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Tag: Lung Cancer

  • Lung Cancer Screenings Have Racial Disparities

    Lung Cancer Screenings Have Racial Disparities

    Lung Cancer screenings may be muddled by racial differences in smoking habits, causing African-American smokers to be ineligible for screening more often than white smokers.

    Researchers from Yale used National Health Interview Surveys from 1965 to 2012 to determine differences in racial smoking habits, which helped get a better picture of total exposure differences.

    It seems, according to answers from the surveys, African-Americans started smoking later in life and kept smoking into their later years than their white counterparts.

    White smokers tend to start in their late teen years, but quit earlier in life.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWpwCa2HNUI

    However, African-American smokers smoked fewer packs per day than white smokers, but had a longer average duration of exposure when the effects of tobacco-related disease, like lung cancer, become more apparent.

    These numbers translated to fewer “pack years” for African-Americans, which are calculated by multiplying the number of packs smoked per day by years of smoking, thus leaving them less eligible for lung cancer screenings.

    The problem lies in the fact that African-American risk of death from tobacco-related diseases is as high or higher than that of white smokers.

    Researchers on the project are hoping these results will help the lung cancer screening process evolve.

    In related news, it could soon be illegal to buy cigarettes in California before the age of 21. The law is aimed at preventing the early start of the habit.

    John Billimek, a researcher with the Health Policy Research Institute in the UC Irvine School of Medicine, is hoping this kind of law will become wider-spread and will make it much harder for those in the 14-17 year range to get their hands on cigarettes.

    He thinks this age group, being around 18-year-olds at school all day, have an easy time getting the older kids to buy for them. They are much more rarely around 21-year-olds.

    Billimek said, “This can be a long-term effective policy to curb teen smoking. It’s important that a large metropolitan area like New York take the lead on this. If it works there, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other municipal, county or state governments try the same.”

    What do you think of the possibility of an age increase to 21 for purchasing cigarettes? Do you think it will cut down on lung cancer chances in the long run?

  • Lung Cancer Symptoms: What To Watch For

    Lung Cancer Symptoms: What To Watch For

    Lung cancer is something nobody ever wants to be diagnosed with and while it can be scary to deal with, if caught in the early stages, it is treatable. The best way to catch lung cancer early is to know what symptoms to watch for.

    Many of the most common symptoms of lung cancer are similar to other diseases and illnesses, so it is important to see a doctor if you are experiencing any of them.

    Cough
    A cough can be a symptom of a lot of things, from a common cold to something more serious. If the cough does not go away after a few days, you should see a doctor immediately and request an X-ray of your chest and lungs. Because coughs are so common, many people dismiss them, but a constant cough can actually be one of the first symptoms of lung cancer.

    Back And Chest Pain
    Before you notice a cough or any other symptom of lung cancer, you might notice pain in your neck, back or even arm. If the pain does not go away and your doctors cannot find another reason for it, it could be a symptom of lung cancer. The pain may be constant or can get worse with activity or when you breathe.

    Trouble Breathing
    If you find yourself feeling short of breath, especially when exercising or being active, ask your doctor to check your lungs. This can also be caused by other health problems, but is one of the earliest symptoms of lung cancer.

    These three symptoms are the most common and earliest signs of lung cancer. Everyone is different, and if you notice any change in your health or any trouble breathing, it is important to talk to your doctor. Remember, the sooner you catch cancer, the more likely it is that your treatment will be successful.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lung Cancer Treatment Resistance Reversed in New Study

    Lung cancer patients got some good news this week as a new study has shown how doctors might reverse genetic resistance to a common lung cancer drug.

    According to the study’s authors, around 40% of lung cancer patients are resistant to a specific targeted therapy drug known as erlotinib. The drug is an EGFR inhibitor and the therapy is meant to block non-small cell lung carcinoma tumors from growing.

    The new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, showed that the over-expression of the Cripto-1 protein in patients could be what is making them resistant to the drug. Researchers demonstrated that blocking Cripto-1 signaling transduction in animals restored the ability of erlotinib to act on lung cancer cells. This blocking was accomplished using an Src inhibitor.

