Researchers Assess Factors Behind Cancer Risk

Although cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases facing the human population, the scientific community?s understanding of the disease has progressed significantly in recent decades. Thanks to a wide array of new treatment methods and diagnostic techniques, the prognosis for many cancer patients is much better today than it was even ten years ago.

Not only have scientists been able to create advanced and highly effective cancer treatments, but they have also been able to develop sophisticated risk models for the disease. Because risk studies alert us to possible lifestyle changes that may be able to reduce the likelihood that we will develop certain types of cancer, they help advance public health.

This week, we will take a look at a number of cancer risk studies that have recently been released. Each of the studies addresses a particular risk factor or lifestyle variable that serves to either increase or decrease an individual?s likelihood of developing cancer.

Personality Traits Not Significant in Determining Breast Cancer Risk, Study Shows

Conventional wisdom has long held that people with certain personality characteristics were more prone to developing certain diseases, including cancer. A few early studies conducted in the 1990s seemed to suggest that this old wives? tale actually held some scientific truth.

Recently, the Netherlands Cancer Institute scientists who conducted a hallmark study that found several statistical correlations between emotions and breast cancer risk undertook a much larger scale study to retest the results of their previous work. In the follow-up study, a sample of 9700 female breast cancer patients filled out a highly detailed questionnaire that assessed various psychological and emotional qualities.

After analyzing their results, the scientists retracted their previous hypothesis. The lack of any consistent statistical correlations in the new study soundly disproved the idea that emotional qualities have any relationship, causal or otherwise, to cancer.

Cholesterol Drug May Decrease Cancer Risk

The cholesterol drugs known as statins have been at the center of a heated controversy over the last several months. Based on the results of several recent studies, the ability of statins to reduce cholesterol effectively has come into question ? as has the overall safety of the drugs as an anti-cholesterol treatment.

However, even as statins? future as a cholesterol medication is in question, researchers at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System have found that this class of drugs may have another application ? as an anti-cancer agent. According to a recent study, it was found that patients who had taken statins had a lower risk of developing certain types of cancer than the general population. Lung cancer and colorectal cancer appeared to be most strongly affected by the drug.

In the laboratory, scientists have been able to confirm the ability of statins to inhibit tumor growth in a clinical environment. However, in population studies that deal with human patients, the results are not as clear-cut. The researchers say that more patient studies will be necessary in order to arrive at a definitive conclusion on statins? ability to impact cancer risk.

Study Sharpens Scientists? Understanding of Ovarian Cancer Risk

Because potentially deadly ovarian cancer has few detectable early symptoms, quick diagnosis of the disease is imperative. In addition, the lifestyle factors that may impact the development of ovarian cancer are vitally important to every woman.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health focused on the impact of a number of different lifestyle factors on ovarian cancer risk. Specifically, the scientists focused on measuring the risk impact of alcohol, tobacco use, and caffeine, as these three variables are often cited in cancer risk studies.

After analyzing data from 12,701 women, the researchers found no clear evidence that either alcohol consumption or tobacco use impacted ovarian cancer risk. However, the data did suggest that caffeine consumption slightly diminished the risk of ovarian cancer. The authors urged further study of this intriguing finding, but issued no definitive statement on the role that caffeine use should play in a woman?s ovarian cancer prevention strategy.

If you?re looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer, talk to your doctor for a personalized health audit that will hone in on the lifestyle changes you should incorporate. Don?t forget to check back each week for more health science news!

Researchers Measure the Impact of Nutrition on Acne and Other Skin Conditions

There?s an old saying that asserts you are what you eat. According to researchers, this principle may actually have some truth to it when it comes to skin conditions.

There are many myths and superstitions floating around out there linking pimples, blemishes, acne, and other skin conditions to particular foods and eating patterns. For decades, most of these have been dismissed by scientists as nothing more than old wives? tales. Acne, the medical establishment has long asserted, is a skin disease that has little or nothing to do with diet.

However, over the last several years, there has been a steady stream of research results that seem to have poked some holes in the ironclad assumption that diet doesn?t aggravate acne. It turns out that certain kinds of foods do seem to be linked with skin problems, particularly among teenagers and young adults.

So what can you do to cut down on acne flare-ups? Which foods should you include and exclude from your diet to get the glowing, picture-perfect skin you?ve always dreamed of? This week, we?ll survey some recent studies that have shed some much-needed light on the link between nutrition and skin health.

Acne Linked to Modern Western Diet, Study Suggests

For decades, researchers have debated whether nutrition has an impact upon acne and other skin conditions. Although the majority opinion has long held that diet does not have a significant effect on acne, one group of researchers noticed that acne is very common among developed, Westernized populations, while it is very rare among populations with more traditional diets and lifestyles.

To test this hypothesis, the scientists studied two large groups of non-Western teenagers. The study participants were drawn from two traditional societies that have not yet adopted the highly processed diets typical of first-world nations. A total of over 1300 study participants were culled from the Kitavan islanders of Papua New Guinea and the Ache hunter-gatherers of Paraguay.

Remarkably, among all of the study participants, the scientists did not discover a single case of acne. Although isolated incidents of blemishes and skin eruptions were found, none of the study participants qualified for the diagnosis of acne that is used by Western medical practitioners. This finding led the researchers to conclude that Western diet staples, including starches and highly-processed foods, may play a central role in causing acne.

High-GI Foods May Exacerbate Acne

After preliminary studies that suggested a link between the highly-processed, starch-rich diets of Western teenagers and the widespread prevalence of acne among this population, more scientists began to focus on identifying the possible factors in this relationship. A study conducted by scientists at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology focused specifically on the role of foods with a high glycemic index and their impact on acne.

The term ?glycemic index? refers to the degree to which a particular food raises the blood sugar after it is ingested. Foods such as potatoes, white bread, and sweets have a very high glycemic index, while foods such as meats and green vegetables have a low glycemic index. In general, the highly-processed foods that are a staple of the modern Western diet tend to rank higher on the GI index.

In the study, populations of young men diagnosed with acne were split into two groups. One group ate a normal, high-GI diet, while the other group ate high protein, lower-carb foods such as lean proteins, nuts, non-starchy vegetables, and whole grains. At the end of a 12-week period, the young men in the experimental group exhibited an average 51% improvement in their acne symptoms. In addition, these participants also enjoyed significant gains in self-esteem, emotional well-being, and social success.

Beans, Whole Grains Should be Staples of an Anti-Acne Diet

It used to be believed that overindulgence in chocolate was the chief culprit behind acne. Although a famous 1969 study disproved that myth, it took researchers decades to come up with a diet that could help prevent and even cure the dreaded skin disease.

A study recently conducted by British researchers found that study participants whose dietary staples were whole foods such as beans, vegetables, and grains experienced far fewer acne breakouts than the general population. The scientists also found that people who ate fast food less frequently were less prone to acne.

If you want to devise a dietary regimen that will work wonders for acne, blemishes, and other skin problems, consult with your doctor or a licensed nutritionist for a personalized plan. Don't forget to check back each week for more of the health science news you need!