Cancer

Many of us rushed off to the tanning salons when they began opening all over the country. Today, even the smallest towns seem to have at least one tanning salon making them easily accessible to teenagers. Many parents thought the tanning salons were safer than outdoor tanning and encouraged the use. After all, the time of exposure was limited, there was privacy, and teenagers could avoid a burn on vacation by getting a starter tan. If you have recently adopted a teenager, she may pressure you for a membership. She may think that a tan could help her fit in, make friends, or become popular. Did you know that indoor tanning could be addictive for these women because it causes the production of endorphins, which can… [more]

A new study is indicating that more than half of mothers are declining their doctors’ offers and the government’s guidelines to vaccinate their young daughters, those under 13 years, with Gardasil. The vaccine known as Gardasil offers protection for women against the human papillomavirus (HPV.) The FDA approved the Gardasil vaccine in 2006 for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease. It is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention is currently recommending that girls between 11 and 12 years old receive the vaccine before becoming sexually active. The vaccine offers the most protection to women when administered to them before they are exposed to HPV. However, a current… [more]

There are certain gene mutations that predispose a person to cancer. Through the miracle of modern medicine, genetic testing is available to identify gene mutations that may lead to cancer. A person armed with information about being predisposed to developing cancer can take preventative measures in some cases to prevent its development. If you have an adopted child without much medical history, then genetic testing may help answer some of your questions. For example, women with a harmful mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene have a 15 to 54 percent lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. These mutations increase susceptibility to cancers of the ovary, fallopian tube, and abdominal lining. Surgical removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes is often advised to women with this… [more]

A recent example involved treatment with a new cutting-edge drug for brain cancer. This promising treatment for medulloblastoma brain tumors short-circuits tumor growth at a molecular level. The drug, HhAntag, is a signal transduction inhibitor (STI) which has been successful in treating about one-third of brain cancers in adults with non-toxic safe results. HhAntag targets the so-called "hedgehog" pathway and shuts down a signaling mechanism critical to the proliferation of cancer cells. Unfortunately, the same “hedgehog” pathway regulates bone development and places pediatric patients at risk for bone damage and stunted growth. In a cancer treatment study involving juvenile mice, permanent shortening of the bones and alteration of joint structures occurred within two days of treatment with HhAntag. X-rays revealed that the treatment caused… [more]

Is there something different about your adopted child’s eyes, especially in photographs? I was reading about the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s child of the month recently. Her name is Jaylynn and her mother noticed that Jaylynn’s eyes looked different in photographs. The nine-month-old’s eyes took on a yellowish reflection in her photos. Sometimes her eyes would cross. Her mother took her to the doctor, who referred her to specialist who discovered the tumors, and referred her to the Mayo clinic. Jaylynn was diagnosed with advanced cancer in both of her eyes, called retinoblastoma. The infant began 10 rounds of chemotherapy. Like most people who have chemotherapy, Jaylynn is bald. She and her family return to St Jude’s every 40 days for checkups. She is now two years old… [more]

A molecule has been isolated from the egg cell of the Northern Leopard frog that recognizes the sugary coating found on tumor cells. This molecule attaches itself to the sugary coating, then invades and kills the tumor cells. A synthetic molecule, called Amphinase, based on the one found in frog egg cell can easily be synthesized in the laboratory. This has researchers excited over the potential use of this molecule to treat brain tumors. The Journal of Molecular Biology also suggests that the molecule could potentially treat cancers. Current treatment for brain tumors is currently limited to complex surgery and chemotherapy. Apparently, because Amphinase comes from an amphibian and not a mammal it can evade the usual defenses of cancer cells and attack them. It doesn’t… [more]

Have you ever wondered about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital? Which childhood special needs or diseases are treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital? How does a child with medical special needs get accepted to the hospital? Where do families stay when they have a sick child at the hospital? Is it expensive? Frequently when I’m researching a medical condition or a treatment I’ll look on the St. Jude website. That is what made me curious about the children they provide treatment to and I thought you might be curious as well. The late entertainer Danny Thomas was the founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His mission, and the hospital's mission, is printed below: "He who denies his heritage has no heritage." "No child should die… [more]

If multiple family members of your chosen child have developed melanoma, then other family members, including your chosen child, should have regular exams as melanoma seems to run in families. A person with numerous dysplastic nevi also should be examined regularly. An infant born with a congenital nevi or giant hairy nevi may have an increased risk of malignant melanoma, those bigger than the open palm of an adult pose the greatest risk. Moles are growths on the skin. Physicians label moles, nevi and one mole is called a nevus. Moles grow when skin cells, called melanocytes, grow in a small group with tissue surrounding them. Typical moles are pink, tan, brown, or flesh-colored, and can be flat or raised. Melanocytes produce… [more]

Dr. Paul C. Nathan and colleagues of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto did a survey involving 8,522 adult survivors of childhood cancer. The purpose of the survey was to determine if the survivors had received the recommended cancer follow-up health care. The average age of the survivors was 31.4 years at the time of the survey and 6.8 years at the time of their cancer diagnosis. It is so important for cancer survivors to be diligent in scheduling recommended follow-up health care on a consistent basis because they have a significant risk of developing late side effects from their cancer therapy including secondary cancers and heart disease. Another study completed in 2004 by Dr. Huib N. Caron and colleagues from… [more]

French researchers recently identified that agricultural workers, including farmers and vineyard workers, who have the highest level of exposure to pesticides, are twice as likely to have brain cancer, than workers not exposed to pesticides are. The study involved nearly 700 adults. If that doesn’t concern you because you don’t have a farm or a vineyard, where you spray hundreds of gallons of pesticides, then read on. People who treat houseplants with pesticides also have an elevated brain cancer risk. Then what about spraying your house for ants, bees, or other bugs? What if you spray your yard for mosquitoes or your garden for bugs, will that give your family brain cancer, too? A study of people just diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, by… [more]