Cancer Archive

Can a healthy diet help men with low-risk prostate cancer live longer? The authors of a new study say “yes.” A long-running Physicians’ Health Study, suggests that a diet that is good for the heart, brain, and other parts of the body may also help keep low-risk prostate cancer at bay. On the flip side, a diet rich in red meat and high-fat dairy foods appears to be hazardous for men with this kind of cancer. It isn’t clear why a diet that protects against heart disease would also protect against death from prostate cancer. Dr. Chavarro speculates that it’s because high-fat foods are easily broken down and absorbed by the digestive system, and so they might provide quick energy sources for growing tumors. Nevertheless, the results suggest that by eating healthily, men with prostate cancer can take a proactive step towards living a long life.

Proton-pump inhibitors offer welcome relief for people with chronic heartburn. Here's what you need to know to use them wisely.

Heartburn didn't get its name by accident. Although the problem stems from excess stomach acid rather than heart-related issues, it provokes searing pain focused directly behind the breastbone. Of the over eight million emergency room visits for chest pain each year, severe heartburn, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), accounts for over half the cases in which actual heart problems are ruled out.

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to use sunscreen to reduce lifetime exposure to the sun's damaging rays. But some men may not be heeding the gospel of sun protection, according to a report in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Analysis of data from a 2013 national survey showed that less than 15% of men, compared with 30% of women, said they regularly used sunscreen on both the face and other exposed areas, such as the back, arms, and legs.

An analysis from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) suggests not only that postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of invasive breast cancer than women of normal weight but also that the excess risk increases as a woman's weight rises beyond obesity. The results were published online June 11, 2015, by JAMA Oncology.

A team of investigators from several medical centers studied data on 67,000 postmenopausal women who enrolled in the WHI between 1993 and 1998. They were followed for a median of 13 years. During that time, 3,388 invasive breast cancers were detected. The researchers analyzed the distribution of breast cancer among weight classes and calculated the risks for women who were overweight (body mass index, or BMI, of 25 to 30), obese (BMI 30 to 35), or very obese (BMI over 35) compared with women of normal weight (BMI 25 or less). They found that the increased risk of developing breast cancer ranged from 17% in women who were overweight to 59% in those with a BMI over 35. Among women who began the study at a normal weight, those who gained at least 5% of their original weight had a 12% higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who maintained their original weight. Neither losing weight nor using hormone therapy had a significant effect on risk for women of any weight.

There's no guarantee you can prevent cancer, but you can reduce the risk of developing it by making lifestyle changes.

If a growth or mole looks like a melanoma, the doctor will take a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This entails removing either a sample of tissue or else the entire growth and some surrounding skin, and examining the tissue under a microscope to determine whether it's cancer. Depending on how deep a melanoma is, additional tissue may have to be removed. In some cases, lymph nodes may be removed, too. A procedure called sentinel node biopsy can show whether the lymph node nearest the tumor contains any cancer cells. If it does, surgery to remove additional nodes right away can improve survival.

In addition to surgery, treatments for melanoma include immunotherapy (which strengthens the immune system against the cancer), chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Newer, so-called targeted treatments include drugs that target specific genetic changes seem in people with certain forms of melanoma. For example, about half of melanomas have genetic changes (mutations) in a gene called BRAF, which signals melanoma cells to grow and divide quickly. Drugs that inhibit BRAF, such as vemurafenib (Zelboraf ) and dabrafenib (Tafinlar), and related proteins are now available.

Active and retired servicemen with prostate cancer can get access to clinical trials, experimental therapies, and state-of-the-art care through the Department of Defense’s Center for Prostate Disease Research (CPDR).

Q. I heard that there is a new stool test for colon cancer screening. Can this test replace colonoscopy for me? I am 68 years old with no history of colon problems, and my last colonoscopy was normal.

A. Among screening tests for hidden colorectal cancer, colonoscopy remains the "gold standard" because it's the most effective technique for detecting colon cancers and simultaneously provides an opportunity to remove any precancerous growths (polyps). The new DNA-based stool test (Cologuard) is less invasive and inconvenient than colonoscopy and finds more cancers and polyps than older stool tests, but it does not entirely eliminate the need for colonoscopies.

An approach called active surveillance allows some men with low-risk cancer to delay the decision to treat.

A strong sunscreen and sun-protective clothing can help keep you safe this summer and every day of the year.

With summer here, it's time to reach for the sunscreen. But not everyone is convinced that skin protection is a necessity. "Older adults grew up at a time when unprotected skin exposure wasn't a cardinal sin, and many I talk to think a little sun is good for them. But older adults are actually at an increased risk for skin cancer, since their skin is no longer able to repair damage as efficiently as it once did," says Dr. Oon Tan, a dermatologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.