Berry boosts cervical cancer therapy

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention many women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. One of the most common treatments for cervical cancer is radiation. While radiation therapy destroys cancer cells, it also destroys nearby healthy cells. University of Missouri School of Medicine researchers studied in vitro human cancer cells to show that combining blueberry extract with radiation can increase the treatment's effectiveness.

Radiosensitizers are non-toxic chemicals that make cancer cells more responsive to radiation therapy. In a previous study, Fang and his research team showed that resveratrol, a compound in red grapes, could be used as a radiosensitizer for treating prostate cancer. Blueberries also contain resveratrol. In addition to resveratrol, blueberries also contain flavonoids.

The researchers used human cervical cancer cell lines to mimic clinical treatment. The cell lines were divided into four groups that included a control group, a group that received only radiation, a group that received only blueberry extract, and a group that received both radiation and the extract. Researchers used three different measures to confirm results of the study.

 Radiation decreased cancer cells by approximately 20 percent. Interestingly, the cell group that received only blueberry extract had a 25 percent decrease in cancer. However, the biggest decline in cancer cells occurred in the radiation and extract group.
The mechanism that makes blueberry extract a radiosensitizer also reduces the abnormal explosion of cell growth. Cancer cells avoid death by remodeling themselves. Along with reducing cell proliferation, the extract also 'tricks' cancer cells into dying. So it inhibits the birth and promotes the death of cancer cells.
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Cancer survivors age faster and die younger

Childhood cancer survivors naturally age faster and are more likely to die sooner than those who have not had the disease, according to a new study. The research also showed that survivors are three to six times more likely to develop cancer again. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, found that hormonal/gland disorders (endocrinopathies), heart problems, lower bone mineral density, lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) and secondary cancers are more likely to occur in childhood cancer survivors later in life.

Frailty to bones and joints may also occur at an earlier age than the general population due to the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy to normal healthy tissues. The cancer and harsh treatments diminishes 'physiological reserve', the capacity in organs and biological body systems given to us at birth. These are the body's natural resilience to overcome internal and external biological stressors.

Other findings showed that childhood cancer survivors' estimated life expectancy is 30 percent lower than that of the general population. Also, the risk of frailty among bone marrow transplant recipients is around eight times as high as that of their siblings. Radiation therapy is associated with dementia, memory loss and secondary bone marrow cell and blood cancers, while long-term steroid treatment is linked to a higher risk of cataracts, osteoporosis, nerve damage and infection.
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Prone radiation for breast cancer treatment

Lying face down called prone radiation, to receive radiation therapy to the breast area reduces the amount of radiation that reaches the heart and lungs and protects them from damage.

When patients receive radiotherapy from X-ray radiation which destroys cancer cells, the radiation may destroy lungs and the heart if the patient lie on her back, lying on face protects and exempts the heart and lungs from the radiation.

Treatments that prevent or reduce the heart and lungs from radiation are very important to prevents heart and lungs damage. Prone radiotherapy makes it easy to treat large breast without heart and lungs damage.

Arthritis patients or those suffering from back pain may not be able to benefit from this method, women who are not comfortable lying on their stomach for a long period of time may not use prone radiation.
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