Cancer

Did You Know?

• A test for blood in the stool can reduce deaths from colorectal cancer. The federal government is urging all Americans 50 and over to have yearly blood screenings. Previous studies have discounted the value of blood screenings for colon cancer, yet this study shows that it can make a difference in preventing deaths.
• Breast cancer risk increases proportionately with alcohol intake; each daily drink increases the risk of breast cancer by about 9 percent.
• With rates of melanoma skin cancer rising, new research is being done on what role ultraviolet B and ultraviolet A radiation play in the development of skin cancers.
• Detection of skin cancer by patients is on the rise. A study of 102 people found the individual discovers 55% of lesions, with 24% by the doctor. Physicians were more likely to find thinner lesions than the patient.
• Oral contraceptives can help protect women with the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 from ovarian cancer. Researchers have known that the pill can reduce any woman's chance of getting ovarian cancer. Now a study suggests use of the pill reduce their chance of getting the disease by 50 percent.
• People who are at risk for developing colon cancer may be able to lower that risk by eating more calcium-rich dairy products. Some elements of milk that are being studied are fat that also exists in the colon and conjugated linoleic acid.
• Women who have abnormal Pap smears have a very small chance of developing cervical cancer from those abnormal cells. A new study has found that the risk of mild dysplasia developing into cancer is less than one percent per year.
• Tea is being studied as a potential cancer fighter. New studies from the USDA have found that the antioxidant properties of tea are more powerful than 22 compounds that are found in fruits and vegetables.