Cancer •

Prevent Skin Cancer This Summer

June 30, 2016 By Dean Lamori Leave a Comment

Skin cancer has spread because of sun exposure.

The percentage of skin cancer cases has increased this summer, due to excessive exposure to sun’s UV rays. According to Dr. Rogers, a dermatologist at Spohn South, over 30 people developed skin cancer and other four four were diagnosed with melanoma.

These statistics are based on the medical analysis of around 330 patients over the past six weeks. This critical number comes from the fact that people spend too much time sunbathing. Doctors recommend people to purchase a healthy sunscreen product and reapply it during the time they spend on the beach.

Experts believe that just a small percentage of the individuals going to the beach use sunscreen to protect themselves from the ultraviolet rays. People over 45 years old are more likely to develop skins cancer after an extended period in the sun.

Beachgoers should check their bodies all the time to spot any rash or mole of an unusual color and shape. Everyone should make an appointment with their doctors to make sure that they are 100 percent healthy. There are three types of skin cancer, but only melanoma can be deadly.

The safest sunscreen product must have a good sun protection factor. SFP 15 sunscreen blocks 93 percent of the UV rays, whereas an SPF 30 product blocks 97 percent of them. Scientists recommend an SPF 30 sunscreen because everything that is higher than this does not provide too much of additional protection.

Regarding sun radiation, UVB rays are more common but not as dangerous as the UVA rays which can penetrate the skin deeper than the others, meaning that they can lead to skin cancer faster. Therefore, doctors recommend people to look for sunscreen products with the ‘broad spectrum’ label.

There are certain ingredients which might lead to allergic reactions, so if you want to make sure that using a product will not result in severe consequences, rub just a drop of sunscreen on your wrist and wait 24 hours to see whether any rashes appear or not.

Regardless of the fact that some products might be labeled as waterproof, doctors say that sunscreen should be reapplied at every two hours, after excessive sweating, or swimming. Skin cancer might also be prevented by avoiding the hottest hours of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as well as by wearing long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and hats.

Image Source:Pumping Iron

Relay For Life Never Gives Up

June 21, 2016 By Sam Doliente Leave a Comment

Relay for Life continues in the United States.

There is a constant fight nowadays against cancer and its causes. Fortunately, Relay for Life is one of the initiatives that continue helping and encouraging people in their battle with cancer.

Survivors confessed that the devastating force of cancer included a lot of pain, needles, constant blood work, fatigue, and hair loss. Plus, scans, chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery are some of the many efforts that cancer fighters must make in order to deal with this disease.

Nevertheless, every single cancer survivor says that it is all worth it as long as you have a healthy perspective towards life. The next Relay for Life will be in Mercer County, Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. at Central Park, 120 N. College Avenue.

The Relay will raise money and awareness to help cancer fighters and to support the research of the American Cancer Society. During the Relay, there will be many types of activities such as children’s games, musical entertainment, food sales, and silent auctions.

Plus, there will also be the Survivor’s Walk and many long event runs. The funds will also go to many other support programs including Look Good Feel Better Program, designed to teach women with cancer beauty techniques; transportation for patients to a hospital where they can benefit from the correct treatment; and Hope Lodge, a program which helps patients undergoing treatment.

According to Sue Hiscocks, Mercer County Relay organizer for the last 25 years, Relay for Life is one of the most critical missions for her as she lost her brother, Gary Johnson, after a long fight with leukemia at age 15.

She underlined that it is a tough battle, so people need to be encouraged to carry on. In addition to this, Survivor Walk is the most touching part of the Relay as during this activity you can hear a lot of people cheering and encouraging one another.

Through this initiative, the ones who passed away are remembered, cancer fighters are supported, and survivors are celebrated. Until now, the Mercer County Relay has collected $41,206 during the event, and the fundraising will continue as 22 teams will be walking this Saturday.

At the sunset, the track will be illuminated by luminaria candles which will be available for $10. The silent lap will begin at 9 p.m. and will probably be the most important part of the Mercer County Relay For Life.

