Healthier Cake contest winners

Let Them Eat (Healthier) Cake

By Tara Parker-Pope, 8-18-09, NY Times Blogs (Well)

The American Cancer Society recently asked baking and pastry students at the Culinary Institute of America to reinvent the birthday cake using better-for-you ingredients.

Alexandra Mudry won for her makeover of a red velvet cake.

The winner was a healthful twist on the red velvet cake, created by Alexandra Mudry, a former actress from Pleasantville, N.Y., who will graduate from the school in October. The recipe cuts back on the sugar, eggs, oil and butter in the traditional version, substituting roasted beets, dried cherries, applesauce and whole grain flour to boost the nutrient content. Ms. Mudry’s New Red Velvet Cake, which is filled with chocolate ganache and topped with cream cheese frosting, is now the official cake of the American Cancer Society’s “More Birthdays” campaign.

Recipes from the other four finalists include:

Chocolate Raspberry Cake: Runner-up Arthur Battistini, from Middleboro, Mass., reduced the calories and boosted the beta carotene and flavonoid content in making his chocolate raspberry cake.

Blueberry Dream Cake: Finalist Tamara King, a former banking industry worker and a native of Harrod, Ohio, made her cake with whole-wheat flour, applesauce and blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants.

Chocolate Cake: Finalist Laura Sansone, a native of Boonton, N.J., who will graduate from C.I.A. in February, created an egg-free applesauce version of the traditional favorite.

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake: Finalist Lorraine Tran, originally from Garden Grove, Calif., created a gluten-free cake filled with a yogurt-berry mousse.

Click here for the recipes:

Let Them Eat (Healthier) Cake By Tara Parker-Pope -c. NY Times Blogs, 8-18-09

Depression Counseling reduces cancer inflammation

This small study has found some connections between treating depression and reduction of inflammation, a condition known to have a promoting impact on cancers and a negative effect on health in general. Nice piece of body-mind connection science! JD

A Psychological Intervention Reduces Inflammatory Markers by Alleviating Depressive Symptoms: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial Lisa M. Thornton , PhD, Barbara L. Andersen , PhD, Tammy A. Schuler , MA, William E. Carson III, MD

Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Lisa M. Thornton, PhD, E-mail: thornton.84@osu.edu.

Abstract

Objectives: To test experimentally whether a psychological intervention reduces depression-related symptoms and markers of inflammation among cancer patients and to test one mechanism for the intervention effects. Depression and inflammation are common among cancer patients. Data suggest that inflammation can contribute to depressive symptoms, although the converse remains untested. Methods: As part of a randomized clinical trial, newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (n = 45) with clinically significant depressive symptoms were evaluated and randomized to psychological intervention with assessment or assessment only study arms. The intervention spanned 12 months, with assessments at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 months. Mixed-effects modeling tested the hypothesis that the intervention reduced self-reported depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale, Profile of Mood States Depression and Fatigue subscales, and Medical Outcomes Study-Short Form 36 Bodily Pain subscale) and immune cell numbers that are elevated in the presence of inflammation (white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and helper/suppressor ratio). Mediation analyses tested whether change in depressive symptoms, pain, or fatigue predicted change in white blood cell count, neutrophil count, or the helper/suppressor ratio. Results: The intervention reduced significantly depressive symptoms, pain, fatigue, and inflammation markers. Moreover, the intervention effect on inflammation was mediated by its effect on depressive symptoms. Conclusions: This is the first experiment to test whether psychological treatment effective in reducing depressive symptoms would also reduce indicators of inflammation. Data show that the intervention reduced directly depressive symptoms and reduced indirectly inflammation. Psychological treatment may treat effectively depressive symptoms, pain, and fatigue among cancer patients.

Published online before print July 21, 2009
Psychosom Med 2009, doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181b0545c

© 2009 by American Psychosomatic Society

Low Vitamin D & Cancer

New Model Of Cancer Development: Low Vitamin D Levels May Have Role

ScienceDaily (May 26, 2009) — In studying the preventive effects of vitamin D, researchers at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, have proposed a new model of cancer development that hinges on a loss of cancer cells' ability to stick together. The model, dubbed DINOMIT, differs substantially from the current model of cancer development, which suggests genetic mutations as the earliest driving forces behind cancer.

