Plastic Chemical and Health Risks

While 9 out of 10 Americans have Bisphenol A in their bodies, the Food and Drug Administration claims the levels of exposure to chemicals are insignificant to endanger their health, even for babies and children.

Commonly known as BPA, bisphenol-A is a hormone-disrupting chemical used in a wide variety of consumer goods such as food and beverage packaging applications, plastic hard to do. But it has also been found in house dust, drinking water or dental sealants. It is so common that it is almost impossible to avoid.

According to the results of a health survey, based on 1500 data on Americans, individuals exposed to greater amounts of Bisphenol A no less than 40% higher rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and liver damage. This category was also more likely to be indigent and overweight, the researchers said.

However, further studies should be conducted to determine if BPA is actually associated with health problems or is it just a coincidence. The FDA agrees with the idea of doing additional research. "We recognize the need to resolve issues that have arisen," said Laura Tarantino, director of the FDA Office of Food Additive Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.

Despite the fact that previous studies with rats and mice found a link between the chemical and diabetes, and liver abnormalities, several limitations must be taken into consideration. "Concentrations urinary say the exposure of the last 24 hours, but heart disease and diabetes do not occur overnight," said Steven G. Hentges, executive director of the Polycarbonate / BPA Global Group of the American Chemistry Council. "Bisphenol A should be measured over the period of time when heart disease or diabetes is actually occurring, so that a major limitation of the study," concluded Hentges.

Breast CT Scanner Could Improve Cancer Screen Comfort

FRIDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- Breast computed tomography (CT) scans, already used experimentally to diagnose breast cancer, may also be able to treat it, a California researcher reports.

"Breast CT is superior to mammography for [detecting] masses," said John Boone, vice chair of research radiology at the University of California Davis. He presented information about the potential of breast CT for treatment this week at the American Association of Physicists in Medicine meeting, in Anaheim, Calif.

Since 2004, Boone has led a group of UC Davis researchers in developing the breast CT scan for diagnosing breast cancer in women. The technology's pluses, said Boone, include being more comfortable than conventional mammograms but just as safe.

More than 200 women have been scanned with the custom-designed breast CT prototype scanner, he said. The technology has not yet made its way into clinical practice, he said, but preliminary results look good. "Breast CT is still experimental for diagnosis," he said. But it is already looking to be more effective than traditional mammography at detecting breast masses.

More work needs to be done to find microcalcifications, tiny specks of calcium which don't always mean cancer is present but bear checking, he added.
Next, Boone hopes to use the breast CT scanner to guide interventional procedures such as a robotic biopsy, radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation to treat breast cancer.

With the breast CT scanner, a woman lies on her stomach, face down on the table while the breast drops through a hole in the table; the CT scanner then rotates around the breast. The position is considered more comfortable, especially for big-breasted women.

Boone hopes that the new scanner could be used to perform image-guided therapies such as the technique known as radiofrequency ablation. "It literally heats up the tissue, cooks the tumor and kills the tumor," he said. It may help some women avoid lumpectomy and follow-up radiation therapy.

"The concept is good," said Dr. Chika Madu, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

But she added a caveat that the energy level talked about by Boone may have to be adjusted. "It may come at a price of increased toxicity to the skin," she noted.
The technique may not work for all cancers or all women, she added. "In small-breasted women, not enough breast may come through the hole sufficiently [to treat]," she said. Cancer that is close to the chest wall rather than the nipple may not be treatable by this technique either, she said.

Even so, Madu said, "I think it's worth exploring."
Boone's study was funded partially by the industry, including Varian Medical Systems, Fuji Medical Systems and Hologic Corp.

In another presentation at the same meeting, Michael O'Connor, a professor of radiologic physics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported on molecular breast imaging (MBI), a new technique that uses gamma cameras designed for breast imaging.

"The devices look somewhat like a mammography unit," he said. A small amount of radioisotopes is given intravenously and is taken up by any tumors in the breasts, he said.

In a study of 1,000 patients, mammography picked up three cancers but MBI picked up 10, he said.

