November 26, 2012

Watch for Stomach Cancer Risks

Tony Philip, MD

In its early stages, stomach cancer (also called gastric cancer) rarely shows symptoms, so it is often left undiagnosed. As stomach cancer develops, it can cause pain, bleeding, weight loss, nausea, getting full quickly or loss of appetite. Though uncommon in the US, the risk of gastric cancer increases with:

  • high-salt diets (including cured and processed meat and fish)
  • low vegetable intake
  • fried food consumption
  • smoking
  • alcohol consumption
  • H. pylori infection
  • prior gastric ulcers or polyps
About 25 percent of gastric cancer patients had a gastric ulcer or polyp in the past. Following up initial treatment can confirm a clean bill of health: The American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy recommends follow-up endoscopy eight to 12 weeks after the first endoscopy and initiation of therapy with repeat biopsies for any remaining ulcers.
 
Usually, gastric cancer is not hereditary. But there can be a much greater risk for hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (called HDGC) when there is a strong family history of gastric cancer in multiple relatives or a relative younger than 35 years old, or strong family history of lobular breast cancer. For such cases, screening is crucial and removal of the stomach before cancer develops may be necessary.
 
Visit our main Web site to find a hospital in New York close to you or visit our Find a Physician tool to find a doctor best suited to your needs.
Full Post - to Detail View

November 05, 2012

Lung Cancer: 4 Areas of Progress and Challenge

Harry Raftopoulos, MD

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer death for adults in the US. But clinicians and researchers are making inroads against the disease. Recent progress and challenges in the field include:

  1. Smoking – A dramatic decline in the number of smokers directly relates to clear evidence that smoking causes lung cancer and the significant restrictions placed on cigarette advertising. Nevertheless, about 20 percent of teenagers and young adults continue to start smoking. They represent future lung cancer cases. Stronger legislation is required to prevent more teenagers from starting to smoke.
  2. Screening – Lung CT (computed tomography) screening detects early-stage lung cancers and saves lives of former smokers. Since the CT scans can show noncancerous abnormalities for more than 20 percent of patients, careful interpretation is required to avoid unnecessary surgeries. Improved screening tools in addition to CT scans are also necessary.
  3. Surgery and Radiation – Surgical advances and the use of stereotactic body radiation allow even patients with serious COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) to benefit from effective treatment of early-stage lung cancer. Which technique is better for the individual patient and why some early-stage lung cancers are not cured remain challenges.
    4. Full Post - to Detail View

October 26, 2012

Top 5 Breast Cancer Research Topics

Myra Barginear, MD

What’s the future of breast cancer research? Let’s consider some news-making studies:

  1. Breast Cancer Prevention The American Cancer Society is searching fo the causes of breast cancer with a large, long-term study.
  2. Decision Making There are medications available to women who are at high risk for breast cancer. A national study is evaluating what affects a woman’s decision about how to deal with her breast cancer risk.
  3. Newer Imaging Tests Breast thermography is a new diagnostic procedure that images the breasts to aid in the early detection of breast cancer.
  4. New Targeted Therapies in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Pertuzumab (Perjeta) was recently FDA-approved for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.
  5. New Targeted Therapies in ER-Positive Breast Cancer New medications involving the PI3K/AKT pathway in estrogen-positive breast cancer are being studied in clinical trials. One drug called Everolimus (Afinitor) was recently FDA-approved.
 
Be a part of medical history: Participate in breast cancer clinical trials at the Breast Cancer Center of North Shore-LIJ Cancer Institute. Call 516-734-8900 for more information.
 

Visit our main Web site to find a hospital in New York close to you or visit our Find a Physician tool to Full Post - to Detail View

October 19, 2012

Top 5 Reasons Not to Hate Your Mammogram

Myra Barginear, MD

Discomfort from breast compression causes some women to delay their mammography appointment. While it’s hard to love getting a mammogram, there are five good reasons for them:

  1. Mammography has helped reduce US breast cancer mortality by nearly a third since 1990.
  2. Of all the years of life saved by mammography, 40 percent are for women in their 40s.
  3. Three quarters of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk.
  4. Even for women over 50, skipping a mammogram every other year would miss up to 30 percent of cancers.
  5. Mammograms require very small doses of radiation. The risk of harm from this radiation exposure is extremely low and the benefits of mammography nearly always outweigh the potential harm from the radiation exposure. Nevertheless, women should talk with their healthcare providers about the need for each image.
So if the thought of mammography compression makes you wince, consider the pain you save yourself (and your family) in the long run.
 
Next Friday’s blog will cover new developments in breast cancer research and treatment. In the meantime, if you know someone whose life was saved by a mammogram, please share the story in the comments section.
Full Post - to Detail View

October 12, 2012

Top 5 Ways to Protect Against Breast Cancer

Myra Barginear, MD

If you think you can’t get breast cancer because it doesn’t run in your family, think again. Most women with breast cancer have no family history of it and are not considered high risk. But there are ways to protect yourself: 

  1. Stop smoking. People who smoke for 10 years or more are at least 16 percent more likely than nonsmokers to develop breast cancer, according to a recent study.
  2. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and recurrence of breast cancer, as demonstrated by numerous studies.
  3. Limit alcohol to three or four drinks a week. Research suggests that even one drink per day can raise breast cancer risk.
  4. Exercise regularly. Just two to three hours of exercise a week not only helps to maintain a healthy weight, but also can lower estrogen levels and boost immunity. And if you do get breast cancer, keep moving. One study shows that breast cancer survivors who exercise at least two hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying from the disease.
    5. Full Post - to Detail View