Links between processed foods and cancer

Ultra-processed foods include packaged baked goods and snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals, ready meals and reconstituted meat products often containing high levels of sugar, fat, and salt, but lacking in vitamins and fibre. A few studies have linked ultra-processed foods to higher risks of obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

A team of researchers based in France and Brazil, set out to evaluate potential associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of overall cancer, as well as that of breast, prostate, and bowel (colorectal) cancers. Their findings are based on 104,980 healthy French adults (22% men; 78% women) with an average age of 43 years who completed at least two 24-hour online dietary questionnaires, designed to measure usual intake of 3,300 different food items.

Foods were grouped according to degree of processing and cases of cancer were identified from participants' declarations validated by medical records and national databases over an average of five years. Several well known risk factors for cancer, such as age, sex, educational level, family history of cancer, smoking status and physical activity levels, were taken into account.

The results show that a 10% increase in the proportion of ultra-processed foods in the diet was associated with increases of 12% in the risk of overall cancer and 11% in the risk of breast cancer. No significant association was found for prostate and colorectal cancers. Further testing found no significant association between less processed foods (such as canned vegetables, cheeses and freshly made unpackaged bread) and risk of cancer, while consumption of fresh or minimally processed foods (fruits, vegetables, pulses, rice, pasta, eggs, meat, fish and milk) was associated with lower risks of overall cancer and breast cancer.

This is an observational study, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and the researchers point to some limitations. For example, they cannot rule out some misclassification of foods or guarantee detection of every new cancer case. Nevertheless, the study sample was large and they were able to adjust for a range of potentially influential factors.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Breast cancer therapies linked to heart failure

According to American Heart Association, women should consider the risks and benefits of any therapies that may hurt hearts during breast cancer treatment, patients should have a conversation with their doctor about the side effects of the treatment. Some treatments for different types of cancer may pose heart risks, but they are growing more common for breast cancer patients.

Side effects can include abnormal rhythms, valve problems or heart failure, where the heart slowly weakens and can't pump effectively. Symptoms may not appear until long after treatment ends.
Herceptin and similar drugs for a specific type of breast cancer can cause heart failure. Sometimes it's temporary and goes away if treatment is stopped, but it can be permanent.

Radiation can affect arteries and spur narrowing or blockages. Other drugs can lead to abnormal heart rhythms or artery spasms, which can cause chest pain and possibly lead to a heart attack. Some research suggests that powerful new drugs that harness the immune system to fight cancer may in rare cases cause heart damage, especially when used together.

Certain chemotherapies such as doxorubicin, sold as Adriamycin and in generic form, might be less risky if given more slowly, rather than all at once. Some research suggests that a drug called dexrazoxane may minimize damage if given to women with advanced breast cancer who are getting high doses of doxorubicin.

Cancer patients should make sure doctors are monitoring their heart before, during and after breast cancer treatment. Common risk factors of breast cancer are: obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and eating of junk food.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Drug for breast cancer gene

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved drug  for treating metastatic breast cancers linked to the BRCA gene mutation. These mutated genes, called BRCA1 and BRCA2, first came to prominence in five years ago. According to FDA, expanding approval of Lynparza (olaparib) to include use against BRCA-linked tumors that have spread beyond the breast. Lynparza is one of a group of powerful new cancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors, and it's the first such drug to be approved for use against breast cancer.

 This approval demonstrates the current paradigm of developing drugs that target the underlying genetic causes of a cancer, often across cancer types. BRCA mutations are involved in up to one in every four breast cancers that are thought to have a hereditary component. These aberrant genes are also implicated in between 5 and 10 percent of non-hereditary breast tumors. When it's functioning properly, BRCA actually helps repair damaged cellular DNA and prevent tumors, but when BRCA1 and BRCA2 go awry they instead encourage breast cancers.

