Posts Tagged ‘Cancer’

Cell Phones and Radiation Exposure

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Researchers recently examined the amount of radiofrequency (RF) exposure cell phone users undergo in various scenarios. The findings, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, show that older analog technology produced the highest RF levels.  Of the various digital communications networks used by cell phones CDMA networks had the lowest RF (major carriers include Sprint PCS, Verizon and Virgin Mobile) while with GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) and TDMA  (major US carriers have left this system)  showing similar intermediate levels. Generally users are exposed to higher RF power output in rural areas.

Source: http://www.nature.com/jes/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/jes201012a.html

Radiofrequency is a form of electromagnetic radiation.  The National Cancer Institute states that there is no known links between cancer risk and RF, but research is still ongoing. ( Source: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/cellphones)

The Environmental Working Group published a report on Cell Phones and Radiation Exposure and recommends specific makes and models.

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Arsenic-Treated Wood Linked to Cancer

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Arsenic was labeled a known human carcinogen in 1980 and the US stopped producing it in 1985.  It was still being imported into the country at a high rate and was used as a wood preservative for “pressure-treated” decking, landscaping, walkways, picnic tables and playground equipment through the early 2000s.  Since that time, under pressure from Congress, the FDA, and consumers, the lumber industry agreed to stop using arsenic-based products to preserve wood.  In 2003 the EPA also moved to ban arsenic in pesticides, but the proposition has not yet passed.  Many outdoor wooden structures still contain arsenic including playsets, picnic tables, and decking. Children can be especially susceptible to the deleterious effects of arsenic.

Arsenic exposure has been linked to skin, bladder, liver, lung and prostate cancers.

Sources: EWG and Environmental Health News

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Painkiller may kill cancer cells

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

A painkiller may be capable of causing cancer cells to kill themselves, U.S. researchers suggest.

Researchers at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., say the link between taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and lower incidences of some types of cancer led them to determine how one anti-inflammatory used to treat pain and fever (called Sulindac) could initiate cell death, apoptosis, in cancer cells.

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Dental X-rays increase risk of cancer

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

A study of 313 cancer patients found the chances of developing thyroid cancer rose with repeated exposure to dental X-rays, British scientists said.

The results suggest dental X-rays should only be prescribed for a specific clinical need, rather than as part of a routine checkup, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Anjum Memon of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

The thyroid gland, located in the neck, is sensitive to ionizing radiation, especially in children, Memon and his team said.

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Chlorinated Pools Increase Risk of Asthma, Allergies, and Other Conditions

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, chlorinated pools are “obsolete.”  Chlorine in pools has been linked to increased risk of asthma and allergies as well as bladder and rectal cancer; it may also increase one’s risk for coronary heart disease.

Researchers from the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium discovered a link between inhaling chemicals at indoor pool facilities and a number of respiratory ailments.  Source: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.8461.  A study published in Pediatrics showed that infants exposed to the chlorine in swimming pools “predispose children to the development of asthma and recurrent bronchitis.”

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Zinc supplementation reduces inflammation and oxidative stress

Friday, June 4th, 2010

An article published in the June, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition describes a clinical trial involving older men and women which found reductions in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation among those who supplemented with zinc.

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are risk factors for atherosclerosis, and zinc deficiency has been observed in a number of other diseases associated with these conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and cancers.

Editor’s note: There are a range of essential nutrients that reduce oxidative stress in the body and can help reduce inflammation including glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and alpha lipoic acid for example. Green leafy vegetables contain a great range of antioxidants that have excellent anti-inflammatory properties. as well.

When supplementing with zinc, copper should also be taken. The proper ratio of zinc:copper is 15:1.

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Curcumin nanoparticles ‘open up’ resistant cancers

Saturday, May 8th, 2010

Study indicates pre-treatment with curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric, makes ovarian cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. This can also result in being able to lower the dose of cisplatin and radiation treatment needed to suppress the growth of the cancer cells.

Subhash Chauhan, PhD, and Meena Jaggi, PhD, led a team of researchers from Sanford Research and the University of South Dakota, USA, who carried out the in vitro study.

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Surprise discovery: how human protein fights cancer

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Scientists in Germany published Tuesday a surprising discovery about how a protein which communicates between cells also prevents cancerous tumors from growing.

Interferon beta is already used in some cancer therapies, but the finding about the method it uses to block cancer does not, as yet, suggest any new way for doctors to use it as a drug.

Interferon beta seems capable of interfering with substances known as growth factors in tumors. Without a blood supply, a tumor cannot grow.

The German research has been published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Cabernet and chocolate are potent medicine for killing cancer

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Red grapes and dark chocolate join blueberries, garlic, soy, and teas as ingredients that starve cancer while feeding bodies, Angiogenesis Foundation head William Li said at a prestigious TED Conference.

The Massachusetts-based foundation is identifying foods containing chemicals that evidently choke-off blood supplies to tumors, starving them to death.

Editor’s Note: A growing body of research is showing antioxidants in red wine and dark chocolate help prevent eye diseases such as macular degeneration. For more related research, Click Here

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Resveratrol may help impede cancer

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Resveratrol may help impede cancer. Dr. Bryan C. Donohue of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside Hospital, says early-stage clinical trials now under way are examining resveratrol’s effectiveness among patients with heart disease, cancer, dementia and a host of other modern illnesses.

In the meanwhile, some people simply looking for greater energy, enhanced clarity of thought and advanced overall well being are already benefiting from resveratrol supplementation,

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