Prostate cancer screening and detection

More prostate cancers were detected among men who were screened every two years than men screened every four years, according to a study published online August 28 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. But the shorter time between screenings did not reduce the number of aggressive cancers found between the scheduled screening tests.

Since the introduction of PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing in the late 1980s, the incidence of prostate cancer has risen dramatically. The rise is mainly due to widespread screening of asymptomatic men. Screening for prostate cancer is a controversial issue because evidence is lacking that PSA screening prevents prostate cancer deaths. Looking at the rate of interval cancers - cancers diagnosed based on symptoms during the years between screening tests - may give an indication of how well a screening program is working.

Monique Roobol, Ph.D., of Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether the time between PSA screenings influenced the incidence of prostate cancer. They analyzed data collected at two European medical centers that participated in the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer. At a center in Gothenburg, Sweden, 4,202 men were screened every two years, and in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 13,301 men were screened every four years. The researchers compared both the number and characteristics of the interval prostate cancers diagnosed in these men. Serious, potentially life threatening interval cancers were analyzed separately.

Over a period of ten years, the overall incidence of prostate cancer was higher among men screened every two years than among those screened every four years (13.14 percent vs. 8.41 percent). But the total number of interval cancers that were diagnosed between screening tests was 31 (0.74 percent) in Gothenburg and 57 (0.43 percent) in Rotterdam. This difference in the number of interval cancers and the number of aggressive interval cancers at the two centers was not statistically significant, indicating that the two-year screening program did not reduce the number of interval cancers as would be expected.

"It is therefore more realistic to believe that each screening will again lead to prostate cancer diagnoses among some men from a large pool harboring small and often clinically insignificant disease and thus that more cancers were detected in Sweden because screening was more frequent," the authors write. Additionally, larger cancers seem to be identified with equal effectiveness if screening takes place every 2 or 4 years.

In an accompanying editorial, E. David Crawford, M.D., of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Aurora discusses the controversy surrounding prostate cancer screening and the challenge in determining how often to screen.

"Although many of us believe that early detection is saving lives, definitive evidence is lacking," Crawford writes.

ANTIBIOTICS

We are overusing antibiotics so that bacterial resistance is becoming a significant threat. The CDC has estimated that treatment of infections due to resistant bacteria costs more than $4 billion annually. There are many factors associated with increasing resistance.
• Increased antimicrobial use in the community and hospital
– Increase in empiric antibiotics
– Prolonged and broad-spectrum antibiotic courses
– Repeated antibiotic courses
• Prolonged Hospitalizations
• Severely ill patient status
• Immunocompromised state
• Increase use of intravascular devices and catheters
• Inadequate infection control procedures
• Antibiotic use in animals and agriculture

The medical community can help curb this problem by offering the patient narrow spectrum or older antibiotics, shorter duration of therapy when appropriate and manipulating the dose of antibiotics. Perhaps even more importantly, doctors need to educate their patients regarding the risk of using antibiotics and spend more time discussing prevention. Patients would be wise to ask if there are any other options to consider, if watchful waiting is an option and if the antibiotic is specific for the condition.
Together, we can reduce this significant threat of bacterial resistance.

