Calcium and Vitamin D Reduces the Risk for Breast and Colon Cancer

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Magnesium Reduces the Risk for Colon Cancer

Magnesium deficiency is prevalent in just about any person whose health is struggling or slipping into a trend in the wrong direction. This can be predicted because magnesium is required to run many genes and enzymes, reduce inflammation, and enhance genomic stability.  Thus, it is frequently lacking in the context of struggling health. A new study shows that for each increase of 100 mg of magnesium per day, the risk of colon cancer drops by 13 percent.

In individuals who are not overweight magnesium is shown to be protective. In individuals who are overweight magnesium is shown to be highly protective. This is because overweight individuals are living in an inflammatory state more likely to have DNA damage from this inflammation and accompanying free radical damage. In other words, the worse off a person’s health is, the more he or she needs higher levels of magnesium for protection.

I recommend up to 800 mg per day of supplemental magnesium for individuals who are under high stress or overweight. This is a basic precaution for protection. As stress levels come down and weight improves, then 400 mg is likely adequate.

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No link seen between bone drugs, colon cancer

Reuters – 59 mins ago NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who use certain bone-building drugs may not have a decreased risk of colon cancer, a new study finds -- despite prior evidence suggesting the drugs might offer some protection.

The drugs, called bisphosphonates, include brands like Fosamax, Boniva, Reclast and Actonel, along with generic versions.

They are used to prevent and treat the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis, which mainly strikes older women. The drugs can also be used to help treat cancer that has spread to the bone from other sites in the body.

Bisphosphonates have been tied to both good and bad side effects.

Research has found after years of use, the drug may, in rare cases, actually weaken the bones and lead to thighbone fractures or a painful breakdown of the jaw bone.

On the other hand, several studies have suggested women who use bisphosphonates may have a decreased risk of developing breast or colon cancer.

But this latest study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found no evidence that women on the medications had lower odds of colon cancer.

Of more than 86,000 U.S. nurses followed for over a decade as part of a large health study, 801 developed colon cancer. The risk was no different among women who didn't use bisphosphonates, versus users -- regardless of how many years they had been on the medications.

"It is not clear whether bisphosphonates have any role in treatment of colorectal cancer, and our data does not support its routine use as a (prevention) agent for colorectal cancer," lead researcher Dr. Hamed Khalili, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in an email.

Since evidence suggests bisphosphonate users have a lower risk of certain cancers, researchers have been interested in whether the drugs might help prevent those tumors in people who are particularly at risk.

In the case of colon cancer, risk factors include inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) and having a strong family history of the cancer.

According to Khalili, there is evidence women on bisphosphonates have a lower risk of breast cancer -- though that does not mean the drugs are the reason.

There has been less research on colon cancer. One study last year found women who used bisphosphonates had a 59 percent lower chance of developing colon cancer than non-users (see Reuters Health story of February 14, 2011).

But that study was designed differently than the current one, Khalili pointed out. In the earlier report, researchers compared colon cancer patients with a group of women who were free of the disease.

Khalili's study, in contrast, followed a large group of initially cancer-free women over time. Thus, the researchers were able to collect information on women's health and lifestyle habits before their cancer diagnosis, Khalili said.

That's important because women on bisphosphonates may, for example, be more likely than other women to get screened for colon cancer.

Bisphosphonate users are also likely to be taking vitamin D and calcium to help protect their bones -- and those nutrients have been linked to lower colon cancer risk themselves, Khalili added.

When Khalili's team first looked at its data, there was in fact some weak evidence that women on bisphosphonates might have a slightly lower colon cancer risk than non-users.

But the link got even weaker when the researchers accounted for colon cancer screening and which women were taking calcium and vitamin D.

According to the American Cancer Society, one in 19 men develops colorectal cancer at some point, and slightly fewer women do. The disease is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.

The best way to lower your chances of developing colon cancer, the ACS says, is to get screened. Screening helps doctors detect and remove any pre-cancer growths.

In general, colon cancer screening is recommended for people age 50 to 75. That can be done with any of several tests, or a combination of them -- including tests that look for hidden blood in the stool, or procedures like colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/LBg7LJ Journal of Clinical Oncology, online May 29, 2012.

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Sigmoidoscopy an option for colon cancer screening

Reuters – 2 hrs 26 mins ago NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Screening for colon cancer using a flexible tube -- which is less invasive and more convenient than colonoscopy -- may also help prevent new cases and deaths from the disease, a new study suggests.

In a large trial of more than 150,000 older U.S. adults, those who were randomly assigned to get screened using so-called flexible sigmoidoscopy on two different occasions were 21 percent less likely to get colon cancer than those not offered the screening.

They were also 26 percent less likely to die of cancer, probably because screening picked up pre-cancerous lesions and early-stage cancers before they could cause serious harm, researchers reported Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Colonoscopy "is a very unpleasant thing," said Dr. Alfred Neugut, an epidemiologist and oncologist from Columbia University in New York, who wasn't part of the study team.