"The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels," said epidemiologist Cedric Garland, DrPH, professor of family and preventive medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, who led the work. "In this new model, we propose that this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over."

Reporting online May 22, 2009 in the Annals of Epidemiology, Garland suggests that such cellular disruption could account for the earliest stages of many cancers. He said that previous theories linking vitamin D to certain cancers have been tested and confirmed in more than 200 epidemiological studies, and understanding of its physiological basis stems from more than 2,500 laboratory studies.

"Competition and natural selection among disjoined cells within a tissue compartment, such as might occur in the breast's terminal ductal lobular unit, for example, are the engine of cancer," Garland said. "The DINOMIT model provides new avenues for preventing and improving the success of cancer treatment."

Garland went on to explain that each letter in DINOMIT stands for a different phase of cancer development. "D" stands for disjunction, or loss of intercellular communication; "I," for initiation, where genetic mutations begin to play a role; "N" for natural selection of the fastest-reproducing cancer cells; "O" for overgrowth of cells; "M" for metastasis, when cancer cells migrate to other tissues, where cancer can kill; "I" refers to involution, and "T" for transition, both dormant states that may occur in cancer and potentially be driven by replacing vitamin D.

While there is not yet definitive scientific proof, Garland suggests that much of the evolutionary process in cancer could be arrested at the outset by maintaining vitamin D adequacy. "Vitamin D may halt the first stage of the cancer process by re-establishing intercellular junctions in malignancies having an intact vitamin D receptor," he said.

According to Garland, other scientists have found that the cells adhere to one another in tissue with adequate vitamin D, acting as mature epithelial cells. Without enough vitamin D, they may lose this stickiness along with their identity as differentiated cells, and revert to a stem cell-like state.

Garland said that diet and supplements can restore appropriate vitamin D levels, and perhaps help in preventing cancer development. "Vitamin D levels can be increased by modest supplementation with vitamin D3 in the range of 2000 IU/day," he noted.

The researchers noted that many studies show an apparent beneficial effect of vitamin D and calcium on cancer risk and survival of patients with breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. However, there are some studies that have not found such benefit, especially when taking smoking, alcohol and viruses into account. While more research needs to be done, Garland recommends that individuals should have their vitamin D level tested during an annual check up.

Garland and his colleagues have published epidemiological studies about the potential preventive effects of vitamin D for some two decades. Last year, his team showed an association between deficiency in sunlight exposure, low vitamin D and breast cancer. In previous work, they showed associations between increased levels of vitamin D3 or markers of vitamin D and a lower risk for breast, colon, ovarian and kidney cancers.

Other authors on the study include Edward D. Gorham, Sharif B. Mohr and Frank C. Garland, UC San Diego.

University of California - San Diego (2009, May 26). New Model Of Cancer Development: Low Vitamin D Levels May Have Role. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/05/090522081212.htm

Prostate Cancer & vitamin study, flawed?

Life Extension responds to misleading Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) article

A problem facing researchers today is that by the time human clinical trials are designed, funded, and conducted over multi-year periods, the primary reason for doing the study often turns out to be obsolete.

Based on a number of favorable reports, the U.S. Government decided to spend over $114 million dollars to see if alpha-tocopherol and/or selenium supplements prevent prostate cancer. Data collected after five years found no reduction in prostate cancer incidence in men taking these supplements.

We have known for over ten years that when alpha-tocopherol is taken by itself, it displaces critically important gamma-tocopherol in our cells. An abundance of evidence points to the gamma-tocopherol form of vitamin E as the most protective against prostate cancer.

By supplementing aging men with only alpha-tocopherol, scientists may have unwittingly increased these men’s prostate cancer risk by depriving prostate cells of critical gamma-tocopherol. This is only a tiny part of the real story behind this terribly flawed study.

The American Medical Association is now using this study to discredit vitamin E and selenium supplements. An AMA editorial concludes by advising:

“…. physicians should not recommend selenium or vitamin E — or any other antioxidant supplements — to their patients for preventing prostate cancer.”

