A pill can detect cancer!

Scientists are working to create a pill that would allow doctors to diagnose cancer with a simple blood test. The pill, designed by Stanford Medical School researchers, would cause cancerous tumors to release biomarkers into the bloodstream, and when completed, it would become the world’s most non-invasive cancer diagnosis test.

US researchers led by India-born physician-scientist Sanjiv Sam Gambhir have developed the futuristic method at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The technique has the potential to apply to a broad range of cancers, so someday clinicians might be able not only to detect tumors, monitor the effectiveness of cancer therapies and guide the developments of anti-tumor drugs, but importantly  to screen symptom-free populations for nascent tumors that might have otherwise gone undetected until they became larger and much tougher to treat.

“We want to translate this strategy into humans, so we’ve set it up in a way that’s most likely to be effective, safe and convenient,” said Gambhir. It dissolves, releasing tiny particles that are absorbed and cause only cancerous cells to secrete a specific protein into your bloodstream”.

“Two days from now, a finger-prick blood sample will expose whether you have got cancer and even give a rough idea of its extent,” he explained.

Though the minicircles were injected intravenously to the mice for the current study, he said it should eventually be possible to deliver them orally via a pill. About the time for the development of the pill, he said it would take few years and not five or ten years. “We haven’t got it down to a pill yet, but the oral delivery part of this is likely a solvable problem only a few years off, not five or 10 years off,” he said.

But owing to clinical trials, it may take more time, he cautioned. The findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Damaged stem cells linked with ageing and cancer

London: Under conditions of stress, haematopoietic stem cells are driven into a state of rapid cell division and this can directly damage the DNA, reveals new research.

Under normal conditions, several different types of tissue-specific adult stem cells including haematopoietic stem cells, exist in dormancy where they rarely divide and have very low energy demands.

However, under conditions of stress, such as during chronic blood loss or infection, haematopoietic stem cells are driven into a state of rapid cell division in order to produce new blood cells and repair the damaged tissue.

"It's like forcing yourself out of the bed at midnight, getting into a sports car and being asked to drive as fast as possible around a race circuit while you are still half asleep," said study leader Michael Milsom of German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), Heidelberg.

"The stem cells go from the state of rest to very high activity within a short space of time, requiring them to rapidly increase their metabolic rate, synthesise new DNA and coordinate cell division.

Experiments described in the study show that the increased energy demands of the stem cells during stress result in elevated production of reactive metabolites that can directly damage DNA.

If this happens at the same time when the cell is trying to replicate its DNA, then this can either cause the death of stem cells, or potentially lead to acquisition of mutations that may cause cancer, warn researchers.

Normal stem cells can repair the majority of this stress-induced DNA damage, but most times you are exposed to stress, it is quite possible that a given stem cell will inefficiently repair the damage, become mutated and act as a seed in the development of leukaemia.

"We believe that this model perfectly explains the gradual accumulation of DNA damage in stem cells with age and the associated reduction in the ability of a tissue to maintain and repair itself as you get older," Milsom said.

"This work is a big step towards understanding a range of age-related diseases," said study co-author prof Andreas Trumpp, director of HI-STEM and head of the Division of Stem Cells and Cancer at the DKFZ.

"By understanding the mechanism through which stem cells age, we can start thinking about strategies to prevent or at least reduce the risk of damaged stem cells which causes ageing and plants the seed of cancer," said Trumpp.

After failing in Uzbekistan, 24-year-old gets cured for unusual cancer in India

NEW DELHI: Having undergone three failed surgeries to treat multiple point recurrent cancer of the leg bone inUzbekistan, 24 year old SobidjOn Juraev had all but given up hope of ever returning to a normal life.

The resurrection of the cancer despite several rounds of treatment also posed the serious threat of a leg amputation or worse a disarticulation of the hip. This is when the young man and his family decided to travel to India to seek medical help.