Image Source:Cancer Council

Hot Drinks Might Increase the Risk of Cancer

June 16, 2016 By John Cooper Leave a Comment

Hot drinks might be dangerous.

The World Health Organization’s cancer agency has recently established that drinking coffee does not lead to cancer. Furthermore, after previously putting coffee in the 2B category of cancer danger alongside chloroform and many other chemical substances, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found that coffee was not a possible carcinogenic. However, hot drinks might be.

More precisely, recent research has shown that if we drink beverages such as tea, coffee, and water of 65 degrees Celsius or above, we could have a higher risk of developing esophageal cancer.

Last year, the IARC made a research on over 1,000 scientific studies in animals and humans. Based on the results, the agency established that processed meat might lead to cancer. Regarding coffee, the IARC did not have enough evidence to decide whether coffee is carcinogenic or not.

It was a great relief for coffee drinkers, in particular for the United States National Coffee Association. However, based on the research regarding hot beverages, scientists discovered that hot beverages with drinking temperatures of at least 65 degrees Celsius might have a carcinogenic effect on humans.

Worse, after doing some experiments on mice and rats, researchers learned that drinking hot liquids increased to the risk of tumors development. It is also worth mentioning that esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cause of cancer throughout the world and one of the leading causes of deaths occurring from cancer.

Unfortunately, the statistics showed that 400,000 people died because of esophageal cancer in 2012. According to Gregory Hartl, official spokesman of the World Health Organization, the results of this study came from limited findings in animals and humans.

Therefore, further research is needed in order to establish if there is a real connection between hot drinks and the risk of esophageal cancer development. On the other hand, WHO officials advise people to let their drinks cool down before drinking them to avoid any possible health threat.

Cancer has always been a reason for concern. That is why whenever such a study is developed scientists raise awareness for people to understand that they need to take some precautions. Experts suggest people enjoy their drinks but warm not hot.

Hopefully, scientists will soon establish whether hot drinks are dangerous for our health or not.

Image Source:Pixabay

Relay For Life Keeps Up The Good Work

June 15, 2016 By Amilia Allport Leave a Comment

Relay For Life continues to raise awareness and funds.

Relay for Life continues throughout the United States as many events continue raising awareness and funds to deal with cancer once and for all.

Plum residents brought their contribution as well. According to Nicole Gionata, Plum resident, fighting with cancer is something that you should not be doing alone.

Her grandmother, Geraldine Sutherland of Michigan, fought back breast cancer in 1998 but passed away in 2002 because of lung cancer at the age of 67 years old. Gionata confessed that her grandmother was a very happy person, honest and full of life.

Gionata, who is now 28 years old, participated this Saturday for the second year in a row in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life in Pittsburgh East at the Bill Fralic Athletic Center and Penn Hills High School football field.

Furthermore, she added that this Relay was so important to her because of her experience. By participating in these events, Gionata feels that she can bring her contribution to the cancer fight initiative throughout the United States.

According to Kelly Fennessy, Relay For Life Community Manager, the last year’s event from Pittsburgh East, covering many neighboring communities such as Forest Hills, Verona, Monroeville, Woodland Hills, Penn Hills, and Plum, raised an impressive amount of $37,000.

This year, teams can raise money until August 31^st as they hope to collect more funds than last year. This is possible because many people support this cause and feel the need to be close to those who are fighting with cancer.

The Relay is not just an event which aims to raise funds, but it is also the ideal opportunity for cancer survivors to gather together and celebrate life. This way some can be an inspiration for others whereas some may change their perspective and start seeing life from a different angle.

Everyone who wants to bring their contribution can buy a Pittsburgh Pirates ticket raffle for entries starting from July 9^th. The raffle entry costs $10 and offers you a chance to win four home plate box seats to the game against Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on July 23^rd.

Hopefully, more and more people will start participating in these events to make the Relay For Life the primary symbol of the fight against cancer throughout the United States.