What follows are some succinct facts to rebut the AMA’s misleading assertions, along with links to more detailed discussions about what aging men need to do to reduce prostate cancer risk.

Alpha-Tocopherol, Selenium and Prostate Cancer … An Overview

A JAMA study released December 9, 2008, suggests that nutritional intervention (selenium and synthetic vitamin E) does not reduce prostate cancer risk (the SELECT study): http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/2008.864

In January, 2008, as part of our article “ Merv Griffin’s Tragic Death from Prostate Cancer,” Life Extension predicted that the SELECT trial would fail. We also knew that this flawed trial would be misused by the mainstream medical establishment to “prove” to the lay public that low-cost nutrients like vitamin E and selenium do not reduce prostate cancer risk, and by extrapolation, to impugn other low-cost, efficacious nutrients like vitamin D, fish oil, and soy as having no benefit.

In fact, Life Extension’s members were made aware of a fundamental fact 8 years ago that all but guaranteed trial failure of this most recent attack against dietary supplements.

In the current JAMA trial, men supplemented with synthetic alpha-tocopherol experienced significant gamma-tocopherol depletion. Men supplemented with alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocopherol plus selenium experienced a 45%–48% depletion in gamma-tocopherol levels by 6 months that was sustained during the course of this 5-year trial.

In March 2001, in an article titled “ Avoiding Prostate Cancer,” Life Extension identified the phenomenon of gamma-tocopherol depletion associated with excess alpha-tocopherol. Furthermore, Life Extension identified the critical importance of gamma- tocopherol supplementation in dramatically lowering the risk of developing prostate cancer — in fact, a study of 10,456 men showed that men who had the highest blood levels of gamma-tocopherol were five times less likely to get prostate cancer.

In addition, Life Extension reported in the landmark article “ Eating Your Way to Prostate Cancer,” published February 2007, about the importance of controlling dietary intake of arachidonic acid and the grave consequences of failing to mitigate up-regulation of the 5-LOX enzyme by poor dietary choices.

To review a draft review of what aging men really need to do to protect against prostate cancer, click here.

To review an in-depth draft of a highly technical rebuttal to this most recent attack against dietary supplements by the American Medical Association, click here.

For longer life,

William Faloon

Copyright © 1995-2008 Life Extension Foundation®. All Rights Reserved.

14 things that reduce breast cancer

Fourteen Simple Things You Can Do To Reduce
Your Risk for Breast Cancer
By John Mericle M.D.

Cancer Recovery Foundation

1. Increase your consumption of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.
2. Avoid using any pesticides or chemical sprays in your home. Try to avoid new carpet.
3. Avoid drinking tap water.
4. Decrease alcohol consumption.
5. Start an exercise program.
6. Increase consumption of organic whole grains and fiber.
7. Decrease meat, poultry and fish consumption.
8. Stop smoking.
9. Increase consumption of phytoestrogens from organic sources.
10. Decrease or stop consumption of processed foods.
11. Avoid trans-fatty acids found in margarine and some vegetable shortenings.
12. Take two capsules of organic flaxseed oil daily or just add a teaspoon of flaxseed oil to your daily organic salad.
13. If you are pregnant definitely breast feed.
14. Gets lots of sunshine as breast cancer is less prevalent in areas where there is ample sunlight unobscured by fog or smog.

Skin creams seen to cause tumors on mice

Thu Aug 14, 2008
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Certain commonly available skin creams may cause skin tumors, at least in mice, and experts should be checking to see if they might cause growths in people as well, researchers reported on Thursday.

They found several creams caused skin cancer in the specially bred mice, which had been pre-treated with ultraviolet radiation.

The cancers are not melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, they stressed in their report in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, but another type called squamous cell carcinoma. Such tumours are slow growing, highly treatable and only fatal if patients fail to have them removed.

Allan Conney and colleagues at Rutgers University in New Jersey said they discovered the risk while testing a theory that caffeine could prevent skin cancer.

"We sort of got into this by accident," Conney said in a telephone interview. "We wanted a safe cream that we could put the caffeine into."