It is in New Delhi that the young Uzbek man got much needed medical succor. In a rare and difficult surgery that lasted eight hours, Dr Rajeev K Sharma, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics & Joint Replacement Surgeon along with his team including Dr. V.P Singh, Cancer Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, removed the entire cancer-affected bone right from the hip to the knee, replacing it with an artificial Total Femoral Replacement implant.

The difficult surgery which was a combination of Hip & Knee Replacement has successfully cured the patient of cancer, eliminating the risk of a permanent disability. A failure to get rid of the cancer affected bone would have lead to two eventualities: either a disarticulation of the hip (surgical removal of the entire lower limb at the hip level) or an amputation of the leg to save the life of the man. However, both these situations would have resulted in permanent disability.

A successful surgery that not only rid the man of cancer, but also gave him a new hip and knee joint, has given a fresh lease of the life to him.

Sobidjon had tumor (bone malignancy) at multiple points on the bone between the knee and hip. He first underwent a total hip replacement in June 2011, which failed. The same was followed up by two more surgeries in his home country, which temporarily kept the cancer at bay but failed to have the desired result.

Sobidjon Juraev found it difficult to walk and lead a normal life. The risk of recurrent cancer also posed a threat of permanent disability for the young man.

After struggling with the ailment for four years, the family decided to travel to India to seek better medical treatment and cure for the debilitating disease.

“We examined the patient thoroughly and discovered that the cancer in the Right femur bone had recurred. Now, it was at three points in the right femur bone between the hip and the knee, necessitating an amputation which would have been a life-long disability for a young man,” said Dr Rajeev K Sharma, Senior Consultant, Orthopedics & Joint Replacement Surgeon at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.

“Total Femoral Replacement in this case was a very difficult and rare surgery as it was a kind of a combination of hip replacement, knee replacement and thigh bone replacement. To be able to get rid of the cancer completely, we needed to remove the entire stretch of thigh bone from the right hip to the right knee and reconstruct the same artificially. It was a challenging surgery as it involved the removal of whole thigh bone at the same time. The challenges included threat of post-surgical infection, knee and hip instability and damage to the nerves and vessels of the area. However, in an 8-hour procedure we successfully removed the full cancerous thigh bone and replaced it with an artificial Total Femoral Implant,” added Dr Sharma.

In such cases, the surgery is followed by a prolonged process of rehabilitation and physiotherapy which helps the patient regain the limb’s lost strength, strengthen the muscles and get back on feet.

The patient is responding well to the surgery and hopes to get back to his normal youthful life soon after four tumultuous years. India will always remain a positive memory in his life as it gave him a fresh hope of survival.

Cancer cases to rise 3-fold in 20 years

Nagpur: Approximately 3 million people are suffering from cancer of some type in India and one million new cases are detected every year. In one-third of these patients, the disease is detected in the terminal stage.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, oncologist Dr Sushil Mandhaniya said that as per the National Cancer Registry data, threefold increase in incidence is expected in the next two decades.

The commonest cancers are tobacco related cancers of oral cavity, throat and lungs. Of these, tobacco induced cancers will increase from 1,90,244 in 2010 to 2,25,241 in 2020. Cancers of the uterus, cervix and breast in women will also go up. In males, most common cancers are head and neck (1,22,643) digestive system (1,07,030), lymphoma and leukaemia (62,648).

In females, the most common cancers is gynaecological (1,53,850), digestive tract (86,006), lymphoma and leukaemia (41,541) and of these breast cancer alone will cross 1,00,000 by 2020.

Talking about Nagpur, Dr Mandhaniya said city reported 9,447 cases in 5 years (2005-2009) with average 1,889 new cancer cases per year.

In males, the most common cancer was oral and pharynx (23.9%), digestive tract (20.4%), respirator (14.4%) and lymphoma and leukaemia (11.4%). In females, the most common cancers were breast (16.4%), digestive tract (16.6%), oral and pharynx (15.6%).

But if we go with single site, most common cancer per 1,00,000 population in male is larynx (7.0), lung (6.5), oesophagus (6.2), female breast (29.1), cervix (14.8) and ovary (5.7). Most common cause of cancer death per 1,00,000 population in male was leukaemia (1.9), lung (1.7), oesophagus (1.3) and females breast (3.0), cervix (1.2) and leukaemia (1.1).

