Archive for June 6th, 2006
Atlanta.– More than a third of breast cancer survivors gradually stop getting annual mammographies, according to a new study.
The results may indicate women grow complacent about medical screening once they get past the medical scare, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Chyke Doubeni of the University of Massachusetts.
Others said it’s more likely survivors avoid screenings because they dread a recurrence of the cancer and additional treatment.
“They’re fearful something’s going to be found,” said Dr. Kathryn Edmiston, a Worcester, Mass., oncologist who specializes in breast cancer patients.
The study found just 63 percent of women were getting annual mammographies five years after breast cancer surgery. The findings are reported in Cancer, a medical journal published by the Atlanta-based American Cancer Society.
About 2.3 million U.S. women have been treated for breast cancer, and they are considered to be at three times the risk for tumors in the other, unaffected breast than women with no such medical history.
The American Cancer Society recommends all women 40 and older get an annual mammography, the procedure for taking an X-ray of the breast. But studies have shown only about 58 percent of women over 40 actually do.
Few studies have looked at how often breast cancer survivors get mammographies.
“The assumption has been that once women have had breast cancer, they’re going to recognize the value of a mammography and get it done,” Edmiston said.
In this study, researchers reviewed medical records for 797 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 or 1997. All were 55 and older, though the average age was about 69 1/2. All received care from health systems in Detroit, Minneapolis, Oakland, Calif., or Worcester, Mass. More than 80 percent were white.
About 40 percent had one breast removed, and 55 percent had a lumpectomy or some other form of breast-conserving surgery. Women who’d had double mastectomies were not included.
About 80 percent of the women had mammographies within the first year after surgery, but the percentage dropped to 63 by the fifth year, the study found.
Older women, particularly those with other ailments, were less likely to get the tests as the years went by. Women who saw a doctor annually were more likely to get them.
Also, women who underwent breast-conserving treatment were more likely to get mammographies than women who’d had a mastectomy.
It’s possible that both complacency and fear may be keeping some women from follow-up mammographies, said Robert Smith, the American Cancer Society’s director of cancer screening.
June 6th, 2006
By: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
As the weather grows warmer, New Englanders’ thoughts turn to enjoying the sunshine and outdoor activities.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute physicians and nurses are encouraging people when they are outside, whether they are spending a day at the beach or a few hours working in their yard, to be aware of the dangers of overexposure to the sun and to practice sun safety.
Prevention and early detection are critical to reducing the dangers of skin cancer and melanoma. “Warm weather is a great motivator for people to get outside and reap the health benefits of being more active,” explained Stephen Hodi, MD, clinical director of the Melanoma Program at Dana-Farber. “At the same time, it is important that people protect themselves from the sun and make themselves aware of the signs and symptoms of skin cancer and melanoma to greatly reduce their risk of developing these preventable but dangerous diseases.”
To stay sun safe, remember to think about:
• Applying a sun block with a rating of SPF 15 or higher
• Reapplying sun block every two hours, and immediately after swimming or heavy perspiration
• Providing additional protection by wearing a broad rimmed hat, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and pants
• Avoiding excessive exposure to the sun, especially during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Because sunscreen contains ingredients that lose potency over time, bottles that have been sitting on the shelf for more than a year may not provide adequate protection. “People need to remember to look at the expiration date on their bottle of sun block,” explained Hodi. “In general, we recommend that you change your bottle of sun block yearly.”
According to the American Cancer Society, more than an estimated one million Americans will be diagnosed with basal cell or squamous cell cancers this year, and more than 62,000 will be diagnosed with the most serious form of skin cancer-melanoma. More than 10,500 deaths in the United States this year will be due to a form of skin cancer.
Melanoma can be hereditary; people with family members who have had melanoma are at a higher risk for melanoma. People who have had melanoma and moles are at greater risk of developing the disease. Excessive sun exposure and sunburns increase a person’s risk of developing not only melanoma but other skin cancers as well.
