Battling For Health

Earlier this week, I talked about Randall Dale Chipkar’s awkwardly entitled book, “Are Motorcycles Killing Us With Cancers of the Prostate, Colon, Kidney, Bone, Etc?” which claims to link motorcycle use to cancer.

At the time that I wrote that post, Chipkar’s promotional website (found here) didn’t seem to have much up other than a press release and a checkout cart to buy the book. However, I found that Chipkar’s been shilling a protective motorcycle shield for those who buy into the EMF theory:

From Strange New Products:

“EMF” stands for electromagnetic field. [Chipkar] claims that EMFs can cause cancer, and that motorcycles are emitting enough of these EMFs to put riders in danger. His EMF shield can be fitted inside a motorcycle seat to provide riders with “peace of mind”.

And, that’s how scare tactics work as a marketing technique, folks.  Like I said earlier, I’ll believe the claims when I see the data.

Can this metal shield decrease bikers’ incidence of cancer? Leave us your opinion in the comment section!  Also, don’t miss our upcoming content makeover, including regular features like Research Roundup, Living with Cancer, and Ask the Experts.  Subscribe to our RSS feed!

Share This

According to preliminary testing of a team from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, a heat-retaining sleeve worn around the knee is useful in reducing joint pain and stiffness in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

Said Dr. Steven A. Mazzuca of Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and colleagues:

Although there is support for the use of heat in treating osteoarthritis pain, there have been few controlled studies in knee osteoarthritis.

To investigate further, the researchers randomly assigned 52 people with knee arthritis to use a special heat-retaining infrared-reflective knee sleeve or a cotton-based sleeve.

Because statistically, the improvement in pain was not significantly different from that produced with a standard cotton sleeve – which may indicate the further investigation is necessary.

After 4 weeks of use, people given the heat-retaining sleeve reported a 16 percent decrease in their score on a standard osteoarthritis index. Participants using the cotton sleeve reported a 9.7 percent decrease — a difference that was not statistically significant.

Subjects who correctly believed that they were given the heat-retaining sleeve, reported a 27.5 percent drop in the osteoarthritis score. Those who had the new sleeve but believed they had been given one made of cotton reported a 13 percent score reduction.

Therefore the researchers concluded: although this pilot study was “insufficiently powered” to give definitive results, the outcome shows that the heat-retaining sleeve “merits further scientific investigation.”

Findings are reported in the October 15th issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Source

Share This

I’m still stuck here on the couch sick, but I’ve got great news – because she had such a great time guest posting for me last week, Amanda is back to Battling Cancer for another essay.  Having worked directly across her benchtop space for years, I’ve always told her that she’s got way too much personality for her stodgy lab environment.  Maybe I can talk her into joining the ranks of bloggers who actually are encouraged to have a good time on the job!  At the very least, be expecting her and her unique views as a regular contributor for the new content makeover that we’ll be rolling out soon.

I am one of the lucky persons out there who absolutely adores her mother. She is not only my mother, she is my best friend and the one that I turn to when life is just crumbling around me. About 10 years ago, my mom had to have a hysterectomy to correct some problems associated with the birth of my sister (she was messing things up even way back then [Ed. note — just kidding!]). I didn’t really give it much thought until my grandmother developed breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy. To me, it is a no-brainer. Cancer in boob, get rid of boob. End of cancer = happy me.

The surgery was extremely upsetting to my mom, though. She swore to me that if she developed breast cancer, she would not get a mastectomy, no matter what the prognosis was. She said that if she were to lose her breasts, too, there would be no parts of her left that made her a woman. Naturally, I sat there in shock. How could my mom not opt to save her life? They are just breasts! You can survive without breasts! In this day and age, they can replace them, and make them perkier to boot. I even offered to go through the procedure with her. I would gladly give up both my breasts to save my mom. No matter how much I argued, she would not back down, and to this day maintains that in the event of cancer, she will proceed without the mastectomy, even if it means certain death. I cannot comprehend how anyone would take this kind of gamble with their life, but the ultimate choice is hers, and I have to respect that.

So it was with a heavy heart that I read about the increasing occurrence of breast cancer patients opting for double mastectomies after their initial diagnosis. Most breast cancers are treated with by lumpectomy, which involves the removal of the cancerous growth and preserving the surrounding breast tissue. There is a new trend, however, of women undergoing surgery to remove both the affected breast as well as the matching, healthy one as well. Young women are most likely to choose the double mastectomy, in the hopes of reducing the risk of the cancer spreading and improve their chances of survival. While this option reduces the chances of cancer developing on the opposite side, it does not eliminate the possibility. This option also provides a peace of mind for the patient, who may feel relief at the thought of not having to hear the news that they have breast cancer ever again.

