Diacor News and Opinion

Dental X-Rays Linked to Common Brain Tumor

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:46:00 GMT

Researchers, who have published their investigation in the American Cancer Society's journal Cancer, have found a correlation between people who have bitewing exams (an exam that holds a piece of x-ray film held by a tab in between the teeth) on a yearly or more frequent basis are 1.4 to 1.9 times as likely to develop meningioma, the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor in the US. There is also an increased risk with panorex exams (an exam taken outside of the mouth that show all of the teeth on one film). Those who received those exams when they were younger than ten years old had a 4.9 times increased risk of developing cancer, and those who received them on a yearly or more basis had a three times as likely chance of developing meningioma. To view the full article, please click here.

Scientists Use Antibody To Shrink Tumors of Different Cancers

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:52:00 GMT

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that an antibody blocks a protein known as CD 47. This protein sends off signals to the body's immune system telling it to pass it by when the macrophages and other cells that eat invaders come by. CD 47 is found in cancer cells, which is why the body's immune system does not fight cancer cells itself. In mice, this treatment significantly reduced the tumors ability to spread and made the tumors shrink and in some cases disappear within weeks of starting treatment. To visit the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences website and read the full article, please click here.

Aspirin Reduces Cancer Risk

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:19:00 GMT

In three new studies published in The Lancet, researchers have found that people in their middle age who take low doses of daily aspirin have a reduced risk of dying from cancer. They also found that benefits start to show in two to three years, rather than the ten years than previously thought. Researchers also found that it can treat cancer, showing that it reduces the risk of spreading to other parts of the body by 40% - 50%. However, there are risks associated with taking low doses of aspirin every day. There is an increased chance of internal bleeding, especially in the stomach. Also, if you stop taking daily doses of aspirin you have an increased risk of having a stroke. Researchers recommend consulting with your doctor before starting low doses of aspirin every day. To read and purchase the full studies, please click here, here, and here.

Diacor Adds New Video To Its Website

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:29:00 GMT

Diacor has recently added a new video to the website about the Zephyr Patient Transport System. We invite each of you to take a look at it. To view the video, please click here. We also have created our own Vimeo and Youtube channels, and will be posting more video in the coming months. Here are the links to our Vimeo and Youtube channels. Enjoy!

Diacor Releases 2012 Events Schedule

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:22:00 GMT

Diacor has released its 2012 Events Schedule. Among the different events Diacor will be attending are the ESTRO 31 Meeting, the American Association of Medical Dosimetrists Annual Meeting, and the ASTRO (American Society for Radiation Oncology) Meeting. We look forward to attending each of these events and hope each of you will stop by and meet with us. To view our full schedule of events, please click here.

Colorectal Cancer on the Rise for People Under 50

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:10:00 GMT

Even though colorectal cancer cases have dropped significantly in the U.S. over the last decade, the cases for people under 50 have gone on the rise. Every year since 1992, the number of people under 50 diagnosed with the disease has increased by 2%, according to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. They cite the case of Jessica Nixon, who was diagnosed with rectal cancer at age 25. According to Scott D Goldstein, M.D., of the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, screening isn't recommended until age 50, so the younger the person, the more likely they are to ignore the symptoms, and so the cases aren't caught early. To read the full article, please click here.

Women At Risk For Breast Cancer Could Also Be At Higher Risk for Heart Disease

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:28:00 GMT

Researchers have discovered that women who are at risk for breast cancer could also be at a higher risk for heart disease. Researchers have found that the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, which mutated forms are found in women with breast and cervical cancer, also regulate heart functions. They discovered in mice that had the mutated gene also were at three to five times the risk of heart failure than in mice that did not have the mutated gene. Researchers believe that the mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 prevent DNA repair after a heart attack, which is essential to recovery. To view the full article, please click here.

