by lightfl

If you're seriously interested in knowing about pancreatic cancer, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article discuss a recent findings about pancreatic cancer.

We used to hear that carbonated drink / soft drink is not good for our health, but how true is it we do not know. Recently, a research study on 60,524 Singapore Chinese adults showed that people who drank two or more sugar sweetened soft drinks a week were at greater risk of developing pancreatic cancer compared to individuals who did not. However, no link was found between drinking juice and pancreatic cancer. These results of this study were published in Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. This study was the first to look at the role of fizzy drinks and juice play in the development of pancreatic cancer in Asians, who diet and lifestyles are becoming more and more Western, the study says. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most rapidly fatal cancers in adults, with less than 5% of patients surviving five years or more after being diagnosed with the illness. Furthermore, pancreatic cancer is known to be poor prognosis and showed minimal effect to conventional treatment methods. In another word it means there is very little hope for pancreatic cancer patients to be cured completely.

This study concluded that sugar contains might be the culprit but the result is not conclusive. This study however did not look at the sports drinks or diet soft drinks; they only looked at the carbonated soft sweetened drinks. A typical serving of carbonated drink is 20 ounces and contains of 65 grams of sugar while a typical serving of juice of 8 ounces and contains of 21 grams of sugar. These fizzy drinks has been reported greatly contribute to the hyperglycemia, high blood sugar and hyperinsulemia, a condition where the amount if insulin in the blood is higher than normal. This study confirmed that cutting out the sugar sweetened carbonated drinks would be a great way to reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

In order to reduce the risk of getting pancreatic cancer, you can start by simply replace your sweetened carbonated drinks to fruit juices or teas. Just a simple change will help you to greatly reduce the risk of getting pancreatic cancer.

About the Author

The author love cooking and enjoy food in a healthy way. She is a full time researcher in Molecular Genetics. Find out her latest sharing about hard floor cleaners at http://hardfloorcleanersinfo.com.

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By: Peter Kent

Pancreatic Cancer Patients Find Promising Treatment That Diminishes Tumor Size

The University of Colorado Hospital has recently embarked on what news reports have deemed a "groundbreaking medical trial" for patients suffering from pancreatic cancer. The trial uses a new technique designed to "shrink the tumor with very concentrated, very localized medication," according to 7 Denver News, a local television news casting station.

Physicians have been using a combination of the drug known as Tumor Necrosis Factor along with Imaged Guided Radiation Therapy technology. The therapy works in two phases, with the first phase administered each week as "doctors use an endoscope through the mouth to the stomach to deliver the drug and inject it directly into the tumor," reported 7 Denver News. In the second phase, the tumor, which is now drug-filled, is subject to a daily blast of radiation, which attempts to stimulate the drug until the tumor begins to break down.

While the trial continues to be conducted, physicians with the study have already noted that, "patients with the standard treatment survive about eight-and-a-half months and that patients with this new treatment live about eleven-and-a-half months."

Pancreatic Cancer Signs and Symptoms

Pancreatic cancer occurs when cancerous cells "begin in the ducts of the pancreas, but they sometimes develop from the cells of that make the pancreatic enzymes," according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The Mayo Clinic also explained that there are several signs and symptoms of the pancreatic cancer including the following:

* loss of appetite

* depression

* weight loss

* yellowing of the skin

* yellowing of the whites of the eyes

* upper abdominal pain


There are a number of reasons that pancreatic cancer can occur, however, one of the most recent risks is that of Byetta consumption.

Byetta is a type 2 diabetes drug that is prescribed to patients as an injectable form of insulin to regulate glucose levels in individuals. The drug was released in 2005 from Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company. Recently, the drug was linked to the onset of pancreatitis, which can develop into pancreatic cancer if left untreated.

In 2008, approximately six patients were hospitalized for their Byetta-induced side effects of acute pancreatitis. Of the six patients, two resulted in fatality. Patients who have experienced the Byetta dangers are advised to discuss their case with a pharmaceutical attorney who can offer a free legal consultation as to the development of a Byetta class action lawsuit, which may result in the reward of monetary funds for a Byetta patient.