The American Cancer Society predicts estimates that 178,480 women in the U. S. will develop breast cancer this year, and about 40,460 will die because of it. Given those odds, I say “Take the boobs!!! Get rid of them, and when I undergo reconstruction, I will get plastic ones that are bouncy and perky”. A bad joke, I know, but knowing my own family history of breast cancer, I will not hesitate to undergo a double mastectomy in the event I develop cancer. I will be a woman in spite of the lack of bosom.

Got something to share with Amanda?  Leave it in the comments!  Also, don’t miss our upcoming content makeover, including regular features like Research Roundup, Living with Cancer, and Ask the Experts.  Subscribe to our RSS feed!

Share This

Caused by a form of bacteria (the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi) infecting humans by tick bites – Lyme Disease - typically begins with a bull’s-eye skin rash, accompanied by fever, muscle aches, or other flu-like symptoms.

Sound scary. BUT, if diagnosed early, Lyme can be treated successfully within a month with either oral or intravenous antibiotics.

What does arthritis have to do with Lyme disease you might ask?

Because if Lyme patients do not receive antibiotic therapy early in the illness, they will develop intermittent or persistent arthritis — particularly affecting the knees.

Nearly 60 percent of patients who do not receive antibiotic therapy early in the illness develop intermittent or persistent arthritis, particularly affecting the knees.

Moreover, a small percentage of Lyme patients who do receive antibiotic therapy suffer from persistent arthritis for months or even several years after 2-3 months of oral and intravenous antibiotic therapy.

This confounding condition has been termed antibiotic-refractory, or slowly resolving, Lyme arthritis.

Therefore to find out more clues in to the survival of spirochetes following antibiotic therapy, researchers at the Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the National Center for Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collaborated in order to study antibody responses to Borrelia burgdorferi in patients with antibiotic-refractory or antibiotic-responsive Lyme arthritis.

The said study’s findings - presented in the December 2007 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism - indicate that joint inflammation persists in patients with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis after the disease-spreading spirochetes have been killed.

As observed by Dr. Allen C. Steere, the senior author of the study:

“In Lyme disease, there is a great need for a test that could be used in clinical practice as a marker for spirochetal eradication. Yet, ridding the body of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria and its surface antigens does not always bring relief from arthritis.

Increasing antibody titers in patients usually suggested the presence of live spirochetes, whereas declining titers suggested that they had been killed.

Thus, patients with Lyme arthritis who have a sustained, gradual decline in antibody reactivity probably have the nearly complete or total eradication of spirochetes from the joint as a result of antibiotic therapy, even if joint inflammation persists after the period of infection.”

Find more details from EurekAlert.

Share This

One of the possible tragic consequences of diabetes is the effects the disease has on various organs and body functions. They cover a wide range of systems and conditions. Fortunately, most are treatable and/or manageable.

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia, for example, is a common side effect of diabetes medications. Since diabetes is characterized by too much glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia), treating it can produce too low a level (hypoglycemia). It can be mild and adjustable by changing diet or medications. But careful monitoring of blood glucose levels is essential to proper management.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Cardiovascular problems are more likely among those who suffer from diabetes. High glucose levels can gradually lead to increases of fatty deposits on blood vessels, constricting flow and possibly leading to atherosclerosis (clogging or hardening of the blood vessels). That increases the odds of heart attack or stroke. Those who have diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease or a stroke, and often at a younger age than average.

Here again, though, the condition can be managed to minimize the odds of heart disease or stroke. An appropriate exercise regimen can help keep your cardiovascular in optimal condition. A heart healthy diet will reduce the odds of atherosclerosis. A good diet also reduces the chances of a stroke. In some cases, simple aspirin treatments may be helpful.

Eye Problems

A variety of eye problems are possible complications of diabetes. Indeed, one of the common symptoms is blurry vision. Excess glucose in the blood draws fluid out of tissues, including the lenses. That makes it more difficult to correctly focus. But there are other areas of the eye that can be affected, as well.

The retina (the lining on the back of the eye) may have its proper function impaired. As a side effect of elevated blood pressure caused by diabetes, small blood vessels in the eye can be damaged. That harms the retina. It may manifest itself in the form of blurry vision, but it can also appear as rings around lights or dark spots in your field of vision.