Well-Done Red Meat Can Increase Risk for Prostate Cancer

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:32:00 GMT

In a study led by the University of California, San Francisco, researchers found that men who ate higher amounts of well done red meat had an increased risk for aggressive prostate cancer. The study was conducted between 2001 and 2004, with 470 men with aggressive prostate cancer, and 512 men who were controls that did not have prostate cancer. The men were asked to fill out questionnaires about the amount of meat they had consumed in the past 12 months, as well as the "doneness level". Researchers found that higher consumption of ground beef or processed meats increased the risk for aggressive prostate cancer, as well as that grilled or barbecued meat held an increased risk as well. Researchers also found that men who ate high levels of well done ground beef had twice the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer as those who ate none. To view the full article, please click here.

Gene Discovery Which Prevents Common Form Of Skin Cancer

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:17:00 GMT

Researchers have discovered a gene which prevents a common form of skin cancer known as squamos cell cancer of the skin. They have discovered that when this gene is not present in the cells, it stops the signal telling the cell to stop growing. Without the stop signal, the cells keep growing and eventually forms a cancer. Identifying this gene can lead to therapies which could prevent skin cancer from growing. To read the abstract and purchase the full article, please click here.

Researchers Discover Cancer Feeds on Recycled Cell Waste

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 18:58:00 GMT

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered that cancer cells feed on recycled cell waste. Cancer cells use a process known as "autophagy", which turns spent cell material into reusable energy. Researchers have previously known that cancer cells use large amounts of energy, but what they didn't know was how they acquired it, that is until this discovery. Using this knowledge, treatments can be developed which shrink tumor growth and limit it from spreading to other parts of the body. To read the abstract and purchase the full article, please click here.

Some Women Not Benefiting From Breast Cancer Treatment

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:05:00 GMT

A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology assessed whether or not all ages of women are benefiting from breast cancer treatment. The report classified women into four age groups: 20-49, 50-64, 65-74, and 75 and older. The results showed that the death rates were stable for women 20-49, but increased for women 65 and older. The results also showed that African American women are not seeing improvement in outcomes, evidenced by a death rate 38% higher than Caucasians. To view the abstract and purchase the full article, please click here.

Organ Transplant Recipients Are At Increased Risk For Cancer

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:14:00 GMT

Researchers have conducted a study which results have shown that people who receive solid organ transplants have double the risk of the general population for various forms of cancer. Researchers used data from the U.S. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and from various state and regional cancer registries to determine the cancer risk. Some cancers that there was an increased risk for included cancers linked to infection and those not. To view the abstract and purchase the full article, please click here.

A Low-Fat Diet With Fish Oil Supplements Reduces Growth Rate of Prostate Cancer Cells

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:42:00 GMT

Researchers from UCLA have discovered that the growth of prostate cancer cells slowed down in men that ate a low-fat diet supplemented with fish oils, compared with men who ate a Western diet which was high in fat. Men who ate the low-fat diet for four to six weeks before their prostate removal had a significantly lower growth rate of their prostate cancer cells. Researchers also found that men who ate the low-fat diet were able to alter their cell membranes in both healthy and cancerous cells. However, further tests were needed. To view the abstract and purchase the full article, please click here.

New Study Declares Limited Male Breast Cancer Awareness Costs Lives

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:15:00 GMT

In a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, men have later onset of breast cancer and more advanced stages of the disease than their female counterparts. Survival rates of men when their breast cancer is caught at the same stage as women are actually higher, but researchers believe that it is due to a lack of awareness of male breast cancer that men's cancer is being caught in later stages. To view the abstract and purchase the article, please click here.

New Study Reports Cell Phones Do Not Cause Tumors

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:23:00 GMT

The largest study ever on whether cell phones cause tumors to the central nervous system has found that cell phones do not cause tumors. The Danish study involved an 18 year period involving 358,403 people, self reportedly the largest study on the topic. The researchers determined that within a 10 year period of cell phone use, that cell phones do not cause brain tumors; however, longer periods than 10 years still need to be examined. To see the abstract and full article, please click here.