Part of her work involves subjecting cells of breast cancer and treated with a potent form of vitamin D.

Within days, half of cancer cells shrink and die. Vitamin D enters the cell and triggers a process of death of the latter. “It’s similar to what we see when we treat cells with tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer,” said Welch.

The research team also tested the effectiveness of vitamin D to destroy cancer tumors in mice. Within weeks, the tumors decreased by 50% on average. Some disappeared. Similar results have been achieved for tumors of the colon cancer and prostate cancer.

This day is an initiative coordinated by EURORDIS European Organization for Rare Diseases, which represents more than 400 patient organizations in 42 countries. Rare Diseases Day 2010 theme “building bridges between patients and researchers”, a theme that stresses the importance of research and the role of patient organizations.

Rare diseases affect each few people from the general population. In Europe, the threshold is reached a person on 2000, is for France more than 30,000 people with the same disease. Several of these diseases, however, affect a hundred people. 80% of these diseases are genetic in origin and most of them involving children. They are often severe, chronic, and involve life-threatening. Due to the low prevalence of these diseases, medical doctors are few, the knowledge is poor, the provision of inadequate care, the inadequate research. There are very few treatments.

A symposium organized by the European EURORDIS 1 March in Brussels, in cooperation with E-RARE and in partnership with the European Commission Orphanet and EUROPLAN, will advocate the inclusion of research on rare diseases in public funding schemes .

In France, associations want a second Plan for Rare Diseases, whose final version will be available in April at the stake.

Laurence Tiennot-Herment, president of the French Association against Myopathies (AFM) indicates that the association should support 43 trials within two years. Considerable resources are required for clinical development that can only be carried by public donations through the Telethon, “she pleads. It calls for public / private partnerships, noting that research on these diseases allows therapeutic innovation for common diseases.

The next time you go to a restaurant, remember this: the stale white bread can not compete with a generous meal complete in terms of taste and nutrition. Nutritionists recommend that half of our grain consumption (rice, cereal or chips) are from whole grains. Even sugary cereals to children and frozen pizzas are now loaded into ingredients for whole grain.

Whole grains provide great fiber, but that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, scientists are not sure yet how food components such as fiber and certain types of materials fat affect the risk of colorectal cancer.

Still, that whole grains contain other substances that may fight cancer (such as lignans, which act as antioxidants and saponins, which may prevent cancer cells from multiplying). Buy the “wheat bread 100% complete” rather than bread labeled “wheat bread”, the latter may contain processed grains. For more lignans, choose a whole wheat bread sprinkled with flax seeds or sesame seeds.

A study of more than 490,000 people found that people who eat more spinach have less risk of developing cancer of the esophagus. Studies also suggest that the carotenoids in spinach and other foods also reduce the risk of cancers of the ovary, endometrium, lung and colorectal cancers.

Add to that the folate and fiber (researchers believe they could reduce the risk of some cancers) and you understand why the leafy dark green cocktails are super nutritious. Folate helps your body produce new cells and repair DNA, and is especially important for women of child bearing age because it may prevent neural tube defects in a developing fetus.

You enjoy the best benefits of lutein contained in spinach if eaten raw or lightly cooked. Enjoy them in salads, steamed, sauteed in garlic with olive oil, or mixed with soup. To change, replace them with kale, cabbage riders, chard or romaine lettuce. Spinach is still the star in this category and is in fact the leaf vegetable most nutrient-dense.

Previous studies have shown that eating plenty of meat may increase the risk of heart disease and colon cancer. And a new study now suggests that meat and fish, increasing the risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

In a study published in the journal “American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers showed that women who consumed the most animal protein (meat and fish in this study, no dairy products or eggs) were 3 times more risk of suffering from an inflammatory disease of the intestine.

Of the 67,000 women followed over a period of 10 years, only 77 women were diagnosed with chronic inflammatory bowel disease, but 90% of participants consumed a daily amount of animal protein than recommended by nutritionists.