Careful monitoring of glucose levels and blood pressure can help minimize the odds of eye problems from diabetes. Here again, an appropriate diet, including lowering cholesterol and a good exercise routine will keep blood pressure under control.

Nervous System

One of the follow on effects of continual high blood pressure may be damage to the nervous system. When blood vessels are impaired they’re less efficient at performing that essential function. Blood oxygenates the nerve cells. When deprived they will be impaired.

Controlling blood pressure will help reduce the odds of nervous system problems.

Kidney

Kidneys help filter the blood to eliminate waste products and remove toxins. Diabetes can impair that filtering function. That may lead to protein leaking out of the kidneys and into the urine where it’s no longer available to the body for useful purposes. On the other hand, since the filtering function is less efficient, some waste products may go back into the bloodstream rather than being eliminated.

Keeping blood glucose level and blood pressure to the right level can help reduce the odds of kidney problems. In some cases, special medication (such as an ACE, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker) may be appropriate.

In all cases, the best course is to seek professional guidance for diagnosis and the appropriate treatments.

Share This

Moving from a state inhabited by less than 2 million people to a city that’s home to more than twice those numbers is quite a shock, and little drives that point home more for me than the news.  Since I’ve spent the last few days parked on the couch with my laptop (I’ve got strep throat — it’s my right to stay in my pajamas all day), I’ve seen video footage of arson, murder, suicide, a hostage crisis at the mall, and a building collapsing in on itself.  It can be downright numbing to see all those bad vibes. 

But today, I just heard the most uplifting news from that little clinic down the road:  University of Texas-MD Anderson breast cancer patient Linda Sanchez gave birth to healthy baby Isabella Marie last night after having been in chemotherapy while pregnant.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Isabella became the 70th baby born under a University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center program that once was controversial, but which last year formed the basis of the first national guidelines for the treatment of pregnant women with breast cancer. Until this program, women with cancer who learned they were pregnant were told to abort.

[Isabella] was delivered with a full head of hair, a trademark of babies born in the program and a sign that the chemotherapy doesn’t have the toxic effect on them that leaves their mothers bald.

Sanchez will resume chemotherapy next week, then have surgery at its conclusion. She had six rounds of one therapy, then was off treatment for 7 1/2 weeks before Monday’s delivery. Ultrasounds showed the cancer, which has shrunk to about one-third its original size, didn’t increase during that time.

News like this is truly amazing to me, and I’m sure that everyone at the MDA is buzzing right now.  I’m supposed to be volunteering there today, but opted out due to this annoying cough-wheeze.  Congratulations to the Sanchez family! 

Battling Cancer will soon be getting a content makeover, including regular features like Research Roundup, Living with Cancer, and Ask the Experts.  Don’t miss a thing — subscribe to our RSS feed!

Share This

Since bone health covers osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, I would like to cover bone health in this post.

Already known risk factor for heart disease, diabetes and a host of other health conditions is obesity.

Now, obesity could also be bad for bone health.

Researchers conducted advanced three-dimensional bone scans on 115 women ages 18 and 19 with normal (less than 32 percent) and high (greater than 32 percent) body fat.

After adjusting for differences in muscle mass surrounding the bone, the researchers found that the bones of participants with high body fat were 8 to 9 percent weaker than those of normal body fat participants.

Such were the findings of a new study published by the University of Georgia in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

According to study co-author Richard D. Lewis, professor of foods and nutrition at the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences:

“Obesity is an epidemic in this country, and I think this study is critical because it highlights another potential negative health effect that people haven’t considered.

The fact that the two groups had similar bone strength measures is remarkable in itself, because you would expect it to be higher in the heavier person.

When you’re young you have the capacity to change the shape of your bones, but when you get older you don’t have that capacity.

And because of that, childhood obesity could have a significant, long lasting negative impact on the skeleton.”

As explained Doctoral Candidate Norman Pollock, lead author of the study:

“Muscle exerts force on bones, which stimulates bone growth. Overweight people tend to have more muscle surrounding their bones than their leaner counterparts, leading most researchers to assume that being overweight is good for bone health.

When we corrected for the amount of muscle, we found that the obese person is not making as much bone as they should be for the amount of muscle that they have. People haven’t observed that in the past because they weren’t using the three-dimensional scan.”

Dr. Lewis further explained:

The exact mechanisms by which excess fat hinders bone strength are unclear, but studies of obese rats show that they produce more fat cells in the bone marrow and fewer bone cells.

