Cancer Archive

Research we're watching

A new tool to identify people who might be at higher risk for pancreatic cancer could help doctors find cases earlier, when they are most treatable. Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health created a risk model that did a better job than current models of finding people at high risk for the disease. It takes into account clinical and genetic factors as well as blood levels of biomarkers (substances that could potentially indicate disease). To test the model researchers used data from four large clinical studies. They applied the tool to 500 known pancreatic cancer patients and more than 1,000 people without cancer. The researchers then assessed how well the tool would have predicted the risk of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, is challenging to treat because most people already have advanced disease when they are diagnosed. It's hoped that identifying people who are at high risk will eventually allow doctors to screen these individuals to find cancers when they are smaller and more curable.

Image: Raycat/Getty Images

Research we're watching

While more than three-quarters of Americans say that sun protection is important, less than half actually use it on a regular basis when they're heading outside, according to a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology. Some 28% of those polled said they rarely or never use sun protection, which includes using sunscreen, staying in the shade outside whenever possible, and wearing clothing such as hats or other items that can protect against the sun's rays. Sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancers, affecting one in every five Americans, so the AAD says it's important that people take steps to protect themselves. The AAD recommends that you

• wear sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher
• stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are the most intense
• use clothing to protect your skin, such as a hat and long-sleeved shirt.

Image: © Aleksej Sarifulin/Getty Images

In the journals

Scientists continue to explore the health benefits versus risks of aspirin therapy. One new analysis suggests that taking aspirin may protect against several types of digestive tract cancers. The results were published online April 1, 2020, by Annals of Oncology.

Researchers examined 113 observational studies of cancer in the general population. They found that individuals who took aspirin regularly — at least one or two tablets a week — had significantly lower rates of cancers of the bowel, stomach, gallbladder, esophagus, pancreas, and liver, compared with people who did not take aspirin.

Ask the doctors

Q. I've heard that walking could reduce my risk of breast cancer. Is this true?

A. Yes, it's true. Walking is not only a great form of exercise to help keep your heart healthy, it could potentially reduce your risk of breast cancer. One 2013 study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, found that women who walked seven hours a week — an hour a day on average — had a 14% lower chance of getting breast cancer when compared with women who walked three hours a week or less. The benefit was seen even in women who were at higher risk for breast cancer, including those who were overweight or who were taking hormone therapy. It's not clear how walking helps, but experts speculate that physical activity might help keep the body's levels of estrogen and insulin in check. Both of these hormones can fuel breast cancer, so regulating them more effectively could reduce your risk.

Most people understand the risks of sun exposure, even if they do not regularly wear sunscreen, but getting younger people to pay attention to this concern can be difficult. A study chose a novel approach to this problem by appealing to teenagers’ vanity and focus on their appearance.

Tinted sunscreens offer all the benefits of traditional sun protection products, plus they have added pigments that give them the ability to block visible light, which can also be harmful to the skin.

Breast pain after menopause can come in many forms

Menopause has come and gone. Why do I still have breast pain?

In most cases, breast pain is a by-product of reproductive life: Like breast swelling, it waxes and wanes during the menstrual cycle, and it's one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. Many women expect breast pain to go away after menopause. When it doesn't, they may fear they have breast cancer. Fortunately, breast pain is rarely a symptom of cancer, regardless of age. Still, that possibility should be considered, along with a number of noncancerous conditions that affect the breasts.