Science News & Science Current Events
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print M. D. Anderson research links diet, gardening and lung cancer risk

M. D. Anderson research links diet, gardening and lung cancer risk

December 10, 2007

PHILADELPHIA - By simply eating four or more servings of green salad a week and working in the garden once or twice a week, smokers and nonsmokers alike may be able to substantially reduce the risk of developing lung cancer, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

"This is the first risk prediction model to examine the effects of diet and physical activity on the possibility of developing lung cancer," says Michele R. Forman, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Epidemiology. Forman presented study results at the American Association for Cancer Research "Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research" meeting Dec. 7 in Philadelphia, Pa. The data are from an ongoing M. D. Anderson case-control lung cancer study involving more than 3,800 participants. Separate epidemiologic risk assessment models were developed for current and former smokers as well as for those who have never smoked ("never smokers").




Forman's study looked at salad consumption and gardening because, "salad is a marker for the consumption of many vegetables and gardening is an activity in which smokers and nonsmokers can participate."

The baseline lung cancer prediction model had moderate risk protection. The study pairs M. D. Anderson lung cancer patients with cancer-free current, former and never smoker counterparts provided through a partnership with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, a Houston-based HMO. By including diet and physical activity, the discriminatory power of the model was raised to 64 percent, 67 percent and 71 percent respectively for never, former and current smokers.

"This finding is exciting because not only is it applicable to everyone, but it also may have a positive impact on the 15 percent of non-smokers who develop lung cancer," says Forman. The other risk factors include exposure to secondhand smoke and dust, family history of cancer and the patient's history of respiratory disease and smoking.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women, with more than 213,000 estimated new cases diagnosed each year according to the American Cancer Society. Smoking tobacco accounts for more than eight of 10 lung cancer cases.

University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center



Related Lung Cancer Current Events and Lung Cancer News Articles Lung Cancer Current Events and Lung Cancer News RSS Lung Cancer Current Events and Lung Cancer News RSS
Social class dictates cancer risk
Cervical and lung cancer are more common in poor people while rates of breast cancer and melanoma are higher in the wealthy.

OHSU Cancer Institute researcher: radiation, immunotherapy gives greater effectiveness
Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers have found the right formula of radiation and immunotherapy for fighting lung cancer tumors in mice, which they hope will translate to better treatment in human lung cancers.

Racial disparities decline for cancer in Missouri
Cancer death rates in the United States are highest among African Americans, but a new report shows that in Missouri the disparity in cancer incidence and death between African Americans and whites is declining.

Pazopanib shrinks lung cancers before surgery
Pazopanib, a new oral angiogenesis inhibitor, has demonstrated interesting activity in difficult to treat non-small-cell lung cancer, US researchers report.

Joining forces against cancer
In cancer therapy, the best results are often achieved by combining treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

Creating lung cancer risk models for specific populations refines prediction
Lung cancer risk prediction models are enhanced by taking into account risk factors by race and by measuring DNA repair capacity, according to research teams led by epidemiologists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in two complementary papers appearing in the September issue of Cancer Prevention Research.

African-Americans have unique lung cancer risks from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Scientists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a risk prediction assessment for lung cancer specifically for African Americans that suggests a greater risk from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Breaking the 'mucus barrier' with a new drug delivery system
Chemical engineers from Johns Hopkins University have broken the "mucus barrier," engineering the first drug-delivery particles capable of passing through human mucus - regarded by many as nearly impenetrable - and carrying medication that could treat a range of diseases. Those conditions include lung cancer, cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis, the research noted in a presentation scheduled for the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Newly detected air pollutant mimics damaging effects of cigarette smoke
A previously unrecognized group of air pollutants could have effects remarkably similar to harmful substances found in tobacco smoke, Louisiana scientists are reporting in a study scheduled for presentation today at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Targeted radiation therapy can control limited cancer spread
Precisely targeted radiation therapy can eradicate all evidence of disease in selected patients with cancer that has spread to only a few sites, suggests the first published report from an ongoing clinical trial.
More Lung Cancer Current Events and Lung Cancer News Articles


Lung Cancer: Myths, Facts, Choices--and Hope
by Claudia I. Henschke, Peggy McCarthy, Sarah Wernick

Winner of the 2003 American Society of Journalists and Authors' June Roth Memorial Award for Health and Medical Books. An authoritative book with new lifesaving strategies for those at risk and those already diagnosed. Lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer, more men than prostate cancer—because it's usually found too late. Claudia Henschke's groundbreaking research on early...



How to Survive Lung Cancer - A Practical 12-Step Plan
by Michael Lloyd

Written by a lung cancer survivor who understands what it takes to beat the odds, this book offers unparalleled hope and direction for anyone facing this illness. It is filled with specific exercises and techniques to promote healing and reverse side effects by taking a pro-active approach in helping to restore your mind, body and spirit to an optimum state of health. Endorsed by a Lung Cancer...



100 Questions & Answers About Lung Cancer (100 Questions & Answers about . . .)
by Karen Parles, Joan H. Schiller

This book deals with lung cancer from a doctor's perspective and a patient's...



Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment
by Walter Scott

Are You Receiving the Best Treatment for Lung Cancer? If you’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer, you’re probably frightened. And, you probably have many questions. You’re wondering about prognosis and treatment. What will the treatments be like? Will you have side effects? But…are you asking whether or not you’re receiving the best treatment possible? According to Walter Scott, M.D.,...



Lung Cancer: Making Sense of Diagnosis, Treatment, and Options
by Lorraine Johnston

Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the U.S., with over 170,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Despite this, it receives little attention from the media and little sympathy from the public. Those with lung cancer suffer more blame and stigma than other cancer patients, even though 50 percent of them are former smokers or have never smoked. Treatments for lung cancer can significantly...



Voices of Lung Cancer: The Healing Companion: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength (Voices Of series)

Provided by the patients, their friends, families, and caregivers of those diagnaosed with lung cancer, these very personal stories offer inspired insight into the ways families and professionals care for both themselves and the patient, gain a deeper understanding of the relationships, and learn to come to terms with the end of life. Included are essays by medical experts about the science of...



A Lung Cancer: Principles and Practice

Thoroughly revised and updated, this Third Edition is the most comprehensive, current reference on lung cancer, with contributions from the world's foremost surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pulmonologists, and basic scientists. This edition includes sixteen new chapters and has been reorganized for greater clinical emphasis. Coverage includes complete information on combined...



Understanding Lung Cancer Anatomical Chart

Defines lung cancer and the two main types: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Small Cell Lung...



Lung Cancer
by Jack A. Roth, James D. Cox, Waun Ki Hong

Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women. However, since the first edition of Lung Cancer was published 14 years ago, rapid progress in the biology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease has been...



Lung Cancer: A Practical Guide
by Luis E. Raez, Orlando E. Silva

This handbook is written to provide a 'bedside' reference for the practising oncologist, as well as a compendium of lung cancer information useful to thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, respiratory medicine specialists, clinical researchers and educators, medical students and nurses. The book is written in outline format to provide the reader with quick and easy access to information on the major...

© 2008 BrightSurf.com