Cancer - October 2013 Archives

The reach of social media cannot be denied. It has the potential to connect us, inform us and empower us to achieve healthier, happier lives. That is certainly true when it comes to raising public awareness about medical challenges and solutions. In fact, this past week Mayo Clinic invited doctors, researchers, patients and caregivers to explore the possibilities at The 5th Annual Health Care Social Media Summit. Dennis Douda profiles one of the speakers who is already making a big difference in the lives of others. [pkg. 2:12] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AjHr1NqXuI Journalists: Broadcast quality video and audio is available in the downloads. Click here for a transcript of the video report.  Learn more about the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media.

THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Hay fever Despite its name, hay fever is almost never triggered by hay, and it doesn't cause a fever. In the fall, ragweed pollen is a common hay fever trigger. Weight loss: 6 strategies for success Help make your weight-loss goals a reality with these six strategies. EXPERT ANSWERS Pet allergy: Are there hypoallergenic dog breeds? There are no hypoallergenic dog breeds, but you can reduce your allergic reactions. Acne scars: What's the best treatment? Various procedures can improve acne scars, but no single treatment is best for everyone. HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK  Have a cold? Fight it with fluids You can't flush a cold out of your system, but drinking plenty of liquids can help. Try water, juice, clear broth, chicken soup or warm lemon water with honey. The fluids will loosen congestion and keep you hydrated. Avoid alcohol, coffee and caffeinated sodas. These may make dehydration worse.   HEALTHY RECIPES Zesty tomato soup Apple corn muffins Chicken strips with honey mustard sauce Pumpkin cream cheese dip Click here to get a free e-subscription to the Housecall newsletter.

One of the top reasons people search the Mayo Clinic website is for information about skin disorders.  On Saturday, Oct. 26, Dawn Davis, M.D., will ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8R02mKl6_c The risk most women have of getting breast cancer in their lifetime is 12 percent. But if a woman tests positive for one ...

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have ignited a smoke-free firestorm of controversy. Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that their use by children ...

A Mayo Clinic physician and two other pediatric experts say that parental perceptions pose a major barrier to acceptance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination — and that many of those perceptions are wrong. Their comments are published in the September issue of Expert Review of Clinical Immunology, in an editorial on why HPV vaccination rates remain poor. “The greatest misperception of parents is that the HPV vaccine isn’t needed,” says Mayo Clinic’s Robert Jacobson, M.D., lead author of the editorial. “Not only is that wrong, it’s a dangerous idea to be spreading around. Recent figures show that at least 12,000 unvaccinated women develop cervical cancer from HPV every year.” Other incorrect perceptions: The HPV vaccines are not safe, and they are given to children when they are too young. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Jacobson and b-roll are available in the downloads. To read the full news release click here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNMdAjjs6qE It could be your mom, sister, aunt or best friend.  One out of eight women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.  A small subset ...

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why is it that some breast cancers have higher survival rates than others? ANSWER: The main reason for the difference in survival rates is that breast cancer is not just one disease. It is well accepted that there are four distinct molecular categories of breast cancer. However, new data suggests that there are additional distinct subsets of breast cancer. These subsets have unique characteristics that can influence the long-term outlook associated with each of them. The most common molecular subset of breast cancer is characterized by its ability to respond to the female hormone estrogen. This type of cancer is characterized by the presence of estrogen receptors. If a tumor is estrogen receptor (ER) positive, that means the breast cancer cells contain receptors that bind to estrogen. Women and men with ER-positive breast cancer tend to have an initial lower risk of the cancer coming back after breast surgery compared with women whose tumors do not have estrogen receptors (known as ER-negative breast cancer).

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Oct. 14, 2013 — Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of esophageal cancer, according to a new study presented by Mayo Clinic researchers at the American College of Gastroenterology's Annual Scientific Meeting, Oct. 11–16, in San Diego. Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cancer in men worldwide. Early detection and prevention are critical to survival because most patients do not survive the first year of diagnosis, and only 15 percent of patients survive more than five years. In an analysis of four studies, researchers observed a 32 percent lower risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in people who were physically active. The analysis also showed the overall risk of esophageal cancer was 19 percent lower among the most physically active people, compared with the least physically active.

  October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we will do our part on the next program with a discussion about the genetics of breast cancer ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOyKwyVTulc Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of esophageal cancer, according to a new study presented by Mayo Clinic researchers at the American College of Gastroenterology’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Oct. 11–16, in San Diego. “Although the incidence of esophageal squamous cell cancer is declining worldwide, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has been rapidly rising. This increase may be partly attributable to the obesity epidemic,” says Siddharth Singh, M.B.B.S., the study’s lead author and researcher at Mayo Clinic. Click here to see the news release. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Siddarth Singh are available in the downloads.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Most patients whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes have most of the lymph nodes in their armpit area removed after chemotherapy to determine if any cancer remains. A study conducted through the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group and led by Judy Boughey, M.D., a breast surgeon at Mayo Clinic, shows that a less-invasive procedure known as sentinel lymph node surgery successfully identified whether cancer remained in lymph nodes in 91 percent of patients with node-positive breast cancer who received chemotherapy before their surgery. In sentinel lymph node surgery, only a few lymph nodes, the ones most likely to contain cancer, are removed. The findings are published online in the Journal of American Medical Association. "Since treatment with chemotherapy before surgery can eliminate cancer in the lymph nodes in some patients, we were interested in evaluating whether sentinel lymph node surgery could successfully identify whether cancer remained in the lymph nodes after chemotherapy," says Dr. Boughey. Removing only a few lymph nodes reduces the risk of surgical complications such as numbness and arm swelling, she says. Researchers studied 756 women with node-positive breast cancer who received chemotherapy as an initial treatment. Of study participants, 637 patients had both sentinel lymph node and axillary lymph node surgery. Sentinel lymph node surgery correctly identified whether cancer lingered in 91 percent of patients, including 255 patients with node-negative breast cancer and 382 patients with continuing node-positive disease. Researchers also found that 40 percent of the patients had complete eradication of the cancer from the lymph nodes. The study had a false-negative rate of 12.6 percent, and the false negative rate was significantly lower with the use of dual tracers (blue dye and radiolabeled colloid) to identify the sentinel lymph nodes. Also, when more than two sentinel nodes were removed, the false-negative rate was less than 10 percent. Dr. Boughey says that technical factors in surgery are important to help ensure correct staging, especially in the setting of patients who have received chemotherapy prior to surgery. She anticipates that with appropriate patient selection, less extensive axillary surgery can be used for women who have the disease in their lymph nodes successfully eradicated by chemotherapy. The study was conducted through the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, part of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, and funded by the National Cancer Institute.