PARP inhibitor medicines such as Lynparza appear to interfere with the function of mutated BRCA with breast cells, causing them to die rather replicate-slowing tumor growth. The safety and effectiveness of Lynparza for women with advanced BRCA-linked breast cancers was established after a trial on patients. The trial measured the length of time the tumors did not have significant growth after treatment. The median progression-free survival for patients taking Lynparza was 7 months compared to 4.2months for patients taking chemotherapy only.

Common side effects of Lynparza include anemia, low white blood cell counts, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, headache, joint pain, increased susceptibility to colds and other respiratory tract infections, and other effects. Because Lynparza can harm a developing fetus, women are advised to use contraception while on the drug. Women should also not breast-feed while using Lynparza.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

DNA test for breast cancer

Scientists have developed a DNA test that may diagnose fatal breast cancer one year earlier than current methods. Changes in a part of DNA, which the researchers named EFC#93, suggests early warning signs of life-threatening breast cancer. These changes occur in patients' blood before their cancer becomes detectable in their breast tissue.

 A study revealed among women who have EFC#93 in their blood, 43 per cent were diagnosed with a life-threatening form of breast cancer three-to-six months later, while 25 per cent were diagnosed within six-to-12 months.

Markers such as EFC#93 provide a highly specific indicator that could diagnose fatal breast cancers up to one year in advance of current diagnosis.  This may enable individualised treatment, which could even begin in the absence of radiological evidence in the breast.

The researchers analysed EFC#93 in blood samples from breast cancer patients taken both after surgery but before chemotherapy and once chemotherapy was complete. They demonstrated DNA change in samples taken before chemotherapy as a marker for poor prognosis even if cancer cells are not yet circulating in the body.

 To assess whether EFC#93 can diagnose women with a poor prognosis earlier, the researchers then analysed samples of 925 healthy women, of which 229 went on to develop life-threatening breast cancer, while 231 got non-fatal forms of the disease within three years.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Gum disease increases the risk of breast cancer

Gum disease increases women's risk of breast cancer up to three times. This is thought to be due to the bacteria that causes inflammation in the mouth entering the circulation via the gums and going into breast tissue, which can result in cancer.

Severe gum disease, known as periodontitis, can affect the bones in people's jaws and cause teeth to fall out. Higher levels of certain bacteria that are linked to gum disease increase an individual's likelihood of developing the condition.

It is unclear whether it is the bacteria themselves or gum disease that leads to foodpipe tumors. Researchers argue their findings highlight the importance of good oral hygiene, including brushing teeth twice a day and regular dentist visits, to maintain people's dental health, as well as avoiding other complications.

 Researchers examined women visiting gynecology, some of the participants had breast cancer. The cases and controls were matched according to smoking status and alcohol intake. All of the participants were assessed for gum inflammation at six sites per tooth.

 Gum disease increases the risk of breast cancer by up to three times Results reveal women with severe gum disease are up to three times more likely to have breast cancer. There is no link between tooth loss and developing the disease. Severe gum disease is associated with instances of breast cancer and this may be through spread of infection and inflammation starting in the mouth.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Hormonal contraceptives increases the risk of breast cancer

All forms of hormonal contraception bring an increased risk of breast cancer, which lasts for about five years after women stop taking it. The raised chance has been known for some time, but it was thought newer forms – such as those which release progesterone only – would be safer.

But now a new study, the largest of its kind, has found the combined pill, the progestogen-only pill and non-oral products such as the hormone-intrauterine system (IUS) have a 20 per cent higher risk. Researchers found that among women taking the pill for five years, there would be an extra one breast cancer diagnosis for every 1,500 women.

 Researchers analysed many women in who were followed up for nearly 11 years on average. Around two out of three breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive, which means hormones help the cancer cells grow and spread. The risk of breast cancer was higher in women who used the pill or other forms of hormonal contraception, including IUDs, for longer.

It was also raised for those who were older – the majority of the cases were in women over 40. The small risks of the pill needed to be weighed up against the benefits. These include not only preventing an unwanted pregnancy but a reduced risk of ovarian, endometrial and colorectal cancers in later life.