Next, O'Connor hopes to reduce the dose of radioisotopes and begin a clinical trial. The technique is expected to especially benefit women with dense breasts, for whom mammography is not as accurate at cancer detection.

Efforts to find ways to detect small cancers that can't be felt on exams should be stepped up, said Dr. Gary Whitman, a professor of radiology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Other studies suggest MBI has promise, he said, but O'Connor's finding "would need to be confirmed."

Drug cuts diabetics' pancreatic cancer risk: study

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Diabetics who took the drug metformin, which makes the body process insulin better, had a 62 percent lower risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who had never received it, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.

But the risk of getting the cancer, one of the deadliest, was significantly higher among diabetics who took insulin or drugs that make the body produce more insulin, according to their study published in the journal Gastroenterology.

"We find that diabetics that had ever used metformin alone or in combination with other drugs had like a 60 percent reduced risk for pancreatic cancer, compared to diabetic patients who never used metformin," lead researcher Donghui Li from The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center said.

Prior studies showed a lower cancer risk in diabetics who took metformin. The drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes, which is linked with poor diet and lack of exercise and accounts for about 90 percent of all worldwide cases.

"In addition, we see some increased risk of pancreatic cancer associated with the use of insulin and the use of insulin secretagogues." Those are drugs, such as sulfonylureas and glinides, which stimulate the pancreas to secrete more insulin or raise circulating levels of insulin.

Diabetics in the study who had taken insulin were nearly five times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. And those who took insulin-stimulating drugs were 2.55 times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Insulin is known to promote cell growth. "Insulin seems to have a growth promoting effect in cancer," Li said. That interaction could help explain the findings of four recent studies published in the journal Diabetologia, which suggested the popular Sanofi-Aventis insulin drug Lantus might raise the risk of cancer.

The European Medicines Agency said last week flaws in the studies made the findings inconclusive, and Sanofi-Aventis said it would do further research in the area. For her study, Li evaluated 1,800 people, including more than 900 who had pancreatic cancer and 350 with diabetes. The groups were matched by age, race and gender and completed detailed surveys of their health histories.

The study, however, was too small to find a benefit for people who had taken another popular type of insulin sensitizing drug in a class called thiazolidinediones, which include GlaxoSmithKline's rosiglitazone or Avandia and Takeda Pharmaceutical's pioglitazone or Actos.

Li said the study needs to be repeated in a bigger group of diabetics but added: "Our findings show metformin's potential as a chemopreventive agent."

There are dozens of diabetes drugs in different classes on the market. Metformin, available generically, is usually one of the first prescribed, with sulfonylureas such as glimepiride, sold by Sanofi-Aventis under the brand name Amaryl, added if patients cannot control blood sugar levels.

The American Diabetes Association already recommends metformin, which has been proven to lower the risk of heart disease.

Immune Systems of AIDS Patients More Prone to HPV Cancers

FRIDAY, July 31 (HealthDay News) -- As their immune system weakens, people with AIDS are at increased risk for human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, a new study has found.

It was known that people with AIDS had a greater risk for HPV-associated cancers of the anus, cervix, penis, vagina, vulva and oropharynx. However, the extent to which AIDS-related weakening of the immune system played a role wasn't clear, the researchers pointed out.

For this study, researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute analyzed cancer registry data on almost 500,000 people diagnosed with AIDS between 1980 and 2004. They found that people with AIDS had a statistically significant higher risk for all HPV-related cancers.

"Given that individuals currently infected with HIV may obtain little benefit from available HPV vaccines…our results underscore the need for effective screening for cervical cancer and anal cancer among persons with HIV infections or AIDS," the researchers wrote.

The study was published online July 31 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. While it does offer new evidence of the link between HIV/AIDS and HPV-related cancer, the study doesn't actually prove a biological connection, Dr. Howard D. Strickler, of the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

The disease that stalked Sir Bobby

What appeared to be a sinus problem was in fact malignant melanoma
Former England manager Sir Bobby Robson, who has died at the age of 76, was diagnosed with cancer five times. It is a scenario that most of us - even the one in three of us who develop the disease - are unlikely to face.

