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New research shows that behavioral therapy combined with an exercise program may be the most effective treatment for chronic pain.

EFFECTIVE NEW TREATMENT FOR CHRONIC PAIN

According to the American Academy of Pain Medicine, chronic pain afflicts nearly 1 out of every 3 American men, women and children, and is associated with an estimated cost to society of $560 to $635 billion per year.  While there are many causes of chronic pain, they all share a common trait in that almost all types of chronic pain are associated with significant physical and psychological disability in afflicted patients.

Unlike acute pain (like the pain that follows a fresh cut on your hand, or spraining your ankle, for example), which subsides very quickly, chronic pain usually does not improve on its own.  Moreover, while you may hop around and shout out a few choice words after smashing your thumb with a hammer, the acute pain caused by a poorly aimed hammer usually does not leave a person feeling depressed or completely disabled like chronic pain so often does.  Over time, as chronic pain persists, the area in the brain (the limbic system) that attaches emotional content or value to our experiences and sensations becomes increasingly involved with interpreting the chronic barrage of pain sensations from damaged nerves or chronic inflammation, which leaves many chronic pain sufferers debilitated, and often depressed.  Because of the biological complexity of chronic pain, when compared to acute pain, it can be very difficult to effectively treat this lingering form of pain.  Patients suffering with chronic pain frequently find their symptoms both physically and emotionally disabling, and medications commonly used to treat acute pain are often ineffective in managing chronic pain.  As I have noted, depression is a common feature of chronic pain, and often requires treatment with antidepressant medications and behavioral therapy in addition to treating the original cause (or causes) of a patient’s pain.

Now, a newly published prospective randomized clinical research study offers new hope for the estimated 116 million Americans who suffer from chronic pain.  This study, which appears in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, randomized 442 patients with chronic pain to receive one of the following interventions for a period of 6 months:  (1) telephone-based behavioral therapy, (2) a graded, step-wise exercise program, (3) a combination of both telephone-based therapy and a graded exercise program, or (4) standard treatment for chronic pain.  All of the study volunteers were assessed at the time that they entered into the study, 6 months later, and again at 9 months.

The results of this innovative study were quite interesting.  Following 6 months of standard chronic pain management, only 8 percent of the study volunteers randomized to this intervention group noticed any significant improvement in their symptoms, and this result was unchanged 9 months after the start of this clinical study.  Among the patients who underwent 6 months of telephone-based behavior therapy, 33 percent felt that their chronic pain was improved at 9 months.  After 6 months of treatment, 35 percent of the patients who participated in a graduated exercise program felt improved, although this effect decreased over time, with 24 percent of this group of patients reporting improvement in their chronic pain symptoms at 9 months.  Finally, the combined therapy group (behavioral therapy and exercise) experienced the greatest improvement in their symptoms, compared to the other treatment groups, with 37 percent of patients in this group reporting significant improvement at both 6 months and 9 months.

This study represents an extremely important advance in the management of chronic pain, a condition that is highly resistant to most conventional therapies and medications.  As a cancer physician who regularly treats cancer patients with chronic pain, I am not surprised by the extremely poor response of patients to conventional chronic pain management approaches in this study.  While the 37 percent positive response rate noted in this study to combination therapy may seem like a rather poor result, chronic pain syndromes are so difficult to effectively treat that this study’s 37 percent response rate is actually extremely impressive.  Based upon the results of this important study, behavioral therapy combined with exercise therapy appears to be the most effective and long-lasting treatment approach for patients with chronic pain.  At the same time, the dismal response rate associated with standard chronic pain management approaches, as noted in this study, should cause pain management specialists to seriously reevaluate current methods of treating patients with chronic pain.

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

YOGA IMPROVES CHRONIC FATIGUE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS

Breast cancer remains the most common serious cancer to afflict women, and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women (second only to lung cancer).  In 2012, most patients with breast cancer will undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy as standard treatments for their cancer, and as many as 1 in 3 breast cancer survivors will go on to experience chronic fatigue after completing their extensive therapy for this common disease.

