Note: The contents of this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or substitute for professional care. For medical emergencies, dial 911!
A mutation in the BRAF oncogene, BRAF V600E, has been linked to the most common type of tyroid cancer, conventional papillary thyroid cancer or PTC. A new study shows that this mutation is also significantly associated with cancer recurrence after treatment, according to Dr. Electron Kebebew at UCSF.
Most patients diagnosed wtih PTC have small, localized PTC, but may receive aggressive treatments becasue their risk of recurrence cannot be predicted before surgery.
According to the researchers, this result shows that this particular mutation is a reliable indicator for recurrence likelihood and testing for the mutation may be useful for selecting the initial therapy.
Endometriosis increases the risk of certain cancers according to a recent analysis by Dr Anna-Sofia Melin at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. About 63,000 women who had been given a diagnosis of endometriosis between 1969 and 2002 were identified. In endometriosis, cells that usually only grow within the uterus grow outside the uterus.
The researchers found that endometriosis increased the risk of developing ovarian cancer by more than a third above the risk for women who did not have endometriosis (37%). There were similar increases in risk for endocrine tumours (38%), kidney cancer (36%) and thyroid cancer (33%). Slightly lower increases were found for brain tumours (27%) and malignant melanoma (23%), and there was a small increased risk of breast cancer (8%). In contrast, women with endometriosis had a reduced risk of cervical cancer of just under a third (29%).
However, there was no difference found between the risk of cancer in women with endometriosis who had borne children versus those who had not.
Dr. Melin cautions that it is too early to use the results of this study to give advice to doctors, but she stated, "Our hope is that doctors in general start to view the endometriosis disease as a serious disease that causes a lot of suffering to the patient and also may lead to cancer. We hope that in the future we will be able to identify those women with endometriosis that may have a more aggressive form of disease with more atypical cells, for instance, and that this may lead to better care for the patient and, hopefully, to a early diagnosis if cancer should occur."
A little crazy, a lot loud, always happy. That describes Renee. You will recognize her easily. She is the beautiful blond with the tattoos and piercings whose infectious laughter you can hear miles away. Diagnosed in 2000 at age 23 with Thyroid Cancer, she is a survivor of five recurrences and single mom of a six year old daughter. She teaches everybody that knows her about her motto: "Just keep swimming!"
Knowing Renee has taught me that we can all face life's challenges if we face it with humor and honesty.
How did you find out you had cancer?
During my second prenatal visit while pregnant with my daughter, my doctor found a lump in my neck. She sent me for an ultrasound and on February 4, 2000, I was told that I had cancer. It was papillary cancer of the thyroid. I know that now, but at the time I just heard -- Cancer.
It's been a rough road for former Boise State basketball player Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl. The younger Karl, 23, had his thyroid removed 13 months ago due to papillary carcinoma, a treatable form of cancer. And he returned to the operating room just last week for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes.
Karl's recent surgery, intended to take two to three hours, lasted for seven hours. This worried Dad.
''When it goes longer and longer, you always think the worst, and start worrying about things like being under anesthesia that long and all the nightmares you have about surgeries,'' George Karl said.
But it turns out Coby was just fine -- doctors just wanted to be thorough -- and the ambitious young man plans to play ball as soon as possible.
Coby is expected to remain inactive for 10 days to two weeks. But after that, he is free to do whatever he wants. And what the 6-foot-4 guard wants to do is start working out in hopes of getting drafted by an NBA team.
''He is anxious to get into the NBA thing and celebrate basketball by trying to make it in this league,'' his dad says.
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl missed his team's match-up against the Lakers Tuesday night so he could spend some quality time with his son, Coby, who had surgery for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes on Monday.
Coby Karl, 23, spent seven hours in surgery. It was his second surgery in 13 months -- he had his thyroid removed last year after he was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer called papillary carcinoma. Chemotherapy followed the first surgery to kill off any remaining cancer cells.
All reports indicate both Karls are doing fine and Coach Karl, who has been surviving prostate cancer since 2005, was back to his coaching duties last night. His team took on the Sacramento Kings -- and won.
Coby Karl is taking it easy for now. He just recently finished his final season with Boise State University where he led the Broncos with 14.8 points per game. He's still a great athlete, but right now, his health comes first.
"He's a young kid, he's a promising basketball player," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "The most important thing is his health."