Image Source:Wikipedia

Healthy Lifestyle Beats Breast Cancer

June 12, 2016 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

Healthy lifestyle tackles breast cancer.

Women that are genetically predisposed to a higher risk of breast cancer can significantly reduce it by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Recent research has shown that it does not matter whether you are more likely to develop breast cancer or not as long as you know how to protect yourself.

Prevention is a crucial element if you want to have a healthy life. Therefore, scientists explained that white women with a high risk of developing breast cancer who did not use hormone replacement therapy did not smoke, did not drink alcohol and maintained a healthy body index had almost the same risk of developing breast cancer as the other white women in the United States.

The average 30-year-old white woman usually has an 11% chance of developing breast cancer by 80 years old. A team of scientists made a National Health Interview Study which involved 20,000 healthy white women from the Breast and Prostate Cancer Cohort Consortium, 17,000 white women with breast cancer and other 6,000 female participants.

After analyzing them based on weight, age and the population incidence rates from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from the National Cancer Institute, the results have shown that healthy lifestyle has a significant effect on reducing the risk of developing breast cancer.

However, further research is needed in order to establish the risk of breast cancer in other ethnic groups of women.

According to Nilanjan Chatterjee, lead author of the study, Ph.D. and a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biostatics at the Bloomberg School, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, people usually think that their genetic risk of developing breast cancer is something they cannot change.

Nevertheless, a healthy lifestyle based on daily or weekly physical exercise, no bad habits, and a healthy diet can significantly reduce these risks. Experts underline the importance of eating right, by explaining that 70% of the causes of every illness lie in the fact that people eat unhealthy food.

Breast cancer is a disease that took its toll on the women in the United States. However, scientists doubled their efforts to try and find a new strategy to tackle this problem. Plus, many organizations and volunteers throughout the U.S. are organizing every year many events dedicated to breast cancer survivors.

Image Source:Wikipedia

How To Tackle Cancer Resistance

June 10, 2016 By Dean Lamori Leave a Comment

Glucose is the answer to deal with cancer.

Antiangiogenic drugs are the one of the most common methods used to deal with cancer resistance. Therefore, a team of scientists from the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit made a study focusing on the benefits of this drug.

During the study, researchers used mice with lung and breast cancer and tried to find a way to reduce the tumor growth in both cases. After adding an antidiabetic agent to the antiangiogenic drug, scientists discovered that the results were fantastic as the growth of the tumor was impeded by a surprising 92%.

Epithelial tumors are known to have a high resistance to antiangiogenic agents. Moreover, these agents are used to deal with many types of cancer such as liver carcinomas, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer.

FDA and EMEA have recently approved the use of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), which are antiangiogenic drugs as well, to provide treatment for patients suffering from advanced lung cancer. The primary source of power for cells is the mitochondria. The problem is that cancer cells consume 20 times more glucose than normal cells do.

Plus, the changes in cell metabolism are caused by the Warburg effect. This phenomenon comes from the abnormal blood vessels that help the tumor’s development. These vessels also lead to hypoxia (oxygen drop-off). Therefore, the lack of oxygen causes changes in cell metabolism resulting in the Warburg effect.

According to Miguel Quintela-Fandino, lead researcher and head of the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Unit at the CNIO, the purpose of the TKIs is to inhibit the cancer cells metabolism. In other words, with this treatment scientists hope to stop the high glucose consumption.

As a result, these cancer cells should die due to starvation, but because they are highly adaptable, they change their energy source relying on mitochondrial respiration. Still, scientists thought that the wisest method would be to use this defense mechanism to their advantage by attacking the cancer cells.

In other words, mitochondrial respiration makes cancer cells an easy to spot target for medical treatments. The mitochondrial blocker, known as antidiabetic phenformin, which was added to the antiangiogenic drug regimen proved to be highly efficient in mice.

