Aspirin May Reduce the Risk of Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
October 16, 2011 by admin
Filed under Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Robert Wascher, Steve Jobs, Weekly Health Update, aspirin, health, pancreatic cancer
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: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Aspirin May Prevent Pancreatic Cancer
August 7, 2011 by admin
Filed under Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Colorectal Cancer, NSAIDs, Weekly Health Update, aspirin, colon cancer, coronary artery disease, health, heart disease, pancreatic cancer
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Pancreatic Cancer Risk, Sodas & Juice
Welcome to Weekly Health Update“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”
PANCREATIC CANCER RISK, SODAS & JUICE Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest of all types of cancer. Nearly 45,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed in 2009 in the United States, and more than 35,000 deaths due to this disease occurred during the same year. At the time of diagnosis, the vast majority of patients with this terrible disease are already incurable, and overall, 5-year survival rates remain a dismal 5 percent at this time. Even among the small minority of patients who are diagnosed with pancreas cancer at a relatively early stage, when the tumor is still confined to the pancreas, the 5-year survival rate is only in the 15 to 20 percent range. The only possible hope for pancreatic cancer cure is very radical surgery, which is often followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. For most patients with pancreatic cancer, however, surgery is not even an option due to the advanced stage of their cancer at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, efforts to prevent pancreas cancer are critically important in decreasing the death rate from this aggressive and treatment-resistant type of cancer. There are several known risk factors for pancreatic cancer. These include smoking, obesity, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), and chronic liver disease. Because of the known links between pancreatic cancer, diabetes and obesity, there is concern that regularly consuming foods that significantly elevate the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood may also increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. A new large-scale prospective public health study, just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, adds further evidence that the regular consumption of sugar-rich foods may indeed increase the risk of developing this deadly type of cancer. In this study, nearly 61,000 patient volunteers within the Singapore Chinese Health Study were followed for up to 14 years by researchers. All of these volunteers were extensively surveyed regarding their consumption of juices, sugary sodas (“soft drinks”), and other dietary items. Additionally, other lifestyle factors and environmental exposures linked to various types of cancer were assessed within this very large group of patients. Within 14 years of the beginning of this very large epidemiological study, 140 new cases of pancreatic cancer were diagnosed within this cohort of patient volunteers. When the researchers analyzed all of their data, they discovered that the consumption of 2 or more sodas per week was associated with nearly twice the risk of developing pancreatic cancer when compared to not drinking any sodas at all (fortunately, there appeared to be no link between juice intake and pancreatic cancer risk). The findings of this study add further evidence to previous similar studies regarding the intake of so-called “high glycemic index” foods and pancreatic cancer risk. As these same sugar-rich foods also directly contribute to the development of both diabetes and obesity, it is not surprising that scientists have begun to identify common biochemical pathways that link excessive calorie intake from sugar-rich foods with all three of these life-threatening diseases. I will be discussing the known risk factors (and evidence-based prevention strategies) for pancreatic cancer, and for many other cancers, in much greater detail in my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” which is due to be published in the spring of this year. Meanwhile, if you currently drink sodas containing sucrose or fructose on a regular basis, you might want to seriously consider eliminating these soft drinks from your diet altogether.
In view of the extreme devastation and human misery brought about in Haiti by the recent earthquake, Weekly Health Update asks our tens of thousands of caring readers to give generously to established charities that are currently working in that country to assist the injured, the ill, and the homeless there. There are many such legitimate charities, including the following two: http://www.imcworldwide.org/haiti 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, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a somewhat lighter perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Tdv7XW0qg |
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