Sir Bobby is reported to have responded indignantly when he was first told in 1992 that a "little bit of cancer" in his bowel would take him away from PSV Eindhoven for three months.

It was taken out and the manager got back to business.

The fear for most would be a recurrence of the original cancer, or the news that it might have spread. But three years later, an entirely new form of the disease made an appearance - and a rare one at that.

Malignant melanoma in Sir Bobby's face was found by a specialist after he had complained about blocked sinuses. A very rare and dangerous form of cancer, he was told he would be "dead by the end of the season" if something was not done straight away.

To remove it surgeons had to take out his teeth and tunnel through the roof of his mouth. When they were done, the hole they left had to be filled with a rubber plug.

It is unclear whether the cancers Sir Bobby subsequently faced were fresh ones or secondary tumours.

In 2006, cancer was found in his lungs and a year later a brain tumour left him with partial paralysis.

A scan then revealed inoperable nodules in his lungs. The doctor told him he may have as little as eight months to live, but Sir Bobby survived for over two years.

"It looks like Sir Bobby had at least two primary tumours - which in itself is very unusual," says Jean Slocombe, Cancer Research UK 's senior information nurse.

"Most people who get one cancer do not go on to develop a completely different one, and to have treatment for five bouts of cancer is very uncommon.

"This is a man who went through a huge amount and showed a great deal of spirit in the process."

Cancer campaigners all agree that Sir Bobby's legacy is multifaceted.

"To live with the disease so publicly has been immensely empowering to many people suffering - particularly given that he had a very complex cancer of the head and neck which required very unpleasant surgery," says Maureen Rutter, northeast regional director of Macmillan.

"He showed you could face cancer head-on, that you could get on with life. He had immense strength of character that was visible to all.

"But at the end of the day not everyone can or wants to cope in that way, and that is nothing to be ashamed of."

He also leaves the The Bobby Robson Cancer Foundation, which raised sufficient funds to open a trials research centre in Newcastle earlier this year.

It aims to offer patients access to early trials and potential new treatments, many of which have never been tried in humans.

Professor Ruth Plummer, the director of the unit, described him as "an extremely warm, generous and special man".

"It took great personal effort for him to set up the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and it was typical of the Bobby we came to know that he thought of helping others even when fighting his own battle with cancer."

One man's 'breast cancer' fight

The youngest man in the world to be diagnosed with breast cancer says that treatment has contained the disease.

Nicky Avery, from Southend in Essex, was 24 when he was told that he had the illness, and three years on his doctors say that scans suggest his treatment has been successful.

"I'm over the moon," Nicky told Newsbeat: "The future is looking rosy. I'm going to take my onchologist to watch Arsenal."

Nicky still has to have bone fusion which he describes as "basically a medical polyfiller" to keep his illness at bay.

He is now planning to campaign to have the male form of breast cancer renamed 'chest cancer' to encourage more men to get themselves checked.

"If you say breast cancer to a man they take a step back, it is so taboo," he said.

"But if we could change the terminology, men would feel more comfortable about going to the doctors.

"Men haven't got breasts they have got chests."

A Department of Health spokesman said: "We understand that having a disease that largely affects women can cause embarrassment to male patients.

"However, the term breast cancer is anatomically correct and is the agreed terminology internationally."

Nicky said he was "shocked" at his initial diagnosis as he didn't believe that men could get breast cancer.

He said: "I saw my surgeon who said they sent my biopsy off to a lab without labelling it and the scientists thought I was a 64-year-old woman."

The cancer later spread to the bones of his head and his arm.

He has since undergone a mastectomy, intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Doctors say that he will have to continue to have a bone infusion every three weeks to keep him alive.

Nicky wants to raise awareness about the disease.

"There are a lot of men out there that don't know they can get breast cancer, you know what men are like, we sort of leave the problem and let it fester.

