On the pulse

Cancerkin’s News….

Christmas Tombola this Friday…

The final preparations for our Tombola are now being made ready for this Friday, 10th December. We have had a fantastic response to our appeal for volunteers and donations, with now over a hundred prizes to be won. These range from meals out and cinema tickets to cosmetics and Belgian chocolates. We will also be selling Cancerkin Christmas cards, make-up, books and more. We hope to see as many of you as possible at the stall, which will be open from 10am to 4pm by the Atrium at the Royal Free.

Yoga and Dance classes reminder …

All those who are interested in attending our final trial session of Kundalini yoga and Nia technique dance should note that the Yoga class will take place at 11am with Dance Therapy following at 12pm on Monday 13th December 2010.

Kundalini yoga is a powerful practice where your body is gently stretched and toned, inducing deep relaxation and including postures and meditations specifically for women. The Nia Technique is an expressive, dance-based movement form that is an exhilarating treat for body, mind and soul. Absolutely no experience is necessary and all those who have attended so far have very much enjoyed the classes. To reserve your place, please email Laura at l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk or call 020 7830 2323.

In the news…

Cancer, food, drink and smoking

For many years now, it has been a widely accepted notion that eating your ‘five-a-day’ fruit and veg will help ward off cancer. The idea of “cancer-fighting” fruit and vegetables has been developing since the 1970’s, when early studies into the food group yielded positive results. However, a review of research conducted over the past decade into the effects of eating increased amounts of fruit and vegetables has concluded that such a diet will have little impact on cancer risk. It is not eating more fruit and veg, but cutting down on alcohol and smoking that will really help to reduce overall risk, the review has concluded.

Professor Tim Key, of Cancer Research UK, reviewed evidence found by large, high-quality studies know as “cohort-studies,” involving more than a million people collectively. These studies ask a wide range of healthy individuals to record their diets over a long period of time and analyse which individuals go on to develop cancer, rather than examining the diet of those who already have cancer, as in much earlier “case-control studies”. Prof Key focused on four recent major studies into the impact of fruit and vegetables on overall risk, as well as reviewing evidence about mouth, throat, stomach, bowel, lung, prostate and breast cancer risk. Results pointed to little or no impact on the risk of developing these types of cancer. Prof Key also highlighted that, after smoking, the two biggest cancer risks were being overweight and drinking alcohol.

Although the review may change our opinions towards what were previously considered as “cancer-fighting” foods, it should not change our attitude towards eating fruit and veg. They do of course contain nutrients needed for good health, can help us to maintain a healthy weight and can play an important role in protecting against high blood pressure and coronary disease. What Prof. Key’s review emphasises is that healthy living – that is decreasing alcohol intake, not smoking and eating adequate amounts of fruit and vegetable as part of a balanced diet – is what is most important in the fight against cancer.

For more on this subject, please click here to read an article from The Guardian, and here to read Cancer Research UK’s science blog.

Drug developments for postmenopausal women…

A new trial into anastrozole, a drug given to postmenopausal women with hormone sensitive early breast cancer, has confirmed its long-term benefits for helping stop breast cancer reoccurrence or development of cancer in the other breast. Led by Professor Jack Cuzick of Cancer Research UK at Queen Mary, University of London, the study examined over 9,000 women in 21 countries, including the UK. Each woman took either anastrozole or tamoxifen as an adjuvant treatment after surgery, to help stop their cancer coming back. Both drugs were highly effective but over a ten year period, 80 percent of patients taking anastrozole remained free of cancer, compared with 76 percent taking tamoxifen.

Anastrozole belongs to a group of drugs called aromatase inhibitors. Earlier trials into the drugs revealed them to be the best treatment for preventing breast cancer recurrences in post-menopausal women and, in 2009 they replaced tamoxifen as the gold standard hormone treatment. Professor Cuzick said of the latest study’s results: “tamoxifen has been in use for at least 25 years and remains one of the most effective breast cancer treatments ever developed. But these results provide further support for using anastrozole as the first line treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone sensitive breast cancer, as it’s even more likely to stop the disease coming back and was better tolerated than tamoxifen.”

If you would like to read the article in full, please click here.

Laura Smith 9^th December 2010

l.smith@cancerkin.org.uk