Cancer

Increased intakes of vitamins C and E and beta-carotene may reduce the risk of cancer of the uterus, according to a new review and meta-analysis of the science to date. Writing in Cancer Causes and Control, US scientists report that for every 1,000 microgram increase per 1,000 kcal of diet of beta-carotene was associated with a 12 per cent reduction in the risk of endometrial cancer.

Our findings suggest that administration of n-3 FA (EPA and DHA) in doses of at least 1.5 g/day for a prolonged period of time to patients with advanced cancer is associated with an improvement in clinical, biological and QoL parameters. N-3 fatty acids, cancer and cachexia: a systematic review of the literature. Colomer R, Moreno-Nogueira JM, García-Luna PP, García-Peris P, García-de-Lorenzo A, Zarazaga A, Quecedo L, del Llano J, Usán L, Casimiro C. Br J Nutr. 2007 May;97(5):823-31. Review. PMID: 17408522 doi:10.1017/S000711450765795X

It was concluded that omega-3 fatty acid could inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell line SW1990 cells and promote their apoptosis. The down-regulation of the cyclin E expression by omega-3 fatty acid might be one of the mechanisms for its anti-tumor effect on pancreatic cancer. Modulatory effects of EPA and DHA on proliferation and apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells. Zhang W, Long Y, Zhang J, Wang C. J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2007 Oct;27(5):547-50. PMID: 18060632

Fish oil and treatment of cancer cachexia. Giacosa A, Rondanelli M. Genes Nutr. 2008 Apr;3(1):25-8. PMID: 18850196

Mice fed fish oil and curcumin showed a significantly reduced tumor volume, 25% (P < 0.04) and 43% (P < 0.005), respectively, and importantly, a combination of curcumin and fish oil diet showed > 72% (P < 0.0001) tumor volume reduction. Expression and activity of iNOS, COX-2, and 5-LOX are downregulated, and p21 is upregulated in tumor xenograft fed curcumin combined with fish oil diet when compared to individual diets. The preceding results evidence for the first time that curcumin combined with omega-3 fatty acids provide synergistic pancreatic tumor inhibitory properties. Prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer by curcumin in combination with omega-3 fatty acids. Swamy MV, Citineni B, Patlolla JM, Mohammed A, Zhang Y, Rao CV. Nutr Cancer. 2008;60 Suppl 1:81-9. PMID: 19003584

The combination effects index (CI) analysis confirmed the synergy of clioquinol and clofibrate on inhibiting cancer cell viability. Using inhibitors to block PPARalpha signaling diminished the synergistic cytotoxicity of clioquinol and DHA. These results provide pharmacological evidence that the synergistic anticancer action of clioquinol and DHA is mediated by PPARalpha signaling in human cancer cells. PPARalpha signaling mediates the synergistic cytotoxicity of clioquinol and docosahexaenoic acid in human cancer cells. Tuller ER, Brock AL, Yu H, Lou JR, Benbrook DM, Ding WQ. Biochem Pharmacol. 2009 May 1;77(9):1480-6. Epub 2009 Feb 13. PMID: 19426685

Anticancer properties of oxidation products of docosahexaenoic acid. Siddiqui RA, Harvey K, Stillwell W. Chem Phys Lipids. 2008 May;153(1):47-56. Epub 2008 Feb 23. Review. PMID: 18343223

What if we didn't try to cure cancer, but simply kept tumors from growing too big? That's what radiologist Robert Gatenby of the Moffitt Cancer Center proposes this week in the journal Nature. Gatenby argues that high doses of powerful chemotherapies wreak havoc on a patient's immune system and foster the rapid regrowth of chemoresistant cancers that doctors have no hope of fighting.  So instead of curing cancer, he suggests doctors aim to stabilize the tumor at a tolerable size. In practice, this would mean that doctors identify a target size for an individual tumor that gives the patient the best quality of life.  Then, they will regularly monitor the tumor's growth with medical imaging equipment like a PET/CT scanner (see photo), and regulate doses of anticancer drugs to maintain it at a precise volume.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Restricting carbohydrates, regardless of weight loss, appears to slow the growth of prostate tumors, according to an animal study being published this week by researchers in the Duke Prostate Center. "Previous work here and elsewhere has shown that a diet light in carbohydrates could slow tumor growth, but the animals in those studies also lost weight, and because we know that weight loss can restrict the amount of energy feeding tumors, we weren't able to tell just how big an impact the pure carbohydrate restriction was having, until now," said Stephen Freedland, M.D., a urologist in the Duke Prostate Center and lead investigator on this study. The researchers believe that insulin and insulin-like growth factor contribute to the growth and proliferation of prostate cancer, and that a diet devoid of carbohydrates lowers serum insulin levels in the bodies of the mice, thereby slowing tumor growth, Freedland said.