Many interventions have been proposed for chronic post-treatment fatigue in breast cancer survivors, but none of these interventions have been subjected to the scrutiny of high quality, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research studies to validate their effectiveness.  However, a newly published prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research study suggests that lyengar yoga may be an effective intervention for chronic fatigue following breast cancer treatment.  This new study appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer.

Thirty-one female breast cancer survivors with chronic fatigue were randomized to one of two groups in this study.  Sixteen of these women were randomized to a yoga instruction group for 12 weeks (the “experimental” group), while the other 15 women were randomized to 12 weeks of health education classes (the “control” group).  At the end of the 12-week study period, and again 3 months later, the two groups of women were assessed for changes in fatigue levels (compared to baseline, at the time of their entry into the study); as well as changes in vigor, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, perceived stress levels, and physical performance status.

Following analysis of the data, the authors of this study concluded that 12 weeks of yoga training significantly improved the severity of chronic post-treatment fatigue in breast cancer survivors, when compared to 12 weeks of health education instruction.  (Importantly, this improvement in fatigue levels was maintained for at least 3 months after completion of 12 weeks of yoga classes.)  Additionally, the yoga group experienced significant improvements in physical vigor, when compared to the health education group of women.  At the same time, both groups of women reported improvements in depressive symptoms and perceived stress at the end of this clinical study, while no significant improvements in sleep quality or physical performance status were noted in either group of study participants.

This study is the first prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research study to show that a 12-week intervention with yoga training leads to significant and sustained improvements in chronic fatigue and physical vigor among women who have completed multidisciplinary therapy for breast cancer.  Based upon the findings of this small but important clinical study, breast cancer survivors who are struggling with post-treatment chronic fatigue might want to check out a yoga studio in their neighborhood!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

MEAT CONSUMPTION AND COLORECTAL CANCER RISK

As I discuss in my bestselling evidence-based book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, our dietary habits have an enormous impact on our risk of developing cancer, and particularly cancers of the gastrointestinal tract.  Colorectal cancer risk, specifically, has been directly linked to diets high in red meat, processed meats, grilled meats, and other animal-based fats.  However, the majority of research data linking these dietary factors to colorectal cancer risk, and the premalignant “adenomatous” polyps that precede the development of colorectal cancer, has been based upon one-time surveys and one-time clinical examinations performed on public health research study volunteers.  Because of the known limitations of such studies, more compelling research data is needed to show, convincingly, that these dietary factors are indeed associated with a greater risk of premalignant and malignant tumors of the colon and rectum.  Now, a newly published research study, which appears in the British Journal of Cancer, provides this higher-level data which, once again, confirms a link between meat-rich diets and colorectal cancer risk.

More than 17,000 volunteers participated in the prospective, giant Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCOCS Trial).  All of these clinically healthy volunteers underwent endoscopic examinations of the rectum and lower colon (proctosigmoidoscopy) both when they entered into the PLCOCS Trial and again during a follow-up examination.  Careful dietary records were also kept by all participants in this very large cancer screening trial.

A total of 1,008 research volunteers were found to have premalignant polyps (adenomas) of the lower colon and rectum during these two separate endoscopic colorectal examinations.  In this huge population of otherwise healthy research volunteers, the frequent consumption of grilled meat was associated with a 56 percent increase in the risk of developing premalignant colorectal adenomas, while increased intake of well- or very-well done cooked meat was associated with a 59 percent increase in the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps.  Interestingly, despite the fact that the iron pigment in red meat (heme) has long been suspected of acting as a carcinogen within the colon and rectum, total dietary iron intake actually appeared to be somewhat protective against colorectal adenomas in this study; and study participants with higher levels of total iron intake were 31 percent less likely to develop colorectal adenomas.

This study, with its prospective design, its very large number of research participants, and its baseline and follow-up proctosigmoidoscopic exams, provides a more accurate view of the impact of meat intake on the risk of developing precancerous colorectal adenomatous polyps when compared to most previous similar research studies.  The findings of this huge clinical research study, therefore further confirm that precancerous colon and rectal adenomatous polyps are, indeed, strongly associated with meat intake in our diets.