Skin cancers present a range of symptoms. Melanoma symptoms include changes on the skin, including new spots or moles or existing spots or moles that change in shape, size and color. Basal cell carcinomas usually appear as flat, firm, pale areas or as small, raised, pink or red waxy areas. Squamous cell cancer may appear as lumps with rough surfaces or as flat, red patches that grow slowly.
June 6th, 2006
By: Weber Shandwick Worldwide
Cocoa butter has long been used topically in many skin creams and cosmetics because it is thought to be good for the skin.
Now, new research just published in the Journal of Nutrition reveals the potential benefits of consuming flavanol-rich cocoa and how it might actually benefit skin from the inside out.
Researchers found that certain components in cocoa may actually help improve the appearance of women’s skin - increasing hydration, decreasing skin roughness and scaling, and helping to support the skin’s defense against UV damage. The German scientists attributed the observed benefits to cocoa flavanols - a group of compounds that can be particularly rich in cocoa and that have been previously reported to improve blood flow and vessel function.
In this new study, 24 healthy women (aged 18 to 65) were randomly assigned to two groups. One group drank a high-flavanol Cocoapro® cocoa beverage (329 mg) once a day, while the other group consumed a matched cocoa beverage low in flavanols (27 mg). At three different periods during the 12-week study, various tests were conducted to evaluate skin properties: sensitivity to UV irradiation, skin blood flow, skin structure and texture, and skin hydration.
The women who regularly consumed the high-flavanol cocoa beverage showed significant improvements in these indicators of skin quality, while those who consumed the flavanol-poor cocoa did not have an improvement in any of the measures.
“We are excited by the extent of improvements to the skin,” said Catherine Kwik-Uribe, PhD, senior research scientist at Mars, Incorporated, which has supported and conducted much of the research on cocoa flavanol health, including this new study. “Much of the interest in skin health has focused on what you put on the skin. From our extensive research on cocoa flavanols over the last several years demonstrating their potential positive benefits on circulation, it is rewarding to see that these benefits may extend to skin quality as well.”
In addition to the improvements in skin quality in study participants, this study is the first to suggest that the regular consumption of cocoa flavanols may support human skin’s defense against UV light. Study participants exhibited a reduction in the redness of skin following exposure to artificial sunlight. The authors of the study believe the skin benefits of cocoa flavanols may be due in part to an improvement in blood flow to the skin. Consistent with previous studies that demonstrated significant improvements in vessel function, in this study, the regular consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa resulted in a significant increase in blood flow to the skin’s surface, effects that were sustained with the regular consumption of cocoa flavanols.
June 6th, 2006
Skin care in Summer
Fifty years of medical studies show that sun exposure is a primary component in the development of melanoma, the most serious and deadly type of skin cancer, report leading dermatologists in the April 2006 issue of Dermatology Surgery.
“Though genetics may play a role in the development of some melanomas, there’s overwhelming evidence that shows sun exposure adversely affects patients both
with and without genetic predisposition to melanoma,” said Elisabeth K. Shim, M.D., an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Keck USC Medical School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA.
It’s not clear what pattern of sun exposure causes melanoma or whether it’s short, intense intermittent or cumulative. Further more, it’s not clear if ultraviolet B (UVB), ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, or both are responsible for causing melanoma. “Regardless, the sun acts as an initiating and promoting agent in causing melanoma, and causes immunosuppression,” noted Dr. Shim.
With summer quickly approaching, it’s necessary to protect yourself by using sunscreen and sun protective measures to prevent melanoma, and other skin cancers, despite current controversy.
June 6th, 2006
By: International Osteoporosis Foundation
Smoking and Bones
Young or old, man or woman, smoker or non-smoker – no matter what category you fit into, cigarette smoke can weaken your bones and increase your risk for fractures, according to new research presented this week at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in Toronto.
Smoking has long been known to increase the risk for osteoporosis in women, but the new studies, two conducted in Sweden and one in China, find that smoking also hastens the erosion of men’s bones.
In addition, the Chinese study demonstrates, for the first time, that even second-hand smoke can significantly increase the risk for osteoporosis and fractures in both men and women.
Bad News from GOOD Study
The deleterious effects of smoking can readily be detected in young bones. That’s one conclusion from the Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD) study, which has been following the health of young Swedish men (see conference Abstract No. OC31).
“Though smoking has previously been linked to low bone density in the elderly population, its effects on adolescents has remained controversial. Now, we clearly demonstrate that young smokers also have significant losses in bone density,” said Mattias Lorentzon, lead author on the study.
Lorentzon, working with Prof. Claes Ohlsson and colleagues at the Center for Bone Research at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, measured bone mineral density–a measure of bone strength - in over 1,000 Swedish men between 18 and 20 years old. They found that in smokers, bone density in the spine, hip, and body as a whole, was lower than in their non-smoking peers. The most significant effects were in the hip, where the mineral density was over 5% lower than in non-smokers–typically, a 10% loss of bone mineral density doubles the risk of fracture.
Their results explain why previous findings have been equivocal. In this case the researchers used a sophisticated computer assisted X-ray machine (CAT scanner) to get three-dimensional images of bone. These 3D images showed that smoking primarily affects a specific type of bone called cortical bone. This very dense bone forms a layer, similar to the enamel on teeth, around softer, spongy bone. Lorentzon and colleagues found that smoking reduces the thickness of cortical bone. The findings indicate that smoking may significantly affect bone strength. “If you think of bone as a pencil, then the thicker the pencil the harder it will be to break,” said Lorentzon.
Mr. OS–Sweden
In a separate study, Center for Bone Research colleagues Dan Mellström and co-workers have been measuring how a variety of lifestyle and biological factors influence the likelihood of bone fracture in elderly men (see conference Abstract No. P117). Mr. OS, as it is called, is being conducted internationally. Mellström and colleagues have recruited over 3,000 elderly men for the Swedish part of the study and correlated smoking history with bone density measurements and fracture incidence. “We find that in elderly men a history of smoking is associated with weak bones and almost a twofold increase in vertebral fracture incidence,” said Mellström, who presented the data this week in Toronto. Vertebral fractures are a major sign of osteoporosis and a strong predictor of future fractures.
Mellström and colleagues took X-rays of the neck and back spine in over 1,300 men to screen for vertebral fractures - these fractures are often asymptomatic and go undetected. They found that nearly 17 percent of the men had an identifiable vertebral fracture, but when they compared fracture rate to smoking history they found that 24% of smokers had fractures compared to only 14% or those who never smoked. They also measured bone mineral density in the hip, thigh bone, and spine. Mellström reported that bone density in all regions tested was significantly lower in men who were current smokers, or who used to smoke. Overall the findings suggest that smoking reduces bone strength and dramatically increases the risk for bone fractures.
Second-Hand Smoke, First-Hand Problem
In the first ever analysis of the effects of second-hand smoke on bone density, researchers in the U.S. have found that Chinese men and pre-menopausal women have significantly lower bone density if they are exposed to second-hand smoke, even if they are themselves smokers (see conference Abstract No. P114).
Yu-Hsiang Hsu and colleagues from the Harvard School of Public Health measured hip bone mineral density in over 14,000 men and women in rural China - hip fractures are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They also used recorded non-spine fractures and smoking history.
When they correlated smoking with osteoporosis and fracture history, they found that the largest effects were seen in pre-menopausal, non-smoking women - only 6% of women in the study were smokers, versus 87% of men. “Compared to non-smokers that are not exposed to second-hand smoke, premenopausal women exposed to second-hand smoke have a threefold higher risk of having osteoporosis and a 2.6 times greater risk for a non-spine fracture,” said Hsu. Though smoking itself is a risk factor for osteoporosis, Hsu and colleagues also deduced that smokers were at increased risk if they were also exposed to smoke from other family members on a daily basis.
Though this is the first reported study of the effects of second-hand smoke on bone health, previous studies have reported that second-hand smoke may alter levels of estrogen, which is a key hormone for bone health in both women and men, Hsu explained. “Our finding is consistent with this hypothesis,” said Hsu, who now plans a follow up study to correlate serum levels of cotinine, a nicotine derivative that only appears in blood of those exposed to tobacco smoke, with serum hormone levels.
June 6th, 2006