Skin cancer rates rise in older men

Older men need to take skin cancer more critically; new figures reveal an explosion in melanoma rates in Victorian men over 60.

Skin cancer rates have increased by 400 per cent in the past 26 years among males in this age.

Cancer Council's Professor Graham Giles said older men were more at risk of skin cancer because they were born at a time when people were "purposely roasting themselves".

He said, "Men normally have a very poor attitude about their health and women are ones that take them off to see the doctor".

The former construction worker has a six inch mark, but he is lucky to be alive after being diagnosed with melanoma in December.

Doctors removed the lymph nodes under his armpit to prevent the cancer scattering.

Mr Kirby said, he cringes when he sees "young blokes" on building sites topless on hot days.

But Victorian Cancer Registry figures for 2008 found rural men were more than a third more probable to get skin cancer than their city cousins.

The 2217 cases of melanoma recorded across the state in 2008, more than half were men. And, the 279 Victorians who died of the disease in 2008, more than two thirds were men.

Associate Professor Grant McArthur, of Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, said skin cancer's load on Australia's population was "enormous". He said, "We have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.

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Exercise May Cuts Men's Cancer Death Risk

Men who take normal moderate exercise have a 34 per cent lower chance of being killed by cancer than those who do not, according to a study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet.
In this study, the researchers looked at the effect of physical activity and cancer risk in 40,708 men aged between 45 and 79. Over the seven year period of the revision, published in the British Journal of Cancer, 3,714 men developed cancer and 1,153 died from the disease.
Men who walked or cycled for at least 30 minutes a day had an increased survival from cancer with 33 per cent, than the men who exercised less or did not anything at all. The researchers also found that a more extensive programme of walking and cycling for stuck between 60 and 90 minutes and a day, led to a l6 per cent lower incidence of cancer.
But these activities only led to a five per cent decrease in cancer rates among the men who walked or cycled for 30 minutes day, a finding which could be due to chance. The researchers surveyed men from two counties in central Sweden about their way of life and the amount of physical activity they did. They scored these responses and compared the results with data formally recorded in a central cancer registry over a seven year period.
“These results show for the first time, the change that daily exercise has in reducing cancer death risk in men aged between 45 and 79", said Professor Alicja Wolk, who lead the study. “We looked at more reasonable exercise such as housework, undertaken over a longer period of time and found that this also reduced men’s chances of dying from the disease."

Cancer Survivors May Be at Risk for Memory Problems

Memory problems are common among people who have a history of cancer, new research reveals. In fact, cancer survivors are 40 percent more likely than those who haven't had cancer to experience the kind of memory impairment -- called "cancer-related cognitive dysfunction" -- that compromises their ability to function on a daily basis, the study authors reported.
"One of the most important parts of cancer treatment is management of symptoms, such as impairments in attention, memory and fatigue, in order to improve a patient's quality of life," Pascal Jean-Pierre, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.
To assess a possible memory-cancer connection, the study authors analyzed data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fourteen percent of the cancer survivors said they experienced difficulties with memory or periods of confusion, compared with just 8 percent of those who never had a cancer diagnosis.
"These memory issues can be related to treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapies," he said, "or to the tumor biology itself, which could change brain chemistry and neurobehavioral function."

Gene Study Adds to investigate of Breast Cancer Risk

Findings may help scientists develop way to predict creature risk in BRCA1 mutation carriers. Newly recognized gene mutations may affect breast cancer risk in some women, an international team of researchers has found.
It is already known that BRCA1 gene mutations significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This new study looked at whether other gene mutations might adjust or alter that breast cancer risk.
The Mayo Clinic-led team first studied genetic mutations in 1,193 women with BRCA1 mutations who had enveloping breast cancer and 1,190 women with BRCA1 mutations who didn't have breast cancer. They then used those results to study a larger sample of women in each group.
The investigators finally identified five gene mutations in the region of chromosome 19p13 that modify breast cancer risk in women with BRCA1 gene mutations. But these mutations do not distress ovarian cancer risk in these women, the researchers noted.
The findings, available in the current issue of the journal Nature Genetics, may help improve understanding of the causes of breast cancer and "should be useful in helping determine individual risk for breast cancer in BRCA1 carriers," senior author Fergus Couch said in a news release from the Mayo Clinic.

