block or destroy the vascular life-support system, starving the tumor of oxygen and nutrients. This halts the cancer's growth. These angiogenesis-blocking drugs have a much lower toxidity than drugs now being used, that attack both tumor and normal cells. This research is going on with mice. It is hoped they work the same way in humans.

BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTS AND BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCER. An acquaintence of mine recently informed me of a treatment his wife took to combat her ovarian cancer. She was diagnosed two years ago with advanced ovarian cancer. While taking chemotherapy, the treatments destroyed the cancer surrounding and eating into her colon. When the cancer (which had formed a protective wall) was destroyed, the colon became ruptured, spilling feces throughout the body cavity. She had just had a chemo treatment and her white count was almost nil. She should have died, spent weeks in ICU, but, through a miracle, pulled through. After she completed the chemo, doctors decided to do a "second look" while they reversed her colostomy. They discovered tiny cancer cells still there. At that point, they said she had a "zero %" chance of recovery. At that point, the husband got on the web and started doing research. He finally found that MD Anderson Hospital, in Houston, Texas, was doing bone marrow transplants on ovarian cancer patients. Not many had been done, but they traveled to Houston, talked to them, and decided to try it (they really didn't have another alternative). The transplant, though difficult, seems to be a success. They have now given his wife an 87% chance of survival. It will have been two years in October since the transplant and all tests still show she is doing well. I would encourage all ovarian cancer patients to check out the possibility of an "Autologous Stem Cell Transplant" at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, TX. In addition, their female gynocological oncologist encourages all women over the age of 40 to have their ovaries taken out.

OVARY REMOVAL MAY NOT PROTECT YOU AGAINST OVARIAN CANCER. It was often thought, in medical circles, that the performance of a prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) would prevent a woman from contracting ovarian cancer. Recently reported cases seem to indicate otherwise. I have come across reports regarding several women who had such a procedure, removal of both ovaries, only to still contract ovarian cancer. What has been discovered is that prior to ovary removal, the cancer had already developed outside of the ovaries, in the surface lining of the ovary or in the peritoneum, not the ovary itself. It is said that as much as 85% of ovarian cancer occurs there. Doctors report that surgery to remove the ovaries CAN leave a small amount of cancer. It can go undetected for long periods of time. These tiny specks of cancer often cannot be removed by surgery. One of the women reported on urges all women with a history of ovarian cancer in their family to demand a CA-125 blood test, if they suspect they may have ovarian cancer. The test costs between $60-$150 and may not be covered by health insurance, but it might save your life. Some doctors don't consider it reliable and may refuse to administer it. (My wife's medical staff, members of various other cancer fighting organizations, certainly thought it to be reliable) Though it is an imperfect tool it is said to be the ONLY easy way to detect ovarian cancer. Your doctor may tell you that you don't need it and refuse to give it to you. Remind him/her that it is your life at stake, and insist on it, or insist on a referral to a qualified gyn/oncologist. So, just when we thought that removal of the ovaries might prevent future ovarian cancer, we are finding that it is possible for the cancer to grow outside the ovaries before they are removed.

JOHNS HOPKINS HOSPITAL DEVELOPES NEW SCREENING FOR TUMORS. Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a new test that may allow doctors to regularily and quickly check for early cancers in patients at risk for developing cancer due to genetic or environmental factors. The test temporarily slows DNA production in cancer cells, causing some elements of DNA to accumulate in the blood. When these materials are excreted in large amounts in urine, they indicate the presence of cancer. Scientists say initial tests are promising but the test must be validated by additional research. For the test, patients gave a baseline urine sample and took one allopurinol pill. This drug, ordinarily used to treat gout, also temporarily interferes with the production of elements of DNA called pyrimidines. Patient's urine was then collected in four periods over the next 24 hours and tested for increased levels of orotidine and orotate, two compounds used to buld pryimidines. Increases in the levels of these compounds were surprisingly large. These dramatic changes indicate it might be possible to use the test to detect some small tumors earlier than doctors could before. Doctors are confident the test can be implemented in a cost-effective manner.

"FIGHTING CANCER" BOOK. Twenty years ago, Richard Bloch had lung cancer and was told to go home and get his affairs in order. Today, he is still alive and very active. He and his wife, Annette, have written a paperback book titled "Fighting Cancer". The book is FREE, very uplifting and extremely informative. It is also available in audio and Spanish. Call 1-800-433-0464 to request it. If the line is busy, do have patience and keep trying, as it is well worth the time spent to get the book.