An increased risk of breast and cervical cancer in current and recent pill users which disappeared within approximately five years of stopping oral contraception. The similar breast cancer results in both cohort studies suggest that today's pills have similar cancer risks and benefits as older preparations.

Researchers compared the breast cancer risk in users of different types of hormonal contraception to women who had never used hormonal contraception. During the study period, several new breast cancers were detected. In current and recent users of any type of hormonal contraception, the risk of breast cancer was 20 per cent increased.

There was little evidence of consistent differences in risk between users of combined oral contraceptives with different progestogens. Researchers did not detect an increased risk in former users who had used hormonal contraception for less than five years. The increased risk in long-term users gradually decreased by time and disappeared five to ten years after stopping.

An over-the-counter supplement reduces breast cancer aggressiveness by up to 80 per cent, new research reveals. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), which is sold as a supplement is approved as a cold and flu remedy in the US, significantly lowers levels of the breast cancer aggressiveness marker MCT4, a study found.

Users of progestogen only contraceptives – mainly pills and the hormone-intrauterine system (IUS) – also experienced an increased relative risk of breast cancer. Breast cancer is rare in young women. It is rare in women before the menopause, with most women using the combined pill also being in their late teens, twenties and early thirties.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Pomegranate extract alters breast cancer stem cell

Research team has found evidence suggesting that the same antioxidant that gives pomegranate fruit their vibrant red color can alter the characteristics of breast cancer stem cells, showing the superfood's potential for aiding in much more than diabetes or heart disease as previously thought.
Pomegranate extract, derived mainly from the skin of the fruit, is known for having high levels of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols.

Stem cells are unlike other types of cells in that they have a remarkable ability to self-divide and reproduce themselves, even giving rise to other types of cells. This self-dividing nature alone is not dangerous; in fact, normal tissue stem cells can replace dying cells and even repair damaged tissue.
The danger arises if stem cells become cancer stem cells, because their division and renewing ability carries over to cancer progression by aiding in tumor initiation, growth, and even re-initiating cancerous tumors long after a person has been declared cancer-free.

Compounding these issues are the fact that cancer stem cells are thought to be more resistant to therapy than other types of cancer cells. Cancer stem cells have become an important target in cancer therapy and prevention more so than other cancer cells, because of the idea that if the stem cells can be slowed or made "less stem-like," the cancer itself could be slowed too.

Researchers conducted experiments using cancer cells lines that are the prototypes of breast cancer stem cells. These cells, which display the exact properties of cancer stem cells, were treated with diluted pomegranate extract and incubated for periods ranging from one to six days.
During this time, the team measured several markers of breast cancer stem cells in both the pomegranate extract treated cells and untreated cells . They then compared the results between the groups and observed significant differences between the cancer stem cell prototypes that were treated with pomegranate extract.

Additionally, the cells that were treated with pomegranate extract were treated with relatively small amounts – thought to be manageable for a person to consume by simply purchasing the product at a grocery store and incorporating it into their diet. Low concentrations of the extract are able to modify the ability of cancer stem cells to reproduce themselves.

Pomegranate extract inhibits breast cancer cells ability to self-renew. Pomegranate extract converts cancer stem cells to cells that look like more traditional cancer cells and which may successfully be eliminated by cancer drugs.Pomegranate extract shows promising potential for having a positive effect in both the primary cancer prevention and inhibition of the disease progression.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Breast cancer can be dormant for years

Breast cancer can return 20 years after a woman is first diagnosed, women might be told to continue taking hormonal drugs for longer than the current five years, in a bid to stop tumours returning. Scientists analysed data from clinical trials involving different women, all of whom had the most common form of breast cancer caused by the hormone oestrogen.

Breast cancet patient received pill treatments such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors which block the effects of oestrogen or shut off the hormone's supply. After five years of therapy, their cancers had gone and they stopped taking the drugs. But monitoring the women's progress revealed recurrences of the disease up to 15 years later – 20 years after initial diagnosis.

