Other cancer causes
Smoking is foremost in people’s minds when asked to name the biggest cause of cancer. Yet few people realize that the second largest cause of malignancies is infectious disease–viruses, bacteria and parasites, says Julie Parsonnet, professor of infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Cancer-causing organisms alone don’t cause cancer, says the physician in the April issue of Bottom Line Health. They must be triggered by other risk factors, such as genetic changes where oncogenes cause cells to divide much more rapidly than usual or through chronic inflammation.
Infections such as Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium associated with ulcers, can lead to stomach cancer. The Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis, has been associated with Hodgkin’s disease, though the risk is very low. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses may lead to liver cancer, and the human papilloma virus can result in cervical cancer.
Get a 2nd opinion
Should you get a second opinion when given a medical diagnosis? Yes, if the first diagnosis points to cancer or a serious illness, says a report in the Johns Hopkins Medical Letter Health After 50. You also should consider speaking to another medical expert if you are told you have a rare illness with which your own doctor has no experience, if your doctor suggests you join a clinical trial or if you will need extensive surgery.
Second opinions can make a critical difference, medical research shows. When pathologists at Northwestern University were shown tissue slides from breast cancer patients, there were major disagreements in the diagnosis compared with those made at community hospitals, changing the prognosis in 40 percent of the cases and altering the procedures done for 8 percent of the patients.
Don’t worry about your doctor being offended that you want someone else’s judgment. Most doctors expect it, and some insurance companies require it, especially if it will involve a costly treatment. You can ask your primary doctor for a referral or call a nearby medical school for a list of specialists. Their credentials can be checked through the–get ready–Official American Board of Medical Specialists’ Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists at your local library, or at abms.org. Relevant medical records, including blood tests and X-rays, will need to be forwarded.
Ovulation calories
What’s with the weight gain after women reach menopause? The culprit is your lack of ovulation, says nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman of Post Falls, Idaho, in the March 15 issue of Bottom Line Personal. The ovulation process can burn up to 300 calories a day during the first 10 days of the menstrual cycle. When that’s gone, metabolism slows and the calories stay.
Don’t despair. Simply adjust your diet, Gittleman says. Extra protein can boost your body’s metabolic rate by up to 25 percent. Eat 3 to 4 ounces of fish, poultry, beef or lamb twice daily. Eggs and beans also are good. In addition, eat two to three servings each of carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Anti-cancer aspirin
Aspirin and ibuprofen may help you avoid pre-cancers and squamous cell carcinomas, according to Australian research reported in a recent Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Such non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) “inhibit the activity of an enzyme that stimulates blood-vessel growth and inflammation,” says researcher and study co-author David Whiteman of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, in April’s Elle.
Participants with the healthiest skin took at least 300 milligrams of an NSAID eight times a week to help with problems such as joint pain. But don’t grab the aspirin bottle yet. Because such medications can lead to kidney problems and ulcers, researchers are looking into whether smaller amounts can help curb cancer development.
