Recent Comments:
No evidence that statins protect against prostate cancer by lowering male hormone production
The Cancer Blog
Aug 15th 2007 6:01PM NO NO NO NO NO!!!
Please revise the headline! Previous evidence indicated strongly that statins give very substantial help in protecting against aggressive and lethal prostate cancer, and this study does not challenge that at all! Previous studies also suggested that statins do not help prevent the occurence of prostate cancer, but that is not at issue here and has not changed.
What the study indicates is that statins do not cause their apparently beneficial effect through reduction of testosterone, as had been hypothesized. As you note, the study "doesn't mean that statins aren't lowering prostate cancer risk through other pathways."
As it stands your headline is simply wrong and misleading!
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?sub_section=blog&id=147
Tomatoes can help send cancer packing
The Cancer Blog
Jun 2nd 2007 6:58PM The study in the update was discouraging, but it still looks like lycopene may help prevent prostate cancer, it may help keep it from turning aggressive or metastasizing, and it is safe to take. I'm still consuming several servings daily, especially V8, and often take the brand of pills used in the study.
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?id=147
Form and Function: Cell organelles
The Cancer Blog
Jun 2nd 2007 6:54PM Riana,
As a survivor I have gradually learned more about cell basics, but I had no idea how complex cells were until the last few years. While I knew better, my image of cells was like the cartoon in your blog. What most impressed me was that some types of cells have more than a million receptors on the surface of each cell. It's as if each cell inside us is a galaxy with an awesomely huge number of parts. I'm beginning to appreciate that they are indeed "extremely complex" as you described them in your blog.
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?id=147
Cancer research competition could fuel better research
The Cancer Blog
May 29th 2007 10:53AM URGENT - ONLINE INTERACTIVE OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT FEDERAL CANCER RESEARCH FUNDING -- 1 PM TODAY, 5/29
The Gotham Prize for Cancer Research is a great new way to support research. But why not also demand that our Federal Government put its muscle behind cancer research? Thanks to the negligence of the administration and past congress, cancer research by the NCI is starved for funds. FINALLY, the Washington Post -- the capitol's trade paper -- ran a story -- an excellent story -- on the funding problem at NIH (and its sub-agency, the National Cancer Institute). You can read it at this link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/27/AR2007052700794.html
The author, Christopher Lee, will be holding an online interactive discussion at 1 PM today at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/05/26/DI2007052600427.html . Questions can be sent in now or during the program.
If enough of us participate, the author could demonstrate to the editors that there is keen interest in this issue. That could motivate the Washington Post to devote more space to it, thereby educating our political leaders and their staffs. Many appear to be grossly ignorant and indifferent, having little awareness that in just three days deaths from cancer in the US eclipse the number of deaths in Iraq or from the 9/11 events. Too many leaders, including the President, are unaware that cancer is a form of terrorism that is highly likely to directly affect the great majority of American families. They do not seem to realize that just $1 billion more, raising funding from just under $5 billion for the NCI to about $6 billion, would restore momentum, and that even a lesser increase would help.
Even if you cannot participate today, please email a link to the article and your comments to your senators, representative, and to the President.
Jim Waldenfels
Thought for the Day: Protect children's skin now
The Cancer Blog
May 21st 2007 2:02PM BUT DON'T FORGET VITAMIN D
On the other hand, we need to get enough sun to generate vitamin D3, which is being increasingly recognized for its important role in many aspects of health. Supplements can also help, especially for those of us who are older or living in northern latitudes.
D3 is of particular interest to me as a prostate cancer survivor as low levels are associated with prostate cancer. A geographic atlas of cancer shows a pronounced increase in cancer the further north you go from the equator. Unfortunately, the reverse is true for skin cancer.
I just did a search of www.pubmed.gov for "vitamin D3 AND 2007 [dp]" to find the number of published medical research papers on vitamin D3 just in 2007 to date. I got 194 hits.
Jim Waldenfels
Drug for metastatic prostate cancer ready for approval
The Cancer Blog
May 5th 2007 10:05PM We had a vigorous group of survivors who gave statements in favor of approving Provenge at the hearing. The hearing was dramatic, and we were elated by the committee's vote to recommend approval.
I wrote a detailed account that is available at http://www.mycancerplace.com/forum/?action=view_topic&id=70&fid=17. The topic also includes my statement, and transcription copies of that statement and five others. All background documents and transcripts are now available at http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/cber07.htm#CellularTissueGeneTherapies under the heading Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee, under the hearing dates March 29-30. The Provenge hearing started at 8 AM on March 29 and ended that afternoon.
We are counting down the days until May 15, the last day by which the FDA is supposed to render its decision whether to approve Provenge.
Jim Waldenfels
Toenail fungal drug can block angiogenesis
The Cancer Blog
May 1st 2007 5:38PM Another anti-fungal medication, ketoconazole, is often used as an element of second line hormonal blockade therapy for prostate cancer.
Jim Waldenfels
Thought for the Day: About the red meat
The Cancer Blog
Apr 14th 2007 10:41PM Red meat is a risk factor for prostate cancer, and a main element in the link is arachidonic acid. The fat in red meat doesn't help either. I just searched www.pubmed.gov with "arachidonic acid AND prostate cancer" and got 138 hits (136 hits when substituting "breast cancer".
I got 44 hits searching for "red meat AND prostate cancer" (66 hits when substituting "breast cancer". Last year some interesting research was published on the effects of different methods of cooking red meat and prostate cancer.
Obviously there is a lot of research going on in these areas.
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?id=147
Press Secretary Tony Snow clears up cancer confusion
The Cancer Blog
Apr 14th 2007 10:24PM I wonder if Tony Snow realizes that President Bush has neglected funding for the National Cancer Institute.
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?id=147
Stress helps cancer resist treatment
The Cancer Blog
Apr 14th 2007 10:15PM Thanks Jacki for posting about this important study.
For years leaders in prostate cancer prevention and treatment support have been emphasizing the importance of avoiding stress. For instance, Dr. Charles Myers, MD, a well-known leader in the role of nutrition and physical activity in supporting prevention and treatment, has made minimizing stress one of the cornerstones of an effective program, the others being exercise, diet, and supplements. A key advice on his card "Tell One Friend How to Prevent Prostate Cancer" is: "Incorporate relaxation tehniques into your daily life."
See this added evidence will reinforce my motivation to avoid stress.
I saw your blog shortly after browsing the online abstracts for the national conference of the American Association for Cancer Research, which is just getting underway. I had just searched for "prostate cancer", and one of the first of 500 hits involved BAD. I had no idea what that was and bypassed it. Now I've gone back, and see that it is another look at BAD by the Kulik team. Here's a link that will get directly to that abstract: http://www.abstractsonline.com/viewer/viewAbstractPrintFriendly.asp?CKey={137CA51E-3D04-48B9-9856-F01D241574C5}&SKey={38A5ED1A-6D42-4076-834F-69A7EAEFFF5C}&MKey={E3F4019C-0A43-4514-8F66-B86DC90CD935}&AKey={728BCE9C-121B-46B9-A8EE-DC51FDFC6C15}
The study title: "The dual role of BAD in prostate cancer" Abstract 3627
Jim Waldenfels http://www.mycancerplace.com/profile.php?id=147