India fighting cancer better than the US

Surgical oncologist says instances of cancer in India are on the wane

The incidence of cancer in India was coming down while it was on the rise in the United States and Europe, said well-known surgical oncologist and director of Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital Rajendra A. Badwe.

Delivering a talk at the Apollo Cancer Conclave here on Friday, Dr. Badwe said that India had 100 cancer patients for every one lakh population, while US has 350. Similarly, there were 40-50 breast cancer cases among a lakh Indians, while the figure in the US was close to 120.

Rural India does even better, with only 50 instances of cancer for every lakh population, the cancer specialist said, blaming higher levels of obesity in cities for the yawning gap.

“We can bring down the incidence of cancer in India by two-thirds if we take three major steps: privacy of bathrooms to ensure personal hygiene, restrictions on the use of tobacco and controlling obesity.”

Heredity’s role

Dr. Rajiv Sarin of the Tata Memorial Centre who delivered a lecture on cancer genetics said the risk of hereditary cancers was in the range of five per cent for cancer of the breast, 10 per cent for that of the ovary, 20 per cent for colorectal and 20 per cent for childhood cancers.

Dr. Sarin said those with a defective BRCA1 gene had 75 per cent chances of developing breast cancer, and 30 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer in their lifetime.

“Such high-risk patients have to be put on a monthly breast self-examination programme, annual mammography screening and other options like removing ovaries, which fully wipes the risk of ovarian cancer and reduces breast cancer risk by 50 per cent,” Dr. Sarin said.

We can bring down the incidence of cancer in India by two-thirds if we take three major steps: privacy of bathrooms to ensure personal hygiene, restrictions on the use of tobacco and controlling obesity

Institute launches website on cancer

The website, which is available in both Tamil and English, says about all types of cancers.

To create awareness on cancer among the people, the Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology and Research here has launched a website (cancerawarenesssrior.com) and an e-book to mark the World Cancer Day on Thursday.

The website, which is available in both Tamil and English, says about all types of cancers, the importance of early detection through periodical screening, the treatment, and preventive measures to be taken. The site is compatible for different platforms, devices, and operating systems. The medical information is provided in a simple way for the common man to understand, says the institute director P. Guhan.

Corporation Commissioner K. Vijaya Karthikeyan declared open a monthlong free colorectal screening programme. The Commissioner, himself a doctor, termed non-communicable diseases as a major threat. While rapid advances in medical technology has helped treat most diseases people must spend time on their health and take preventive steps, said, R. Vijaya Kumhar, managing trustee of the institute.

Dr. Guhan said that the institute has screened more than two lakh women for cervical cancer and 30,000 for oral cancer. The institute was keen on working with the Coimbatore Corporation to conduct screening programmes at its health centres.

Quoting figures from the Indian Cancer Registry, he said the country had 25 lakh cancer patients, a figure that went by 10 lakh every year. Nearly 40 per cent of five lakh cancer-related deaths annually could have been prevented by early screening. Most of the patients get admitted only in terminal stages, he adds.

Information about the free colorectal screening camp, which will be held through out February, can be obtained by contacting the following numbers: (0422) 438 9797 / 4500 203, 95007 22889.

Gem Hospital

The GEM Hospital and Research Centre and the Rotary Club of Metropolis Coimbatore conducted a cancer awareness and screening programme for the people on Wednesday.

Hospital chairman C. Palanivelu said that the number of cancer cases was increasing, particularly the digestive system cancers. R.V. Ramya Bharathi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), A. Edwin Joe, Dean of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, spoke. Several cancer survivors shared their experiences during the programme.

Eye cancer

Rajesh Prabu, consultant, Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Sankara Eye Hospital here, said few were aware that cancer could affect children’s eyes as well.

The most common eye cancer among children is retinoblastoma, which if left untreated, resulted in loss of vision and can even prove fatal. The malignant cells form in the tissues of retina.

