Monday's health links

Hello fellow cancer fighters. Sorry for the recent lull in postings. I'm on primary parent duty in a big way. Stand by for some enthusiastic postings here and on my recipe site!

1.  Researchers at the University of Windsor here in Canada are seeking approval to start clinical trials on the use of dandelion root extract as a targeted treatment for cancer. Based on observations to date, the extract seems to target and kill cancer cells while leaving healthy ones undamaged.  The hope is that this will led to a non-toxic cancer treatment derived from a plant rather than a synthetic chemical. All this was brought about when an oncologist noticed that some of her patients who had begun using dandelion root tea as an alternative therapy when chemo failed went into remission, albeit for only short periods of time. One patient, however, who has been a consistent consumer of the tea has been in remission for three years. Vancouver Sun.
2.  Good lord - now for something straight out of a science fiction flick, testing has started on the use of DNA nano-robots to hunt down and kill cancer cells. More targeted therapy is a good thing. MSNBC.
3. New promise shown in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. UK researchers are excited about an experimental drug called MRK003 and its ability to kill cancer cells in mice. Now they are testing on humans and observing some positive results. Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most aggressive and deadly cancers. BBC.
4. Could one drop of blood provide the information required to diagnose a dozen cancers, neurological diseases and heart disease? Larry Gold, a professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder presented his research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference here in Vancouver this weekend. He hopes to create a "wellness chip" to use to diagnose a wide range of our most deadly diseases. Vancouver Sun.
5. Making the transition from treatment to normal life - a website has been created to help Alberta's cancer survivors on the next leg of their journeys. The CancerBridges Survivor Network was created by a team of cancer professionals and survivors to help promote survivorship care. CBC.
6. Finally, more evidence that that innocent can of diet Coke you consume while trying to manage your weight may actually be causing you serious harm. A study out of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center reports that people who drank diet soda on a daily basis were 43% more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack. Huffington Post. 

I hope you are well.