Researchers say that meat increases the risk of inflammatory bowel disease because the digestion of animal proteins produce toxic end products such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

The scientists therefore recommend that women reduce their consumption of food from animals, especially since the study showed that women eating too much meat.

Inflammatory bowel disease can lead to major problems such as Crohn’s disease (chronic inflammation of the entire digestive tract, suspected to be due to an overactive immune system against substances and tissues that are normally present in the body.) ulcerative colitis (ulcerative colitis or) and an increased risk of colon cancer (which develops from the lining of the “large intestine” or colon).

The University of Colorado has implemented a program of massage therapy for cancer patients, who suffered significant levels of mood deterioration and severe pain that the disease became unbearable.

After having gone through the phase of massage treatment applied by the professionals involved in the study, 380 patients who participated in the experiment said they had noticed a considerable improvement in their mood and a significant reduction in pain.

For cancer patients this can mean much. Consider that nearly one third of patients report suffering severe pain, and between 15% to 25% report feeling depressed and angry.

Massage, an alternative therapy that is gaining more ground between conventional and alternative medicine continues to demonstrate that it is an interesting alternative to complement with some conventional treatments. It is shown that cancer treatment is one of them.

A new analysis of five minutes could be reduced by more than 40% the number of deaths from colorectal cancer, say scientists.

The test is performed with a flexible sigmoid scope to detect and remove any polyps in the colon.
Colorectal tumors are the second leading cause of cancer death in the world, after lung, and about half of the people who develop them die because they are often detected late.

The test, known Flexi-Scope, is performed with a flexible sigmoid scope (a thin tube with a camera) inserted into the rectum to examine the lower intestine and remove any abnormal growths (polyps) that can become cancerous if not question.

According to researchers at Imperial College London, the analysis, which takes place in people between 55 and 64 years, has succeeded in reducing the incidence of colorectal cancer in 35% and mortality by 43%.

Experts believe that the majority of polyps that could eventually cause problems are present in individuals over 50 years.

And if these are removed, the chances of developing the disease can be reduced by 80%, says research published in the medical journal The Lancet.

The Heidelberg researchers had the benefit of colonoscopy according to indications from Monday at around 3300 Saarlanders asked. Previously, only the data had been available from clinical trials.

The investigation has been among people who had undergone in the past ten years, a colonoscopy, “found much less advanced stages of colorectal cancer.” “Especially in the left pane of the intestine is the risk for colorectal cancer and its precursors” drastically reduced, said the researchers. The results underline the great potential of colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer.

The surveyed in the study Saarlander had attended a colonoscopy (colonoscopy) in the wake of the statutory scheme for cancer screening. They were asked whether they had undergone in the last ten years prior to the screening colonoscopy already a colonoscopy.

Accordingly, from the nearly 600 people who already had a colonoscopy behind, only 36 had advanced precancerous lesions in the intestine. This corresponds to 6.1 percent. The study found about 2,700 participants who were first to undergo a colonoscopy, at 308 persons (11.4 percent) such advanced stages.

In the so-called leftist, “descending” part of the intestine, where the cancer occurs most often discovered in the participants with previous colonoscopy two thirds less advanced precancerous lesions than in participants without previous colonoscopy.

Types of Breast Lumps

Not all packages that appear on the breasts are a symptom of cancer. In fact, nine out of ten lumps are benign. These noncancerous lumps or tumors can be fibrosis and glandular connective tissue, or cysts or fluid-filled sacs. Benign breast tumors (fibroadenomas) are not a danger to life and are usually easily treated. The main type of breast cancer is adenocarcinoma, which occurs in glandular tissues anywhere in the body. The specific tumors of the breast are:

*Ductal carcinoma
(located in the ducts). The ductal in situ carcicoma falls on or lactiferous ducts through which milk goes to the nipple. If left untreated, can spread beyond the milk ducts and cause metastasis. So it’s very important to detect its presence in time to prevent progression to cancer. This detection can be achieved only through specific tests such as mammography, since carcinoma in situ does not usually produce any symptoms. Invasive ductal carcinoma, or infiltrating invades the fatty tissue of the breast, from one of the ducts. Invasive carcinoma is the most common breast cancers, accounting for approximately 80 percent of all those produced.
* Lobular carcinoma or lobular
Within this type is lobular carcinoma in situ, also called lobular neoplasia. Invasive lobular carcinoma is the same filtration process that invasive ductal carcinoma to adipose tissue, but from the lobules.
*Inflammatory Breast Cancer: Less frequent.
This is a very aggressive cancer that grows quickly. It’s called inflammatory because cancer cells block the lymph vessels and this is manifested in the skin, which becomes thick and hollowed out appearance similar to that of an orange peel.
*Other types
also rare for breast cancer include mucinous or colloid, in which cancer cells produce some mucus, and medullary, invasive tumor, but with a better prognosis than other invasive cancers.
*Cancer Paget
spreads through the skin of the nipple and areola. In this type of cancer, the skin of the nipple and areola appears scaly and red, with occasional spotting. Occasionally, Paget’s disease may be associated with carcinoma in situ or invasive.

Diagnostics

Mammography is a test of X-ray imaging that detects the presence of tumor in the breast, before it is perceptible to the touch. Being the best detection method, experts recommend that all women perform this test every year from the 50-55 years. These tests can be supplemented with more specific, to detect cancer severity, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasonography, or biopsy, which takes part of the affected tissue in the laboratory to analyze the characteristics of the cancer cells.

Treatments

There are several types of treatment for use in breast cancer. The therapy is applied depends on many factors, which include the stage or stage where the tumor is, whether there is metastasis, the size of the cancer and how cancer cells are. With the classification made by doctors are set to tumor size, lymph nodes affected and the degree of metastasis or spread to other organs, if any. The most used is the TNM system, developed by the American Joint Committee on Cancer. Each letter refers to a characteristic, which is defined by a number:

Prevention

The self-examination and mammograms are the most useful tools for finding suspicious breast lumps. In general, the technique of mammography facilitates the detection of small lumps difficult to predict by palpation of the breast. This type of test should be repeated annually from age 45.

After the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, tests are done to determine the degree of spreading blood cancer and bone marrow. Staging is the process used to determine the extent of cancer spread. It is important to know the stage of the disease to plan the best treatment. The following tests may be used in the staging process:

- Bone marrow biopsy and aspiration: The removal of a small section of bone and marrow by inserting a needle into the hipbone or breastbone. A pathologist examines the sample to the microscope for abnormal cells.

- Ray: An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. It is a type of energy beam that passes through the body and onto film, thereby generating a picture of areas inside the body, such as the lymph nodes.

- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves and a computer to generate a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, such as brain and spinal cord. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).

- Computed Tomography (CT): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body from different angles. The images are created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.

- Studies of blood chemistry: A procedure in which a sample of blood to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the organ and tissue in the body. An unusual (higher or lower than normal) amount of a substance may indicate disease in the organ or tissue that produces it.

- Antiglobulin test: Analyzing a blood sample under a microscope to determine whether antibodies are present on the surface of red blood cells or platelets. These antibodies can react with red blood cells and platelets and destroy them. This test is also called a Coomb’s test.

Stage 0
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia stage 0, too many lymphocytes in the blood, but no other symptoms of leukemia. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia stage 0 is indolent (slow growing).

Stage I
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia stage I, there are too many lymphocytes in the blood and lymph node size is larger than normal.

Stage II
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia stage II, there are too many lymphocytes in the blood and the size of the liver or spleen is larger than usual and the same can happen with the lymph nodes.

Stage III
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage III, there are too many lymphocytes in the blood and a very low number of red blood cells. The size of lymph nodes, liver or spleen may be larger than normal.

Stage IV
In chronic lymphocytic leukemia, stage IV, there are too many lymphocytes in the blood and a very low number of platelets. The size of lymph nodes, liver or spleen may be larger than normal and perhaps the red blood cell count is too low.

Refractory
Refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia is cancer that does not improve with treatment.