Hana R. Solomon, MD
August 16, 2005
drhana@nasopure.com

Cancer Drugs May Lead To Serious Health Problems In Long Term

Angiogenesis inhibitors, drugs that block a tumor's development of an independent blood supply, have been touted as effective cancer fighters that result in fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy. However, a new study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center has shown that one method of blocking blood-supply development could result in serious and potentially deadly side effects.Several newly developed angiogenesis inhibitors work by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an important signaling protein that spurs the growth of new blood vessels. Avastin, an angiogenesis inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration for colon and lung cancers, inhibits angiogenesis by blocking VEGF signaling from outside the cell. UCLA researchers wanted to know what happened when VEGF signaling was blocked from within endothelial cells, a mechanism used by some small-molecule drugs currently being tested in late-phase clinical trials.The result was unexpected and sobering. More than half of the mice in the study suffered heart attacks and fatal strokes, while those that remained alive developed serious systemic vascular illness, said Luisa Iruela-Arispe, a professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology and director of the Cancer Cell Biology program at UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center.The study appears Aug. 24 in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Cell."This was an extremely surprising result," said Iruela-Arispe, past president of the North American Vascular Biology Organization and a national expert on angiogenesis. "I think this study is cause for some caution in the use of angiogenesis inhibitors in patients for very long periods of time and in particular for use of those inhibitors that block VEGF signaling from inside the cell."About 5 percent of patients taking Avastin develop blood clot-related side effects, Iruela-Arispe said. But because Avastin was approved only three years ago, it is unclear what side effects may occur when patients remain on the drug for many years, she said.In the three-year study, Iruela-Arispe created mice that were missing VEGF in the endothelial cells, the cells that line the inside of blood vessels and form an interface between circulating blood and the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the circulatory system from the heart to the smallest capillary and reduce friction in the flow of blood. Iruela-Arispe and her team did not expect to see much of an effect because the amount of VEGF made inside endothelial cells is miniscule compared with the levels of VEGF created outside the cells.However, 55 percent of the mice in the study died by 25 weeks of age, the equivalent of age 30 in humans. The mice that were followed into old age were very ill."Some side effects have already been identified in people taking angiogenesis inhibitors," Iruela-Arispe said. "And they've been along the lines of what we're seeing in the lab."Iruela-Arispe and her team were surprised that the higher levels of VEGF found outside the endothelial cells did not compensate for the absence of the very tiny amounts inside the cells. The miniscule amount of VEGF missing had "a tremendous biological significance," she said."Clearly there is signaling from inside the cell that is different from signaling initiated outside the cell," Iruela-Arispe said. "When there is no VEGF signaling inside the cell, the endothelial cells die. The intracellular part of the VEGF signaling loop is required for cell survival. This is the first demonstration that intracellular signaling is an important event."It had been unclear why some patients on angiogenesis inhibitors developed problems with blood clots. Iruela-Arispe said her study sheds light on one possible cause."There is enough smoke in the sky here to make me feel there may be a fire," she said. "I believe the survival function of VEGF signaling is mediated from both outside and inside the cell. When we block it from the inside, the outside signaling cannot compensate. But when we block it from the outside, maybe the inside signaling can compensate. That would explain the lesser side effects found when using drugs such as Avastin, which block the extracellular signaling."Iruela-Arispe believes angiogenesis inhibitors will continue to be effective weapons in the cancer arsenal. However, a more targeted approach to drug delivery should be explored. Avastin, like most angiogenesis inhibitors, is infused systemically now. If the drugs could be targeted more directly to the new vessels being formed by the tumor, they might not result in the side effects seen now