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

SWEET POTATO GREENS AND PROSTATE CANCER

As I discuss in my bestselling evidence-based book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, even conservative clinical research assessments strongly suggest that at least 50 percent of all new cancer cases are linked to modifiable lifestyle and dietary habits.  Polyphenols, a group of powerful dietary antioxidant compounds that I extensively discuss in A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, have been extensively studied in numerous laboratory and clinical research studies as potential cancer prevention nutrients.  Now, a newly published study suggests that polyphenol-rich sweet potato greens may have significant anticancer activity against prostate cancer

In this new study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Carcinogenesis, an extract of sweet potato greens was first tested in the laboratory with human prostate cancer cells growing in culture.  Molecular studies were then performed, which revealed that sweet potato greens extract shut down important cell growth biochemical pathways in human prostate cancer cells, and accelerated cancer cell death through a mechanism known as apoptosis.  (Interestingly, and importantly, however, sweet potato greens extract appeared to have no adverse effects on normal human prostate gland cells.)

As it is well known that the results of laboratory-based studies often cannot be reproduced in animal or human studies, the authors of this study then implanted human prostate cancer cells into laboratory mice.  These same mice were then fed sweet potato greens extract (400 milligrams per kilogram per day), while another group of mice (the “control group”) did not receive any sweet potato greens extract.  At the end of the study, the scientists conducting this research discovered that the prostate cancer tumors growing in the mice who received the sweet potato greens extract were, on average, almost 70 percent smaller than the tumors growing in the control group mice!  (Once again, there also appeared to be no adverse effects on normal tissues and organs in the mice that received the sweet potato greens extract.)

This research study is the first study to identify significant anticancer effects against prostate cancer associated with sweet potato greens in both cancer cell cultures and in mammals.  The potent anticancer effects of sweet potato greens extract, as demonstrated in this very elegant study, and combined with the apparent lack of toxicity, suggest that this polyphenol-rich vegetable may have a role in prostate cancer prevention and, perhaps, prostate cancer treatment; although it will be necessary to repeat this laboratory study in humans to determine if sweet potato greens have similar anticancer effects in people.

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

DIETARY FIBER AND COLON AND RECTAL CANCER PREVENTION

For many years, it was widely believed that a diet rich in fiber, and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables in particular, significantly reduced the risk of developing colorectal cancer.  However, more recent public health studies have called this assumption into question.  As I extensively discuss in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is ample clinical evidence that a so-called Mediterranean diet, which does include large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables (as well as foods rich in unprocessed whole grains), dramatically reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and other GI tract cancers.  Now, a landmark new meta-analysis research study provides important new evidence that certain high-fiber foods may, indeed, be associated with a significantly reduced risk of colorectal cancer.  This comprehensive research study appears in the current issue of the British Medical Journal.

In this huge meta-analysis, 25 prospectively conducted public health studies, including 14,500 study volunteers, were analyzed; and the findings of this large clinical study may explain why recent large public health studies have not been able to confirm that a diet rich in all types of fiber can reduce colorectal cancer risk.  In this meta-analysis study, dietary fiber from fruit and vegetable intake did not appear to significantly reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer.  However, whole grain foods, including cereals rich in whole grains, did appear to significantly reduce colorectal cancer risk.  In fact, for each 10 grams of whole grain fiber consumed per day, colorectal cancer risk was reduced by a very significant 10 percent.  Among research volunteers who consumed at least three servings of whole grains each day, the risk of developing colorectal cancer was reduced by 17 percent.

The health implications of this meta-analysis study are highly significant.  First of all, the authors of this study included only prospectively conducted public health studies in their analysis, thus eliminating some of the major limitations associated with the more common retrospective “case control” studies that make up the majority of public health studies on diet and disease prevention.  (As I have often mentioned, retrospective case control and case series studies are very often flawed by “recall bias,” wherein the data that is collected is based purely upon the recollections of volunteers recruited into such studies.)  Secondly, the findings of this meta-analysis are supported by higher level research studies that have found that highly refined grains and cereals are stripped of important cancer-preventing nutrients and bulk fiber during processing.

