Cancer

On the occasion of World Cancer Day, Dr V Shanta, Chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai, a doyenne in her field, talks to PatientsEngage about the challenges of tackling cancer in India. “India has state of the art facilities but it does not reach everyone.”  PE: There are many differing views on how frequently one should have mammograms. You have said that annual mammograms are unnecessary.  Dr. Shanta: I believe that we do follow the general guidelines laid…

Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby – son of a BBC legend – tells Charlie Cooper how his father’s candour informed the family’s attitude to coping with illness Britain in 1965 was not a country that talked about cancer. So when one of the most recognisable men in Britain, the veteran broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, decided in October 1965 to go public with the fact that he was suffering from it, the announcement stunned the country. “The newspapers, when he said: ‘I have got cancer’, responded…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted accelerated approval to Ibrance (palbociclib) to treat advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. Breast cancer in women is one of the three common cancers in most countries.  The drug, whose chemical name is palbociclib, was approved for previously untreated postmenopausal women whose cancer cells have receptors to the female hormone estrogen and who do not have mutations in the HER2 gene that can contribute to uncontrolled growth of breast…

Girls who frequently consume sugary drinks tend to start their menstrual periods earlier than girls who do not, according to new research published online Jan 28 in Human Reproduction. This effect was independent of the girls' body mass index (BMI), height, total food intake and other lifestyle factors such as physical activity. The findings are important not only because of the growing problem of childhood obesity in a number of developed countries, but also because starting periods earlier is…

Driven by the evidence, not by rhetoric or anecdote, we describe what the reality of research actually shows to be true. Myth 1: Cancer is a man-made, modern disease While it’s certainly true that global lifestyle-related diseases like cancer are on the rise, the biggest risk factor for cancer is age. Myth 2: Superfoods prevent cancer Blueberries, beetroot, broccoli, garlic, green tea… the list goes on. Despite thousands of websites claiming otherwise, there’s no such thing…

Triple-negative breast cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease, does not respond to hormonal therapies such as tamoxifen, or targeted drugs like Herceptin and nearly one quarter of patients diagnosed will not survive for more than five years. Now researchers at Cambridge University and the Wellcome Trust’s Sanger Institute have found that the BCL11A gene is overactive in eight out of ten patients. The study opens the door for therapies which suppress the gene and…

People who eat a high-protein diet during middle age are more likely to die of cancer than those who eat less protein, a new study finds. However, for people older than 65, a moderate protein intake may actually be beneficial, and protect against frailty, the researchers said. The researchers looked at more than 6,000 people ages 50 and older, and followed them for 18 years. They found that people ages 50 to 65 who ate a diet rich in animal proteins during middle age were more…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today(December 22, 2014) granted accelerated approval to Opdivo (nivolumab), a new treatment for patients with unresectable (cannot be removed by surgery) or metastatic (advanced) melanoma who no longer respond to other drugs. Melanoma is often diagnosed late in people with darker skin and hence has higher malignancy.  Opdivo works by inhibiting the PD-1 protein on cells, which blocks the body’s immune system from attacking melanoma tumors.…

Death stared at me up close this year, says cancer survivor Minakshi Ray. What did that teach her about life? As I sit back and take stock of how 2014 treated me, I would say, it was a mixed bag. There have been losses and gains. I don't mean material losses or gains, rather I will remember the year in terms of the emotional journey. Following my battle of survival against breast cancer, my perspective on life has changed completely. The biggest realisation that has dawned…

What is ovarian cancer Ovarian cancer is cancer that develops in one or both the ovaries. It can then spread to other parts of the body. Cancer in the ovaries can also be a secondary cancer, the result of metastasis from a primary cancer elsewhere in the body. 7% of ovarian cancers are due to metastases while the rest are primary cancers that occur in the ovaries itself. Cancer occurring primarily in breast or in gastrointestintinal tract most often tend to metastasise to the ovaries. Ovarian…