ARE YOU AT RISK OF OTHER SYMPTOMS OF BREAST CANCER ?

Around one in six women (17 per cent) diagnosed with breast cancer goes to her doctor with a symptom other than a lump -- the most commonly reported breast cancer symptom, according to new research presented at the 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer conference in Liverpool.

Breast symptoms, other than a breast lump, that may be a sign of cancer (termed 'non-lump' in the study) include nipple abnormalities, breast pain, skin abnormalities, ulceration, shape abnormalities and an infected or inflamed breast.

Researchers from UCL examined the data of more than 2,300 women diagnosed with breast cancer in England in 2009/10. They found that, although most women with breast cancer sought help quickly, those with 'non-lump' symptoms were more likely to delay going to their doctor compared with women with a breast lump alone.

Women with both a breast lump and 'non-lump' symptoms were also more likely to delay seeking help.

Women presenting with breast ulceration, nipple abnormalities, breast infection or inflammation, swollen arm or armpit, and pain in the armpit were more likely to wait longer than three months to seek help.

It's crucial that women are aware that a lump is not the only symptom of breast cancer. If they are worried about any breast symptoms, the best thing to do is to get it checked by a doctor as soon as possible. Diagnosing cancer earlier really is key in order to increase the chances of survival. Symptom awareness campaigns such as the Be Clear on Cancer campaign should continue to emphasise breast symptoms other than breast lump. 

Source: Science Daily

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BREATH ANALYZER: DIABETES DIAGNOSIS MADE SIMPLE

For several years, scientists have been working toward "breathalyzers" that can diagnose various diseases without painful pinpricks, needles or other unpleasant methods. Now, one team has developed a new, portable breath analyzer that could someday help doctors diagnose diabetes noninvasively in the office. The report appears in the ACS journal Analytical Chemistry.

Many studies examining the hallmarks of diabetes in exhaled breath have shown that elevated levels of acetone are strongly linked to diabetes. Detecting the concentrations of any given substance in breath in a simple way, however, is a major challenge. Breath contains a complex mix of compounds, including water, carbon dioxide and methane, that can throw results off. Mass spectrometry can do the job, but it's not very practical for point-of-care testing. Robert Peverall and colleagues wanted to fill that void.

The researchers created a hand-held device with an adsorbent polymer that can trap acetone from exhaled breath, then release it into a cavity where a laser probes its concentration. They tested the accuracy of the device on the breath of healthy subjects under different conditions, such as after overnight fasting or exercising, and compared results with mass spectrometry readings. The measurements were a close match and covered a wide range of concentrations, including those that would suggest a patient has undiagnosed type-1 diabetes, or has problems controlling their blood glucose. Adding to the practicality of the device, the researchers say it could be re-used many times.

Source: Science Daily

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COCOA COMPOUND IMPROVES CARDIOVASCULAR BIOMARKER

To the tantalizing delight of cocoa lovers everywhere, a number of recent studies employing various methods have suggested that compounds in cocoa called flavanols could benefit cardiovascular health. Now a systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cocoa consumption reveals some further pieces of supporting evidence.

The meta-analysis in the Journal of Nutrition, an assessment of the combined evidence from all 19 RCTs, focused on whether consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa products was associated with improvements in specific circulating biomarkers of cardiometabolic health as compared to consuming placebos with negligible cocoa flavanol content. In all, 1,139 volunteers were involved in these trials.

The studies found that cocoa flavanol intake may reduce dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides), insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, which are all major subclinical risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases.

The greatest effects were seen among trial volunteers who ate between 200 and 600 milligrams of flavanols a day (based on their cocoa consumption). They saw significant declines in blood glucose and insulin, as well as another indicator of insulin resistance called HOMA-IR. They also saw an increase in HDL, or "good," cholesterol. Those consuming higher doses saw some of the insulin resistance benefits and a drop in triglycerides, but not a significant increase in HDL. Those with lower doses of flavanols only saw a significant HDL benefit.

There were benefits evident for both women and men and didn't depend on what physical form the flavanol-rich cocoa product was consumed in -- dark chocolate vs. a beverage, for example.