While fresh fruits and vegetables (and brightly colored and dark green leafy vegetables in particular) have been shown by other studies to reduce overall cancer risk, this landmark meta-analysis study appears to reconcile the contradictory findings of previous cancer prevention studies regarding the impact of dietary fiber intake on, specifically, colorectal cancer risk.  Based upon the findings of this very important study, a diet rich in unprocessed, or minimally, processed, whole grain foods appears to significantly protect against colorectal cancer.  (For a much broader and deeper review of evidence-based approaches to cancer prevention, see my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.)

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

A large meta-analysis suggests that aspirin may lower a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

ASPIRIN MAY HELP TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER

As I have discussed in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, aspirin may have an important potential role in the prevention of certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.  However, the available research data on aspirin as a breast cancer prevention medication has been rather mixed, to date.

A new meta-analysis study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research & Treatment, adds weight to previous studies suggesting a potential role for aspirin in the prevention of breast cancer.  In this meta-analysis, the results of 33 different clinical research studies were analyzed.  Altogether, nearly two million research volunteers participated in these 33 studies.  When considering the results of these 33 different research studies, the authors of this meta-analysis determined that the regular use of aspirin was associated with an average 14 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer.

While this meta-analysis study showed an overall trend towards a decreased risk of developing breast cancer in women who regularly took aspirin, there is one very important caveat that I must emphasize.  Only one of the 33 research studies that were analyzed in this meta-analysis was a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study (i.e., the type of clinical research study that provides the highest level of scientific and clinical findings), and it was this study, alone among the 33 different clinical studies, that did not find any breast cancer prevention benefit associated with regular aspirin use.

While all but one of the 33 clinical research studies in this meta-analysis identified a significant reduction in breast cancer risk in women who regularly took aspirin, the failure of the lone prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research trial to confirm this finding means that additional prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled research studies will need to be performed before aspirin can be definitively recommended as a breast cancer prevention medication.

As I have stressed before, all medications, including aspirin, can be associated with potentially serious side effects.  Therefore, if you are considering aspirin therapy, for the prevention of heart disease or cancer, then it is very important for you to check with your doctor before you begin taking aspirin.

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

A large new public health research study from China suggests that drinking green tea at least 3 times per week may cut colorectal cancer risk in half, but only among nonsmokers.

GREEN TEA MAY PREVENT COLON AND RECTAL CANCER

As I have written about in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, green tea has been consumed for several thousand years now, and the health benefits attributed to this ancient beverage have been numerous. Unfortunately, the published research findings regarding green tea’s claimed health benefits continue to be quite contradictory, including in the area of cancer prevention research.

A newly published public health study from China, which appears in the journal Carcinogenesis, adds to previous studies that have suggested a favorable role for green tea in cancer prevention. In this very large prospective public health study, 60,567 Chinese men (ages 40 to 74 years) were followed for an average of about 5 years. The incidence of new colorectal cancers was assessed in this very large cohort of research volunteers, and the consumption of green tea was assessed as a potential factor in the incidence of colorectal cancer among these men.

In this huge prospective public health study, the regular consumption of green tea (defined as green tea consumption at least 3 times per week, and for more than 6 consecutive months) was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of developing colorectal cancer. However, this observed colorectal cancer prevention benefit was limited to nonsmokers, as green tea consumption appeared to have no beneficial effect on colorectal cancer risk among men who smoked.

Among nonsmoking men, the regular consumption of green tea was associated with a very impressive 46 percent reduction in the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Importantly, higher reported levels of green tea intake were associated with correspondingly greater reductions in colorectal cancer risk (but, once again, only in nonsmokers). This “dose-response” relationship is a very important consideration, because any true cancer prevention effect by green tea should, indeed, exhibit this kind of dose-dependent impact on cancer risk reduction.