    “This is a welcome finding because Cripto-1 belongs to a family of proteins that can be targeted by drugs that have already been developed,” Dr. Giuseppe Giaccone, senior investigator on the study and an associate director for clinical research at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Most patients using erlotinib exhibit either intrinsic or acquired resistance, so we frankly don’t cure anyone with the drug, although we can extend lifespan. So if we can understand what is limiting the activity of the drug up front, I believe treatment of patients can be vastly improved.”

    Giaccone and his colleagues are currently setting up a clinical trial to test the method on human lung cancer patients. Though the specific Src inhibitor used in the study is no longer an option, the researchers say they will use the Src inhibitor AZD0424 in combination with erlotinib during the trial. Patients selected for the trial will have non-small cell lung cancer and have cancer cells with an EGFR mutation. Previous research has found these types of patients to be most sensitive to erlotinib.

    “There has been very little investigation when a person never responds to an EGFR inhibitor – most research has been done on acquired resistance that occurs after the drug has shown some benefit,” said Giaccone.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Kellie Pickler Plans New Album, Helps Fight Cancer

    Kellie Pickler is mixing business with pleasure, again, as she teams up with her songwriter and producer husband Kyle Jacobs to create her fifth album.

    This isn’t the first time the partners in life have become partners in music; the pair penned songs for Pickler’s 2013 album The Woman I Am.

    “I grew up listening to traditional country music,” said Pickler in an interview. “For me, ‘The Woman I Am’ is just a collection of songs I’ve either found or written that just tell us different stories. It’s kind of like audio books, and each song is a different chapter.”

    The American Idol alum and former Dancing With the Stars winner has recently teamed up with fellow DWTS participant Valerie Harper to help fight and spread the word about lung cancer.

    The Mary Tyler Moore Show vet partnered with the American Lung Association and CVS Caremark to launch Lung Force, a new national movement aimed at educating the public about the disease.

    Watch Pickler in action:

    Harper was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2009 and it has spread to her brain, causing the diagnosis to become terminal. Called leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, this cancer lives microscopically where the spinal fluid is.

    Pickler feels close to the cause because her grandmother died from the disease. At the event, the singer performed the song “My Angel,” which was written about her late grandmother.

    “She was the one that I called mom,” Pickler said in an interview. “She was diagnosed with lung cancer back in 2002 and she died instantly. She died the very next day. I got a little emotional performing a song so personal that I wrote with some friends of mine about my grandmother. Just being in the room here today with lung cancer survivors as well as other people who have lost loved ones from lung cancer, just made it more emotional.”

    Pickler hasn’t revealed when she plans on dropping her new album, but fans can catch up with the singer on her tour, which features dates from now until September.

    Image via Kellie Pickler, Twitter

  • Well-Known Ad Exec Mike Hughes Dies After Writing His Own Obituary

    Former Martin Agency president Mike Hughes has passed away at the age of 65 after a long battle with lung cancer.

    Hughes is responsible for such high profile campaigns as the Geico cavemen (which even had its own TV show at one point) and the Geico gecko, among others.

    He was told in 1998 that even though he was a lifelong non-smoker, he had lung cancer, and that there was an 84% chance he would die within five years. Obviously he overcame those odds. Here’s a video from IAB Mixx 2011, in which Hughes talks about this.

    Earlier this year, Hughes was given two weeks to live, and started a blog called Unfinished Thinking, which he updated until he died on Sunday. On the last day, he wrote “An autobiographical obituary by the late Mike Hughes,” which serves as a love letter to his family and friends, and a tribute to what he was proud of.

    Heartbreaking stuff.

    It concludes, “One final thought. I hope each of you enjoys every minute of your life. You’ve all contributed so much to mine. And one last favor. Keep me in your thoughts. I love you.”

    Hughes joined The Martin Agency in 1978, serving as creative director for 30 years, and eventually president beginning in 1995.

    AdAge shares a comment from the agency’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Alexander: “We are a family. And we’ve just lost our dad.”

