Nearly 65,600 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15–39 were diagnosed with cancer in 2005; that is according to the National Cancer Institute. On the brink of 2010, cancer cases aren’t getting any better. The incidence of specific cancer types varies dramatically across the AYA age continuum. For example, leukemias, lymphomas, and central nervous system (CNS) tumors are prevalent in younger AYAs; in those aged 20–39, these cancers decline in frequency while other cancers such as cervical, colorectal, and particularly breast cancer, comprise a growing share of AYA cancers. Read the rest of this entry »

John Cannell, MD, Executive Director of The Vitamin D Council, reports on the Vitamin D Conference in Victoria.

The Vitamin D Conference just finished in Victoria was nothing short of spectacular. On the bus into Victoria, I met a representative from the National Cancer Institute whose job was simple: her bosses at the NIH wanted to know if they should fund the flood of grant requests about vitamin D. Given the quality of the papers presented, I can’t imagine her answer was anything but yes.

Dr. Tony Norman and Dr. Roger Bouillon, the conference organizers, had to choose from over 300 submissions from scientists around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

It is important to know that there are several types of Vitamin E. Vitamin E is actually a generic name for eight separate compounds. Some members of the vitamin E family are called tocopherols. These members include alpha tocopherol, beta tocopherol, gamma tocopherol, and delta tocopherol. Other members of the vitamin E family are called tocotrienols. These members include alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocotrienol. Both groups all blended together in plants and animals, which is why the best form of vitamin E comes from your food. Read the rest of this entry »

A complex mix of factors related to environment, lifestyle, and heredity plays a role in the causation of cancer. For example, 80 percent of all cancers are related to the use of tobacco products, to what we eat and drink, and to our exposure to radiation, asbestos, and some of the other cancer-causing agents. There’s not much you can do about your genes, but several other key risk factors are under your control. If you identify them and make the necessary changes in your lifestyle early enough, you can substantially decrease your chances of developing a malignancy. Here are some of the risk factors you can do something about:

1. Tobacco Read the rest of this entry »

Consuming two or more cups of tea a day over a period of time may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer dramatically, suggests a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. And each additional cup of tea per day appears to provide significantly more protection, investigators found. Read the rest of this entry »