Women who started off with large tumours and cancer that had spread to four or more lymph nodes faced the highest risk of recurrence, they had a 40 per cent risk of cancer returning in a different part of the body over a period of 15 years after treatment. For patients diagnosed with small, low-grade cancers that had not spread the risk was 10 per cent.

Recent research has suggested that extending hormone therapy to 10 years may be more effective at preventing breast cancer recurrence and death, five years of tamoxifen reduces the risk of recurrence after treatment. Aromatase inhibitors, which only work for post-menopausal women are more effective.

However, some patients choose to stop the hormone treatments early because of side effects such as menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, joint pain or carpal tunnel syndrome.This research shows that stopping hormone treatment at five years leaves women with an ongoing risk of breast cancer coming back in future.
            haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Alcohol causes different cancers

The more alcohol you drink, the higher your risk of developing at least seven different types of cancers. Drinking small or moderate amounts of alcohol was associated with increased risks for esophogeal, mouth, voice box, liver, stomach, pancreas and breast cancers, and is responsible for more than five percent of cancers and cancer deaths worldwide.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology ASCO has never addressed the link between alcohol and cancer, but is now underscoring the importance of controlling the risk of alcohol consumption to reducing the risk of cancer. While the ASCO does suggest strategies for cutting back on drinking, it also advocates for temperate use of alcohol, rather than recommending give up drinking.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention CDC recommends that women should not have more than one drink a day or eight drinks a week. Men drink two drinks a day, or 14 a week. There has been some debate over whether alcohol or other compositions of various alcoholic beverages are cancer-causing. There is an associations between alcohol drinking and cancer risk. Alcohol does not affect each part of the body in the same carcinogenic way.

For head and neck and esophageal cancers, alcohol's breakdown product- acetaldehyde, which is an established carcinogen touches the tissues directly as drinker swallows an alcoholic drink and causes cancer. Liver cancer is caused by cirrhosis, which is caused by drinking. When cirrhosis develops, healthy liver cells are replaced by damaged scar tissue cells, which can become cancer cells. It interferes with the absorption of folate, which leads to development of colon cancer.

When a woman’s estrogen levels become abnormally high, the hormone puts her at higher risk for breast cancer. Alcohol has been shown to increase estrogen levels, thus putting women at greater risk of breast cancer. In fact, ASCO reports that women who drank even one drink of beer or wine which have significantly lower alcohol contents than liquors were five percent more likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer, and nine percent more likely to develop the cancer after menopause.
         haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Infertility increases the risk of untimely death

According to a new study, infertility increases a woman's chance of untimely death compared to women who have had children. Having fertility problems also raised the chance of getting breast cancer and diabetes.

Having children protects women from untimely death, research shows that giving birth has a rejuvenating effect on a woman's body, being infertile may be a sign of underlying health problems, which may worsen overall health.

Women were classed as infertile, if they had reported being unable to conceive for one year. Female infertility patients had a higher risk of death from hormone related disorders such as breast cancer and diabetes.

Infertility was not linked to higher rates of ovarian cancer, or cancers of the womb. And even though the incidence of diabetes was similar in fertile and infertile women, infertile women experienced an increased risk of death from endocrine related diseases.

Having a baby is protective for health. Looking at the studies of women who have never given birth to children, they are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and several malignancies. Sharing blood with a growing fetus rejuvenates the mother's blood.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

How obesity causes breast cancer

Obesity leads to the release of cytokines into the bloodstream which impact the metabolism of breast cancer cells, making them aggressive to treatment.
Severe overweight can lead to various health impairments. Besides inducing cardiovascular diseases, obesity for example also promotes the development of cancer and metastases.

ACC1 acetyl-CoA-carboxylase 1, a central component of fatty acid synthesis. ACC1 mediates the chemical addition of carbon dioxide to acetyl-CoA, which results in malonyl-CoA. This reaction is the first and speed determining step in the fatty acid synthesis of all living organisms.