    You can see a video tribute they created for him in that article.

    [via BusinessInsider]

  • China: Smog Chokes Chinese Manchuria, as Overpopulated Asian Giant Burns Coal

    Vast areas of China’s north-east were choking in smog on Monday, as the Asian giant grappled with yet another horrendous air pollution crisis threatening millions of lives.

    Schools and colleges were forced to suspend classes in Chinese Manchuria’s largest cities, including the culturally rich metropolis of Harbin. Road traffic was paralyzed as visibility was drastically compromised, while local airports were shut-down annoying thousands of travelers.

    While the emerging global power has made rapid strides in curtailing particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10),

    the index measuring particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5), shot above 1,000 in Harbin urban area, with a population of more than 11 million people, or one third the size of Canada. A reading above 300 is considered alarmingly hazardous, with severe health consequences for respiratory functions and eyes, whereas the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations are set at daily levels of 20 or less.

    This means the level of smog was 50 times more than WHO limits, a figure worth pondering over for environmental activists as well as international community. The powerful state controlled Xinhua News Agency was compelled to lament that on the first day of winter heating, airports, highways, schools were hampered by smog, a predictable result of coal produced electricity. (image)

    In addition, the visibility was reduced to 10 meters, while the smog is expected to envelope the vast region bordering Russia, Korea and Japan for the next couple of days. Air quality in Chinese cities has not only severely affected the health of Chinese nationals, but the dense smog has made its way to Korean peninsula, Japan, as well as Russia’s Amur region.

    Matters came to a head in February 2013, when Japan accused arch foe China of waging a smog war and even endangering Mount Fuji, its beloved national symbol. The Chinese Communist Party, which is not as communist after all these days, is acutely aware of the power and potential of popular resentment channeling into political action over the burning issue of air, water and soil pollution.

    Much like Washington DC-New York clique that enjoys gullible American tax-payers’ wealth, social media users of China’s popular Sina Weibo micro-blogging site mocked Beijing authorities in anger, as they shared stories of corrupt government officials using state-of-the-art purifiers and high quality food from organic farms, while the 99% suffer from debilitating smog and deadly food safety scandals.

    In fall 2012, Hong Kong SAR was invaded by smog from mainland, as the city dwellers scrambled to contain the health hazard. Beijing has witnessed PM2.5 levels of 900 or more recurrently including last winter, jeopardizing the health of its 20 million urban residents.

    Last week, Beijing released a color-coded alert system, similar to Bush regime’s color-coded terror-alert, to address air pollution catastrophes, including suspension of factory work, construction, school closures etc. Despite Beijing’s two-pronged effort to curb pollution by population control through the imposition of “one child policy,” and massive investments in renewable energy, the population momentum is so powerful, that it will take years, if not decades to arrive at WHO’s standards of air, water and soil quality.

    China should look towards the much cleaner South Korea for inspiration on ways to reduce air-pollution as well as population growth, as both countries share Confucian culture and patterns of behavior, life style and value system.

    [image from wikimedia and US government]

  • French Director, Patrice Chereau Dead at 68

    Notable screenwriter and actor, Patrice Chereau, died on Monday in Paris, France due to complications of lung cancer. He was 68 years old.

    Chereau was widely known for his role as the French director of opera, and served as a dominant figure in the French film industry for more than 40 years. He played a significant role in more than 20 French films throughout the tenure of his entire career. He also directed 9 operas, and 10 theatrical productions over a 38 year span.

    In 1975, Chereau penned his first film production script for “The Flesh of the Orchid.” His 1984 screenplay, “The Wounded Man” was also another plausible production he was lauded for. He received a Cesar award in honor of his directional role in the play.

    Some of his most prominent film and theatrical productions were “Queen Margot” and “Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train.” His “Queen Margot” production garnered two honorary prizes in the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Costume Design. The Cannes Film Festival commemorated “Queen Margot” this year, debuting a newly restored version of film.