They were testing specially bred albino mice, which are prone to develop skin cancer. The mice are pre-treated with ultraviolet radiation to simulate the effects of a human who has had heavy sun exposure in the past but then stopped -- something that may be happening in the population as people realize the risks of getting a tan.

Conney's team decided to test the creams first and found that all four they tested caused tumors to grow on the mice.

He said he does not know why, but suspects two ingredients -- mineral oil and sodium laurel sulphate.

"We'd like to understand the mechanism. What is most important is to see whether these moisturizing creams are tumorigenic in people," Conney said.

He said his lab is not equipped to do this but someone should. But he added, "I don't think that people should be scared because this is a mouse study and we don't know whether or not it applies to humans."

Other experts were skeptical about the study.

"This is a pretty artificial situation with the mouse skin primed by a lot of UV light to develop cancer," Karol Sikora, Medical Director of Cancer Partners U.K. in Britain, said in a statement.

Dr. Jonathan Rees, an expert in dermatology at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said squamous cell carcinoma was not a big health worry.

"Non-melanoma skin cancer in man is very, very common and is almost 100 percent curable with an operation usually simpler than a tooth filling," Rees said in a statement.

Conney said the mouse was a commonly used model in skin cancer but said he agreed that it does not perfectly replicate human skin and human behavior.

He said his team approached Johnson & Johnson to create a cream without the suspect products and they developed one using other readily available ingredients. "They are things that are commonly used in many moisturizing creams," he said.

This cream did not cause the tumors in the mice, they said.

He said Rutgers and Johnson & Johnson had patented the new cream jointly but did not know whether it would be commercially developed. A spokesman at the company was not immediately available for comment.

(Editing by Will Dunham and Vicki Allen)

© Thomson Reuters 2008. All rights reserved. http://uk.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=UKN1426933920080814

"Stand Up for Cancer" - Sept. 5 TV event

Hollywood A-listers "Stand Up" for Cancer Research

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Hollywood A-listers including Meryl Streep and Charlize Theron, sports star Lance Armstrong and "American Idol" winner David Cook will "stand up" to battle cancer in a rare television fundraiser next month, organizers said on Tuesday.

The event, "Stand Up to Cancer," will air simultaneously and commercial-free on three rival U.S. TV networks -- ABC, CBS and NBC -- during prime-time hours, and organizers hope to raise millions of dollars to fight the disease.

"The support we've received from the creative community is remarkable," said the show's producer Laura Ziskin, a breast cancer survivor who was responsible for making the "Spider-Man" movies, "Pretty Woman" and many other films.

"My phone is constantly ringing with people asking, 'What can I do and how can I help?' We hope viewers all over the country will do the same."

Rarely is a program broadcast on all three major U.S. networks simultaneously during prime-time evening hours, which are the most lucrative times for advertisers.

Back in 2001, some 31 U.S. broadcast and cable TV networks aired a program to raise money for victims of the September 11 attacks. Film, TV and music stars worked at a phone bank as people called to pledge money. Some sang while others gave speeches and testimonials.

"Stand Up to Cancer" will be similar in its format, the producers said.

Other celebrities putting in appearances will include actresses Jennifer Aniston, Salma Hayek and Sally Field.

Even cartoon characters Homer and Marge Simpson of long-running comedy "The Simpsons" and race car driver Danica Patrick will be on hand. From broadcast news, there will be CBS anchor Katie Couric, whose husband died of cancer, as well as NBC's Brian Williams and ABC's Charles Gibson all reporting on cancer research.

September 05, 2008
Length: 1 hour on ABC, CBS, NBC simultaneously

Vitamin C Injections Slow Tumor Growth in Mice

High-dose injections of vitamin C, also known as ascorbate or ascorbic acid, reduced tumor weight and growth rate by about 50 percent in mouse models of brain, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report in the August 5, 2008, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers traced ascorbate’s anti-cancer effect to the formation of hydrogen peroxide in the extracellular fluid surrounding the tumors. Normal cells were unaffected.