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS APPEAR TO CUT THE CHANCES OF OVARIAN CANCER IN HALF among women who inherit a faulty gene that puts them at high risk for the disease. This is according to results published on Aug. 13th, 1998, in the New England Journal of Medicine. The pill long has been known to reduce the risk of this kind of cancer among women in general. But until now, it wasn't clear if the pill helped those whose risk was a result of those BRCA1 and BRCA2 bad genes. "We establish that the use of birth control pills is an effective preventive measure against ovarian cancer in high-risk women with these mutations," said Dr. Steven Narod of Women's College Hospital in Toronto. The study found those who had used birth control pills any time in the past had an overall 50% lower risk of ovarian cancer. IF they used the pill for more than six years the risk was 60% lower. The same genetic defects also cause breast cancer, and the pill also carries a slightly higher risk of this kind of cancer in women without the bad genes. Narod said his research has turned up NO sign that birth control pills will significantly increase the chance of breast cancer in women with the BRCA defects, but that possibility remains. "We are quite sure we can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in these women," he said. "The question is, have we increased the risk of breast cancer?" Dr. Stephen Rubin of the University of Pennsylvania said though uncertainties remain, doctors should consider the use of birth control pills in women with the genetic mutations.

Prelimenary studies show that over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen may be useful in preventing the onset of ovarian cancer. This includes such painkillers as Tylenol, Excedrin, Anacin 3, and Midol. Researchers also found that women who took aspirin had a 25 percent lower incidence of ovarian cancer, but said this difference was not large enough to be statistically significant. Dr. Daniel Cramer, who conducted the research with colleagues said the study was the first on the effect of acetaminophen on ovarian cancer in humans and the figures "jumped right out" of data the research team is still analyzing.

There are a number of new possible cancer treatments being explored by cancer researchers. One possibility is Thalidomide, known for causing birth defects in the 1960's. It is known that it is a stong angiogenisis inhibitor. From the dogfish shark comes squalamine, also a strong angiogenesis inhibitor. These inhibitors prevent the growth of new blood vessels needed by cancer tumors to grow and spread throughout the body.

Monoclonal antibodies are another area of research. They are laboratory created proteins that selectively target cancer cells, causing them to commit suicide. Other antibodies have been used in conjunction with radioactive or some other toxic substances used to attach to and kill cancer cells. C2B8 is the first antibody to gain FDA approval. Used in lymphoma cancer treatment, it has shown to shrink tumors in about 50% of those patients tested. Gene therapy is moving out of the area of early research. It could become a mainstay of cancer therapy. Cancer is a disease of the genes. Many human cancers involve a defect in the gene involved with the P-53 protein. Gene research is being conducted by many researchers around the world.

Light Therapy to Fight Cancer - Medical scientists have been testing the use of fiber optic red light therapy in cancer patients, including ovarian cancer. "Photodynamic therapy" is being considered a useful tool in cancer treatment due to some new drugs that make cancer cells vulnerable to light beams. It has been showing promise, with fewer risks than chemotherapy or surgery. Light therapy works in conjunction with photosensitizers that concentrate on diseased cells. Using the laser's non-burning red light causes the photosensitizer to produce a toxic oxygen molecule that kills the cancerous cells. So far, the FDA has approved Photofrin as a treatment for advanced esophageal cancer. Hopefully, researchers involved in using this technique in ovarian cancer research will be able to prove it's viability against that type of cancer.

Detergent Boosts Effects of Cancer Drugs - According to reports in a recent news article, scientists believe a compound found in many household cleaners may be effective in enhancing the tumor-killing properties of anti-cancer drugs. Doctors report that the detergent nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) could reduce the dosage required for these theraputic drugs by about 100 times. Scientists have been puzzled for a long time by the fact that certain cancer cells seem able to resist the toxic effects of many powerful cancer drugs. In the Mid 1970's researchers found an intracellular compound call P-glycoprotein that acted as a kind of "drug pump", flushing agents away from the center of the cancer cell out towards its more remote (and less vulnerable) exterior. Scientists then began a search for the compound that might counteract this P-glycoprotein activity. Studies in cancerous rats suggest that NPE is one such compound. While P-glycoprotein is busy ridding the cell of NPE, it is diverted from fully engaging in any simultaneous fight against chemetherapy drugs. The relatively nontoxic compound (NPE) ties up the pump. Mixing a small amount of NPE with regular chemotherapy injections might reduce the load of any toxic compounds you need to give the patient, while at the same time raise the tumor-killing punch of those drugs. By reducing required dosages of expensive chemotherapy drugs, NPE use would also greatly reduce the costs of these treatments. NPE is well-tolorated and very inexpensive. The detergent is already found in a wide range of products, including agriculture pesticides, food processing agents, and most dishwasher detergents. There is some concern regarding a link to reductions in fertility due to its estrogenic effects. It is the main contraceptive agent (nonoxynol-9) in contraceptive foams and condoms. It is a spermicide. Short term use might work well, but there are concerns about its long term use. SOURCE: American Journal of Physiology 1998;274.

Last Updated On: 9 June, 2021

Back to Home Page