Source: Science daily.

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HIGH CHOLESTEROL LINKED TO ARTHRITIS

High cholesterol might harm more than our cardiovascular systems. New research using animal models, published online in The FASEB Journal, suggests that high cholesterol levels trigger mitochondrial oxidative stress on cartilage cells, causing them to die, and ultimately leading to the development of osteoarthritis. This research tested the potential therapeutic role of mitochondria targeting antioxidants in high-cholesterol-induced osteoarthritis and provided proof-of-concept for the use of mitochondrial targeting antioxidants to treat osteoarthritis.

To make this discovery, Prasadam and colleagues used two different animal models to mimic human hypercholesterolemia. The first was a mouse model that had an altered gene called ApoE-/- that made the animals hypercholesteremic. The other was a rat model, and the animals were fed a high-cholesterol diet, causing diet-induced hypercholesterolemia. Both models were fed a high-cholesterol diet or control normal diet, after which they underwent a surgery that mimics knee injuries in people and was designed to bring on osteoarthritis.

Both the mice and the rats that were subjected to surgery and fed with high-cholesterol diets showed more severe osteoarthritis development than seen in the normal diet group. However, when both the mice and the rats are were exposed to the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin and mitochondrion-targeted antioxidants, the development of osteoarthritis was markedly decreased in relation to the untreated groups.

Source: Science daily

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HIGH CALCIUM DIET, SUN AND WHOLE MILK LINKED TO OVARIAN CANCER

Research from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and and other U.S. health and academic institutions shows a diet high in calcium and low in lactose (milk) may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in African-American women. The work, which appears in the latest edition of the British Journal of Cancer, also found sun exposure in the summer months may reduce the risk of developing the disease in this population.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute.

The associations were evaluated among participants in the African-American Cancer Epidemiology Study, which is an on-going population-based case-control study of ovarian cancer in African-American women in 11 states including New Jersey. 

Investigators found that both lactose intake and consumption of whole milk were significantly associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer risk in African-American women, while skim and low-fat milk were not. No association was found for cheese or yogurt products.

Calcium intake, whether through food and/or supplement, was associated with a decreased risk of disease. While researchers found no association between dietary and supplemental vitamin D intake and ovarian cancer risk. 

Results also showed that increased sun exposure may reduce ovarian cancer risk in this population.

source: science daily

GENE MUTATIONS UNIQUE TO COLON CANCERS IN AFRICAN AMERICANS DISCOVERED

Scientists who last year identified new gene mutations unique to colon cancers in African Americans, have now found that tumours with these mutations are highly aggressive and more likely to recur and metastasize. 

Case Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers, a research collaboration which includes University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University, who last year identified new gene mutations unique to colon cancers in African Americans, have found that tumors with these mutations are highly aggressive and more likely to recur and metastasize. These findings partly may explain why African Americans have the highest incidence and death rates of any group for this disease.  

The study will be printed in the December 2016 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) by members of a research team that a year ago found 15 genes in African Americans that are rarely or never detected as mutated in colon cancers from Caucasians. The current study investigated the outcomes associated with these mutations in African American colorectal cancer. This study is significant because it helps shed further light on why colorectal cancers are more aggressive in African Americans. 

The researchers examined 66 patients who had stage I -- III colorectal cancer and found those patients positive for the mutations had an almost three times higher rate of metastatic disease, and stage III patients positive with mutations were nearly three times more likely to relapse compared to patients without the mutations.

Source: science daily

EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD BULLYING MAY PERSIST FOR LONG

Childhood bullying inflicts the same longstanding psychological trauma on girls as severe physical or sexual abuse. A recent study of 480 college freshmen showed harmful effects of bullying may linger for years, negatively affecting victims' mental health well into young adulthood.

Participants in the study were assessed on their exposure to a variety of traumatic experiences -- including bullying, cyberbullying and crimes such as robbery, sexual assault, and domestic and community violence -- from birth through age 17. Students also reported on their psychological functioning and symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The students who experienced bullying as children reported significantly greater levels of mental health problems than their peers.