Natural physiologic controls precisely regulate the amount of ascorbate absorbed by the body when it is taken orally. "When you eat foods containing more than 200 milligrams of vitamin C a day — for example, 2 oranges and a serving of broccoli — your body prevents blood levels of ascorbate from exceeding a narrow range," says Mark Levine, M.D., the study’s lead author and chief of the Molecular and Clinical Nutrition Section of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the NIH. To bypass these normal controls, NIH scientists injected ascorbate into the veins or abdominal cavities of rodents with aggressive brain, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors. By doing so, they were able to deliver high doses of ascorbate, up to 4 grams per kilogram of body weight daily. "At these high injected doses, we hoped to see drug-like activity that might be useful in cancer treatment," said Levine.

...In their laboratory experiments on 43 cancer and 5 normal cell lines, the researchers discovered that high concentrations of ascorbate had anticancer effects in 75 percent of cancer cell lines tested, while sparing normal cells. In their paper, the researchers also showed that these high ascorbate concentrations could be achieved in people.

...The team then tested ascorbate injections in immune-deficient mice with rapidly spreading ovarian, pancreatic, and glioblastoma (brain) tumors. The ascorbate injections reduced tumor growth and weight by 41 to 53 percent. In 30 percent of glioblastoma controls, the cancer had spread to other organs, but the ascorbate-treated animals had no signs of disseminated cancer.

...It was not realized [at the time] that only injected ascorbate might deliver the concentrations needed to see an anti-tumor effect," said Levine, who noted that new clinical trials of ascorbate as a cancer treatment are in the planning stages.

Complete article at nih.gov
National Institutes of Health, Monday, August 4, 2008

End-of-Life Discussions May Ease Dying

Patients Who Recall End-of-Life Discussions With Their Doctors More Likely to Die Comfortably
By Charlene Laino

June 4, 2008 (Chicago) -- Would you want to know if you only had six months to live?

It's a question no one really wants to face, but new research suggests that patients who recall having end-of-life conversations with their doctors may go more gently into the night.

"For patients who remember having such conversations, there are powerful positive effects," says researcher Alexi Wright, MD, a medical oncology fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Medical Oncology.

The study involved 332 cancer patients who eventually died; just over one-third recalled having end-of-life discussions with their doctors.

Wright says she cannot say with certainly what was actually discussed. "But since the patients who recalled these discussions had a significantly better understanding of their illness, I can surmise that the conversation included talking about their poor prognosis," she says.

Patients More Likely to Reap Hospice Benefits
Compared with patients who did not recall having end-of-life discussions with their doctors, those who did:

* Were 1.6 times more likely to enter a hospice in time to receive its benefits -- that is, to die as comfortable a death as possible. In the study, people who entered the hospice two months or more before death reported the best quality of life in their final weeks, Wright says.
* Were three times more likely to complete a do-not-resuscitate order and two times more likely to fill out a living will.
* Were no more likely to meet criteria for depression.
* Were no more likely to report being depressed, worried, anxious, or terrified when directly asked.

Patients who didn't recall talking to their doctor were more likely to be admitted to the ICU, to be placed on a ventilator, or to undergo resuscitation, Wright says.

People who received aggressive care generally reported worse quality of life, she tells WebMD.

"It's important for cancer patients with advanced cancer to talk to their doctors about the kind of care they want to receive," Wright says. "Your physical health can change suddenly, so have the discussion when you're still relatively healthy."

Taking to Your Doctor About End-of Life-Care
Barbara Murphy, MD, director of the pain and symptom management program at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., says patients with advanced cancer may sometimes need to take the initiative.

"Some doctors find it difficult to have discussions about a grave prognosis with their patients. But it's their job," she tells WebMD.

Murphy says it's important to know if you are terminally ill so that you can use the information in your decision-making.

"We don't know what patients want to do if they have six months to live. Some might want to go to Florida and visit their grandchildren, and others might want to be in a phase I study," Murphy says.

That said, there is a small percentage of patients who rather not know, "and react tearfully, angrily or even turn on the physician, as the messenger," she says.

SOURCES:
American Society of Clinical Oncology 44th Annual Meeting, Chicago, May 30-June 2, 2008.

Alexi Wright, MD, medical oncology fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

Barbara Murphy, MD, director, pain and symptom management program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tenn.

© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cancer Support Group begins June 12

New Cancer Support Group Forming
Chester, CA

If you are looking for a safe supportive group to help you cope with a cancer diagnosis in any stage, Sierra Hospice is sponsoring a new Cancer Support Group. This group will meet from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on the second and fourth Thursdays, beginning June 12, 2008. It will be led by Jan Cox, cancer survivor, and Janis Davies, Whole Health Practitioner and will be held in the Education Building, at Seneca Healthcare District, 150 Brentwood, Chester. Group members are welcome to bring their lunches and eat during the meeting. Coffee, tea, and water will be available.

The question is sometimes asked, "Why should I attend a cancer support group?" There are several answers to this question. The first is that people who attend such a group get the support they need from others who have gone through similar treatments or are doing so now. In the group there will be others who know and will understand what you are feeling and coping with. Group support also helps the newly diagnosed to understand what they can do to live with this diagnosis. When we first learn that we have cancer, there is often a feeling of loneliness, fear, and loss of control. And there is a great need for information about our personal cancer. Access to this information will be available at these meetings.

Just a few of the subjects to be discussed include living with the fear of dying, learning to manage anger, managing fatigue and pain, coping with depression or guilt, searching for meaning in this life situation. Members will have time to share about their own personal cancer experience, their present concerns or fears, and what support is needed. Time will also be given to concerns about treatment decisions, side-effects, pain, relationships with family and with health-care providers, complementary therapies, and financial burdens. There will be opportunities to have guest speakers address the group’s specific needs or desires.

The support group is open to men and women who have been newly diagnosed, those currently undergoing healing therapies, those who have completed their therapies and are experiencing life with reduced medical support, and also to cancer survivors regardless of how long it has been. It is open to people experiencing any kind of cancer. People from all surrounding communities are welcome. Please contact Jan Cox at 256-2119 if you have any questions.

Uninsured have lower cancer survival rates

"A new report by a major US cancer charity has found that uninsured Americans are less likely to survive cancer, less likely to be screened for it, and more likely to have an advanced stage of the disease once they are diagnosed, compared with Americans on health insurance."

Amercian Cancer Society complete article, 2007/12/20:
Report Links Health Insurance Status With Cancer Care

Study Shines Light On Benefit Of Vitamin D In Fighting Cancer

A new study looking at the relationship between vitamin D serum levels and the risk of colon and breast cancer across the globe has estimated the number of cases of cancer that could be prevented each year if vitamin D3 levels met the target proposed by researchers.

Cedric F. Garland, Dr.P.H., cancer prevention specialist at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and colleagues estimate that 250,000 cases of colorectal cancer and 350,000 cases of breast cancer could be prevented worldwide by increasing intake of vitamin D3, particularly in countries north of the equator. Vitamin D3 is available through diet, supplements and exposure of the skin to sunlight.

The serum level recommended by the study would correspond to intake of 2000 International Units per day of vitamin D3 for a meaningful reduction in colorectal cancer. The researchers recommend 2000 IU/day, plus, when weather allows, a few minutes in the sun with at least 40% of the skin exposed, for a meaningful reduction in breast cancer incidence, unless the individual has a history of skin cancer or a photosensitivity disease.

Garland also recommends moderate sun exposure and use of clothing and a hat when in the sun longer than 15 minutes.

"The message is, depending on where you live, you may need to consider taking in considerably higher levels of vitamin D3 than those currently recommended," said Garland. "I'd recommend discussing vitamin D needs with a health care professional, who may order and interpret a simple blood test for a vitamin D metabolite [25(OH)D], and provide a dosage recommendation that's appropriate for the individual's needs."

The study was co-authored by Cedric F. Garland, Dr. P.H., Sharif B. Mohr, M.P.H., Edward D. Gorham, M.P.H., Ph.D., and Frank C. Garland, Ph.D., of the Division of Epidemiology at the UCSD Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Moores UCSD Cancer Center; and William B. Grant, Ph.D., of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center, San Francisco.