Though uncommon, it accounted for 3 per cent of all cancer cases in children. Although it can occur at any age, it is most commonly seen in children less than 2 years.

Screening camp

Sheela Hospital in Tatabad is organising a free breast cancer awareness programme and screening camp from Thursday to Sunday.

'Half of UK people' will get cancer

One in two people in the UK will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, analysis suggests.

Cancer Research UK said this estimate, using a new calculation method, replaced a forecast of more than one in three people developing the disease.

It said longer life expectancies meant more people would be affected.

But it was not inevitable and improving lifestyle, such as losing weight and quitting smoking, could have a major impact, the charity added.

The good news is cancer survival figures are also rising.

The seemingly sudden jump in diagnosis estimates is down to researchers developing a more sophisticated and accurate method for analysing the risk of cancer.

However, both the new and old methods show the same long-term trend - a rise in the lifetime risk of developing cancer.

Nearly 54% of men will develop cancer, compared with just under 48% of women, the figures indicate.

Food pipe tumours

Fewer deaths from heart disease and infections mean more people are living long enough to develop cancer.

But lead researcher Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary University of London, said: "It isn't inevitable.

"There is quite a lot we can do to prevent cancer and hopefully in many years' time I'll have been proven completely wrong."

He is referring to lifestyle factors including obesity, red meat consumption and smoking that increase the odds of a tumour developing.

Lung cancer cases are still increasing in women.

Breast cancer is likely to remain the most common cancer among women

He told the BBC that a healthy lifestyle could lower the lifetime risk from 50% to 30%.

Breast and prostate cancers are likely to remain the most common cancers in women and men respectively.

However, some cancers are rapidly becoming more common.

Tumours in the food pipe, caused by acid reflux in obesity, are being seen more often in clinics.

Head and neck cancers caused by the human papillomavirus are increasing and oral sex is thought to be behind the rise.

'Milestone'

Dr Harpal Kumar, the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "We have reached what many would regard as an important milestone.

"We need to plan ahead to make sure the NHS is fit to cope, if the NHS doesn't act and invest now, we will face a crisis in the future - with outcomes from cancer going backwards."

Dr Emma King, a head and neck surgeon at Poole Hospital, in Dorset, said rising cancer cases would have a "huge impact on clinical services offered by the NHS".

The NHS needs to act to avoid a future cancer crisis, experts say

She said there needed to be more focus on prevention and strategies to ensure cancers were caught early.

It is far easier to treat an early stage cancer so a patient is more likely to live and it saves the NHS money.

Sean Duffy, the national clinical director for cancer at NHS England, said: "Cancer survival rates in England are at an all-time high, but this new forecast shows it is more important than ever to take a fresh look at how we can do even better."

He said there needed to be action on three fronts - better prevention; swifter diagnosis; and better treatment, care and aftercare for all patients.

Anti-diabetic drug may decrease lung cancer risk in non-smokers, according to new research

According to a new research, an anti-diabetic drug, metformin, may lower lungcancer risk in diabetic nonsmokers.

The research at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, suggest that metformin may prevent cancer, but the data from human studies, however, are conflicting.

Metformin use was not associated with lower lung cancer risk overall, however, the risk was 43% lower among diabetic patients who had never smoked and the risk appeared to decrease with longer use.

Nonsmokers who used metformin for five years or longer had a 52% reduction in lung cancer risk, but this finding was not statistically significant.

Metformin use for five or more years was associated with a 31% decrease in the risk for adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer diagnosed in nonsmokers, and an 82% increase in the risk for small-cell carcinoma, a type of lung cancer often diagnosed in smokers, but neither of these findings was statistically significant.

In an interview, researcher Lori Sakoda said that metformin use was not associated with lung cancer risk when they looked at all patients with diabetes.

Sakoda added that their results suggest that risk might differ by smoking history, with metformin decreasing risk among nonsmokers and increasing risk among current smokers, suggesting that the risk associated with metformin might differ by smoking history were unexpected. Sakoda added that additional large, well-conducted studies are needed to clarify whether metformin may be used to prevent lung or other cancers, particularly in specific subpopulations, such as nonsmokers.

