Life Style Factors in Illness and Mortality Finally Getting Attention.
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 16:53 | Author: Leanne | 
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(8):711-718. http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/170/8/711
Background Physical activity, diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption have been shown to be related to mortality. We examined prospectively the individual and combined influence of these risk factors on total and cause-specific mortality.
Conclusion The combined effect of poor health behaviors on mortality was substantial, indicating that modest, but sustained, improvements to diet and lifestyle could have significant public health benefits.
My 2 Cents: Again, do we really need research to tell us that these lifestyle factors influence our health and mortality? It's always good to see it in print, but by now, this should be common knowledge. Anyone who is surprised by or in disbelief of this has either been living in the back woods or is in denial. So why isn't this taken into consideration in ALL health care settings?
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| Treatment |
My 2 Cents: Because conventional medical practitioners use 5 years as the marker for considering a cancer patient as "cured", the picture is bound to be reported as far rosier than it actually is. There are absolute numbers and relative numbers. Relative means they are relating the outcomes of treatments to other treatments. Absolute means the raw, actual survival rate not compared to anything. Typically, medical research is written using just relative numbers which often makes the picture look much brighter than reality. It is not surprising that survival is over reported and over represented. This leads cancer patients to believe that conventional and salvage techniques work better than they actually do.Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(6):(doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2010.11)
Background Cancer receives a great deal of news media attention. Although approximately half of all US patients with cancer die of their illness or of related complications, it is unknown whether reports in the news media reflect this reality.
(Read Article)
This is not the only problem. Immediate and late on-set side effects are often under played or omitted entirely, making it virtually impossible for cancer patients to ever get a full disclosure before choosing toxic treatments.
Radiation Oncologists Announce Six-Point Plan for Safer Radiotherapy
Sunday, 14 February 2010 06:46 | Author: Leanne |
| Treatment |
Elsevier Global Medical News. 2010 Feb 8, K Wachter
The American Society for Radiation Oncology has released a six-point plan to improve patient safety and reduce the potential for medical errors during cancer radiotherapy.The plan comes on the heels of two stories (Read Article)
My Two Cents: This may be too little too late, but it's a start. I'm pretty sure we all know that too much radiation is not a good thing. It's the gift that keeps on giving
Lack of Evidence for Fracture Prevention in Early Breast Cancer Bisphosphonate Trials: A Meta-analysis
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 21:29 | Author: Leanne |
| Treatment |
Gynecol Oncol. 2010 Jan 12
Research Conclusion: Our meta-analysis provides substantial evidence that bisphosphonates in the adjuvant setting among women with breast cancer do not decrease the number of fractures compared with placebo or no treatment. (Read the article)
My Two Cents: This is not surprising news, if you consider how bisphosphonates work (Fosomax, Actonel, Boniva, Didronel and Reclast). They inhibit osteoclasts, the cells that break down old, diseased and weak bone, from doing their job.
The Metabolic Syndrome in Cancer Survivors
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 18:03 | Author: Leanne |
| Living with Cancer |
Lancet Oncol. 2010 Feb 1;11(2):193-203
The metabolic syndrome, as a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors, may represent an important connection between cancer treatment and its common late effect of cardiovascular disease. Insight into the aetiology of the metabolic syndrome after cancer treatment might help to identify and treat cancer survivors with increased cardiovascular risk. In this review, we summarise current knowledge on the prevalence and pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome in cancer survivors, and discuss current intervention strategies with an emphasis on new developments. Read Article
My Two Cent
s: "Metabolic Syndrome" is a fancy term for a number of risk factors that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Making it a "syndrome" allows doctors to treat it as a singular disease, thus using medicine to reduce the symptoms. This, however, will not fix the underlying issue. The cluster of symptoms includes excessive