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2 Genes Have probable Link to Deadly Ovarian Cancer

Scientists say result s may lead to new therapies for ovarian clear cell carcinoma.
Mutations in two genes may be linked with one of the most deadly types of ovarian cancer, U.S. researchers have found.
In the study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center looked for mutations in 18,000 protein-encoding genes in ovarian clear cell tumors from eight patients. The investigators starts 268 mutations in 253 genes, with an average of 20 mutations per tumor.
Further inquiry revealed that two genes  ARID1A and PPP2R1A were more commonly mutated than other genes. ARID1A mutations were present in 57 percent of tumors while PPP2R1A mutations were present in 7.1 percent of tumors, according to the report available in the Sept. 8 online edition of Science Express.
ARID1A is a gene whose manufactured goods normally suppresses tumors. PPP2R1A is a gene that, when altered, helps turn normal cells into tumor cells. The genes had not previously been linked to ovarian cancer, the researchers explained in a rumor release from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.
The findings "may provide opportunities for developing new biomarkers and therapies that target those genes," Nickolas Papadopoulos, associate professor of oncology and director of Translational Genetics at the Ludwig Center for Cancer Genetics & Therapeutics at the cancer center, said in the news release.
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma, which accounts for about 10 percent of cancers that start in cells on the surface of the ovaries, mainly affects women aged 40 to 80 and is opposed to to chemotherapy, according to background information in the news release.

The fact about 12 health myths

In a 2002 German revise, researchers found that the burning process produces a novel type of cancer-fighting antioxidant in bread that is eight times more plentiful in the crust than in the crumb. Breads simply labeled "wheat" are frequently made with a combination of enriched white flour and whole-wheat flour and have less fiber.

If You are Go Out With Wet Hair, You'll Catch a Cold:

The truth is: You will suffer cold but will be just fine healthwise, says Jim Sears, a board-certified pediatrician in San Clemente, California, and a cohost of the daytime-TV show The Doctors. Half the group stayed in a temperate room while the rest took a bath and stood dripping wet in a entry for half an hour, then got undressed but wore wet socks for a few more hours. The wet group did not catch any more colds than the dry. Sears's conclusion: "Feeling cold doesn't affect your immune system."

If You Cross Your Eyes, They will Stay That Way:

The truth is: "There's no harm in charitable eye crossing," says W. Walker Motley, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. But if you notice your child doing this a lot, he might have other vision problems.

You Should supply a Cold and Starve a Fever:

The truth is: In both cases, eat and drink, then drink some more. "Staying hydrated is the most significant thing to do, because you lose a lot of fluids when you're ill," says Sears, who adds that there's no need for special beverages containing electrolytes (like Gatorade) except you are severely dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea.

chewing gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years:

The truth is: Your Little Leaguer's wad of Big League Chew won't (literally) stick about until high school graduation. "As with most nonfood objects that kids swallow, fluids carry gum through the intestinal tract, and within days it passes," says David Pollack, a older physician in the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Care Network. And even although gum isn't easily broken down in the digestive system, it probably won't cause a stomachache, either.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away:

The truth is: A handful of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away more efficiently. Blueberries are a nutritional jackpot, rich in antioxidants and fiber, and they are also easy to toss into cereal and yogurt. That said, eating a mixture of fruits and vegetables is important to prevent many chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, down the road.

You Lose 75 Percent of Your Body Heat throughout Your Head:

The truth is: "This proverb was probably based on an infant's head size, which is a much greater percentage of the total body than an adult head," says Pollack. That's why it is important to make sure an infant's head residue covered in cold weather. But for an adult, the figure is additional like 10 percent. And keep in mind that heat escapes from any uncovered area (feet, arms, hands), so putting on a hat is no more important than slipping on gloves.

To Get Rid of Hiccups, Have Someone Startle You:

The truth is: Mainly home remedies, like holding your breath or drinking from a glass of water backward, haven't been medically proven to be effective, says Pollack. However, you can try this trick dating back to 1971, when it was available in The New England Journal of Medicine: Swallow one teaspoon of white granulated sugar. According to the study, this method resulted in the cessation of hiccups in 19 out of 20 afflicted patients. Sweet.