Scientists named this effect the ‘metabolic synthetic lethality’ and proved to increase the survival rate of the patients by over 40 percent. However, the investigation needs to continue, so that experts will be able to establish how to deal with cancer in the future as well.

Image Source:The Odyssey Online

The Fight Against Cancer

June 5, 2016 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

Cancer fight continues.

Many people continue to show their appreciation to life during events such as National Cancer Survivors Day. This event represents a gathering of support for those who need it, the inspiration for those who are fighting and a celebration for the ones who survived.

Statistics have shown that 14.5 million people are suffering from cancer in the United States and over 32 million cancer survivors in the world. Today, the 29^th annual National Cancer Survivors Day gathered many communities together.

According to the administrator for the celebration, the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, a survivor is anyone who has a history of cancer, who is still fighting with cancer or defeated the disease.

Laura Shipp, the spokesperson of the Foundation, mentioned that people usually have a wrong perspective towards cancer. However, more and more cancer survivors are having healthier lifestyles and life longer after dealing with cancer.

This event offers these survivors the chance to inspire one another during this fight. Plus, this day also targets to make everyone understand the difficulties one has to face while living with cancer, such as financial hardships, emotional, social and psychological distress.

In other words, cancer is not all about physical side effects, but it also takes its toll on your mind and spirit if you do not educate yourself to see the good parts of this reality. The Foundation hopes that NCSD will catch the attention of many people and that it will play a significant role for increased public awareness to improve cancer survivors’ life quality, finding more resources and developing further research.

All citizens are encouraged to participate in this event. The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides networking resources, education, free guidance and assistance to many cancer-related organizations, such as support groups and hundreds of hospitals, which also have National Cancer Survivors Day events in their communities.

Furthermore, the primary goal of the Foundation is to raise awareness to the problems of cancer survivorship and to improve the life quality of more and more survivors.

Fortunately, the number of cancer survivors is growing. Nevertheless, many of them have to deal with difficulties such as psychosocial struggles, finding employment, inadequate or no insurance, a lack of information about new treatments and healthcare specialists. Hopefully, things will get better in the future, and the efforts of these organizations will pay off.

Image Source:States Man

Cell Phone Radiation Leads to Cancer

June 3, 2016 By Sam Doliente Leave a Comment

Cell Phone radiation related to cancer.

Even if in 2015 the European Commission announced that cell phone radiation is not dangerous, the latest studies proved otherwise.

Recent research has shown that the constant contact between the cell phone and the parotid gland might lead to cancer. The parotid gland is a salivary gland situated near where people hold their mobile phones, close to the cheek.

According to Eve Plews of Full Spectrum Health, people should avoid non-ionizing radiation coming from phones by purchasing phones that have less radiation. Plus, the safest choice is to keep it away by using the speakers and advising teens to avoid sticking the phones in their bra.

Therefore, it would be best to stay away from the radiation as much as possible. For instance, we can do this by not putting the phone on the nightstand. According to John Coates, Founder of RF Safe, the bioassay released by the NTP proved that the non-ionizing radiation at cell phones levels might lead to cancer.

Plus, new studies showed that 3G and 4G technologies are riskier than 2G, so we are more vulnerable to the consequences of cell phone use. In addition to this, even cell phone manufacturers do not recommend users to hold the phone closely to their ears while speaking on the phone.

The types of diseases that are linked to malignant tumors are in the heart, known as schwannomas, and gliomas, in the brain. Scientists used lab rats to see the effects of the non-ionizing radiations on them. It turned out that after a high exposure, males developed tumors very fast but still without affecting their lifespan.

Nevertheless, many other scientists rejected this study’s results, underlining the fact that a tumor is still a tumor whether you live longer or not. Plus, it is a common fact that radiation could never be associated with something good. Even if people are oblivious to the risks, a high cell phone usage means a high exposure to non-ionizing radiations which are still linked to cancer.

Experts know that there is no lottery when we refer to health, so we should do our best to prevent cell phone radiation as much as possible instead of exposing ourselves without thinking of the possible consequences.