Link to Complete Article: Click Here

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of California - San Diego.
Copyright © 1995-2007 ScienceDaily LLC — All rights reserved

IV Vitamin C Improves Quality of Life in Terminal Cancer Patients

Moderately large doses of intravenous vitamin C can quickly and significantly improve the quality of life, and reduce pain, in terminal cancer patients, according to a study done by Korean physicians. IV vitamin C is far more potent than oral forms in cancer treatment. In a study of 39 terminal cancer patients, quality of life scores jumped from 36 to 55 (a 53% improvement) on a standardized questionnaire. The patients had significant improvements in physical, emotional, and cognitive function. They also had better appetites and decreases in fatigue, pain, nausea, and vomiting.

In another study assessment performed by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), they found 3 well-documented cases of advanced cancers, where patients had unexpectedly long survival times after receiving high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy.

http://www.koreamed.org/SearchBasic.php?DT=1&RID=345978
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/174/7/937

Adapted from The Nutrition Reporter, June 2007, Vol 18 No 6
by Jack Challem

Study Breaks Link Between Lycopene And Prostate Cancer

No Magic Tomato? Study Breaks Link Between Lycopene And Prostate Cancer Prevention Science Daily —

Tomatoes might be nutritious and tasty, but don't count on them to prevent prostate cancer. In the May issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers based at the National Cancer Institute and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center report that lycopene, an antioxidant predominately found in tomatoes, does not effectively prevent prostate cancer. In fact, the researchers noted an association between beta-carotene, an antioxidant related to lycopene, and an increased risk for aggressive prostate cancer.

According to the researchers, the study is one of the largest to evaluate the role of blood concentrations of lycopene and other carotenoid antioxidants in preventing prostate cancer. Study data were derived from over 28,000 men enrolled in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, an ongoing, randomized National Cancer Institute trial to evaluate cancer screening methods and to investigate early markers of cancer. "It is disappointing, since lycopene might have offered a simple and inexpensive way to lower prostate cancer risk for men concerned about this common disease," said Ulrike Peters, Ph.D., M.P.H., of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "Unfortunately, this easy answer just does not work."

"While it would be counter-productive to advise people against eating carrots and leafy vegetables, I would say to be cautious about taking beta carotene supplements, particularly at high doses, and consult a physician," Peters said.

Funding for this study was provided through the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070517063011.htm
http://www.aacr.org/home/public--media/public-policy--legislative-affairs/press-releases--articles.aspx?d=774

Signs of Spring

As I sit to write this signs of Spring emerge throughout my yard. The Stellar Jay babies are taking shape, and I finally got a glimpse deeper into the nest yesterday to find 4 healthy kids trying to cool themselves off from the afternoon's warmth. This viewing, after several days return of wintry weather, when I could not see them at all they were so deeply buried in heat protective survival mode. Walking my yard this morning also revealed the apple tree aghast in blooms, and buzzing loudly with the sound of bees, a welcome sound indeed, after so many years of decimated bee populations to pollinate the fruit trees.

A hummingbird came by to find the feeder still in cold storage, and the tree swallows have staked out their territory, chattering madly anytime anyone gets near the nesting box. The lawn has been mowed twice now, so much earlier than most years.

The delicate japanese and vine maples are fully leafed out in all their lacey glory, yet our cold winter with no snow cover and little moisture took its toll. I have already pulled out some mature shrubs I must have planted twenty-odd years ago that did not survive. The loss of a young plant after a few short years is often expected and tolerated. My gardening philosophy is based on survival of the fittest. But to lose hardy shrubs many years old, there is sadness there, of losing old friends, icons of the yard. The Santolina artemisia perhaps not so fancy, a dry looking silver-leaved plant with natural oils that repel insects, was a staple in my yard, anchoring the bed for more frivolous florals. This shrub surely will be missed. The dense cover it provided was the perfect hiding place for ground feeding birds, or injured ones looking for respite.

With Spring the backdrop in my mind today, I am repeatedly drawn to the knowledge that one of my dearest friends sits at the oncologists office, awaiting news of last week's biopsies. A breast cancer survivor, she now faces the probability of cancer's untimely return. I silently offer prayers of love and support, holding her in Wisdom and Protection. Each year brings joy and challenge and we are never sure what stands waiting at the door. The gifts of Spring are tempered with the uncertainty of the future, reinforcing my inner drive to remain faithful to a spiritual view of life, to remain mindful in all things, to celebrate the sacredness in all things, from the tiniest aphid and ant, to the grandness of the Universe and the Quest for healing.