Since fat and bone cells originate from the same precursor, it may be that fat cell production is favored over bone cell production in obese people.

Well I think it’s just goes that obesity is bad for bone health because as you gain more and more weight in adulthood, your bones in place will not change anymore. Your bones will definitely take the toll of heavy weight because bones do not expand even if your physical body expands with more weight.

Imagine if your knees are buckling (due to arthritis) and you are obese?

Poor bones!

Source: University of Georgia

Share This

When I was going to college, the university that I attended was undergoing of a full-scale renovation.  Many of the original buildings on campus were crumbling, and although there were new construction and renovation initiatives in place, many students had to attend classes in buildings at the same time that they were being stripped of asbestos.  To bring light to the hazardous situations, professors and students alike wore buttons satirizing the university’s recruiting motto, “Success — Expect it” with ”Asbestos — Expect it.”

The main concern for these students, staff, and faculty members was inhaling the dangerous particulate matter was that was so often indicated in cases of mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining of mesothelial cells in the chest and abdomen.  Many mesotheliomal cases are found in individuals working in occupational fields where they come in contact with harmful particulate matter in the air, particularly asbestos.  Earlier posts on Battling Cancer discussed both symptoms and difficulties of diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Here’s a collection of useful posts about mesothelioma that I found around the web:

Eden at the Mesothelioma Portal has a great checklist for patients undergoing treatment for mesothelioma to ask their doctors in an article entitled, “Who Treats Mesothelioma?”

The Mesothelioma Blog has an interesting news story about how a car accident resulted in a truck unearthing asbestos in an elementary school classroom.

What does exactly does mesothelioma litigation entail?  Ask Mesothelioma discusses just that very thing in “Mesothelioma Lawyers Know Exactly What is Going On.”  Also, Wika over at  A Cancer Blog has a really useful article on mesothelioma wrongful death lawsuits.

Got an interesting article to share?  I’m link friendly — share it in the comments!

Share This

Since I started this blog, there are already 4 posts wherein arthritis drugs were mentioned or discuss. And so in this resource –type entry, I would like to put those arthritis drugs on the spotlight.

ANTI-TNF THERAPY

Anti-TNF drugs are drugs that inhibit the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) thereby preventing chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Examples of TNF inhibitors that are currently approved by the FDA to be in the market are the following:

Infliximab (Remicade®)– a product of Centocor Pharmaceuticals. A biologic treatment used for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, Chron’s disease in adults, pediatric Chron’s disease, ulcerative colitis and ankylosing spondylitis.

D2E7 Adalimumab (Humira) – a product of Abbott. A medicine called a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) blocker, used in adults to reduce the signs and symptoms of:

• moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults. HUMIRA can be used alone or with methotrexate or with certain other medicines. HUMIRA may prevent further damage to your bones and joints and may help your ability to perform daily activities.
• psoriatic arthritis (PsA). HUMIRA can be used alone or with certain other medicines. HUMIRA may prevent further damage to your bones and joints and may help your ability to perform daily activities.
• ankylosing spondylitis (AS)
• moderate to severe Crohn’s disease (CD) in adults who have not responded well to conventional treatments. HUMIRA is also approved for these adults who have lost response or are unable to tolerate infliximab.

Etanercept (Enbrel®) – a product of Amgen and Wyeth and a biologic oral medication for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), moderate to severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritisJRA), psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS DRUGS IN CLINICAL TRIALS

Tocilizumab – under the brand Actemra™ and is currently being applied by Roche for FDA approval for use in rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

Certolizumab Pegol (CIMZIA™) is in development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, that when combined with a common DMARD methothrexate – may be safe and effective in the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis.

DMARD THERAPY

DMARDs or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs are are a variety of medications that work by altering the immune system function to halt the underlying processes that cause certain forms of inflammatory arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis.

DMARDs are drugs not only treat arthritis symptoms, but they also can slow down progressive joint destruction. There are two kinds of DMARDs: synthetic and biologic.

The examples of synthetic DMARDs are the following:

Hydroxychloroquine (popular brand name: Plaquenil) is classified as an antimalarial medication that is useful in treating several forms of malaria as well as rheumatic diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Leflunomide (popualr brand name: Arava) is an oral medication used to treat rheumatoid arthritis that works by suppressing your immune system. (RA is caused by an overactive immune system)

Methotrexate (popular brand name :Rheumatrex, Trexall) is classified as an antimetabolite drug, which means it is capable of blocking the metabolism of cells. As a result of this effect, it has been found helpful in treating certain diseases associated with abnormally rapid cell growth (cancer of the breast and psoriasis).