Image Source:Complete Health News

Sun Block Blocks Cancer

June 2, 2016 By Tom Hager Leave a Comment

Skin cancer is easy to prevent.

Everyone knows the basic skin cancer prevention methods, such as avoiding sunburns, tanning beds and using SPF 15 sunscreen.

These suggestions and others are given to every adult by the National Skin Cancer Foundation to increase awareness during the summer. They are a good reminder of the fact that skin cancer is the most common but still the most preventable form of cancer in the US. Around 3.3 million people receive treatment while one in five Americans develops this disease every year.

In spite of all this information, a survey from 2004 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established that 27 percent of Caucasian adults from Kentucky suffered sunburn damage in the previous year.

Plus, the rate of melanoma diagnoses increased in Kentucky with 14 percent above the national average and 1,260 citizens developed skin cancer in 2009. In addition to this, 136 people die annually because of melanoma.

Russell County from the south-central Kentucky is one of the top 2 percent counties in the U.S. rated for the most melanoma cases and Warren County, which has the 17^th – highest death rate. Moreover, even if people are aware of the risks, they do not realize how easily you can get sunburnt. It is enough just to be out boating or golfing.

As May is the Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the National Skin Cancer Foundation provides everyone with some tips. The first one is called “The Shadow Rule” because you have to understand that while you are in the sun if your shadow is shorter than you, it means the UV rays are dangerous.

Second, if you previously had sunburns five times or more, you have a double risk of developing skin cancer. Tanning booths are dangerous as well because tanning machines increase the risk of skin cancer by 2.5. It is also important to cover your body with dense clothing, UV-blocking sunglasses, and large hats.

SPF 15 sunscreen or even higher is recommended when you are outside. Plus you need to apply it 30 minutes before going out and you should reapply it every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.

Last but not least, skin examination head-to-toe is imperative. People are advised to check for new moles, changes to existing moles, or other changes on the skin. All in all, visiting the doctor on a regular basis is also important in preventing skin cancer and informing yourself better.

Image Source:Niouzes

Safety and Skin Cancer

May 28, 2016 By Tom Hager Leave a Comment

Skin cancer and melanoma can be prevented.

Many activities are being developed in order to prevent skin cancer after it has been decided that May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Skin cancer is the most encountered form of cancer in U.S. because 5 million people need treatment every year. There are three types of skin cancer out of which one can be lethal. The first and the second most common types are squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma. The third one occurs rarely, but it is the most dangerous and aggressive one.

Fortunately, it consists of only 1 percent of all the skin cancer cases but it is the source of the highest mortality rate. Statistics of The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer showed that 1,174 people were diagnosed with melanoma in 2013 and 229 of them died.

According to Jerome Adams, State Health Commissioner, by protecting our skin, we can highly reduce the risk of skin cancer. We can do that by avoiding sun lamps, tanning beds and long exposure to the sun. Scientists established that the biggest skin cancer cause is the exposure to UV rays.

If someone gets sunburnt, it means he or she spent too much time exposed to UV rays. Unfortunately, over one in three Americans suffer from sunburns every year. As mentioned before, indoor tanning devices are a bad idea because over 400,000 cases of skin cancer of which 6,000 are melanomas are associated with indoor tanning in the U.S. every year.

Furthermore, Dr. Adams underlines that the conception of safe tan is false. If your skin is tanned, it means it’s damaged. Plus, people who use indoor tanning devices are more vulnerable to melanoma than the ones who don’t. People need to be educated so they can understand the danger of UV rays and the consequences of sun exposure.

The Surgeon General’s recommends people to use good sunscreen, wear sunglasses, hats, and long-sleeved pants and shirts. Plus, seeking shade during the hottest hours is crucial. Plus, in case someone develops the disease, early detection will prove to be vital.

Therefore, people are recommended to check their skin and visit their doctors on a regular basis, to prevent or detect skin cancer. A disease that is discovered early is easier to treat.

Image Source:Audubon Dermatology

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