Alcohol in Mouthwash Linked to Oral Cancer

Australian researchers have linked alcohol, an ingredient found in many mouthwashes, to oral cancer and are calling for them to be pulled immediately from supermarket shelves. The review, published in the Dental Journal of Australia, says there is “sufficient evidence” that “alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of development of oral cancer.”

The alcohol is believed to allow carcinogenic substances to enter the lining of the mouth more easily. In addition, acetaldehyde, which is a toxic byproduct of alcohol that can build up in the mouth when mouthwash is swished around, is also thought to cause cancer.

Some brands, such as Listerine, contain over 25 percent alcohol.

Lead author Professor Michael McCullough believes mouthwashes that contain alcohol should be available only by prescription. McCullough, who is chair of the Australian Dental Association is urging the ADA to consider withdrawing their seal of approval for mouthwashes that contain alcohol. (The American Dental Association also gives mouthwashes containing alcohol its seal of approval.)

“We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash,” he told News.com.au. McCullough’s review found that using alcohol-containing mouthwashes daily raised the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx 400 to 500 percent. Those who smoked and used alcohol mouthwashes had a 900 percent increase in risk.

McCullough believes mouthwashes are more risky than alcohol or beer because they usually contain higher concentrations of alcohol than wine or beer and are kept in the mouth longer. “If you have a glass of wine, you tend to swallow it,” he said. “With mouthwash, you have a higher level of alcohol and spend longer swishing it around your mouth. The alcohol that is present in your mouth is turned into acetaldehyde.”

McCullough recommends switching to an alcohol-free mouthwash.

Simple Blood Test for Colon Cancer

People are often reluctant to undergo a routine but painful colonoscopy ― but the consequences can be fatal. According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer is the third most common cancer found in American men and women and kills about 50,000 Americans every year.

“85% of those who develop colon cancer have no symptoms or family history,” says Prof. Nadir Arber, a professor of medicine and gastroenterology, at Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. “Generally speaking, it’s much harder to get these people to comply with taking the test.”

To convince more people to undergo the potentially life-saving colonoscopy, Prof. Arber has developed a simple early-warning test that can detect colon cancer in the blood. Using biomarkers, it is the first test on the market that can detect cells of colon polyps, the precursors to colon cancer in the blood, with a very high degree of sensitivity and accuracy.

This painless, non-invasive and inexpensive test could very well be a breakthrough of the decade.

“If we can identify those who are prone to cancer through a less invasive test, we can convince them to do the colonoscopy,” leading to earlier detection and treatment, says Prof. Arber, who heads the Integrated Cancer Prevention Center at the Tel Aviv Souraski Medical Center.

Now being prepared for the market by Bio Mark Ltd., a subsidiary of Micromedic Technologies Ltd., Prof. Arber’s “CD24” test could begin to save thousands of Americans’ lives by as early as 2010. With the test, doctors can catch polyp growth in the colon in 80% of patients.

The American Cancer Society suggests that all Americans over the age of 50 receive periodic colonoscopies. With Prof. Arber’s test, doctors will be able to screen patients for colon cancer quickly and easily as part of a routine blood test. While not 100% accurate, it will provide a convincing argument for patients to undergo the colonoscopy, and then polyp removal, if necessary.

The novel invention is based on testing CD24, the oncogene for colorectal cancer. It utilizes the fact that polyps in the colon emit biomarkers, which can be detected in the blood at very low levels. Recent studies show that the test can correctly identify adenomas, the polyps that convert to colon cancer, at a success rate of more than 80%.

Some patients forego colonoscopy not just out of fear or distaste, but due to its high cost. Here, too, the breakthrough is significant. While traditional colonoscopies cost about about $1,500 per test, Prof. Arber’s procedure is expected to cost much less ― $50 to $100 per test.

Prof. Arber is also working on a drug that prevents the growth of polyps in the colon.

Go Bananas for a Healthier Colon

What do bananas have in common with corn, eggs, salmon, and spinach? Hint: a vitamin that’s great for your colon. 

We’re talking about B6. And science shows that simply getting your share of this nutrient could cut your risk of colon and rectal cancer. A lot. 

Big Time B Benefits
In one of the largest studies to date on B6 and colon health, people with the highest intake of the vitamin -- from food and supplements -- reduced their risk of colorectal cancer by 20 to 30 percent. And this study is just one of many showing a benefit. Researchers suspect that B6’s role in the metabolism of folate -- another colon-friendly B vitamin -- might explain the protective effects. 

From Top to Bottom
A healthy colon is just one reason to load up on B6-rich foods. The mighty vitamin might also help stave off Parkinson's Disease and depression. 

B Vitamins Protect Seniors From Cancer

While headlines this week blared that a study conducted at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that B vitamins did not protect against cancer, the media virtually ignored the fact that the study found substantial protection in those over 65.