16 Tips to Looking Feeling Great

16 Tips to Looking Feeling Great
by: Jesse CannoneDo you want to improve the quality of your life? Do you want to look and feel better than you have in years – maybe better than you ever have before? Do you want to protect yourself from disease and injury? And do you want to live a longer, more vital life?
I’m confident that you answered YES! to each of those questions, just as the hundreds of individuals I’ve counseled, coached, and trained in my career as a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Rehabilitation Specialist. I’m now going to reveal to you the 16 essential strategies that have enabled my clients to achieve the health and fitness goals they always wanted! 16 Essential Weight Loss and Fitness Strategies 1. In the beginning, your fitness program should not be overly aggressive. One of the biggest problems people encounter when starting a fitness program is rapidly depleted motivation after only a few weeks due to an overly ambitious fitness program. Attempting to do too much too fast is worse than doing nothing at all! Because then you feel like exercise is too hard and it’s just not for you. Start out slow, maybe just shooting for 1 or 2 workouts a week. Once you have successfully added that to your normal routine, then attempt to slowly add to your fitness program. Plus, most people don’t need to exercise more than 3-4 times a week. That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise more; it’s just not necessary. 2. Always have a detailed plan! In order to reach your health and fitness goals, you must have a road map to follow. I can’t stress this enough. If you are unsure of how to put together a fitness plan, or if you’re uncertain of the effectiveness of the one you have, I highly recommend you consult a professional fitness trainer. With a well thought out plan you are much more likely to be successful! 3. Set realistic, attainable goals. You must have tangible, quantifiable, short and long-term goals so you can measure and assess your progress. Too many people have totally unrealistic expectations of what to expect from an exercise and nutrition program. The best way for you to understand what is realistic and attainable is to talk with a fitness professional – not to buy into the “hype” of infomercials and diet and fitness products that are blatantly misleading. 4. Keep a journal! This is one of the most important things you can do. If you’re not tracking what you’re doing, how will you know what worked? There are quite a few great exercise and nutrition logs I’ve come across. You should keep track of all your exercise and also each day’s food intake. There’s a company called NutraBiotics that makes a great 90-day journal that can be used to track strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and daily nutrition. If you would like more information on this journal, please feel free to call me at 240-731-3724. 5. You must be accountable! Set exercise appointments with yourself if you’re not working with a personal fitness trainer. Use your appointment book to set aside times for exercise, just like you do for meetings or events. Don’t let things get in the way. Nothing is more important than your health! If you don’t have your health you can’t effectively do anything. I often have mothers tell me that they can’t find time to exercise because they have to take care of their children. I have 4 daughters myself, and a baby on the way, so I know exactly how hard it is. Whatever your situation is, making the commitment to exercise and your health IS possible, and very important. Plus, it sets a great example for the children! 6. Remember the benefits of exercise. Being physically fit affects every aspect of your life: you sleep better, eat better, love better, overcome stress better, work better, communicate better, and live better! Remember how good it feels to finish a workout, and how great it feels to meet your goals! 7. Exercise safely and correctly. So much time is wasted doing, at best, unproductive exercise, or at worst, dangerous exercise. Educate yourself on how to exercise correctly. The best way to do that is to hire a personal fitness trainer. It could be for just a few sessions to learn the basics, or it could be for a few months to learn everything. It’s completely up to you. But statistics prove that those who understand how to exercise correctly get better, faster results. And that’s what you want, right? 8. Enjoy your exercise! For example, if you hate doing strength training, try to find ways to make it more enjoyable. Circuit training might be a more fun and exciting way to fit this important part of fitness into your program. The key is you should enjoy it, and if you don’t you need to look for other exercises or activities to replace whatever it is you don’t enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, how do you expect to stick with it? 9. Make time to stretch! It has so much benefit and takes very little time. So many people suffer from various aches and pains of which most can be eliminated by basic stretches! Try to spend at least 5 minutes after each workout stretching. For more information on stretching and how it eliminates aches and pains, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my special report “No More Back Pain”. 10. Don’t think you need to exercise 5 days a week! I touched on this earlier. Many people feel they’re getting fat because they’re not exercising. Totally not the case! Exercise is not the answer! It’s all in your eating habits. However, exercise can aid in burning body fat, plus there are numerous health benefits. Think of exercise as a bonus. How many people do you know who exercise 3-5 times per week, but still fail to meet their weight loss and fitness goals? I’ve met hundreds! First look at your eating habits, such as: when you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, where you eat, and how often you eat. 11. Never skip breakfast, or any meal! If you want to maximize your fitness or fat-loss efforts you’ve got to eat breakfast! So many people skip breakfast, and it’s the worst thing you could ever do when it comes to fat-loss. Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed! 12. Eat fat to lose fat. Healthy fats are necessary to your body for numerous reasons: regulating hormonal production, improving immune function, lowering total cholesterol, and providing the basics for healthy hair, nails, and skin. The key is to eat the right types of fats. The “good’ fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and avocados, to name a few. The “bad” fats are partially hydrogenated oils, and trans fats. Most processed foods contain large amounts of these bad fats. For more information on the different types of fats, please call 240-731-3724 to request a FREE copy of my Healthy Eating Guidelines. 13. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Yes, I know that you have probably heard this one over and over again. But there’s a reason for that – it’s that important! The recommended daily intake of water is 8 glasses, or 64 oz. You should even be drinking even more if you are active or exercise regularly. And no, soda, juice, coffee, and tea DON’T count! Nearly every chemical process place in your body, takes place in water! Proper blood flow and digestion are both affected by how much water you drink, and poor blood flow and digestion can be linked to numerous health conditions. 14. Stabilize your blood sugar! If you want to burn fat and prevent your body from putting it back on, you must stabilize your blood sugar. In order to do this you need to eat small, balanced meals or snacks every 2-3 hours. Fasting, skipping meals, and overly restrictive diets will enable you to lose weight – in the short run. The weight you lose is primarily water weight and muscle tissue, and in the long run has opposite effect of what you want. When you restrict your diet, your body instinctively thinks it’s being starved and shifts into a protective mode by slowing down the metabolism and storing nearly all calories as body fat. Plus, losing muscle tissue is the last thing you want to do. Muscle burns calories, even while you sleep. You should be focused on increasing, or at least maintaining muscle tissue. 15. Focus on increasing muscle tissue. As I mentioned previously, muscle burns calories, so if you want to increase your metabolism, you have to increase your muscle. The best way to do that is with progressive strength training. That doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, buy expensive fitness equipment, or follow some bodybuilding workout program; it simply means you need to challenge your muscles! You can do that at home in just 15-20 minutes, 2-3 times a week. 16. Get the help of an expert! Obviously, meeting your health and fitness goals is important to you, so why not eliminate the guesswork and start seeing the results you have always wanted? With the help of a qualified professional you can! If your car breaks down, where do you take it? Mechanic, right? How about if you have a cavity? Dentist. So why is it that so many people attempt to solve their health and fitness problems without consulting an expert? I don’t know exactly, but I encourage you to make the investment in yourself- in your life- by hiring a professional to educate you and help you meet your goals. So there you have it. The 16 essential strategies for an effective weight loss and fitness program that will have you looking and feeling great!About The AuthorJesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer and author of the best-selling fitness ebook, Burn Fat FAST. Be sure to sign up for his free email course as it is full of powerful weight loss and fitness tips that are guaranteed to help you get the results you want. www.guaranteed-weightloss.cominfo@guaranteed-weightloss.com