ACC1 enzymes is a key component of fatty acid synthesis, its function is impaired by the cytokines leptin and TGF-β. The levels of these cytokines are increased particularly in the blood of severely overweight people.

Fatty acid precursors promote metastasis. The inhibition of ACC1 leads to the accumulation of the fatty acid precursor acetyl-CoA. This precursor is transferred to certain gene switches that in turn increase the metastatic capacity of cancer cells by activating a specific gene program.

Scientists used human tissue from breast cancer metastases to show that ACC1 was less active. When the scientists blocked the unknown signaling pathway with an antibody directed against the leptin receptor, this led to a significantly reduced metastatic spread of breast cancer tumors in an experimental model.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Breast cancer cells recycle ammonia waste as fuel

According to the latest research, breast cancer cells recycle ammonia, a waste byproduct of cell metabolism, and use it as a source of nitrogen to fuel tumor growth. The presence of ammonia accelerates proliferation of cultured breast cancer cells, while suppressing ammonia metabolism can stunt tumor growth in mice.

This showed the biological role of ammonia in cancer and may inform the design of new therapeutic strategies to slow tumor growth. Ammonia is toxic for breast cancer cells, it could be used to feed tumors by serving as a source for the building blocks that tumors need to grow.

Cancer cells consume nutrients voraciously and generate excess metabolic waste. One such byproduct, ammonia, is normally transported in blood vessels to the liver, where it is converted into less toxic substances and excreted from the body as urea.Tumors have few blood vessels, and as a result, ammonia accumulates in the tumor's local environment at concentrations that would be toxic for many cells.

When glutamine is broken down during cell metabolism, ammonia containing nitrogen is released as a byproduct.
Tracing the fate of this marked ammonia, the researchers examined different cellular metabolites in breast cancer cells and in human tumors transplanted into mice. They found cancer cells recycled ammonia with high efficiency, incorporating it into numerous components-primarily the amino acid glutamate, a fundamental building block for proteins, as well as its derivatives.

Higher concentrations of ammonia appeared to accelerate the growth of lab-grown breast cancer cells. Ammonia exposed cells doubled up seven hours faster than cells grown without ammonia. In 3-D cultures-a technique that allows cells to divide in all directions as they do inside the body, ammonia exposure increased the number of cells and surface area of cell clusters by up to 50 percent compared with cells grown without ammonia.

Ammonia also accelerated tumor growth and proliferation in mice with transplanted human breast cancer. When the team blocked the activity of glutamate dehydrogenase GDH-an enzyme that specifically assimilates ammonia to carry out its function, tumor growth slowed significantly compared to tumors with intact GDH activity. Repressing ammonia metabolism stunts tumor growth in mice.
         haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between cholesterol and breast cancer

High cholesterol levels have been associated with breast cancer spreading to other parts of the body, researchers discovered that the byproduct of cholesterol metabolism that acts on specific immune cells so that they facilitate the cancer's spread instead of stopping it is responsible for the spread.

Many women will experience metastatic breast cancer, when the breast cancer has spread to other organs, and at that point, there is no effective therapies.

Researchers fed mice with breast cancer tumors a diet high in cholesterol. They confirmed that high levels of cholesterol increased tumor growth and metastasis, and that mice treated with statins cholesterol lowering drugs had less metastasis.