The study followed over 5,400 women who had high blood pressure or high cholesterol and were at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The women, whose average age was 63, were followed for seven and a half years.

Researchers examined the effects of taking a daily supplement containing folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12. During the study, 379 cases of invasive cancer were diagnosed. Although the vitamin group had a total of five fewer cancers than the placebo group (187 vs. 192), the researchers concluded there was no significant difference. But in women over the age of 65, they found a reduction of 25 percent in the risk of developing any type of cancer and a 38 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer.

Lead author Shumin Zhang wrote: “The results may have public health significance because the incidence rates of cancer are high in elderly persons. The finding is biologically plausible because elderly individuals have increased requirements for these B vitamins.”

Other studies have found that people who have diets high in folic acid lower their risk of developing cancer.

Be Very Aware During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

"As you may know, October is "Breast Cancer Awareness Month." Women who test positive for mutations in BRCA1 genes have up to an 87% chance of developing breast cancer, and a 44% chance of developing ovarian cancer by the age of 70.

"As with other genetic mutation diseases..., when there is a test for the mutation, do you want to know your fate? Many vote "no," and I find that amazing. I understand the fear that goes along with realizing you are at significantly higher risk or actually have a potentially devastating disease, but knowledge is power, and prophylaxis and treatment lower your risk of having the worst come to bear." 

Vitamin C Helps Fight Breast Cancer and Lowers Blood Pressure

I need to correct something I said early about the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month or the pink month.   I said the organizer is not forthcoming and does not tell readers who sponsor the campaign. I was wrong! The organizer actually discloses a list of the sponsors in detail.   But I was still right in that the campaign does not mean to encourage women to prevent breast cancer.   Rather it means to have women to receive screening and early detection, which are good, but not the women's best interest.

 

The first on the list of sponsors is American cancer Society or ACS, the richest not-for-profit organization in the world as some critics call.   Sponsors also include American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists representing 51,000 physicians, American College of Radiology representing 32,000 radiologists, American Society of Clinical Oncology, representing 25,000 cancer physicians, and AstraZeneca Healthcare Foundation organized by the drug maker of Arimidex and Tamoxifen.   Some other major medical associations and government agencies are also listed as sponsors for the national Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

The campaign organizer seems to act as a service provider to help patients with information on breast cancer, its diagnosis and treatment including early detection and mammograms/screening. There is lots of information on its website for that effort.   But there is nothing about prevention meant to stop the malignancy from developing in the first place, which is understandable. If there is no breast cancer or the incidence is significantly reduced by some effective prevention measures, the cancer business would see a huge dip in revenue.

 

I agree that this campaign gives breast cancer survivors some comfortable. They feel that many people and organizations stand behind them and help them fight the disease that could take their life at any minute.   In a sense, many patients benefit from this breast cancer awareness campaign.

 

But it seems to me that the industry and the government do not seem interested much in research to find out how to prevent the disease in the first place, which unfortunately could disservice the industry.   The best interest for the industry could be to find some treatment that can sustain the patients’ lives, but not cure the disease.

 

Breast cancer is expected to be diagnosed in one in every 8 women in their lifetime in the United States. It is up to women how to act to deal with the risk.   They can wait to get the disease and then resort to doctors and hospitals for treatments that are no cure for the disease or they can be proactive and do something to prevent the disease from developing in the first place.

 

There are many things women can do reduce the risk of breast cancer that vitamizes 182,000 women and kill 40,000 each year in the U.S.   But the most important thing to remember is that no one should wait for her doctors or the government to give her the answers regarding the prevention of breast cancer. 

Breast Self-Exam Tips

Breast Self-Exam Savvy If it's been a while since you started checking your breasts for lumps, it may be time for a refresher. The American Cancer Society (ACS) has updated its instructions for monthly breast self-exams to reflect new scientific data. Among the changes: - Lie down to perform the exam. When you're lying on your back, the breast tissue spreads evenly over the chest wall and becomes as thin as possible. This makes it easier to feel all of the breast. - Move across the breast in an up-and-down pattern. There's evidence that this is the most effective technique for covering the entire breast. (In the past, women were offered a choice of several patterns.) - Use different levels of pressure: light, to examine breast tissue closest to your skin; medium, to feel a little deeper; and firm, to reach the tissue closest to your ribs. A firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast is normal. The ACS no longer recommends squeezing the nipple, since stimulation can release small amounts of fluid from healthy breasts. (Spontaneous discharge is more worrisome.) - Sit or stand and slightly raise your arm to probe the underarm area. "Go deep into the armpit," says Christine Pellegrino, M.D., director of the Breast Clinic at the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center in New York City. - However you check your breasts, do it at the same time every month, to increase your chances of finding any lump that shouldn't be there. Source:  Remedy