"Sigmoidoscopy is a much less elaborate procedure, so you can basically walk into the doctor's office and get it on the spot

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Study: Simple scope exam cuts colon cancer deaths

Associated Press – 2 hrs 7 mins ago A simple, cheaper exam of just the lower part of the bowel can cut the risk of developing colon cancer or dying of the disease, a large federal study finds.

Many doctors recommend a more complete test

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Common Blood Pressure Drugs May Not Cut Colon Cancer Risk

HealthDay – 1 hr 38 mins ago MONDAY, May 14 (HealthDay News) -- Widely used blood pressure medications called beta blockers do not cut a person's odds of developing colon cancer, a new study contends.

Beta blockers, which include drugs such as alprenolol, carvedilol, propranolol and atenolol, are commonly prescribed to older adults for high blood pressure and heart conditions.

Prior research has also linked use of the drugs to a decreased risk of cancer. This theory is based on animal and laboratory studies that found that the stress hormone norepinephrine can promote the growth and spread of cancer cells. Beta blockers inhibit this hormone's action.

"One of the holy grails in the war on cancer is preventing angiogenesis, which is the growth of new blood vessels to feed tumor cells," explained Dr. David Robbins, associate chief of the Center for Advanced Therapeutic Endoscopy at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

"Some investigators have speculated that an indirect benefit of certain blood pressure medicines may be to help curb the growth of new blood vessels in breast and perhaps colon cancer," said Robbins, who was not involved in the new study.

In this study, published online May 14 in the journal Cancer, a team led by Michael Hoffmeister, of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, compared the beta blocker use of more than 1,700 colon cancer patients to that of about the same number of cancer-free people.

After accounting for weight, smoking status and other patient factors, the researchers found no link between beta blocker use and colon cancer risk.

The finding held true even after the researchers broke down their analyses by duration of beta blocker use, specific types of beta blockers, and sites within the colon or rectum where colorectal cancer developed in patients.

The authors conclude that their findings do not support the theory that using beta blockers cuts colon cancer risk.

That didn't surprise Robbins. "The few studies on this matter have been contradictory and it's unlikely that we'll ever see this sort of protective effect, since cancer is an incredibly complex disease driven by a myriad of unique biologic pathways," he said.

Another expert added that even though beta blockers might not help prevent colon tumors, people have other means of doing so.

"Men and women at average risk should start getting screened at age 50," said Dr. Mark Pochapin, director of the division of gastroenterology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. "Those with certain risk factors, such as a family history of colorectal polyps or cancer, should talk to their doctors about screening at a younger age."

Pochapin also added that "lifestyle modifications -- such as quitting smoking, avoiding excess intake of red or processed meats, ensuring adequate vitamin D intake, and maintaining a healthy body weight and regular exercise -- can be very beneficial in reducing one's risk for colorectal cancer."

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colorectal cancer risk factors and prevention.

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Exercise May Boost Survival in Breast, Colon Cancer Patients

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Obese White Women Shying Away From Colon Cancer Screening

HealthDay – 2 hrs 26 mins ago WEDNESDAY, April 4 (HealthDay News) -- Obese white women are less likely than normal-weight white women or blacks of any weight or gender to seek potentially life-saving colon cancer screenings, according to a new study.

This reluctance is especially serious because obesity is associated with a higher risk for colon cancer and an increased risk of death from the disease, noted study leader Dr. Nisa Maruthur, an assistant professor in the general internal medicine division at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

"Being concerned about your weight usually is good, but here it appears to be keeping people from a test we know saves lives," Maruthur said in a Hopkins news release. "Obese white women may avoid screening because they feel stigmatized and embarrassed to disrobe for the tests."

Colonoscopy and fecal occult blood tests are two methods of colon cancer screening. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults aged 50 to 75 undergo colonoscopy on a periodic basis, but only 20 percent of women and 24 percent of men over age 50 do so, the study authors pointed out in background information in the news release.

For the new study, the researchers reviewed the findings of 23 published studies that included information on body mass index (BMI) and colon cancer screening. BMI is a measurement that takes into account height and weight. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight, between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight and 30 or more is considered obese.

Overall, the Hopkins team found no link between higher BMI and lower rates of colon cancer screening. They did find such a link in obese white women, however.

Compared to normal-weight white women, those with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 were 13 percent less likely to be screened, and those with a BMI of 40 or higher were 27 percent less likely to be screened.

There was some indication that obese white men also are reluctant to undergo colon cancer screening, but further research is needed to confirm that data.

The study is published in the April 4 online issue of the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

Previous research by the same Johns Hopkins team found that obese white women are also less likely to seek mammography breast cancer screening and Pap smear screening for cervical cancer.

In addition to feeling reluctant to disrobe, another reason obese women may avoid the screening is because they may be dealing with other higher-priority health concerns, the researchers suggested.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colorectal cancer screening.

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