From: Newsmax Health Alerts

Beer Fights Cancer

Researchers are always looking for the magic bullet to kill cancer, and now they may have found it in a surprising place — a glass of beer! (Who knew?) It turns out that hops, which is the flavor component of beer, contains a cancer-fighting compound called xanthohumol.

Xanthohumol turns out to be toxic to several kinds of human cancer, including prostate, ovarian, breast, and colon. Further, it inhibits enzymes that can activate the development of cancer, and also helps detoxify carcinogens. It even seems to slow down tumor growth in the early stages. Scientists are trying to produce hops that contain even more xanthohumol, and the Germans are racing to develop a “health” beer.

But wait – there’s more! Other compounds in hops are potent phytoestrogens which may help with post-menopausal hot flashes and also prevent osteoporosis.

Beers that provide the most benefits contain the most hops, and include strong brews such as ale, stout, and porter. In general, the darker the beer, the better. For those who can’t stand beer, herbal supplements made from hops contain the highest concentrations of beneficial elements.

RFA Increases Lung Cancer Survival Time

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) — an interventional treatment that “cooks” and kills lung cancer tumors with heat — greatly improves survival time from primary or metastatic inoperable lung tumors, according to a study released today at the Society of Interventional Radiology’s 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting. Of the 244 patients suffering from lung metastases (195 patients) or primary non-small cell lung cancer (49 patients), 70 percent were still alive at two years, including 72 percent for lung metastases and 64 percent for primary lung cancer. These survival results are similar to surgical results from other studies, but the interventional treatment is less invasive and has far fewer side effects and less recovery time. The researchers found that RFA often can completely destroy the primary tumor and, therefore, extend a patient’s survival and greatly improve his or her quality of life. Survival thus becomes dependent on the extent of disease elsewhere in the body.

Of the 49 patients (ages 27–85) with non-small cell primary lung cancer who were treated with RFA, 85 percent had no viable lung tumors after one year on imaging, and 77 percent had no viable lung tumors after two years, which indicates a cure. This study was conducted in tumors four centimeters in diameter or smaller, and even better results were obtained for tumors smaller than two centimeters.

“About two-thirds of patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer are ineligible for surgery and typically have less than 12 months to live. A subset of these patients ineligible for surgery can be treated with RFA with the intention of curing the primary tumor. Thus, 70 percent of my patients gained at least another two years. This new outpatient treatment is effective, allowing us to treat patients who historically have only palliative options, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy,” said Thierry de Baere, M.D., interventional radiologist with the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France.

These results are similar to studies in the United States and add to the growing body of evidence for RFA in extending survival time.

RFA is effective for local control of lung cancer, providing an attractive option for patients who may not be ideal surgical candidates, who wish to avoid conventional surgery or who have failed conventional treatments. A trial is needed to define if RFA can replace surgery in a subset of patients.

By the time lung cancer becomes symptomatic, 85 percent of patients are incurable, often due to serious coexisting health conditions or poor respiratory function. Most patients who are diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer are not surgical candidates at the time of diagnosis. For these patients, minimally invasive interventional radiology procedures can improve survival, reduce pain and improve quality of life. Interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using imaging guidance to deliver targeted cancer treatments throughout the body.

Radiofrequency energy can be given without affecting a patient’s overall health, and most people can resume their usual activities in a few days. It is a safe, minimally invasive tool for local pulmonary tumor control with negligible mortality, little morbidity, short hospital stay and positive gain in quality of life. Lung function is generally better preserved after RFA than after surgical removal of a tumor. This is especially important for those whose ability to breathe is impaired, such as current or former cigarette smokers. It can also be repeated if necessary or combined with other treatment options.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RFA for the treatment of tumors in soft tissue that includes the lung.

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An earful of overtreatment By the age of three, statistics show that at least three out of four children have suffered at least one ear infection. And just as likely they were given an antibiotic to treat it. But your kid's pediatrician may have jumped the gun. In 80 to 90 percent of these cases, any ear infection will clear up on its own. And while a recent survey showed that the vast majority of doctors believe that a wait- and-see approach works in theory, in only 15 percent of cases did they wait and see. With what may be the best of intentions, docs are inadvertently causing these young patients a whole new crop of problems. To begin with are the side effects. Diarrhea (which can become an issue all of its own by threatening dehydration) and other stomach ailments such as nausea and a sick stomach. And what are essentially misguided good intentions could actually set off an unending cycle of recurring ear infections due to antibiotic resistance. In the defense of pediatrician's everywhere, they do have some challenges when it comes to diagnosing. Generally, they're treating little people who can't speak. When a baby is crying, it's hard to know if it's due to an ear infection or because the baby is terrified of the doctor looking in his ear. Also, while the doc is trying to look into the tiny ear canal of a usually anything- but-patient patient, he's trying to figure out if that's an infection he's seeing, or just fluid that has built up. This is not an infection, and any fluid build-up and resulting inflammation will clear up on its own, given time. There are many parents who don't think twice about filling an antibiotic prescription for their child. Why would they? Everyone they know is handed one for their child, so they don't tend to question if it's the right treatment. Doctors should take the time to educate harried parents and counsel them on the appropriateness of a wait-and-see approach. After all, the statistics heavily bear this out: with 80 to 90 percent of cases clearing up on their own, there's no good reason to risk the side effects of—and continued growing resistance to—antibiotics. Antibiotics also disturb the normal balance between healthy and harmful gut bacteria. This can have adverse effects on an individual's immune system over time. This is an excellent reason to refrain from antibiotic overuse in children.

Sprouts for bladder cancer prevention

A study revealed that a concentrated extract culled from broccoli sprouts could cut in half your risk of developing bladder cancer.

While breast, prostate and lung cancers seem to get all the press, you can get cancer of anything, so the goal should be prevention in general. But the bladder, in particular, seems to react strongly when exposed to isothiocyanates, a metabolized derivative of glucosinolates.

Glucosinolates are the active plant chemical that is found in all cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and broccoli sprouts.

Once you ingest glucosinolates, your body metabolizes them into an anti- carcinogen called isothiocyanates.

For the purpose of this study, researchers used an extract of broccoli sprouts that has about 600 times more isothiocyanate content than regular broccoli. However, the research group concedes that even if you are at risk of getting bladder cancer, it's probably not necessary to eat sprouts by the bucketful.

The study was done with lab animals, all of which received the same diet for two weeks. They were then assigned to five different groups. Three groups were given a chemical in their water that causes bladder cancer, and two of those three groups were given the sprout extract prior to the addition of the chemical. Of the two groups given this extract, one received a high dose and the other a low dose.

The two remaining groups were used as study controls, with one getting just the basic diet, and the other receiving just the extract.

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