ONS Connect - October 2008 - (Page 8)

JuSTiN [By Deborah McBride, RN, MSN, CPON ®, Contributing Editor] Gum Disease may Be linked to Cancer Risk esearchers have found that gum disease may be linked to a higher chance of lung, kidney, pancreatic, and blood cancers. The researchers, who studied the health records of 50,000 men, said that gum disease may indicate an immune system weakness. Although many people suffer from gum disease caused by persistent bacterial infection, the problem is more common in people who smoke. However, this research suggests that, even in those who have never smoked, the presence of gum disease means a higher risk of cancer. The researchers followed 48,375 men aged 40–75 who responded to questionnaires posted by the Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health, for an average of 17.7 years (1986–2004). They found that those with a history of gum disease had a 14% higher chance of cancer compared to those with no history of gum disease. The risk of lung cancer increased about 30%, kidney and pancreatic cancer risk increased almost 50%, and blood cancers such as leuke- R mia rose by 30%. No rise in lung cancer was found among those who had never smoked, but the overall risk of any cancer increased slightly. The researchers said that the increase in blood cancers pointed to an immune system link, whereby the persistent presence of gum disease might be a sign of weakness in the immune system, which could allow cancer to develop. Michaud, D.S., Liu, Y., Meyer, M., Giovannucci, E., & Joshipura, K. (2008) Periodontal disease, tooth loss and cancer risk in male health professionals: A prospective cohort study. Lancet Oncology, 9(6), 550–558. The researchers investigated the effects in mice of the two drugs given alone, in sequence, and in combination on the growth of established subcutaneous breast tumors in the absence of bone disease. In mice, the drug combination stopped 99.99% of new cancer cell growth in tumors. The researchers suggested that the first drug could be priming the tumor to be more sensitive to the cancer cell–killing qualities of the second drug. The results of a human trial are expected later this year. Ottewell, P.D., Monkkonen, H., Jones, M., Lefley, D.V., Coleman, R.E., & Holen, I. (2008). Antitumor effects of doxorubicin followed by zoledronic acid in a mouse model of breast cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 100(16), 1167–1178. inexpensive Drugs Offer Hope for Breast Cancer combination of two inexpensive existing drugs may offer a new way to treat breast cancer, according to researchers. The common chemotherapy drug doxorubicin followed 24 hours later by zoledronic acid, a drug commonly given for osteoporosis, almost completely stopped the growth of tumors in mice. The researchers said that the combination cost a twentieth of the existing breast cancer treatment trastuzumab. A Gap identified in world Cancer Survival C ancer survival rates vary widely across the world, a global study shows. The United States, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan had the highest five-year survival rates, whereas Algeria had the worst. Spending on health care was a major factor, according to the study of 31 countries, because higher spending often means quicker access to tests and treatment. Researchers analyzed data on more than two million patients who were diagnosed with cancer and treated during the 1990s. The United States had the highest five-year survival rates for breast cancer at 83.9% and prostate cancer at 91.9%. Japan came out best for male colon and rectal cancers, at 63% and 58.2%, respectively, whereas France fared best for women with those cancers at 60.1% and 63.9%. The United Kingdom had 69.7% survival for breast cancer, just above 40% for colon and rectal cancer for both men and 8 ONS CONNECT OctOber 2008

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ONS Connect- October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Up Front You Tell Us Up Close &�Professional Web Connect Five-Minute In-Service Capitol Connection Caregiver Care Straight Talk New Treatments, New Hope Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - October 2008

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