Smoking And Cancer Link Long Established

Smoking is a serious habit that has been linked to a wide variety of cancers and may play a contributing role in the development of a host of other potentially deadly diseases. The connection between this habit and cancer, in fact, has long been established. One of the first definitive looks at smoking and lung cancer was published way back in 1939, but it took decades before the general public would become fully aware of the dangers lighting up might pose.

A timeline of the findings of researchers in regard to the smoking-cancer link sheds light on just how rapidly the body of evidence against the habit grew even as the acceptance of smoking continued. In the 1950s, for example, a major study came out that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. That study connected cigarette smoking to a rise in lung cancer deaths of an estimated 144 percent from 1938 to 1948. This study was followed by many more, but the persistence of the habit continued. 

By the end of the 1950s, the American Surgeon General issued a statement about the lung cancer risk smokers faced. As the 1960s arrived, medical professionals were beginning to offer smoking cessation assistance to patients. Despite increasing evidence of the connection, the first health warnings didn’t appear on cigarette packages until 1966. While the number of smokers has declined in the years that have followed, the habit hasn’t been crushed out entirely just yet. Each year, thousands for current and former smokers are diagnosed with lung cancer and related diseases.

Battling the effects of smoking remains an ongoing concern for healthcare providers and advocates of a smoke-free society. For those who do smoke and wish to kick the habit, a number of programs and tools are now available to assist them. Quitting smoking and sticking with the plan can dramatically lower a person’s risk of cancer and a host of other diseases.

While it took society decades to fully embrace the link between smoking and cancer, it is now very well established. Smokers who need help leaving the habit behind are urged to speak with their healthcare providers for assistance. 

New Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Recommendations Not Impacting Reconstruction

Changes in post-mastectomy radiation recommendations for certain breast cancer patients have not had a profound impact on breast reconstruction rates as previously feared. Researchers, in fact, say that a new study indicates growing comfort with the idea of irradiating new breast reconstruction.

The changes were made recently in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Guidelines in association with radiation for patients who had tumors that were 5 cm or less and had 1 to 3 positive lymph nodes.  As more studies began to show the benefits of post-mastectomy radiation therapy in these cases, the NCCN began counseling physicians to strongly consider radiation in these cases. Before the recommendation changes were made, some feared the switch might delay or cause some women to forego breast reconstruction all together. This, it was feared, would have a tremendous impact on patients’ quality of life.

Despite those fears, the benefits of post-mastectomy radiation won out. The recommendations for treatment were in fact changed. Researchers have since found that those recommendation changes have had very little impact on the number of women undergoing reconstruction follow mastectomy. In a population-based cohort study focused on mastectomy patients from 2000 to 2011, in fact, it was found that reconstruction rates remained positive.

More than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. For many of these women, treatment will include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Studies have shown that radiation therapy can also help shrink tumor size while helping prevent recurrence and spread. Women who are diagnosed with this disease, however, are urged to discuss all treatment options with their healthcare providers. The best recommendations will hinge on the particulars of the tumor, its stage and whether spread has been detected. All women are urged to undergo routine breast cancer screenings. This disease, when caught early, is often highly treatable.

Men’s Health Supplements Not All They’re Cracked Up to Be

When it comes to reducing the odds of developing prostate cancer or beating the disease if it’s present, supplements may not work the miracles many men believe they can. Researchers have found, in fact, that men’s health supplements play no significant role in lowering risk of metastasis for those who are battling this form of cancer.

Prostate cancer strikes an estimated 220,000 American men each year. Some 27,500 men die from the disease annually, according to the American Cancer Society. Many of those diagnosed with the disease incorporate supplements into their lives to help reduce cancer’s effects. Studies, however, have shown that supplements like saw palmetto have little to no impact on the disease. What’s more is that some supplements may actually lower the benefits of cancer treatments, such as radiation and chemo, essentially doing more harm than good.

One of the more recent studies into the topic was conducted by the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. There doctors looked at 2,207 men who were treated with IMRT for localized prostate cancer. Of these men, about 10 percent reported using supplements, most especially saw palmetto, along with their treatments. Researchers found at the five-year mark, there was no lower risk for metastasis in men who took supplements versus those who did not.

The bottom line, researchers noted, was that men’s health supplements can impede successful treatments in some cases and provide false hope in others. To avoid issues with treatment, men are urged to discuss all products consumed during prostate cancer treatment with their healthcare providers. Even basic, over the counter, nutritional supplements may cause more harm than good during cancer treatments. With that in mind, it’s best to check before taking.

Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will find there are a host of treatments available to them. The best bet for beating the disease will depend on a man’s distinct case. Regardless, the use of any vitamins or supplements during prostate cancer treatment should be reviewed by a healthcare provider.