"I will keep fighting and campaigning until something is done. If I can save one or two lives then I will have done my job."

Green Tea: A New Weapon Against Prostate Cancer?

Many medical “discoveries” have occurred quite by happenstance. For instance, consider the story of Green Tea which began some 5,000 years ago when, as Chinese legend has it, leaves from a nearby Camellia sinensis tree fell into an emperor’s boiling pot of water. The leaves turned the water a light-brown color and gave off a delightful aroma. The emperor, upon taking a sip, found it also had an excellent taste and proclaimed it as “heaven sent.” Since then, the delectable brew has been considered a health-promoting beverage in China; used to treat everything from headaches to depression.

Today, a wealth of studies has provided hard evidence for its positive effects on health. Drinking green tea is reputed to promote heart health, lower high cholesterol levels, lessen free radical damage to cells, fight obesity, inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots, and slow the progression of age-related cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers now say that certain compounds in green tea may actually slow the progression of prostate cancer, a disease that kills more men each year in the United States than any cancer other than lung cancer.

Previous studies have shown that green tea may be linked to a reduced incidence of prostate cancer, and its polyphenols have been regarded as a potential cancer therapy. But last year, the FDA announced that the evidence for green tea benefits was inconclusive, because people consume relatively small quantities. So, Dr. James Cardelli, and his colleagues at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, carried out a clinical trial to determine the effects of short-term supplementation with increased amounts of the active compounds in green tea on the progression of prostate cancer.

The small study consisted of 26 men between 41 and 68 years of age who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and were scheduled for radical prostatectomy. The men were put on a daily dose of four capsules containing a total of 1.3 grams of polyphenon E, equivalent to about 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea, for 12 to 73 days (with an average time of 34.5 days), until the day before surgery. Blood tests showed a significant reduction in serum levels of three biomarkers associated with the growth and spread of prostate cancer: hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and prostate specific antigen (PSA).

On an average, HGF decreased 18.9 percent, VEGF decreased by 9.9 percent and PSA dropped by 10.4 percent. Some patients demonstrated reductions of more than 30 percent. The researchers said that in vitro, EGCG (the main catechin in polyphenon E) swiftly blocked the production of HGF, and the block “seems to be at the level of transcription.” EGCG also blocked the production of VEGF, which plays a critical role in the angiogenic process in cancer-associated fibroblasts, they noted. Age, race, and time on the drug did not have a significant effect on the changes in serum biomarkers.

Previous studies have suggested that high levels of EGCG may have adverse effects on liver function, but in this study the liver function of the patients remained normal. “Our results show a significant reduction in serum levels of PSA, HGF, and VEGF in men with prostate cancer after brief treatment with EGCG (Polyphenon E), with no elevation of liver enzymes. These findings support a potential role for Polyphenon E in the treatment or prevention of prostate cancer,” the researchers concluded.

Dr. Cardelli admits that the study is still in an early stage and that the findings need to be verified by larger, placebo-controlled trials. “Green tea can keep cancer from growing very fast, but it may not be able to shrink tumors,” he said. “But it can be a good addition to traditional therapies, like chemotherapy or radiation.”

“We think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence," Dr. Cardelli said. “There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression.”

John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity, says though there have been a number of studies into the potential benefits of green tea, there is no conclusive evidence. “The results of this study do suggest that there is merit in further research into the effects of extracts of green tea, both in relation to its impact on the prevention of prostate cancer and in controlling progression in men already diagnosed with the disease, as was investigated in this instance,” he said. “These initial positive findings could indicate that green tea could have a place in ‘active surveillance’, where a slow-growing, low risk tumor is monitored for changes and men want to take something which could help keep progression at bay.”

“Potentially, this could mean completely avoiding, in some cases, any of the more usual medical interventions and their associated side effects,” Neate said.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American men. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 192,280 men and will kill 27,360 in 2009. Men over 50 are urged to get tested for the disease annually, however very few do, putting them at risk of being diagnosed at a later stage rather than earlier in the cancer process.

The study is published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.