    In 2001, Chereau embarked into new film territory with his production “Intimacy.” The sexually charged film marked yet another successful milestone in Chereau’s career as it was his first and only English-language film production. The film went on to win a Berlin Film Festival award for Best Film.

    Chereau’s latest work was a theatrical production of Richard Strauss’ “Elektra.” The New York Times reports that “Elektra” premiered at the Aux-en-Provence earlier this summer, and is slated to open at the Metropolitian Opera House in 2016.

    http://youtu.be/0D-u1cW7N1o

     

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • August Schellenberg, “Free Willy” Actor, Dies

    August Schellenberg, “Free Willy” Actor, Dies

    “Free Willy” star, August Schellenberg, has died at the age of 77. The actor, who was best known for his role in the three “Free Willy” movies, passed away on Thursday, after a long fight with lung cancer.

    The Canadian born actor first gained popularity with his role as the whale trainer, Randolph Johnson, in “Free Willy” that was released in 1993. He then returned for the same role in the sequels that were released, “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home” in 1995 and “Free Willy 3: The Rescue” in 1997. Schellenberg was well known for acting in Native American roles: he was half Mohawk and half Swiss-German.

    Schellenberg was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his role in HBO’s “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.” He also played a role in “The New World”, released in 2005, where he acted with stars Christian Bale and Colin Farrell. In 2012, he landed the lead role the all Canadian cast of Shakespeare’s “King Lear” at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

    http://youtu.be/bKpfZnnKa38

    “I got a call this morning from the NAC saying they have lowered their flags to honor him,” said Jamie Levitt, who had worked with the actor for the past 15 years. “He was a loving father and grandfather and a very good husband. He was a very well-known Canadian and an iconic actor.”

    Levitt, Schellenberg’s agent, said that he died surrounded by his family. Schellenberg is survived by his wife, actress Joan Karasevich, three daughters, and three grandchildren.

  • Google PageRank-Inspired Cancer Research Published

    Google’s PageRank algorithm is the inspiration for a new lung cancer study published in the journal Cancer Research.

    Researchers fron the University of Southern California (USC), Scripps Clinic, The Scripps Research Institute, University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York used an algorithm described as “similar to the Google PageRank and to the Viterbi Algorithm for digital communication” to gain insights about spread patterns of lung cancer.

    “This research demonstrates how similar the Internet is to a living organism,” said USC Viterbi School of Engineering Professor Paul Newton, Ph.D., the lead and corresponding author of the study. “The same types of tools that help us understand the spread of information through the web can help us understand the spread of cancer through the human body.”

    In fact, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen PageRank used to study other areas of science or even cancer. A Washington State University chemistry professor claimed to have adapted the PageRank algorithm to help determine molecular shapes and chemical reactions. Then, a study came out last year looking at improving outcome prediction for cancer patients by network-based ranking of marker genes, using the PageRank concept.

    We first reported on this new study in December, but now the results are out.

    The team learned that metastatic lung cancer doesn’t progress in a single direction from the primary tumor site to distant locations, according to a news release on the findings. They also say they learned that the first site to which the cells spread plays a key role in the progression of the disease, with the study showing that some parts of the body serve as “sponges” that are unlikely to further spread the cancer cells to other areas of the body. The study did identify other areas as spreaders for lung cancer cells, with the main spreaders being the adrenal gland and kidney, and the main sponges being the regional lymph nodes, liver and bone.

    More on the study here.

  • Lung Cancer Research Could Get Boost From New Stem Cell Findings

    New research conducted at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Cancer Institute suggests that lung cancer stem cells can be successfully isolated and grown in a preclinical model. Such a process could provide a new method for investigating immunotherapy treatment options that target lung cancer stem cells.

    “Increasing evidence supports the idea that cancerous tumors have a population of stem cells, also called cancer-initiating cells, that continually regenerate and fuel cancer growth,” explains Dr. John Morris, lead author of the study and professor at the UC College of Medicine. “These cancer stem cells may also have the highest potential to spread to other organs.”