While only a large-scale prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical research trial can definitively prove whether or not regular green tea consumption can prevent colorectal cancer, the results of this very large prospective public health study suggest that green tea may indeed have an important role to play in colorectal cancer prevention.

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

New research shows that aspirin may significantly reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest of all cancers.

ASPIRIN MAY REDUCE THE RISK OF DEADLY PANCREATIC CANCER

The recent tragic death of Steve Jobs, of Apple fame, due to a rare form of pancreatic cancer has once again focused public attention on one of the deadliest forms of cancer. The more common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal cancer, is only the tenth most common form of cancer, but because it is such a lethal disease, pancreatic cancer is actually the fourth most common cause of cancer-related death. Sadly, only about 5 percent of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will still be alive 5 years later.

In my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, I extensively discuss the available research findings that can help to lower your risk of pancreatic cancer, and other deadly forms of cancer. (Also, please see my recent report on pancreatic cancer prevention on Newsmax.) Now, a newly published clinical research study suggests that aspirin, which has also been shown to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, may also significantly reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

This new research study appears in the journal Cancer Prevention Research. This clinical research study was performed at the Mayo Clinic, and included 904 patients recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and 1,224 healthy age-matched and gender-matched “control” patients. In this case-control study, the impact of aspirin intake was analyzed in both groups of patients.

In this study, the use of aspirin at least one day per month was associated with a very significant 26 percent reduction in the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Among patients who took low-dose aspirin (81 mg per day) every day for heart disease prevention, the risk of pancreatic cancer was reduced by 33 percent.

The findings of this important study suggest that the humble aspirin tablet may significantly reduce the risk of developing what is arguably the most lethal of all cancers (in addition to reducing the risk of colorectal cancer and, potentially, other cancers as well). As I discuss in A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, even a relatively modest reduction in the risk of the deadliest types of cancer can be an important achievement, because our therapies for these kinds of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, so rarely result in a cure. While this case-control study is not as statistically powerful as a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research study, prior laboratory and clinical research studies have also shown that aspirin can reduce pancreatic cancer cell growth. The findings of these previous studies, therefore, generally support the findings of this new Mayo Clinic study suggesting that aspirin may, indeed, reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

I must caution readers that aspirin, like all medications, can be associated with significant side effects. In the case of aspirin, specifically, GI tract irritation can cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and even GI tract bleeding. Aspirin can also increase the risk of bleeding in other areas of the body, and can be toxic to the kidneys in some patients as well. Therefore, if you are considering the addition of low-dose aspirin to your cancer prevention lifestyle, you should first check with your personal physician to ensure that it is safe for you to do so.

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam

Welcome to Weekly Health Update

The blood pressure medication clonidine and the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor) both reduce hot flashes caused by breast cancer treatment and by menopause.

CLONIDINE AND THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFEXOR BOTH REDUCE HOT FLASHES

The modern management of breast cancer often includes “hormonal therapy,” in which medications that block the effects of estrogen, or decrease the amount of estrogen manufactured by the body, are used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence.  Despite significantly lowering the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with estrogen-sensitive breast tumors, recent clinical research studies have shown that fewer than one-half of all breast cancer patients actually go on to complete the recommended 5-year course of hormonal therapy.  (This very poor level of compliance with a medical therapy proven to lower recurrence and death rates associated with breast cancer is particularly an issue among younger women.)

While there are several reasons why more than half of all breast cancer patients do not complete their recommended course of hormonal therapy, one of the major causes, and especially among younger patients, is that these medications are commonly associated with significant side effects, including the same hot flashes that frequently accompany menopause.