Peter Kent is the best-selling author of 50 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers. He manages Legalview.info, a website hosting a variety of information on legal issues, including Byetta.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

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By: Peter Kent

Biomarkers May Identify Early Stages of Pancreatic Cancer

Recently researchers discovered several biomarkers among a panel of proteins that show the development of pancreatic cancer in its earliest stages, which may increase detection tests and early treatments of the fatal condition.

According to news reports from Science Daily, scientists developed a "five-biomarker panel that if commercially developed, may be useful when combined with a currently available test measuring a pancreatic-cancer biomarker called CA 19.9, which is elevated 80 percent of the time among newly diagnosed patients."

The study involved experts from the Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of Michigan and the Belfer Institute of Innovative Cancer Science at Dana-Faber Cancer Institute all of which collaborated on the findings revealing that the biomarkers among the study’s test mice translated to similar biomarkers among humans. This means that if the biomarkers among both the mice and humans are similar, the biomarkers will likely be able to increase early detection of the deadly pancreatic condition.

Because treatments are more effective during initial stages of pancreatic cancer, this development of may revolutionize the detection of this and potentially other similar diseases, according to expert statements obtained from news reports.

Defining Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer develops in the tissues of the organ that commonly "regulates the metabolism of sugars," according to the Mayo Clinic. Unfortunately, the Mayo Clinic also reports that pancreatic cancer is often described as a "leading cause of cancer deaths" because it is not detected in its early stages and has a very poor prognosis.

Science Daily reported that pancreatic cancer is "the fourth leading cause of cancer death... with a five-year survival rate of only 3 percent." Additionally, if pancreatic solid tumors are caught in the early stages approximately 90 percent of the time they can be treated, whereas if the cancer is caught in later stages, treatment is successful only 10 percent of the time.

Each year more than 29,000 additional Americans are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which also explained that pancreatic cancer is considered a "silent disease" because of the minimal and sometimes deceiving symptoms that are difficult to recognize and associate with pancreatic cancer. The symptoms of pancreatic cancer include the following, according to NCI:

* weight loss
* nausea and vomiting
* weakness
* loss of appetite
* pain in upper back or abdomen
* dark urine from jaundice
* yellowing skin and eyes

Causes and Prescription Drug Dangers

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) there are several risk factors associated with the development of pancreatic cancer, but researchers are still unsure as exactly what causes the condition. However, the following are common characterisitcs making an individual more likely to develop the condition, according to ACS:

* age
* gender
* race
* smoking
* diet, lack of exercises and obesity
* diabetes
* chronic pancreatitis
* cirrhosis of the liver
* work exposure to pesticides, dyes and chemicals
* family history, hereditary conditions
* gene changes/inherited gene mutations
* stomach problems/surplus of stomach acids

Unfortunately, there is also another risk factor that can be attributed to man-made circumstances including the consumption of prescription drugs, which may cause pancreatitis leading to pancreatic cancer. For example, a prescription type 2 diabetes drug known as Byetta (exenatide) has recently been linked to the onset of pancreatitis, which is inflammation of the pancreas, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Health Advisory.

Byetta, from Eli Lilly and Amylin Pharmceuticals, was released in 2005 and by August 2008, six individuals consuming the drug had been hospitalized for pancreatitis conditions, two of whom died. There have also been 30 additional cases of acute pancreatitis, which is sudden pancreatic inflammation, allegedly associated with the drug’s consumption.

Because Byetta-induced pancreatitis can potentially lead to a fatal pancreatic cancer it is imperative that an individual speak with a medical professional on the Byetta dangers as well as consider developing a Byetta class action lawsuit for the severe and irreversible side effects the drug may have already caused.

Peter Kent is the best-selling author of 50 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers. He manages Legalview.com, a website hosting a variety of information on legal issues, including Byetta.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

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Obesity and aversion to exercise have become hallmarks of modern society – and a new study suggests that a blood protein linked to these lifestyle factors may be an indicator for an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute report their findings in the August 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In a study of 144 patients with pancreatic cancer and 429 people without the disease, a subset of patients with low blood levels of a protein called IGFBP-1 were at approximately twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Low blood levels of this protein have previously been linked to excess weight and lack of physical activity. Their data originated from tens of thousands of men and women enrolled in four large-scale cohort studies – the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, the Nurses’ Health Study, the Physicians’ Health Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study – all of which followed the health of participants over numerous years.