Boise State basketball player Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, had surgery 13 months ago to remove his thyroid after he was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, a form of treatable cancer. And while Karl received chemotherapy to kill off any lingering cancer cells, he must undergo cancer surgery once again.
Karl, who plans to play in the NABC All-Star game in Atlanta on March 31, will return to Boise on April 2 for surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes.
The lymph node cancer was identified in January, but Karl, 23, kept his condition private until his team lost to New Mexico State in the Western Athletic Conference tournament semifinals. This ended the Broncos' season. And now begins Karl's second go-round with cancer.
You may remember Karl as one of last year's NBA draft hopefuls. He worked out for three teams, including his dad's team, but eventually withdrew his name from the draft and returned to Boise State for his senior year.
Dry mouth (xerostomia), is most commonly caused by radiation therapy directed at the head and neck region of the body. Radiation may irreversibly affect the production and quality of saliva in the salivary glands. A number of medications can also induce xerostomia. Dry mouth may affect the patients speech, taste sensation and ability to swallow.
Many patients complain of a sore or burning sensation, cracked lips, and fissures in the corners of the mouth. There is also an increased risk of cavities and mouth disease due to less saliva to cleanse the teeth and gums.
There are now some means of preventing xerostomia that were not available a few years ago. Amifostine, a radiation protector of normal tissues, has been shown to protect the salivary glands when given daily with radiation therapy. Also, a treatment known as Proton therapy may allow the radiation oncologist to spare the salivary glands from getting significant radiation doses. This may prevent dry mouth in the future. If you are getting radiation therapy to the head and neck region, you should discuss these options with your radiation oncologist. If you have developed xerostomia, there are management strategies that can effectively deal with your dry mouth and prevent cavities and periodontal disease.
Try to follow these simple guidelines:
Perform oral hygiene at least four times a day. (After each meal and before bedtime)
The oral cavity should be rinsed and wiped immediately after meals
Dentures need to be brushed and rinsed after meals
Only use toothpaste with fluoride when brushing
Keep water handy to keep the mouth moist at all times
Apply prescription strength fluoride gel at bedtime
Rinse with salt and baking soda solution 4-6 times a day
Avoid liquids and foods with high sugar content
Avoid rinses containing alcohol
Use moisturizer regularly on lips
Oral pilocarpine (Salagen) is the only drug approved by the FDA to stimulate saliva secretion from the remaining salivary glands.
Using a three-dimensional model, Queen's University researchers were able to watch how a mutated RET protein linked to thyroid cancer worked, which might result in the development of drugs to treat and prevent inherited and non-inherited thyroid cancer.
The researchers discovered that the protein was ten times more active than normal in cells associated with an inherited cancer syndrome, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia 2B (MEN 2B).
"We now know why this gene causes these tumors and can start looking at how best to target the mutant proteins so that the cells expressing them can be killed or stopped from growing," says Lois Mulligan, professor of pathology and molecular medicine with the Division of Cancer Biology and Genetics of the Queen's Cancer Research Institute.
According to Medline Plus, thyroid cancer affects one in 1,000 people. Those who had radiation therapy to the neck -- therapy was commonly used in the 1950s to treat enlarged thymus glands, adenoids, tonsils and skin disorders -- are at an increased risk of thyroid cancer. Additional risk factors include chronic goiter and a family history of the disease.
An announcement last Wednesday revealed an overall decline in cancer death rates -- probably due to reduced exposure to tobacco, early detection, and better treatment. But the announcement also revealed a surprising jump in cases of thyroid cancer for women.
Between the years 1981 and 1993, incidence rates among women climbed 2.2 percent each year. Between the years 1993 and 2000, they rose 4.6 percent per year. And between 2000 and 2003, there was a 9.1 percent increase each year. This could be a result of better diagnosis but scientists are wondering if there is an unknown risk factor contributing to this startling finding. And it will take at least two more years to determine whether this is a random fluctuation or a true trend. The rate of thyroid cancer in men has also increased but not as much as for women.
The silver lining in this cancer cloud is that trends -- such as those showing increases in cancer incidences and death rates -- often fuel the fight against cancer because researchers are alerted to look for causes which ultimately results in better detection and better prevention.
Most of us are aware that October is breast cancer awareness month.
September is also an important awareness month for a few different types of cancer.
Prostate Awareness: The National Prostate Coalition seeks to increase awareness of prostate cancer by educating the public about the disease, outreach to at-risk communities, and creating an advocacy network during September and throughout the year.
