New combination therapy effective for multiple myeloma

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 24, 2019 – A new combination oral therapy has been shown to halt or reverse a type of cancer of the bone marrow, according to results of a small clinical trial.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the marrow cells that make plasma and help fight infections. When these cells become cancerous they grow out of control and crowd out functioning  immune system cells. The disease can damage the bones, immune system, kidneys, and red blood cell count.

Confirmation that an apple a day will keep the doctor a way

Image courtesy of ECU

CANCER DIGEST – Aug. 16, 2019 -- A new analysis of data from a long-running Danish study shows that consuming flavonoid-rich items such as apples and tea protects against death from cancer and heart disease. What’s more the effect is particularly strong for smokers and heavy drinkers.

The analysis comes from the Danish Diet study, an observational study of 53,048 Danes followed by researchers at Edith Cowan University for the past 23 years. The results were published in the Aug. 13, 2019 issue of Nature Communications.

Choosing chicken over beef lowers breast cancer risk

Eating chicken might protect against breast cancer a new study shows.Investigators from Singapore and the U.S. analyzed information on consumption of different types of meat and meat cooking practices from 42,012 women who were followed for an average of 7.6 years. The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.

Broken heart syndrome linked to cancer

Image by Sakazaki used under Creative Commons license

CANCER DIGEST – July 20, 2019 – While the headlines grab the attention of the romantically inclined, there really is a medical condition affecting the heart resulting from traumatic emotional events called takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

The new international study led by Swiss researchers in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that a substantial number of patients with takotsubo syndrome (TTS) have an increased risk of cancer.

Limiting sugary sodas and fruit drinks may lower cancer risk

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CreativeCommons license

CANCER DIGEST – July 13, 2019 – Sugary drinks are associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, a new observational study shows.

The study led by French researchers followed 101,257 healthy French adults over a maximum of 9 years. The participants completed at least two standardized questionnaires over the course of the study. They were asked about their usual intake of more than 3,000 different food and beverage items. The study appears in the July 10, 2019 British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Earlier studies have shown a link between sugar intake and obesity and visceral or gut fat that is stored around the liver and pancreas. Also sugary drinks have been linked with diabetes and inflammation, which are also linked to higher cancer risk.