Human body's immune system has the capacity to attack cancer but the cholesterol metabolite hydroxycholestrol 27HC works on immune cells and prevents them from attacking cancer because 27HC acts through the immune system, and not on the breast cancer.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Links between environmental chemicals and breast cancer

Exposure to environmental chemicals, early in life, contributes to the development of breast cancer, there are more than two hundred chemicals that cause mammary tumors in animals and provided a roadmap for studying these chemicals in humans. Researchers conducted a systematic search and identified some epidemiology studies that exposure to chemicals early in life: in the womb, during puberty, and through pregnancy increases the risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

For instance, early exposure to DDT, dioxins, the highly-fluorinated chemical PFOSA, and air pollution, is associated with a two- to five-fold increased risk of breast cancer. Early exposure in the workplace to high levels of organic solvents and gasoline components is also a risk factor. During these windows of susceptibility, the body is changing, breast cells are dividing quickly, and the breast tissue becomes vulnerable to damage from chemicals. Variations in genes can also affect how people's bodies respond to certain environmental chemicals.

Among women exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAHs-a chemical in vehicle exhaust, those with certain genetic variants had a higher risk of developing breast cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC classified outdoor air pollution as a human carcinogen.

Some of the components of air pollution have been shown to cause breast tumors in animals. The use of chemicals in every day consumer products has also increased the risk of cancer. Many consumer product chemicals, like BPA and phthalates, are endocrine disruptors. They interfere with the body's hormones and can produce effects at low doses.

Results from animal studies suggest a link between breast cancer and endocrine disruptors. Breast cancer can take years to develop after chemical exposure, it is the most common cancer in women across the globe, pharmaceutical hormones, exercise, and other lifestyle factors can the risk of developing breast cancer. Consumers can take some steps to reduce their exposures by choosing safer products
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Bacteria imbalances and breast cancer

Breast cancer develops from breast tissue, common symptoms of breast cancer are lump in the breast, change in breast shape, fluid coming out from the nipple and red scaly patch of skin.

Bacteria imbalances allow disease-causing bacteria and toxins to move into the bloodstream and upset the normal body function, it exposes the body to different diseases.

Healthy breast tissue contains more of the bacterial species Methylobacterium, bacteria that live in the body, known as the microbiome, influence many diseases. Bacterial composition of breast tissue of healthy women and women with breast cancer are different.

Researchers examined the tissues of some patients who underwent mastectomy for invasive carcinoma or elective cosmetic breast surgery, they examined oral rinse and urine to determine the bacterial composition of these distant sites in the body. They discovered that cancer patients' urine samples had increased levels of gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus and Actinomyces.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Verzenio for treating breast cancer

Verzenio (abemaciclib) is approved to treat adult patients who have hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative advanced or metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after taking therapy that alters a hormones (endocrine therapy).

Verzenio is approved to be given in combination with an endocrine therapy, called fulvestrant, after the cancer had grown on endocrine therapy. It is also approved to be given on its own, if patients were previously treated with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after the cancer had spread (metastasized).

Verzenio provides a new targeted treatment option for some patients with breast cancer who are not responding to treatment, it can be given as a stand-alone treatment to patients who were previously treated with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy.

Verzenio works by blocking certain molecules (known as cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6), involved in promoting the growth of cancer cells. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer. The safety and efficacy of Verzenio in combination with fulvestrant were studied in a randomized trial in some patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with endocrine therapy and who had not received chemotherapy once the cancer had metastasized.

The study measured the length of time tumors did not grow after treatment (progression-free survival). The median progression-free survival for patients taking Verzenio with fulvestrant was 16.4 months compared to 9.3 months for patients taking a placebo with fulvestrant.

The safety and efficacy of Verzenio as a stand-alone treatment were studied in a single-arm trial of 132 patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that had progressed after treatment with endocrine therapy and chemotherapy after the cancer metastasized.

 The study measured the percent of patients whose tumors completely or partially shrank after treatment. In the study, 19.7 percent of patients taking Verzenio experienced complete or partial shrinkage of their tumors for a median 8.6 months.

Common side effects of Verzenio include diarrhea, low levels of certain white blood cells (neutropenia and leukopenia), nausea, abdominal pain, infections, fatigue, low levels of red blood cells (anemia), decreased appetite, vomiting and headache.

