NEW IN CANCER RESEARCH, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Alcohol and cancer

Heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk for several cancers – notably, cancer of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and pancreas. An analysis of multiple studies published in the mid-1990s found that having two alcoholic drinks per day (any type of alcohol) increased a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer by nearly 25 percent. The reasons for this are unclear, but researchers speculate that alcohol influences the metabolism of estrogen and that prolonged exposure to high levels of estrogen increases breast cancer risk, particularly for women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The effect of one drink per day on increased risk is controversial, but most experts feel that one drink per day does not increase risk. But, before you decide to toss out all of your alcohol, you should know that there is increasing evidence that a glass of red wine, with its antioxidant potential and HDL-increasing potential, seems to provide protection against heart disease.

New methods of detection

Several newer methods of breast cancer detection are on the horizon:

- New blood tests. Researchers from the John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica are developing biological markers that would identify microscopic tumors as they travel through the blood, before they are large enough to be picked up on conventional tests.

- New “Pap smear for the breast.” Similar to the Pap smear, which checks fluids from the cervix for abnormal cells, this newer test analyzes fluids from the milk ducts (where most breast tumors originate) and checks for cancer, and it may be widely available soon. This test would pick up cancerous cells in their earliest, most treatable stages.

- Better breast scans. Researchers at the University of Chicago and elsewhere are developing and exploring better computer programs to point out questionable spots on mammograms and better, more reliable machines such as MRIs.

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NEW IN CANCER RESEARCH, PREVENTION AND TREATMENT Alcohol and cancerHeavy drinking is associated with an increased risk for several cancers – notably, cancer of the mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, liver, and pancreas. An analysis of multiple studies published in the mid-1990s found that having two alcoholic drinks per day (any type of alcohol) increased a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer by nearly 25 percent. The reasons for this are unclear, but researchers speculate that alcohol influences the metabolism of estrogen and that prolonged exposure to high levels of estrogen increases breast cancer risk, particularly for women on hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The effect of one drink per day on increased risk is controversial, but most experts feel that one drink per day does not increase risk. But, before you decide to toss out all of your alcohol, you should know that there is increasing evidence that a glass of red wine, with its antioxidant potential and HDL-increasing potential, seems to provide protection against heart disease.
New methods of detectionSeveral newer methods of breast cancer detection are on the horizon:- New blood tests. Researchers from the John Wayne Cancer Center in Santa Monica are developing biological markers that would identify microscopic tumors as they travel through the blood, before they are large enough to be picked up on conventional tests.- New “Pap smear for the breast.” Similar to the Pap smear, which checks fluids from the cervix for abnormal cells, this newer test analyzes fluids from the milk ducts (where most breast tumors originate) and checks for cancer, and it may be widely available soon. This test would pick up cancerous cells in their earliest, most treatable stages.- Better breast scans. Researchers at the University of Chicago and elsewhere are developing and exploring better computer programs to point out questionable spots on mammograms and better, more reliable machines such as MRIs.*18/277/5*

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