The Benefits Of Aromatherapy Essential Oils

The benefits of aromatherapy is the use of essential plant oils as an alternative from of medical treatment. Although its exact uses are still being explored, you should pursue this treatment if you want new and safe options for your medical condition treatment. Aromatherapy can be used to treat a variety of physical and mental illnesses, so it is becoming more popular for people who are not having success with traditional medical options. Essential oils are most commonly used in aromatherapy procedures, although this term is often used as an umbrella term that includes true essential oils, absolutes, and CO2. Aromatherapy essential oils, it is important to note, are very different from fragrances, which also come in oil form many times. Some of the most common essential oils used in aromatherapy include sweet almond, cocoa butter, jojoba, olive, peanut, shea butter, and sunflower. Essential oils are purely produced with the plant of their name, and are highly concentrated. This differs from perfume oils and fragrances, which contain chemicals and are often diluted with water. Since there are no regulations, some companies incorrectly label perfume oils "essential." Check the label to see the ingredients to be sure you are using true essential oil. Not all essential oils are good for aromatherapy, and some may even be hazardous to your health. Stay away from bitter almond, onion, garlic, rue, sassafras, camphor, wintergreen, and horseradish. There are other dangerous essential oils as well, so be very careful if you are attempting home therapy. It is best to seek professional help instead. He or she many use some of the aforementioned essential oils in very small doses, but aromatheripists are trained in how to use them correctly. There are many benefits to aromatherapy essential oils. The smell can be drawn into your lungs to provide a multitude of physical and mental benefits, and the oils can be applied directly to your skin for other useful advantages. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils, since their power is so strong. When used improperly, because of their strength, essential oils can be very dangerous, so be sure you understand how to use them properly. There are many aromatherapy products on the market that can be used in your home. Before purchasing, be sure that the company is not just claiming that their products are good for aromatherapy use, but that they actually do work. Sometimes other chemicals are used to give a pleasant smell, but this may be a fragrance and nothing more. This will not help you medically. One such product that you may often use in your home is the citronella candle, which has essential oils in it that act as a mosquito repellant. Other products can be used in your home in a similar way to benefit your health. Research this option fully to find out if aromatherapy essential oils can help you.
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