Sulfasalazine (popular brand name: Azulfidine) is is a prodrug, that is, it is not active in its ingested form. It is broken down by bacteria in the colon into two products: 5-aminosalicylic acid (5ASA), and sulfapyridine.

The beneficial effect of sulfasalazine is believed to be due to a local effect on the bowel, although there may also be a beneficial systemic immune-suppressant effect as well. Following oral administration, 33% of the sulfasalazine is absorbed, all of the sulfapyridine is absorbed, and about 33% of the 5ASA is absorbed. Sulfasalazine was approved by the FDA in 1950.

On the other hand, examples of biologic DMARDS are:

Abatacept (popualr brand: Orencia) is an injectable, synthetic (man-made) protein produced by recombinant DNA technology that is used for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Adalimumab, example is the anti-TNF Humira that ha this year been approved by the FDA for Chron’s disease. (see above Anti-TNF therapy category for more info on HUMIRA)

Anakinra (popualr brand: Kineret) is a synthetic (man-made), injectable, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist that blocks the effects of human interleukin-1. It is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Etanercept (popular brand Enbrel) : see above anti-TNF category for more info on Etanercept.

Infliximab (popular brand: Remicade) : see the above anti-TNF category for more info.

Rituximab (popular brand Rituxan) is an intravenous drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

It belongs to a class of drugs called monoclonal antibodies. Other monoclonal antibodies include trastuzumab (Herceptin) and gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg).

Corticosteroids (inlude drugs such as prednisone) — oral corticosteroids are oral medication used to reduce swelling and is used for many conditions such as allergic reactions, skin diseases (psoriasis, hives), breathing problems; certain cancers, blood disorders, and eye problems; arthritis, digestive problems, and for hormone replacement.

—

Whew! What a handful. I now a stiff next afte typing (and inserting hyperlinks!). See any common denominator in the above meds? Rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis — one type only of arthritis.

Which means I need to cover more types in the next edition of resource-type entry in this blog. So, stay tuned.

Share This

Hi everyone!  I’m back in Texas, and it’s suprisingly cold and rainy here.  We actually turned our heater on rather than the A/C for the first time, and the shock to our temperature control set the smoke alarm off.  Annoying, yes, but it’s nice to know that it’s not just my burnt pumpkin pies that are putting the smoke detecter to work :-) 

Anyway, back to business.  While scouring the internet for the latest developments in cancer as I so faithfully do, I came across an interesting story on an online magazine devoted to London Bikers covering an upcoming book that attempts to draw a link between motorcycles and cancer.  

The claims come from a new book by Randall Dale Chipkar entitled, Motorcycle Cancer:  Are Motorcycles Killing Us With Cancers of the Prostate, Colon, Kidney, Bone, Etc?  According to the book’s promotional website, extremely low frequency electromagnetic field radiation is the silent culprit for a host of different cancers.  

While I generally avoid travelling on anything that doesn’t have a protective steel cage around it, my husband’s family is deeply embedded in motorcycle culture.  Harleys, dirt bikes, rides, and races — they’ve done it all, so I have a vested interest.  But clunky headline aside, I just don’t buy what Chipkar’s selling.  While it makes for a good spook tactic (a silent monster — between my legs!), there is not one single study to date that links motorcycle electromagnetic radiation and cancer on PubMed, the single largest repository for peer-reviewed medical studies and scientific journal articles.  There is, however, one 2004 Taiwanese study that correlates motorcycle exhaust to hormonal effects in breast cancer cell lines and female rats  (Take home message to all who ride:  try not to breathe the fumes.)

Seeing as the promotional website requires purchase of the book before one can see any research (or lack thereof, as the websites claim that “historically, governments and various EM related industries (hydro-electric, cell tower, cell phone, etc.) have denied EM health effects so as to not create panic,”)  my scam warning bells went off.  Just as they did, however, the website tells me that “this information herein provides an awareness of controversial issues so that the reader can make his or her own personal investigations, interpretations, evaluation, decisions and conclusions by exercising freedom of choice.” 

Thanks for the tip.  As for the claim that motorcycles are linked to cancer, I’ll believe it when I see the data.

Do you think I’m too cynical or right on the money?  Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Share This