Sorry for the brief posting today, but folks in our neck of the woods are scrambling to entertain our kidlets at home due to teacher job action. I'm on a break between Bill Nye the Science Guy videos, math games and crafting fiestas - so sorry if I'm a little light on content. I'll try to make up for that with great recipes tomorrow.
Considering banning teens from sunbeds in British Columbia. I've had skin cancer and breast cancer and if teens had any idea what they could lose in pursuit of their bronzed bods they would think twice about engaging in this dangerous activity. But I guess that is the point - they have trouble making connections between choices now and results in the future. Their parents, on the other hand, should know better. There is reassuring news in this article, though; a group of students in North Vancouver is rallying to promote a tanless prom. Vancouver Sun. By the way, if anyone still needs educating on skin cancer risk and prevention, this Health Canada website is a good resource.
Ice cream is as addictive as cocaine, say some researchers. You didn't have to tell me - I have long referred to Cherry Garcia as my crack. Huffington Post.
After five years of consultations, Health Canada has no plans to require manufacturers to clearly state that "whole wheat" bread is not "whole grain" bread. So, the job is yours. Whole wheat bread is only marginally better for you than white bread. If you are looking to improve your health (all of you folks who are going to live forever can ignore me now), choose products labelled "whole grain." Look at the ingredient list and make sure the term "whole grain" appears in the first few ingredients; any further down the list and it is simply garnish, IMO. Vancouver Sun.
The USDA and FDA are under growing pressure to change they way they inspect food. They key? Preventing outbreaks rather than responding to them. But it's going to take more money. Washington Post.
This seems to be a quiet week in cancer research news. A quick scan of the news sites does remind me, however, that we are entering the season of the cancer run. I encourage you to throw a little cash the way of any of your friends or neighbours who are getting off their butts in the name of cancer research this spring and summer. Some organizations do a better job than others of making sure funds raised get into the hands of researchers. I'll let you pick the one that you most trust. In the end, the act of running or walking in the name of someone you know who has been touched by cancer is a powerful thing. When we know so little about what we can actually DO to fight cancer, it is an empowering experience to think that this small act, putting one foot in front of the other again and again, is what might lead to the dollar that leads to the cure.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sometimes a cancer diagnosis isn't enough to get someone to stop smoking. Doctors, and loved ones, need to more actively encourage and support cancer patients to quit. CBC.
Jonathan Levine, director of Seth Rogan and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's movie "50-50", says he underestimated how many potential viewers would shy away from seeing a movie about cancer. I don't know what excuse the rest of you are using, but I am still not interested in seeing movies about people dying from cancer. Spoiler - in this one, he lives! Now will you see it? I'm going to. From all accounts, it is a well-written, thoughtful film, that provides great insight into what the cancer experience is like. "50-50" will be available on DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, January 24. Winnipeg Free Press.
Deepak Chopra on the role of prevention in the war on cancer. This can be hard to hear, but he asserts that some experts believe that 90-95% of cancers are preventable. So, as a cancer survivor do I feel blamed? A little, but I must admit that choices I have made (having children later in life, not maintaining optimal weight, drinking alcohol moderately) may be connected to the growth of my tumour. We all know healthy, fit people who have gotten cancer - but using them as an excuse not to take a hard look at how prevention may improve our odds is stupid. Huffington Post.
"Pink Ribbons, Inc.", the film examining the pinking of the breast cancer "industry" opens in Canadian theatres February 3, 2012. Locally, for me, it will be shown in Richmond city council chambers Feb. 10 at 7 pm. A panel discussion will follow.
Was the Million Women Study flawed? If so, the anxiety around hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer may be misplaced. NY Daily News.
New blood test shows promise in early detection of pancreatic cancers. MSN. This could be huge news - one of the reasons pancreatic cancers are so hard to fight is that they go undetected until they have spread.
The debate continues. Here, on op-ed piece the National Post calling into question the value of mammograms. I hear both sides, all the time. Many women are offended that critics of mammograms point to the unnecessary anxiety that false positives cause, saying they would rather deal with anxiety than cancer. But my reality is that my mammogram did not find my 8 cm tumour. It was only because I continued to press about the cause of my pink skin that I was referred to a specialist. Perhaps we should be enriching the public dialogue by including more anecdotal evidence through individuals' stories of how their different cancers have presented. I am so tired of the pithy cancer sound bite and the cute marketing campaign. I don't know about you, but I have time in my day to listen to the cancer experience. That's where the real learning is.
Magnesium may be one key to decreasing your risk of stroke. A new study finds that people with diets rich in magnesium have a much lower stroke risk. The mineral is found in beans, lentils, nuts, whole grains and, of course, green leafy vegetables. Magnesium also aides in calcium absorption, so it's an important mineral for people looking after their bones (like me!). Globe and Mail.
Finally, back to my previous posts on daily tips for getting your healthy eating back on track. Day 7: snack on fruit. Day 8: drink a cup of green tea (here they suggest you use it while marinating or stir-frying) . Day 9: eat a leafy green vegetable (!). Day 10 : plan next week's meals in advance (helps you avoid the dreaded drive-thru dash.) Day 11: pass on the salt. (Originally I read this as "pass the salt" and was all "woo hoo!" This makes much more sense. Nuts.) Day 12: eat one vegetarian meal. And Day 13: add ground flax seed to your diet. The lignans are the key here so feel free to add chia seeds instead. I had estrogen receptor positive breast cancer so should avoid flax seed - but chia is safe (and you don't have to grind it!). Globe and Mail.
Have a great day and, if you're getting snow dumped on you today, stay warm and please drive safely.
Sharing what I am learning about cancer and some good chat about family, food, wine, books and the other joys in life. If you want to follow the whole journey, please start with my post from May 12, 2010. Cheers.
Posts