Numerous treatment interventions have been tried in an effort prevent hot flashes associated with breast cancer therapy (as well as hot flashes in postmenopausal women without breast cancer), but very few of these therapies have been shown to have any clinically significant benefit. However, several previous clinical studies have suggested that certain types of antidepressant medications, as well as the blood pressure medication clonidine, may reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes. Unfortunately, much of the research in this area has been of rather low quality, and so the findings of these lower level studies have not radically changed the way that most physicians have managed their patients’ hot flashes. Now, a newly published prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical research study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, strongly suggests that venlafaxine (also known by its trade name, Effexor®), a medication that is part of the new “serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors” (SNRIs) class of antidepressants, and clonidine may both be effective in decreasing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer.

In this study, 102 women with a history of both breast cancer and severe hot flashes were secretly and randomly assigned to take either venlafaxine (75 mg per day), clonidine (0.1 mg per day), or an identical-appearing placebo (sugar) pill. Following 12 weeks of observation, 80 patients remained in this clinical study. At the end of this 12-week clinical study, both clonidine and venlafaxine were found to significantly decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes, when compared to placebo pills. Although both medications were clinically effective in reducing hot flashes, and although venlafaxine resulted in a more rapid reduction in hot flashes than clonidine, clonidine was associated with a greater overall improvement in hot flashes, when compared to venlafaxine, after 12 weeks of treatment. (Venlafaxine was also associated with a greater incidence of nausea, constipation, and appetite loss, compared to clonidine.)

The findings of this study add to those of prior studies that have shown a 15 to 25% reduction in the severity and frequency of hot flashes with antidepressants such as venlafaxine, and with clonidine. Moreover, prior studies have shown that these two medications reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer as well as in postmenopausal women without a prior history of breast cancer.

One important limitation of this study is its small size, and its high patient drop-out rate, which resulted in small numbers of patient volunteers in each of the three “arms” of this prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study.  However, the findings of this small clinical research study, nonetheless, are still consistent with those of previously published studies; and taken together, these studies suggest that venlafaxine (and other modern antidepressant medications) and clonidine may be effective in reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in both breast cancer patients who are undergoing hormonal therapy for their cancer and in postmenopausal women with menopause-associated hot flashes.

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

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New research suggests that the same lifestyle and diet choices that reduce cardiovascular disease risk also reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, and improve male sexual function.

LIFESTYLE AND DIET MODIFICATIONS REDUCE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION (ED)

As I discuss in my book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, evidence-based lifestyle and diet modifications can dramatically reduce your lifetime risk of developing cancer, including some of the most deadly forms of this disease.  As an “added benefit,” many of the same lifestyle and diet modifications that I discuss in my book have also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as well.  Moreover, previous research studies have suggested that the risk of male sexual dysfunction, and erectile dysfunction (ED) in particular, might also be reduced by living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

The most important risk factors for sexual dysfunction in men, and ED in particular, include heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, elevated blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and sedentary behavior. Since the risk of these serious health problems can all be significantly reduced through lifestyle and diet modification, it is worth asking whether or not evidence-based lifestyle modifications associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes can also significantly reduce the risk of ED. A newly published research study, which appears in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, provides important new insights into this serious men’s health issue.

In a meta-analysis of 6 previously published prospective randomized clinical research studies, 740 adult male research study volunteers were evaluated. In this group of men, heart-healthy changes in diet, physical activity, and other modifiable lifestyle factors were associated with a highly significant improvement in sexual function when compared to similar-aged men who did not modify their lifestyle and diet. (Moreover, the addition of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs in men with elevated blood cholesterol levels improved sexual function even further than lifestyle and diet modifications, alone.)

Too many men continue to refuse to change their unhealthy lifestyles and dietary habits, and so they face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other largely preventable diseases.  However, sexual function is such a very important quality-of-life factor for most men that it is my hope that studies such as this one will get the attention of men who are still living unhealthy lifestyles that increase their risk of ED and other preventable serious illnesses.  Also, as ED is now known to be an early warning sign of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other preventable lifestyle-associated diseases in men, modifying your lifestyle and diet to reduce your risk of ED will also significantly reduce your risk of these other life-threatening diseases at the same time (and cancer, as well)!

For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.  For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today!

For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!

On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list!

Disclaimer:  As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity

Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author

For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:

Texas Blues Jam