http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/cancer.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-childhood-leukaemia-fathers.html http://tobacco.org/news/333531.html Research from Western Australia's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research finds that heavy smoking by fathers around the time of conception greatly increases the risk of the child developing Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. Published in the prestigious American Journal of Epidemiology, the study investigated the association between parental smoking and the occurrence of ALL in offspring. "The first step towards the development of leukemia is thought to occur in utero in a lot of cases," lead author Dr Elizabeth Milne says. "So we look at prenatal exposures as it has to be something to do with what's happening before the baby's born." "Tobacco is a known carcinogen and, in terms of childhood leukemia, there's a plausible biological pathway whereby paternal smoking could actually contribute to disease risk in the offspring," she says. In a comprehensive exposure questionnaire distributed nationwide to 388 families with cases of ALL and 868 control families, the group asked mothers and fathers to state where they lived, their occupation and how many cigarettes they smoked for every year of their life from the time they were 15. Medical Xpress Australia Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://tobaccoreporter.com/home.php?id=498&art=5541 http://tobacco.org/news/333425.html Tobacco use is fuelling a cancer epidemic in India, with oral and lung cancers now the top two cancers in men, according to a story by Sanchita Sharma for the Hindustan Times. Sharma wrote that more than 10 lakh [one million] people developed cancer in India each year and that the disease was projected to rise fivefold by 2025. Tobacco Reporter India Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=112542 http://tobacco.org/news/333394.html Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Sheikh has said all injurious substances would be banned in the city like tobacco, Gutka, betel nut, Pan and other items that beget cancer among humans. He stated this while speaking as a Chief Guest at an awareness program in Sir Syed Town North Karachi on Saturday. He said it was a need of the hour to ban such items so that innocent lives could be saved from numerous diseases. ‘People are falling prey to different diseases including mouth cancer mainly due to lack of awareness,’ he said, and demanded of the Pakistan Medical Association and non-governmental organizations to come forth and collectively to stem the menace of cancer. PMA Central Finance Secretary and ENT surgeon at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital Dr. Qaiser Sajjad said according to an estimate Gutika and such tobacco products of around 122 kinds were being sold in the city, imported and smuggled from India and other countries. Frontier Post Pakistan Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Health/Tobacco-is-India-s-biggest-cancer-worry/Article1-806490.aspx http://tobacco.org/news/333368.html Tobacco use is fuelling a cancer epidemic in India, making cancers of oral cavity (mouth) and lung the top two cancers in men. More than 10 lakh people develop cancer in India each year. The disease is projected to rise five fold — 2.8 times because of tobacco use and 2.2 due to ageing — by 2025, shows population-based cancer registry data from the Indian Council of Medical Research. Other causes include unhealthy lifestyle and pollution. . . . Lung cancer is the most common in men — 17% new cases and 23% deaths. Smokers are up to 22 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers. “Tobacco use is the single-largest preventable cause of cancer and discouraging use the most cost-effective intervention,” says Dr GK Rath, chief, Rotary Cancer Institute, AIIMS. “Tobacco kills 10 lakh people a year, more than AIDS, murders, suicides, alcohol and drug abuse put together.” Hindustan Times letters@hindustantimes.com (Sanchita Sharma, Hindustan Times) India Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cdc.gov/Features/WorldCancerDay/index.html http://tobacco.org/news/333349.html On February 4, CDC joins people, organizations, and government agencies around the world in supporting the fight against cancer. Each year, 7.6 million people die from cancer worldwide; many of these deaths can be prevented. On February 4, CDC joins organizations around the world in supporting World Cancer Day to promote ways to reduce the burden of cancer. Each year globally, 12.7 million people learn they have cancer, and 7.6 million people die from the disease. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease; it kills more than half a million Americans every year. A Global Concern More people die from cancer than from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined. The World Health Organization projects that without immediate action, the global number of deaths from cancer will increase by nearly 80% by 2030, with most occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Centers for Disease Control cdcinfo@cdc.gov Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6101a1.htm?s_cid=ss6101a1_w http://tobacco.org/news/333348.html Results: An estimated 7.2% of the U.S. general population aged ≥18 years reported having received a previous cancer diagnosis (excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer). A total of 78.8% of cancer survivors were aged ≥50 years, and 39.2% had received a diagnosis of cancer >10 years previously. A total of 57.8% reported receiving an influenza vaccination during the previous year, and 48.3% reported ever receiving a pneumococcal vaccination. At the time of the interview, 6.8% of cancer survivors had no health insurance, and 12% had been denied health insurance, life insurance, or both because of their cancer diagnosis. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was higher among male cancer survivors (23.4%) than female cancer survivors (14.3%), as was the prevalence of diabetes (19.6% and 14.7%, respectively). Overall, approximately 15.1% of cancer survivors were current cigarette smokers, 27.5% were obese, and 31.5% had not engaged in any leisure-time physical activity during the past 30 days. Demographic characteristics and health behaviors among cancer survivors varied substantially by state. Interpretation: Health behaviors and preventive health care practices among cancer survivors vary by state and demographic characteristics. A large proportion of cancer survivors have comorbid conditions, currently smoke, do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity, and are obese. In addition, many are not receiving recommended preventive care, including cancer screening and influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. Public Health Action: Health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight for cancer survivors. The findings in this report can help public health practitioners, researchers, and comprehensive cancer control programs evaluate the effectiveness of program activities for cancer survivors, assess the needs of cancer survivors at the state level, and allocate appropriate resources to address those needs. . . . Health Behaviors Smoking Approximately 15.1% of cancer survivors aged ≥18 years in the 50 states and DC were current cigarette smokers (Figure 1). Smoking prevalence among cancer survivors was highest in Oklahoma (23.9%) and lowest in California (10.3%). Regional differences also were observed, with the highest prevalence in the South (17.2%), followed by the Midwest (15.8%), Northeast (15.1%), and West (13.0%). . . . Despite significant decreases in cigarette smoking since 1980, a 2011 CDC study indicated that 20% of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years in the general population currently smoke (47), compared with 15% of cancer survivors in this report. Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality, resulting in approximately 443,000 deaths annually (47). Cancer survivors are at increased risk for subsequent cancers, including tobacco-related cancers (48,49). Adverse health conditions from smoking include compromised cancer treatment efforts, delayed healing after surgery, and impeded recovery of optimal daily functioning (48). In this report, current smoking was reported by cancer survivors and varied substantially by state; however, certain states, such as California and Massachusetts, had a relatively low prevalence. The low smoking prevalence among cancer survivors in California and Massachusetts is partially attributable to implementation of the long-running comprehensive tobacco control program in California and mandated tobacco cessation coverage in the Massachusetts Medicaid program (47,50,51). Because of the hazardous effects of smoking, especially among persons with cancer, promotion of smoking cessation and initiation of smoking prevention measures among cancer survivors are especially important. . . . Conclusion A large proportion of cancer survivors have comorbid conditions, and many are not receiving recommended preventive care, not only for cancer screening but for influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations. Furthermore, many cancer survivors currently smoke, do not participate in adequate physical activity, and are obese. Health-care providers and patients should be aware of the importance of preventive care, smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight among cancer survivors, factors that have been linked to longer survival and better quality of life among cancer survivors, as well as to decreased risk for new and recurrent cancer. Health care for cancer survivors should include improvements in pain management and a written treatment summary (including follow-up instructions). Modification of health behaviors among cancer survivors would be facilitated by increasing insurance coverage and access to care. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report jmunderwood@cdc.gov Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://ekasearch01.eurekalert.org/e3/cs.html?url=http%3A//www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-01/asfr-edf012412.php&charset=iso-8859-1&qt=%2Bsmoking%2C+EurekAlert&col=ev3rel&n=1&la=en http://tobacco.org/news/333336.html Head and neck cancers respond well to the anti-cancer drug erlotinib when it is administered before surgery and a stronger dose is given to patients who smoke, according to a study presented at the Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancer Symposium, sponsored by AHNS, ASCO, ASTRO and SNM. Erlotinib is an oral anti-cancer drug that can slow a tumor's growth and spread by inhibiting specific growth receptors on the surface of the cancer cells. Early detection of a patient's response to EGFR inhibitors, such as erlotinib, is critical to personalizing head and neck cancer treatments. In a first of its kind study in patients with head and neck cancer, researchers sought to determine how well tumors unaffected by other therapies respond to erlotinib, when the drug dose was adjusted according to the patient's smoking status. It has been recently shown that smokers metabolize the drug faster than nonsmokers. EurekAlert nicolen@astro.org Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_smoking-in-a-bangalore-hotel-not-anymore_1646112 http://tobacco.org/news/333321.html Non-smokers can breathe a sigh of relief. The reason: The Bruhat Bangalore Hotel Owners Association (BBHOA) has decided to implement the guidelines laid down by the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) regarding eateries and directed city-based hotels owners to restrict people from smoking inside hotels. On the occasion of World Cancer Day on Saturday, the association decided to set up 'smoke-free zones' inhotels. According to COTPA (revised in 2008), smoking may be permitted only in smoking zones in restaurants, bars and pubs. DNA India Bangladesh Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/05/collective-efforts-urged-to-eliminate-use-of-gutka-chhalia.html http://tobacco.org/news/333320.html Claiming that frequent consumption of chhalia (betel nuts), gutka and tobacco was behind the increasing cases of oral cancer, speakers at a seminar on Saturday suggested that a civil society and city administration coalition be initiated to eliminate their