The study appears in Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

9 ways to prevent cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. WHO estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention. Ironically, a majority of people who succumb to the disease blame it on their fate or call it bad luck. Well, here is a heads up. Cancer does not appear overnight. The fact is that 70 percent of cancers are avoidable and actually related to your lifestyle. Here is how you can shield yourself from developing it.

Limit red meat consumption: Animal fat, particularly red meat (beef, pork and lamb), processed meats like sausages, bacon and hot dogs, should be consumed in limited amount. Cold water fish, beans and poultry would be a wise alternative to red meats, shares Dr Sapna Nangia, Senior Consultant -Oncology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

Whole grain commitment: A diet abundant in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and especially soy products would contribute in increased intake of isoflavones, which aids in elevating p21 and caspase 3 to cause cell cycle arrest and induce apoptosis of tumour cells.

Bring down the liquor: Alcohol consumption is linked to mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver and breast cancer. This basically means men should not have more than two drinks a day and women not more than one drink a day.

Up the water: Drink lots of water and other liquids to cut down the risk of bladder cancer. Hydrating yourself regularly dilutes the concentration of agents that can cause cancer by flushing it out through urine. Follow the 'minimum 8 glasses a day' rule.

Sweat it out: Routinely exercise is a must to enhance one's immune system and maintain a fit and appropriate body weight to avoid any potential threat of developing cancer and metabolic disorders like hypertension, obesity, diabetes and thyroid. Regular exercise also helps reducing inflammation and hormone levels and also improving insulin resistance. Activities including swimming, cycling, walking and running can be incorporated in one's daily routine, at least in moderation during initial stages, adds Dr Nangia.

Pay heed to pain: If you have a habit of ignoring pain, change it right now. Especially if you have a bloated belly or experiencing pelvic pain with an urge to pee frequently, immediately consult your doctor. It could be a sign of ovarian cancer. If diagnosed early, the cancer can be stopped from spreading.

The colour guard: Did you know that you can cut down skin cancer risk by wearing some colours? Blue and red outfits offer better protection against the sun's UV rays over white and yellow. Also, cover your head with a hat. Melanoma is believed to appear in areas that are exposed to sun.

Restrict fatal exposure: Occupational cancer is caused by exposure to a cancer causing agent (carcinogen) at workplace. These could be exposure to UV radiation (skin cancer), diesel engine exhaust (lung and bladder cancer), coal tars and pitches (non-melanoma skin cancer), asbestos fibres (larynx, colorectum, lung, ovary, pharynx and stomach cancer), adds Dr Nangia.

Get vaccinated: Both men and women can prevent head, oral cervical and liver cancer by getting shots. There are HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines to guard yourself, Dr. Geeta Kadayaprath, Head, Breast Cancer, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj tells us.

Researchers develop 10 new antibodies for cancer treatment

Researchers from Aarhus University in Denmark are reported to have developed 10 new antibodies that can be used in the battle against cancer.

These antibodies work by inhibiting the body's blood vessel formation close to the tumour which is, thereby, cut off from oxygen and nutrient supply.

In lab tests over mice, the team have succeeded in using these antibodies to stop the development of malignant tumours.

"The antibodies we have found prevent a cancer tumour from growing. They appear to work perfectly in the laboratory," said associate professor Peter Kristensen.

The new antibodies are easier to extract and they also appear to be more effective because they hit other - and possibly stronger - signal molecules from the cancer cells.

"We have got a large library of antibodies that can supplement the body's own fight against disease. The major engineering challenge is identifying the ones that are relevant regarding the specific purpose," Kristensen explained.

The antibodies neutralise the effects of signal substances released by carcinoma cells to get blood vessels to replicate, thus cutting off the blood supply to the tumour.

A cancer tumour deprived of oxygen and nutrients becomes dormant and is, thereby, made harmless.

The researchers will now work on gaining a more in-depth understanding of the 10 antibodies.