BioVex Inc, a company developing new generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced that updated survival data from its Phase II study in metastatic melanoma will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, taking place from May 29, 2009 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, F

BioVex Inc, a company developing next generation biologics for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious disease, announced that the results from a Phase I/II combination study in previously untreated patients with head and neck cancer will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which will take place May 29, 2009 - June 2, 2009 in Orlando, FL.

Scientists have discovered the key to the ability of spicy foods to kill cancer cells. They found capsaicin, an ingredient of jalapeno peppers, triggers cancer cell death by attacking mitochondria - the cells' energy-generating boiler rooms.

Scientists in Japan recently studied some of the glyconutrients from spinach and found they inhibited destruction of DNA, cancer cell growth, and tumor growth. They used the nutrients to suppress the growth of colon adenocarcinoma in mice. After a two week period of ingesting the nutrients, a 56.1% decrease in solid tumor volume occurred without any side effects. And the nutrients reduced the ability of tumors to supply themselves with blood which they need to fuel their growth. Markers of cell proliferation were drastically reduced. (Lipids, August, 2008)

A ground-breaking Canada-wide clinical trial led by Dr. Katherine Borden, at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Universit de Montral, has shown that a common anti-viral drug, ribavirin, can be beneficial in the treatment of cancer patients. Published in the journal Blood (First Edition), the study demonstrates that ribavirin suppresses the activities of the eIF4E gene in patients. This gene is dysregulated in 30 percent of cancers including breast, prostate, head and neck, colon and stomach cancer.

Know Cancer is dedicated to connecting, educating and empowering all people affected by the many forms of cancer. Through the power of knowledge and collective wisdom we will help people to prevent, endure and survive cancer. Our current focus is KnowCancer.com, an online community that provides social and professional support to patients and their loved ones. The website contains 3 main sections: Education: a comprehensive library of cancer related content Community: a cancer social network, blog, forum and an "ask the expert" section Resources: a nationwide directory of cancer related businesses and organizations

High levels of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in mate drinks. Kamangar F, Schantz MM, Abnet CC, Fagundes RB, Dawsey SM. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 May;17(5):1262-8. PMID: 18483349 doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-08-0025

The beverage maté: a risk factor for cancer of the head and neck. Goldenberg D, Golz A, Joachims HZ. Head Neck. 2003 Jul;25(7):595-601. Review. PMID: 12808663 DOI: 10.1002/hed.10288

Maté: a risk factor for oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Goldenberg D. Oral Oncol. 2002 Oct;38(7):646-9. Review. PMID: 12167417

Cancer immunology is the study of interactions between the immune system and cancer cells (also called tumors or malignancies). It is also a growing field of research that aims to discover innovative cancer immunotherapies to treat and retard progression of this disease. The immune response, including the recognition of cancer-specific antigens is of particular interest in this field as knowledge gained drives the development of new vaccines and antibody therapies. For instance in 2007, Ohtani published a paper finding tumour infiltrating lymphocytes to be quite significant in human colorectal cancer.[1] The host was given a better chance at survival if the cancer tissue showed infiltration of inflammatory cells, in particular lymphocytic reactions. The results yielded suggest some extent of anti-tumour immunity is present in colorectal cancers in humans.

CD40L - a multipotent molecule for tumor therapy. Loskog A, Tötterman TH. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2007 Mar;7(1):23-8. Review. PMID: 17346201