Knowing I can depend on the return of Spring each year, I know that our Spirits are never broken, remaining Whole throughout the trials of our earthly lives, extending beyond illness, the winter and physical death.

Be Well, Janis

Illness and Storytelling

Illness and Storytelling

By: Collaborative Medicine Journal, Starfish Health Partners

A few years ago, I attended a workshop entitled "Spirituality and Cancer" in San Francisco. Many of the people present were living with cancer and dealing with debilitating treatments. While I found the workshop presentation to be valuable, a participant insisted upon making strong suggestions to the rest of the attendees about what she felt was the "best" path to healing and cure, based upon her personal experience. Perhaps you have heard something similar to the following: "I have conquered my disease and you can, too, if you only (fill in the blank)." I know this person meant well and wanted to help. But she didn't.

Instead, tension began to fill the room. Some could barely contain their outrage. Why didn't they jump up and thank this woman who seemed to care so much about them? She surely believed her story was important, and perhaps it might have been. To help us, Arthur W. Frank, a professor of medical sociology at the University of Calgary, has given us a framework for understanding why this storyteller encountered such anger.

In his book The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics (1995), Frank talks about the value of "illness narratives," the stories people tell about their experience of illness. He writes, "Serious illness is a loss of the destination and map that had previously guided the ill person's life: ill people have to learn to think differently. They learn by hearing themselves tell their stories, absorbing others' reactions and experiencing their stories being shared." He reminds us that in many illness narratives, the story is told through the wounded body. In the telling of the story, a different sort of map, destination and compass can emerge.

Frank's illness narrative, At the Will of the Body (1991), chronicles his own encounter with testicular cancer, in which he tells us that illness is the experience of living through disease. He contrasts "disease talk" with "illness talk." "If disease talk measures the body, illness talk tells of the fear and frustration of being inside a body that is breaking down. Illness begins where medicine leaves off, where I recognize that what is happening to my body is not some set of measures. What happens to my body happens to my life".

So what about the "helpful" woman at the workshop?

Frank has defined three types of illness storytelling:

1. The first is the Restitution Narrative, or gee whiz-remarkable recovery stories that we often read about in the media (or hear from people in workshops!). What is important to understand is that, in this case, illness is seen as transitory. In terms of the story, "It is a response to an interruption, but the narrative itself is above interruption." It is all about the body returning to its former image of itself, before illness. The illness has been managed; the body likened to a car that has broken down and been repaired.
2. The second type is the Chaos narrative: chaos being the opposite of restitution. It imagines life never getting better. The person speaks without self-reflection and without narration. It is an anti-narrative.
3. The third type of narrative that Frank describes is the Quest narrative, as told through a body that can communicate an experience. "Quest stories meet suffering head on; they accept illness and seek to use it. Illness is the occasion of a journey that becomes a quest." Quest narratives talk about what it's like to be in pain, share a person's hopes and fears, his or her sense (or lack of sense) about the meaning of suffering and the possibility of death. Rather than telling others what they should do in order to return to their former state, quest narratives bear witness to the experience and share wisdom.

Frank does this when he writes to his "younger self," before illness. He tells him, "For all you lose, you have an opportunity to gain: closer relationships, more poignant appreciations, clarified values. Your are entitled to mourn what you can no longer be, but do not let this mourning obscure your sense of what you can become. You are embarking on a dangerous opportunity. Do not curse your fate; count your possibilities."

When I listen to people telling those gee-whiz restitution stories, I find myself feeling both happy that they are well and saddened for their missed opportunity. They have missed the opportunity to grow from within. They are separate from the group because they discount and devalue the Quest story. They have missed the opportunity to fully live an experience that comes with the territory of being alive.

First published through CancerLynx and dedicated to Alexandra.

References

# Arthur W. Frank The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics, University of Chicago Press 1995
# Arthur W. Frank At the Will of the Body: Reflections on Illness, Mariner Press, 1991

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