Serious side effects of Verzenio include diarrhea, neutropenia, elevated liver blood tests and blood clots (deep venous thrombosis/pulmonary embolism). Women who are pregnant should not take Verzenio because it may cause harm to a developing fetus.
           haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Exercise prevents breast cancer

Intense physical activity that cause breathlessness creates a chemical release in the body. This releases compounds called catecholamines and epinephrine suppress the growth of tumour cells.

 Exercise training and epinephrine did not completely prevent tumor formation, but induced reduction.
Exercise training can not replace anti-cancer therapy, but could be an effective supportive strategy and improves cancer treatment.

Researchers used experimental mice implanted with human breast cancer tumors as well as tumor cells in test tubes to investigate how serum samples from healthy women and breast cancer patients before and after exercise affect the development of the breast tumor cells, and the mechanism involved.

They discovered that serum samples taken after exercise reduced the ability of tumor cells to grow in test tubes or in mice. Less than half of mice with tumors steeped in post-exercise serum developed tumors, compared with 90 percent of mice with tumors not exposed to post-exercise serum.

The researchers traced the anti-tumor activity to a rise in epinephrine and norepinephrine that occurs with moderately intense exercise. Studies have shown that regular fitness can reduce risk of breast cancer and reoccurrence in those who already have it.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Drug may prevent infertility after cancer treatment

Women who are treated for cancer with radiation or chemotherapy may be rendered sterile. Some female breast cancer survivors experience premature ovarian failure, in which they lose normal function of their ovaries.

Women are born with a lifetime reserve of oocytes, or immature eggs, but those oocytes are among the most sensitive cells in the body and may be wiped out by cancer treatments.

Checkpoint protein CHK2 becomes activate when oocytes are damaged by radiation. CHK2 functions in a pathway that eliminates oocytes with DNA damage, a natural function to protect against giving birth to offspring bearing new mutations.

When the researchers irradiated mice lacking the CHK2 gene, the oocytes survived, eventually repaired the DNA damage, and the mice gave birth to healthy pups.

The new study explored whether the checkpoint 2 pathway could be chemically inhibited. There were pre-existing CHK2 inhibitor drugs that were developed, ironically enough, for cancer treatment, but they turned out not to be very useful for treating cancer.

Giving mice the inhibitor drug, a small molecule, it essentially mimicked the knockout of the checkpoint gene.
Inhibiting the checkpoint pathway, the oocytes were not killed by radiation and remained fertile, enabling birth of normal pups.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Stress hormone reduced the effectiveness of cancer treatment

Stress reduction therapy is very important for cancer patients, stress hormones during treatment can prevent the cancerous cells in the body from dividing and reacting.

These hormones prevent the growing tumors from being treated by the cancer drugs that are used for the patients. Stress reduction therapy is essential during cancer treatment to promote the success of the drugs and cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy method of cancer treatment targets rapidly dividing cells, cells exposed to stress hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine generate destructive DNA damaging free radicals molecules.

This causes the cells temporarily to stop their relentless cell division as DNA repair mechanisms starts and protects the tumors from the lethal effects of chemotherapy.

Stressed mice with breast cancer produced higher levels of a nitric oxide-generating enzyme iNOS in their tumors. Greater iNOS activity leads to more aggressive breast cancer.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com

Statins reduce the risk of breast cancer

Lowering cholesterol activity reduces the risk of breast cancer, oestrogen hormone helps cancer to spread, that is why women are given anti-hormone treatments after chemotherapy and surgery.

Women whose genes encourage the production of  cholesterol are prone to breast cancer, statins can reduce the levels of cholesterol, taking statins to lower cholesterol could prevent breast cancer.

Statins interrupt the enzymatic reduction of HMG-CoA to mevalonate. This prevents synthesis of cholesterol.
Taking statins can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Statin is a form of medicine that is used to decrease the amount of low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Researchers followed up women both with and without a high cholesterol aged and compared it to mortality rates and breast cancer developments, they discovered that women taking statins have lower risk of developing cancer.
          haleplushearty.blogspot.com