use in the city. One of the speakers said that even babies were indirectly exposed to hazards due to their mothers’ consumption of gutka and mainpuri — concoctions of betel nuts, tobacco, lime, flavouring colourants, catechu and some other ingredients. The seminar was held to mark the World Cancer Day by the administration of District Central in collaboration with a couple of nongovernmental organisations, and to highlight the hazards of gutka and mainpuri on human health. Participants were told that Pakistan was one of the 15 countries of the world which housed two-thirds of the world tobacco users. DAWN Group of Newspapers Pakistan Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/health/60-of-lung-cancer-patients-in-uae-are-smokers-expert-1.975887 http://tobacco.org/news/333311.html * The Genomics Centre noted there is a lack of national strategies to treat or prevent cancers in the Arab communities. Dubai: Lung cancer is the most common cancer among Arab men and the only way to tackle this is for men to give up smoking, a medical institution in Dubai has warned. A report released on World Cancer Day on Saturday by the Centre for Arab Genomic Studies points out that cancer is the third-leading cause of deaths in the UAE. But researchers note that cancer causes more deaths in the country than heart disease or traffic accidents. Gulf News Mid-east Uae: Dubai Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdetails/news/national/World-Cancer-Day-marked-by-anti-smoking-campaign-20120204 http://tobacco.org/news/333290.html Addressing a news conference to mark World Cancer Day held this morning at Mater Dei hospital, the Health Minister, Joe Cassar said government intends to embark on anti-smoking campaign to address the growing number of cancers caused by tobacco. Cassar said that 26.6% of men and 9% of women who died in Malta last year, had lung cancer. "Smoking is a vice people find very hard to get rid of. Smoking not only harms smokers but is also harmful to people around smokers." Stephen Montford, who chairs the smoking and health committee that runs smoking cessation programmes, said that hospital offers cessation and psycho therapy classes to hospital patients and employees who wish to stop smoking. Montford also said that a tender has been issued for the introduction of nicotine replacement therapy patches for patients. Malta Today /mailto:maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt (Saviour Balzan) Malta Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://english.ruvr.ru/2012/02/04/65312749.html http://tobacco.org/news/333274.html The World Cancer Day is marked on February 4. According to the World Health Organization, 12 mln people are diagnosed with the disease annually, while 7,500 die of the illness. Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. . . . Russia has the same rate of cancer cases and mortality as the UK, Ireland and France with 480,000 primary diagnoses a year, says Professor with the Anti-Cancer Society David Zaridze "The main reason for cancer mortality in Russia is smoking-related tumors which account for 30% of all deaths. Smoking causes lung cancer and hit 12-13 other organs, like stomach, head, neck, mouth, larynx and throat. Control over smoking can decrease the mortality rate." Doctors should lead a more active prevention campaign among those people who get ill due to their bad habits. Anti-smoking campaign directly affects the cancer mortality rate in the world. This year's Cancer Day is held under the motto "cancer can be prevented" which underlines the importance of healthy lifestyle. Doctors recommend to quit smoking RUVR Voice of Russia !--Rating@Mail.ru (Maria Domnitskaya) Russia Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://health.india.com/diseases-conditions/world-cancer-day-2012-kick-the-butt/ http://tobacco.org/news/333267.html FEB 4 is World Cancer Day 2012. The detrimental effects of smoking are well-documented.Cigarettes contain 69 carcinogens and smoking is one of the major causes of lung cancer for active and passive smokers. It is our duty to kick the butt not only for our own well-being but for our near and dear ones who are inhaling second-hand smoke. Smoking has no moral defence and it is our responsibility to ensure that we stop endangering ourselves and our loved ones. The decision to quit smoking is the most important decision of you life. It is not easy by any means but it can be done. Think about the following points before we get to the action plan: health.india.com India Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.worldcancerday.org/ http://tobacco.org/news/333264.html World Cancer Day is fast approaching this Saturday, 4 February 2012. It is the occassion to unite the world in the fight against the disease through raising awareness, educating the public, and lobbying for change. It is only by every person, organisation, and government, individually doing their part, that the world will be able to reduce the global cancer burden. So get involved and do something this World Cancer Day - because Together it is possible! World Cancer Day Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/can-tobacco-be-used-to-cure-cancer/article2321906/ http://tobacco.org/news/333170.html In a Toronto laboratory, an experiment on mice is seeking to answer a question that could turn conventional wisdom on its head: Can tobacco cure cancer? The plant best known for its negative health effects has been genetically engineered to create a drug comparable to Herceptin that could one day be used to treat highly aggressive breast cancers at a lower cost. That development is part of a plant-based trend in pharmaceuticals. It is based on the belief that proteins can be made faster, cheaper and easier, allowing patients in remote parts of the world to gain access to medicines once unaffordable. And it's not just tobacco. Plants being tested as biological drugs sound like they belong not in the laboratory but in the vegetable section at the health-food store: carrots for Gaucher's disease, duckweed - those green flecks on top of ponds - to treat hepatitis C, and safflower to make insulin. Globe and Mail Canada Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT