http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/cancer.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Science/2008/05/14/compound_might_stop_cancer_progression/7311/ http://tobacco.org/news/265322.html U.S. medical scientists say they have discovered a compound that, in laboratory tests, has shown success in preventing cancer. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center researchers said the compound, which still faces several rounds of clinical trials, successfully stopped normal cells from turning into cancer cells and inhibited the ability of tumors to grow and form blood vessels. If successful tests continue, researchers eventually hope to create a daily pill that would be taken as a cancer preventive. UPI Wed, 14 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/health/13mouth.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=smoking&st=nyt&oref=slogin http://tobacco.org/news/265224.html "A person dies every hour around the clock from oral cancer," he said, "yet it's a struggle to get insurance to cover any of the new screening tests. It causes at least twice as many deaths as cervical cancer, but we've paid for pap smears -- which have reduced cervical cancer by 90 percent." Smoking and alcohol abuse are the major causes, but 25 percent of oral cancers appear in people who have never smoked or drunk to excess. The suspected cause of at least some of these cancers is human papillomavirus, or H.P.V., the same sexually transmitted virus that causes most cervical cancers, which can invade the mouth during oral sex. "Some are already hypothesizing that if kids are inoculated against H.P.V.," Dr. Kahn said, "there will be a turnaround in the oral cancers caused by H.P.V., too." New York Times Tue, 13 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-09-2008/0004810450&EDATE= http://tobacco.org/news/265214.html The risk of the two major prostate diseases, cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can be reduced by changes in lifestyle, such as avoiding smoking, maintaining a normal weight and eating a healthy diet. Alan Kristal, Dr.P.H., associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, has conducted many studies that suggest men need not feel helpless against prostate cancer or BPH. . . . -- Heavy smokers who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have twice the risk of dying from their disease. Smoking may promote prostate cancer growth through several mechanisms. One is that it can increase the amount of circulating androgens, which fuels the growth of malignant prostate cells. Another theory is related to tobacco as a source of cadmium, a heavy metal that has been linked to prostate cancer in several occupational-health studies. This known human carcinogen inhibits DNA repair, which allows cancer cells to mutate and multiply. PR Newswire Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.velonews.com/article/75947 http://tobacco.org/news/265150.html Seven-time Tour de France winner and anti-cancer advocate Lance Armstrong said Thursday he has discussed banning smoking in public places across the United States with the three White House contenders. "I've asked all the presidential candidates whether America should be smoke-free," he told a Senate committee hearing on how to tackle cancer. "The consensus is that it's better left to the cities and states," he said, agreeing that state- or community-level bans were "the way to go." "Second-hand smoking is something I'm very passionate about," he told the committee. . . . Armstrong said banning smoking, or using other means to make people never start, or kick a tobacco habit, were good preventive measures against cancer. "We know what works in terms of cancer prevention — targeting tobacco, sun, diet and exercise. "You now have cities like New York; Austin, Texas that are smoke-free," Armstrong lauded, before looking to the traditionally smoke-filled pubs, cafes and bars of Europe. Agence France Presse Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/uotm-cpa043008.php http://tobacco.org/news/264819.html Whole-organ maps that superimpose genetic information over the terrain of cancerous bladders chart the molecular journey from normal cell to invasive cancer, an international research team led by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reports online at the journal Laboratory Investigation, a member of the Nature Publishing Group. By geographically relating an organ's varied tissues - normal, precancerous and malignant - to their underlying genetic variation or regulation, the team also identified a crucial new category of genes that launches the process of cancer development. . . . A gene known as P2RY5 located inside a portion of the RB1 gene was affected by a number of single-nucleotide changes. A case-control study of one of the gene's variant forms was conducted using blood DNA from 790 bladder cancer patients and 712 controls matched for age and gender. The specific variation was present in 2.78 percent of patients and every patient with the variation who also smoked developed bladder cancer. EurekAlert smerville@mdanderson.org (geographically relating an organ) Mon, 05 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/299/17/2037 http://tobacco.org/news/264786.html Smoking is associated with an increased risk of total and cause-specific death, but the rate of mortality risk reduction after quitting compared with continuing to smoke is uncertain. . . . Prospective observational study of 104 519 female participants in the Nurses' Health Study with follow-up from 1980 to 2004. . . . Conclusions Most of the excess risk of vascular mortality due to smoking in women may be eliminated rapidly upon cessation and within 20 years for lung diseases. Postponing the age of smoking initiation reduces the risk of respiratory disease, lung cancer, and other smoking-related cancer deaths but has little effect on other cause-specific mortality. These data suggest that smoking is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer mortality but not ovarian cancer mortality. Journal of the American Medical Association Tue, 06 May 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=614759 http://tobacco.org/news/264522.html The factors behind cancer death rates seem to have leveled off, a new report shows. The effectiveness of smoking prevention and mammography screening that fueled recent declines in cancer deaths appears to have reached its limit. "We've run into plateaus in terms of people smoking and getting necessary screening. The next big barrier is the obesity epidemic," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. Nevertheless, Brooks stressed, the progress already made is substantial. "When you step back and think about where we've come in this country, it's phenomenal," he said. "The report is a tremendous example of the work that's been done over the past 20 years in showing that the efforts to reduce smoking and increase screening have been tremendous in terms of decreasing death rates from cancer." But the trends, detailed in the American Cancer Society's annual report, Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts and Figures 2008, do point to a need for more effort. . . . * Twenty-nine states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have bans on smoking in workplaces and/or restaurants and/or bars, while almost 3,000 municipalities have passed some of smoke-free legislation. "Comprehensive tobacco control programs are really key," Cokkinides said. "They have been demonstrated to be effective. We just need to keep up the pace." HealthDay [HealthScout] editors@healthday.com (Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter) Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/esfm-vmp041808.php http://tobacco.org/news/264490.html Papers presented at the 1st European Lung Cancer Conference, jointly organized by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) in Geneva, Switzerland highlight emerging evidence that common viruses may contribute to the development of lung cancer. Experts agree that smoking is by far the most important factor that contributes to lung cancer development. But other factors can play a role in some cases. In one report at the conference (Abstract No. 124PD; Friday 25th April, 09:50) Dr. Arash Rezazadeh and colleagues from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, describe the results of a study on 23 lung cancer samples from patients in Kentucky. The researchers found six samples that tested positive for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that also causes many cases of cervical cancer. One was later shown to be a cervical cancer that had spread to the lungs. EurekAlert media@esmo.org Europe Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20080422/us-cancer-prevention-stalling http://tobacco.org/news/264099.html Some important U.S. cancer-prevention trends -- such as less smoking and more mammograms -- have stalled, the American Cancer Society warns. Cancer deaths are down because of huge gains made over more than a decade of cancer-prevention efforts. Far fewer Americans smoke, far more get regular cancer screening, and lots more of us use sunscreen when we're outside. The result: Fewer U.S. cancer deaths. We may have started taking these annual gains for granted, suggests Vilma Cokkinides, PhD, the American Cancer Society's�strategic director for risk factor surveillance. Cokkinides is co-author of the American Cancer Society�report, Cancer Prevention & Early Detection Facts and Figures 2008. "These trends have been very favorable in the past, saving a lot of lives," Cokkinides tells WebMD. "It is concerning we are stalling. We want to see further improvements so we can save more lives." . . . * Smoking rates for adults and teens dropped from 1997 to 2003. But they haven't gone down since then -- and 21% of adults and 23% of teens still smoke. * For every dollar states spend on tobacco-control programs, the tobacco industry spends $24. WebMD Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/04/20/renewing_the_war_on_cancer/ http://tobacco.org/news/263906.html THE 112TH Boston Marathon is a grand tradition I am proud to take part in for the first time this year. I'm running with 50 LIVE-STRONG team members to raise funds for the fight against cancer, another grand tradition that has strong roots in Boston. . . . The good news is, now more than ever, we have an opportunity to change things. We are about to elect a new president, and now - before the election, while the candidates are still making promises to win our vote - is the time when we can hold them accountable for the war on cancer. Senators Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain have all been affected by this disease, either personally or through the death of a loved one. Let's ask them how they intend to defeat the enemy, what steps they'll take against tobacco, the number-one cause of cancer, and how they'll ensure all of us - not just star athletes and politicians - have a healthcare system that rolls out the red carpet when we need it. Boston Globe Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/200203,risk-of-cervical-cancer-higher-among-women-who-smoke.html http://tobacco.org/news/263866.html Munich - Smoking increases the risk of cervical cancer, according to the professional association of gynaecologists. An infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) could more easily lead to cancer of the cervix in a woman who smokes than in a non-smoker, the Munich-based association said. Earth Times Germany Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Mouth-cancer-op-for-Kenny.3991956.jp http://tobacco.org/news/263847.html JUST months after being freed from death row, Kenny Richey has been delivered a new blow with the confirmation he has cancer. The 43-year-old chain smoker broke down in tears when doctors told him a lump in his mouth was malignant. Although, his chances will depend on the extent to which the cancer has developed and embedded itself -- and Richey has admitted he tried to ignore it while in jail in the US --survival rates for mouth cancer are not good. The Scotsman UK-Scotland Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/118496565/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0 http://tobacco.org/news/263790.html Scandinavian moist snuff (snus) is claimed to be a safer alternative to smoking. We aimed to quantify cancer incidence among male snus users . . . A statistically significant increase in the incidence of the combined category of oral and pharyngeal cancer among daily users of snus (incidence rate ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval 1.5-6.6) was found. Overall mortality was also slightly increased (hazard ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.21). Although the combined previous literature on snus and oral cancer weigh toward no association, this population-based prospective study provided suggestive evidence of snus-related risks that cannot be lightly ignored. Wiley InterScience ann.roosaar@ki.se Sweden Tue, 22 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.pntonline.com/news/tobacco_13436___article.html/bender_age.html http://tobacco.org/news/263741.html Rick Bender is a living testament to the destruction tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, can do. Bender, who lost part of his jaw due to oral cancer, spoke to Portales youth Saturday at the Teens Take Control Summit at the Portales Recreation Center. Bender, 46, has testified before Congress in support of laws banning tobacco use for those under age 18. He started using chew tobacco at age 12, and by age 26, he found himself in a doctor's office with a dime size mouth sore which turned out to be an aggressive form of oral cancer which required part of his mouth, jaw and tongue to be removed. . . . With this is mind, Bender is focusing much of his awareness campaign these days on Clean Air Acts, laws which prohibit smoking in public places, which many cities are adopting. While he supports such acts, he said, "This is a problem. They should not only be smoke-free ordinances, but tobacco-free." To illustrate his point, Bender showed advertisements by the Camel tobacco company which is test marketing a new flavored tobacco product called, "Smus." He showed an advertisement in which a man says, "I love tobacco. I don't smoke .... Take a pinch instead of a puff!" . . . Terri Teti, coordinator of the Roosevelt County Health Council and a Teen Summit organizer, told of an incident last year in which a group of youth were wearing tobacco product T-shirts at the Curry County Fair in Clovis and told how tobacco product advertisements are no longer allowed in the parade. Portales News-Tribune helena_rodriguez@link.freedom.com (Helena Rodriguez, PNT Staff Writer) Sun, 20 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.projo.com/ri/providence/content/MC_FIRE_04-18-08_GK9QNPO_v9.34a9d01.html http://tobacco.org/news/263737.html From now on, any Providence firefighter diagnosed with cancer will be presumed to have contracted the cancer on the job, and will be given a generous accidental disability pension, assuming they can prove that they do not smoke, use drugs or abuse alcohol, under a measure passed by the City Council last night. . . . The fire chief and the firefighters union have made the case that firefighters are exposed to numerous carcinogens and have greater risk of developing blood, lung, lymphatic and skin cancer than the rest of the population. . . . Firefighters would have to submit to annual physical exams administered by doctors hired by the city to prove that they do not use tobacco products, abuse alcohol or use illegal drugs, and sign affidavits stating that they have not used those substances. Firefighters who use those substances now have a clean slate going forward, but will have to prove on their next annual physical that they are not using them anymore. Providence Journal-Bulletin dbarbari@projo.com (Daniel Barbarisi Journal Staff Writer) Fri, 18 Apr 2008 04:00:00 GMT