"The prognosis for many patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor, so it is vitally important that we indentify and better understand risk factors for the disease, particularly risk factors that are modifiable" said lead study author, Brian M. Wolpin, M.D., attending physician at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. "In addition to cigarette smoking, exercise and weight control appear to be important modifiable risk factors for this difficult disease."

Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in America – over 33,000 Americans will likely die from the disease in 2007, according to projections from the American Cancer Society. Studies indicate that smoking is responsible for about 25 percent of pancreatic cancer cases, and obesity and lack of exercise may account for a similar amount, Dr. Wolpin said.

According to Dr. Wolpin, previous research has linked IGFBP-1 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein one) with increased risk of colorectal and endometrial cancer. Like its name suggests, IGFBP-1 is a molecule that binds with insulin-like growth factor (IGF), a hormone normally associated with growth and development. In the laboratory, IGF has been noted to increase the growth of pancreatic cancer cells. Since one role of IGFBP-1 is to sequester IGF,

Dr. Wolpin and his colleagues were interested as to whether people who developed pancreatic cancer had lower blood levels of the IGFBP-1 protein.

To study the relationship between IGFBP-1 and pancreatic cancer, Dr. Wolpin and his colleagues chose pancreatic cancer patients enrolled in one of the four cohort studies and with blood drawn four or more years before developing cancer. The blood levels of IGFBP-1 from these patients were compared to those taken from 429 cancer-free people also enrolled in one of the cohort studies. According to their findings, patients with low blood levels of IGFBP-1 were nearly twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
"We still have much to learn about the mechanisms by which obesity and sedentary lifestyle may contribute to the risk of pancreatic cancer," Dr. Wolpin said. "While it is too early to discuss IGFBP-1 as a suitable blood marker for pancreatic cancer, it is never too early to address the lifestyle issues that may contribute to low levels of IGFBP-1 and to an elevated risk of this difficult disease."

###

The study was supported by The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the National Cancer Institute.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes nearly 26,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 70 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Confere! nces throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Bayho Health News ISSN 1533-6220

http://www.bayho.com/article.php?id=195

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People facing cancer are naturally concerned about what the future holds. Strange then that the most common cause of one of the most lethal cancers of all, lung cancer, is generally of peoples own doing and pretty well avoidable.

Nine out of ten people who develop lung cancer are smokers and the bad news is that the diagnoses of lung cancer are rising. Whilst some rare types of lung cancer are not related to smoking, most certainly are directly attributable, and the figures for survival rates from lung cancer are poor throughout the world.

The two main types of lung cancer are small cell and nonsmall cell, and patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survive for variable lengths of time, even when adjustment is made for the pathological stage. Each and every year, 31000 cases of lung cancer are diagnosed in the UK, whilst lung and prostate cancer are the top cancer killers for men in the United States.

Want more scary news? Only 1 in every 10 people with lung cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis, and for reasons not yet well understood, a greater proportion of women who develop lung cancer are non-smokers compared to men who get the disease.

Now, a new study finds tobacco may act as an environmental trigger for patients with an inherited genetic predisposition to pancreatic cancer.

Treatment for any cancer will depend on the type of cancer; the size, location, and stage of the disease; the person's general health; and other factors. Nanotechnology promises new methods for noninvasive treatment of cancer with minimal side effects.

While we can't do anything about risk factors that are out of our control, it's been shown that all aspects of our daily lifestyle can have a huge impact on cancer risk. Stopping smoking greatly reduces a person's risk for developing lung cancer, whilst exposure to tobacco smoke clearly multiplies the risk of developing lung cancer.

It's a no brainer, really. Stop smoking and increase your chances of a long and enjoyable life!

About the Author:

Steve Cowan is an Asia based businessman and writer. Get two free reports dealing with Self Help and Natural Treatments Cancer at http://webbiz99.com/cancer/free_report.html

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

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