    The researchers stated that current research models provide limited information in the interaction between cancer stem cells and the immune system. They claim this makes it “virtually impossible” to study therapies that utilize the body’s immune system to fight off cancer.

    The new study, published this week in PLOS One, successfully isolated lung cancer stem cells that can be used in a mouse model with full immune system function. The researchers used a “tumorsphere” assay test to accomplish this feat, allowing them to enrich their samples to isolate cancer stem cells.

    The research team now hopes to develop more effective therapies that target cancer stem cells by showing how those cells escape the body’s immune system.

    “One of the hypotheses behind why cancer therapies fail is that the drug only kills cells deemed to be ‘bad’ (because of certain molecular characteristics), but leaves behind stem cells to repopulate the tumor,” said Morris. “Stem cells are not frequently dividing, so they are much less sensitive to existing chemotherapies used to eliminate cells deemed abnormal.

    “Studying these unique cells could greatly improve our understanding of lung cancer’s origins and lead to the novel therapeutics targeting these cells and help to more effectively eradicate this disease. Immunotherapy is the future of cancer treatment. We are hopeful that this new method will accelerate our investigation of immunotherapies to specifically target cancer stem cells.”

  • Lung Cancer Drug Trial Cancelled

    Lung Cancer Drug Trial Cancelled

    This week, ArQule, a biotechnology company focused on developing “next-generation” small-molecule cancer drugs, announced that a drug trial for a lung cancer treatment it developed has been stopped early.

    The independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) overseeing the Phase 3 trial recommended that the study be halted following an interim analysis that concluded the trial would not show improved overall survival for patients.

    The study looked at around 1,000 patients from over 200 sites worldwide. It was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial that investigated the drug tivantinib in conjunction with erlotinib. Tivantinib was co-developed by ArQule and the Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo. The patients were all previously treated, and had locally advanced or metastatic, non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer.

    Though the interim analysis found improvement in patients’ progression-free survival in the “intent-to-treat” population, similar results did not show up for overall survival. The interim analysis also found no safety concerns with regards to the treatment.

    “We are disappointed that the MARQUEE trial did not provide statistically significant results for overall survival in a disease and treatment setting which remains a major unmet medical need,” said Paolo Pucci, CEO of ArQule.

    Daiichi Sankyo’s global head of R&D stated that the companies will “continue to investigate tivantinib in other tumor types.”

    The cancelled trial has been seen as a huge blow by ArQule investors, and the Wall Street Journal reports that the company’s stock dropped 55% in light of the news, down to $2.15 at the close of Tuesday’s trading.

  • Stallone Half-Sister Dies of Lung Cancer

    Despite the success of his latest movie, The Expendables 2, Sylvester Stallone has had quite a rocky couple of months. Back in July, Stallone’s son Sage was found dead at age 36. Meanwhile, his half-sister Toni-Ann Filiti has been battling stage 4 lung cancer and getting progressively worse.

    This week, Toni-Ann Filiti died from lung cancer. RadarOnline reports that she passed away on Sunday night. Apparently, Filiti was able to spend her last moments with family. Radar quotes an unnamed “insider” as saying she was taken from an intensive care unit in the UCLA Medical Center and moved to her mother’s home as her condition worsened.

    Filiti was only 48 , and the Radar insider called the death “somewhat expected.” Her mother, Jackie Stallone, stated a few weeks back that Filiti was “conscious and responsive sometimes, but not really.” Jackie was still hoping for a miracle, but working at the same time to bring Filiti home so she could be comfortable.

    The stress of the sickness and death in the Stallone family has, inevitably, led to tensions between family members. After the death of Sage, Filiti’s son Edd lashed out at his uncle, Sylvester, on Facebook, saying that Sage was depressed and could have used some contact from Sylvester. Edd later recanted his statements, telling the New York Post that he felt “raw and emotional,” and that even though he has his own issues with Sylvester, he should never have posted them to Facebook.

