The number of cancer deaths in the U.S. has fell in 2003. This is the first time since the nationwide data was compiled that the number of deaths has decreased. Nationwide data was first compiled in 1930.

Although the decrease in cancer deaths is small, experts are still hopeful that the trend will continue. Many experts believe the decline is due to a reduction in smoking, more effective treatments and improved screening methods.

Cancer researchers at the Yale University School of medicine tested a correlation proposed in 2004: Does drinking too much soda lead to esophageal cancer?

The study consisted of 1,095 cancer patients and 687 healthy controls. Both groups were interviewed for their dietary habits, specifically the amount of soda they drank.

The results indicated that drinking more soda does not increase a person’s chances of developing esophageal cancer. In fact, it may lower it (although drinking large quantities of soda is not recommended as a cancer prevention tactic - it has other health risks)

J. B. Snyder of Avon, Conneticut has invented the Linkman Habit Reversal Tool — a smoking cessation device aimed at gradually weaning users off cigarette smoking. This small, battery-powered device can be carried on a keychain or worn as a pendant.

To use the device, users must double-click a button when they feel they need a cigarette. The Linkman will flash red if they have not waited long enough between cigarettes. If they have waited long enough since smoking their last cigarette the Linkman will flash green.

The Linkman attempts to eventually wean users off cigarettes by gradually increasing the time between cigarettes. That means each time the user smokes a cigarette, the time they must wait to smoke the next becomes a little longer. The aim is to allow users to quit smoking in a few months.

You can find out more about Linkman at http://www.linkman.com.

Others try switching from cigarettes, which are so easy to get a hold of, to hookahs which are social and not as easy to grab as a first option when stressed
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, only 5% of those who have no smoking cessation strategy other than making a New Year’s resolution will successfully stop smoking this year.

Research funded by the National Cancer Institute has resulted in a new type of drug in the war against cancer; these are the chemopreventive agents. Chemopreventive agents are drugs hoped to help prevent or reduce an individual’s chances of ever developing cancer.

Chemoprevention is the use of natural or synthetic substances to lower the risk of developing cancer.

National trials on chemopreventive agents are being conducted by researchers from the Division of Cancer Medicine at M. D. Anderson. These drugs consist of calcium compounds, retinoids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

The current focus is on developing chemopreventive chemicals that work toward the prevention of specific, but common cancers with very minimal side effects.

Scientists and physicians have long debated over the percentage of cancer deaths that could ultimately be prevented. Cancer prevention percentages typically range from 50 up to 80%.

Since tobacco use is widely attributed as the number one cause of preventable cancer, it is commonly targeted by cancer prevention programs.

Researchers in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center are currently developing a program aimed at smoking prevention and cessation. This program will attempt to uncover every aspect of smoking; from the psychology behind smoking down to genetic links of those who become addicted.

They aim to help people who are already addicted to smoking to quit and keep those who don’t currently smoke from ever starting.

It is accepted by most researchers that tobacco use accounts for the majority of all preventable cancers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is responsible for 20% of the yearly deaths in the U.S. and up to one-third of all cancer deaths.

The number one killer of tobacco users is lung cancer. However, tobacco use is also related to many other types of cancers. Researchers believe that smoking damages nearly every organ in the body and can lead to cancers of the stomach, kidney, larynx, esophagus and many others.

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us, but the more scientists study their effects, the more we realize how true this is.

The American Dietetic Association has issued a statement that the fiber found in apples may aid in the prevention of colon cancer.

In addition, researchers believe that apples are full of quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant thought to protect cells from free radicals. Antioxidants have gained much recognition in the last few decades as a natural compound in the fight against cancer.

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Studies have shown that second hand smoke affects more people than the direct use of tobacco. Therefore, experts are suggesting that family doctors counsel more patients on the risks of exposure to second hand smoke.

Currently, it is estimated that family doctors only counsel approximately one-third of all parents who visit on the harms second hand smoke can cause on their children. Children and people with respiratory problems are especially at risk from second hand smoke.

A study conducted by three U.S. health experts suggests doctors should discuss the dangers of both using tobacco directly and second hand smoke. It is hoped that more patients would choose to have a smoke-free home to lower their health risks.

Bone marrow transplants have been used successfully to cure some blood cancers, such as leukemia. These transplants require high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation that destroy the patients bone marrow.

The bone marrow is full of blood stem cells, which are cancerous in patients with leukemia and other blood cancers. In bone marrow transplants, the cancerous stem cells are replaced with healthy stem cells from a donor.

Traditional bone marrow transplants are complex procedures and often-times result in the rejection of the donor cells by the patient’s immune system. This is known as GVHD (graft versus host disease). As much as 50% of traditional bone marrow transplants in people over the age of 50 result in GVHD.

The new procedure includes irradiating only the areas of the body with lymph-nodes and taking an immunosuppressive agent. Experimental trials showed a reduction in the development of acute GVHD in patients. Further research involving more patients and a longer follow-up time is currently in the works.

As you know, melanoma is a very serious form of skin cancer. A study perfomed at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City by Dr. Daniel Coit presents evidence that those who have already had melanoma are more prone to get it again.

The researchers estimate that the risk of a second melanoma is 11.4% in people who have already had one.

According to the study, the likelihood of a recurring melanoma is even higher if you have a family history or a personal history of abnormal moles. The risk for a second melanoma nearly doubles with these extra factors.

Over 4,400 melanoma patients were included in the study and were followed for 2.2 years on average.

For those who’ve had melanoma once, Dr. Coit recommends seeing a dermatologist for a skin surveillance at least twice a year and performing a self examination once a month. Fortunately, melanoma shows itself in the form of an abnormal mole.