Eating Fish Makes You Smart:

The truth is: For kids up to age three or four, this is certainly the case. Fish, especially oily ones, such as salmon, are filled with omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). "DHA is particularly beneficial in the first two years of life for brain development, cognition, and visual acuity," says Beverly Hills pediatrician Scott W. Cohen, the author of Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby's First Year ($16, amazon.com). And a 2008 study in Clinical Pediatrics showed an increase in vocabulary and comprehension for four-year-olds who be given daily DHA supplements. Omega-3 options for the fish-phobic? Try avocados, walnuts, and canola oil.

You Shouldn't Swim for an Hour once Eating:
 
The truth is: Splash away. "After you eat, more blood flows to the digestive system and away from the muscles," says Cohen. "The thinking was that if you exercised persistently right after eating, that lack of blood would cause you to cramp up and drown." But that won't happen. Sears concurs: "You might have less energy to swim energetically, but it shouldn't slow down your ability to tread water or play."

Every Child must Needs a Daily Multivitamin:
 
The truth is: Children who are only breast-fed during their first year should be given a vitamin D supplement. After that, a multivitamin won't injure anyone, but many experts say that even if your child is in a picky phase, there's no need to sneak Fred, Wilma, and company into his applesauce. "Even mainly fussy eaters grow normally," Cohen says. "Your kids will finally get what they need, even if it seems as if they're subsisting on air and sunlight."

Warm Milk Will Help You go down Asleep:

The truth is: Milk contains small amounts of tryptophan (the same amino acid in turkey), "but you would have to drink gallons to get any soporific result," says Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, who specializes in sleep disorders. "What is efficient is a routine to help kids wind down," he says. And if a glass of warm milk is part of the process, it can have a placebo effect, in spite of of science.

Throat cancer rates rise in men

Throat cancer cases have soared by 50 per cent in men in the last 25 years due to fatness and bad diet, researchers have found. Back in the eighties approximately 2,600 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer every year but now the figure is more than 5,100.
The most theatrical rise was among men in their 50s, as rates increased by 67 per cent over the same period.
Rates in women also rose, but simply by eight per cent, from 5.1 to 5.5 per 100,000 people. “But we think the obesity outbreak may be a big reason behind the augment. We know that being overweight considerably increases the risk of adenocarcinoma – the main type of oesophageal cancer that’s on the up. Our shifting diets are also likely to be influencing the rise with people eating less fruit and vegetables."
In 1983, 9.6 in every 100,000 men were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer but now 14.4 in every 100,000 men are diagnosed with the disease – an enlarge of 50 per cent. Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most familiar cancer in the UK. In 2007, around 8,000 people were diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, counting 5,226 men.
The risk of rising the disease increases with age and affects very few people under 40. Oesophageal cancer is one of the most complicated cancers to detect and treat, with only eight per cent of people with the disease ongoing at least five years. Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: “These new figures are principally concerning as oesophageal cancer is a very difficult cancer to treat.
"Oesophageal cancer rates have risen considerably in the UK compared with many other Western countries so we need to determine the underlying causes.
"To struggle the poor survival rate for oesophageal cancer, Cancer Research UK is funding research to find new ways to identify the disease earlier and improve treatment so that more people beat the disease.”

Food Better Than Supplements for Cancer Prevention: Texas Expert

Nutritional supplements are popular among Americans but people need to educate themselves and use concern when using these products to try to decrease their risk of cancer, says a University of Texas expert.
"Researchers are still hesitant about whether or not minerals, herbs and other plants taken in pill, capsule, tablet or liquid form in fact prevent cancer," Sally Scroggs, health education manager at the Cancer Prevention Center at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Medical Center, said in a news discharge from the center.
Vitamins E and C, for example, were found not to prevent cancer in the large-scale Women's Health Study and the Physicians' Health revision II. Result from other studies suggest that some supplements may actually increase cancer risk by disturbing the balance of nutrients in the body.
"If you eat lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, you must get the nutrients, including fiber, vitamins and minerals, your body needs to lower your chances of getting diseases like cancer," Scroggs said. "Taking a pill can't restore a healthy diet."
She recommended eating plenty of foods loaded with cancer-fighting nutrients such as beta-carotene, selenium, lycopene, resveratrol and vitamins A, C and E.
This includes women who are pregnant or breast-feeding; people at risk for vitamin D deficiency or osteoporosis; and people at risk for B-12 deficiency, including those aged 50 and older and vegans who devour no animal products.
Scroggs finished that if you're considering taking supplements, consult with a doctor or registered dietician first.