Childhood Cancer Awareness: The purpose of Childhood Cancer Awareness month is to bring attention to childhood cancer and survivorship issues across the continent.
Thyroid Awareness: Thyroid Cancer Survivors' Association, Inc encourages people to as for a neck check the next time they visit their doctor.
Gynecological Awareness: This includes cervical cancer, endometrial, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar cancers.
So, whether you wear a light blue ribbon for prostate cancer awareness, gold for childhood cancer, purple for thyroid cancer or teal for gynecological awareness we want this month of September to bring awareness to them all!
I never thought the time would come when I could fill a page with names of people I know who have cancer or have died from cancer. When my mom's very best friend died years and years ago of pancreatic cancer, it seemed a remote chance that something like that would happen to someone I know. And then slowly, either because cancer cases increased or because my awareness increased -- or both -- my list of people with cancer grew and grew and grew. And now it's quite long. And it's quite disturbing. And it's empowering too -- because most people on my growing list are surviving. And here are seven survivors who are somehow connected to me -- seven survivors who make up just the tip of the cancer iceberg in my life that stretches far and wide.
Back in June, Roger Ebert, a three-time thyroid cancer survivor, underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland. In July, due to complications from the surgery, he was admitted again into the hospital when a blood vessel burst. Surgeons performed a life-saving emergency procedure to correct the complication. Reports at that time indicated Ebert was in serious but stable condition.
Ebert continues to recover in the hospital. Recently, he explained that the blood vessel rupture was due to breakdown of tissue near the artery as a result of aggressive and intense radiation treatments, called neutron beam radiation, three years ago. He is working to strengthen his vocal cords.
In June, when Ebert, who is 63, first went in for surgery, he said, "This is not considered to be a life-threatening form of cancer, and I expect to make a full recovery. I'll continue to function as a film critic during this time." With this recent explanation on how his recovery is progressing, he said, "I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't tell you when, but I sure look forward to being back on the movie beat,'' and he wanted all his fans to know that he is grateful for the good wishes and support.
Roger Ebert, movie critic for the nationally syndicated television show Ebert & Roeper, had surgery in June to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland. At the time, Ebert, who is 63, and a three-time thyroid cancer survivor, was quoted as saying, "This is not considered to be a life-threatening form of cancer, and I expect to make a full recovery. I'll continue to function as a film critic during this time." He didn't plan on missing any work and taped shows in advance of his surgery.
Several weeks later Ebert suffered complications from the cancer surgery when a blood vessel burst. Surgeons performed a life-saving emergency procedure to correct the complication. While Ebert recovers, several guest hosts will sit in the balcony of the Ebert & Roeper show and serve in Ebert's place as movie critic until he can return.
On August 5th, NBC's The Tonight Show late-night talk show host Jay Leno will become the first guest host giving the thumbs up-thumbs down in movie reviews. According to Roeper, Leno has a critical eye and has always had interesting insights, so it is not likely the viewers will be disappointed in this guest host. Ebert is reported to be in good condition and continuing to recover at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. All our best wishes on Ebert's speedy return.
We have been following the story about a potential cancer cluster that has caused thyroid cancer in teens living within a few miles of each other. The parents have been seeking help and answers to determine if there is an environmental cause. The parent group stated they had approached the state and county and felt they were being ignored in the request to have the water in the area tested. Last week, the city stepped up and offered to investigate.
After the story came out about the Trenton teens, one of the parents said the parent group has been contacted by six other people in the area with thyroid cancer.
In a new development, Cincinnati News 5, who is following this story closely, and investigating information as it becomes available, recently aired an interview with Dr. Peter Rickards of Idaho, who has been investigating other thyroid cancer cases in the Pacific Northwest linked to radioactive fallout from nuclear tests.
According to Dr. Rickards, drinking milk from cows who grazed in dairy fields contaminated with radioactive iodine-131 has been linked to increased cases of thyroid cancer in the Pacific Northwest.
Dr. Rickards suggests the parents and investigators in Trenton look for a fresh source of radioactive iodine in the neighborhood.
Dr. Rickards went on to suggest that they need to take a look at how medical incinerators and cancer clinics have been disposing of iodine-131, perhaps incorrectly, and that might possibly be a source of contamination. He doesn't say this is the definitive cause for the unusual number of young people being diagnosed with thyroid cancer in Butler County -- only that it might be a good place to start looking for answers.