  • Quit Smoking: Prepare to Gain a Few Unwanted Pounds

    Attempting to quit smoking is, according to a lot of people, one of the hardest things you’ll ever attempt to do in your entire life. Once you’re hooked, kicking the habit is harder than quitting most hardcore narcotics. Of course, this depends on the individual, though I think it’s going to be difficult for anyone who is looking to make an improvement in their health and their lifestyle. However, like most endeavors in life, giving up cigarettes may come with some unwanted side effects.

    Although literature encouraging smokers to kick the habit claim that most people will gain around six pounds following their life-altering decision, a recent study published in the British Medical Journal states that you can expect to acquire around eight to eleven pounds for your efforts. The study also revealed this weight gain is around five pounds more than most women are willing to tolerate. Lung cancer or belly fat: the decision is yours.

    The study, which involved the review of 62 different studies involving those who have tried to quit smoking using a variety of different methods, found that 37 percent of participants gain less than 11 pounds over the course of one year. 34 percent, meanwhile, packed on between 11 and 22 pounds. On the more extreme end of the spectrum, 13 percent of those who participated in these studies gained more than 22 pounds. Here’s the silver lining: 16 percent of participants actually lost weight after quitting. Again, individual results are going to vary.

    If you’re seriously concerned about gaining weight after giving up your smokes, it’s worth noting that extra pounds can be lost over time; getting rid of cancer is a far more grueling affair to contend with. Something to consider if you’re thinking about saying goodbye to your cigarettes.

  • Quit Smoking And Win Free Cigarettes?

    Quit Smoking And Win Free Cigarettes?

    In what seems like the most ridiculous anti-smoking campaign to date, Phillip-Morris is offering free cigarettes to smokers who feature the best tips on how they quit the habit. I am not serious, of course, but I would not put it past them. Seriously, we have known that cigarettes and tobacco are killing us for decades and yet the habit is still popular as hell.

    Here’s the space where I tell you how to effectively stop using those evil cancer sticks. First and foremost you have to be like an alcoholic and admit you’re powerless against these inanimate consumer products. Next, coat your your ass with nicotine embedded patches to pacify your cravings.

    Also, purchase plenty of Nicorette gum so you can avoid being pissed-off at everybody who crosses your path throughout the day. Continue these actions for ten days and avoid stress for three years and you’ll be cured. Follow this prescribed regiment to the letter and you will be sufficiently convinced you have no will power.

    But, let’s move on the the meat of the story, anti-smoking ads are having an effect and there’s new evidence to support that claims.

    On March 14th, the online Journal of the National Cancer Institute published data that suggests that nearly 800,000 new lung cancer cases have been avoided by public efforts to discourage smoking. This data only accounts for data from 1975 to the year 2000. I think this figure is surprisingly low. Yes, 800,000 is a big number, but don’t more people die in traffic accidents, we still drive cars don’t we?

    Dr. Suresh Moolgavkar, of the biostatistics and biomathematics program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle comments on the trend:

    “Quitting smoking most definitely reduces deaths from lung cancer. However, too many people continue to smoke,”

    “The most effective way to reduce the burden of lung cancer is to get smokers to quit and to prevent non-smokers from taking up smoking.”

    So if the surgeon general had not published all the reports and all the warnings we would probably have had more like a million new lung cancer cases. That’s not even taking into account how many people who quit just because the habit is so damn expensive.

    Eric Feuer, chief of the Statistical Methodology and Applications Branch of the U.S. National Cancer Institute adds to the anti-smoking sentiments:

    “We can’t let our guard down and we really need to continue our efforts,”

    Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City says that smoking accounts for more disease than just lung cancer:

    “Smoking cessation would also reduce rates of heart attack, stroke and the lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,”

    He claims they find new damage caused to our bodies by smoking all the time. So more than likely the 800,000 lives figure is missing the mark in a number of ways. The number probably finds itself in the millions rather than thousands.

    Regardless that’s the news for a 25-year span from 1975 to 2000. I wonder what they’ll have to report about smoking in 2025 when another two and a half decades has passed? Perhaps people won’t be smoking anymore, but I doubt it. I think it’s human nature to seek destructive behavior, and some people just do anything they’re told not to do. We’ll see.