Each year 350 children are diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer. What are the random odds that three teenagers who live within a few miles of each other would be diagnosed with this particular cancer?
Cincinnati News 5 is reporting that the parents of these teens are asking this question and speculating that it might have an environmental cause. The parents wonder -- could a pipeline that runs through town carrying jet fuel have leaked into the ground water -- or is the Edgewood Middle School all three teens attended built on a site that is contaminated?
The parents have no proof, they have no answers and no one seems to want to help them find out what the problem might be that has led to the unusually high concentration of thyroid cancer cases to be diagnosed in one small group of teens living in such close proximity to one another.
According to one of the parents, all they want is to have water samples tested and they feel their requests have been ignored for the last 18 months. Now city officials plan on meeting with the parents next week to discuss their concerns.
It is frustrating to be ignored when you are asking for help to find the cause of circumstances that appear suspicious. It seems rather than let this matter drag out as long as it has, it would have been so much easier for officials to just look into it when it first came up. At least the parents would not have been left to draw their own conclusions.
A mutation in the BRAF oncogene, BRAF V600E, has been linked to the most common type of tyroid cancer, conventional papillary thyroid cancer or PTC. A new study shows that this mutation is also significantly associated with cancer recurrence after treatment, according to Dr. Electron Kebebew at UCSF. 
Endometriosis increases the risk of certain cancers
A little crazy, a lot loud, always happy. That describes Renee. You will recognize her easily. She is the beautiful blond with the tattoos and piercings whose infectious laughter you can hear miles away. Diagnosed in 2000 at age 23 with Thyroid Cancer, she is a survivor of five recurrences and single mom of a six year old daughter. She teaches everybody that knows her about her motto: "Just keep swimming!"
It's been a rough road for former Boise State basketball player Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl. The younger Karl, 23, had his thyroid removed 13 months ago due to papillary carcinoma, a treatable form of cancer. And he returned to the operating room just last week for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes.
Denver Nuggets coach George Karl missed his team's match-up against the Lakers Tuesday night so he could spend some quality time with his son, Coby, who had surgery for the removal of cancerous lymph nodes on Monday.
Boise State basketball player Coby Karl, son of Denver Nuggets coach George Karl, had surgery 13 months ago to remove his thyroid after he was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, a form of treatable cancer. And while Karl received chemotherapy to kill off any lingering cancer cells, he must undergo cancer surgery once again.
Dry mouth (xerostomia), is most commonly caused by radiation therapy directed at the head and neck region of the body. Radiation may irreversibly affect the production and quality of saliva in the salivary glands. A number of medications can also induce xerostomia. Dry mouth may affect the patients speech, taste sensation and ability to swallow.
Using a three-dimensional model, Queen's University researchers were able to watch how a 
An announcement last Wednesday revealed an overall decline in cancer death rates -- probably due to reduced exposure to tobacco, early detection, and better treatment. But the announcement also revealed a surprising jump in cases of thyroid cancer for women. 
Most of us are aware that October is breast cancer awareness month. 
I never thought the time would come when I could fill a page with names of people I know who have cancer or have died from cancer. When my mom's very best friend died years and years ago of pancreatic cancer, it seemed a remote chance that something like that would happen to someone I know. And then slowly, either because cancer cases increased or because my awareness increased -- or both -- my list of people with cancer grew and grew and grew. And now it's quite long. And it's quite disturbing. And it's empowering too -- because most people on my growing list are surviving. And here are seven survivors who are somehow connected to me -- seven survivors who make up just the tip of the cancer iceberg in my life that stretches far and wide.
Back in June, Roger Ebert, a three-time thyroid cancer survivor, underwent surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland. In July, due to complications from the surgery, he was admitted again into the hospital when a blood vessel burst. Surgeons performed a life-saving emergency procedure to correct the complication. Reports at that time indicated Ebert was in serious but stable condition.
Roger Ebert, movie critic for the nationally syndicated television show Ebert & Roeper, had surgery in June to remove a cancerous growth on his salivary gland. At the time, Ebert, who is 63, and a three-time thyroid cancer survivor, was quoted as saying, "This is not considered to be a life-threatening form of cancer, and I expect to make a full recovery. I'll continue to function as a film critic during this time." He didn't plan on missing any work and taped shows in advance of his surgery.
We have been following the story about a potential cancer cluster that has caused 
Each year 350 children are diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer. What are the random odds that three teenagers who live within a few miles of each other would be diagnosed with this particular cancer? 
