Scientists at Queens University at Belfast have made a remarkable discovery in the treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in Ireland as well as around the world.Treatments for prostate cancer are dependent upon several factors: age, health and whether or not the cancer is localized or have spread to other parts of the body.Localized tumors are typically treated with radiation therapy or in extreme cases, a radical prostatectomy.Radiation therapy involves the use of radiation similar to an x-ray that bombards the area and kills the cancer cells.

Tumors that have grown beyond the boundaries of the prostate into the surrounding area cannot be treated with traditional radiation therapy but can be treated with hormones to slow the growth or a radical prostatectomy. A radical prostatectomy removes the entire prostate gland and nearby lymph nodes. This is a pretty intense surgery and the lingering effects can be as traumatic. There are other types of surgery if the prognosis of the disease allow for it. One other possible surgery type, which is less invasive, is laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery allows smaller incisions, less trauma to the body and shorter healing times.

A team of scientists in Belfast may have made a discovery that will revolutionize prostate cancer treatment. A new combination treatment is in the first trial phase and it treats aggressive prostate cancers.This is a type of cancer that has spread beyond the borders of the prostate, is in the surrounding tissues, and cannot be treated with traditional surgeries with as much success. The new technique combines two types of chemotherapy and the first trial results are encouraging.

This new therapy has the potential for increasing the survival outcomes of more advanced prostate cancer.This is significant news in the fight against prostate cancer. The combination has to go through two sets of trials to find out if the combination is truly effective, safe and feasible. Traditional therapies work well, but as the cancer reaches the more advanced stages, become less effective. This new therapy offers a welcome alternative and increases the chance of better outcomes for patients in more advanced stages.

The new therapy was specifically created in an attempt to combat the aggressive nature of the cancer as it spread beyond the gland and got near the bone. In the first trial, the scientists were pleased with the outcomes,the survival rates and the prognosis of the patient. The second trial, which will involve up to 100 patients, will be the proving ground to see if the treatment will become a common treatment for sufferers of advanced prostate cancer. If the second tests prove to be successful, then patients with advanced prostate cancer have a brighter future.

For quite some time doctors and medical officials have believed that the radiation from cell phones would in some way cause cancer in children and young adults as the use of cell phones became more widespread. Fortunately today the most advanced and in depth study yet has confirmed that cell phones are in fact no risk to children’s health.

Previous medical studies have focused almost entirely on the affect cell phones have on adults in terms of radiation, this is the first extensive study that focused on children. The results were not incredibly shocking to some though it is still good news to know that the world is safe from a once unknown threat.

According to the European research team cell phone usage in children and teenagers showed absolutely no link to any development of cancer in the brain. This is once again proof, according to the researchers, that while cell phones do emit a small amount of radiation they are not causing cancer in any way. Of course multiple follow up tests are scheduled in order to confirm with absolute certainty the results of this test but for now medical officials are happy to report that children of the world are safe when using cell phones. Even more important is the fact that the study showed that the amount of usage is not important as well as prolonged use did not show any increase or decrease in results as far as the research was concerned.

Scheduled for release tomorrow this unnamed patient has received the first of what will likely become a popular surgery. The man was originally given almost no chance for survival because he had extensive cancer in his throat but thanks to the creation of a synthetic windpipe the man has been given a second life essentially.

Doctors implanted the artificial windpipe and trachea on June 9th and ever since then the patient has been undergoing testing, treatment, and recovery procedures. Today however the world found out that the recovery went much quicker than expected as the patient will be released from the hospital tomorrow morning.

Up until this surgery such a transplant had never been attempted but doctors are beginning to agree that synthetic transplants may be the way of the future. The recovery was incredibly quick according to doctors affiliated with the operation and they say that the technology used could easily be translated to numerous other body parts and organs that may need replaced for one reason or another.

Overall the operation was 100% successful according to the medical team responsible for it. They are currently in the process of writing up an official medical journal release which will detail the operation and procedure and after that they anticipate that significant testing will likely take place to determine what other critical body parts could be replaced by a similar surgery. This is great news for everyone as it will likely lead to much higher survival rates in many types of cancers and other deadly illnesses.

For men with prostate cancer the outlook on life is often quite bleak; many are given just months to live. Fortunately Johnson & Johnson has created a drug that reportedly extends the lives of patients a significant amount. That drug, Zytiga, became available in many areas just last month but long term study results have already begun to show up.

Zytiga officially became an approved medication in the United States just last month but Johnson & Johnson studies have shown that in most cases Zytiga is effective at extending the life of many advanced prostate cancer patients.

According to doctors the biggest problem with prostate cancer is that is spreads so quickly, even when compared to other cancers. Zytiga works by specifically targeting the hormones and proteins required for the prostate cancer to spread and thus Zytiga effectively slows the progression of the cancer substantially.

Unfortunately Zytiga still is not a treatment or cure for the cancer. Generally advanced prostate cancer is deadly unless caught early and as a result doctors have been focusing on any sort of medication that can slow the progression of the cancerous cells; thus far Zytiga has been the most effective though reports indicate that other possible medications are in testing as well. For now medical analysts are happy with the results from Zytiga and until a better option is researched or created there is unfortunately nothing better available; Zytiga is simply a way to prolong the lives of those who have little hope.

A medical study released this week indicates that the morning beverage choice for millions of people may actually have some hidden health benefits too. The beverage in question is coffee and amazingly doctors say it could seriously reduce risk for prostate cancer.

The study was conducted using statistics from nearly 50,000 men and after the results were compiled the researchers had trouble believing what they had found. Amazingly men who drank 6 cups or more of coffee every day were approximately 60% less likely to die of prostate cancer at any point in their lives.

Of course the study didn’t stop there; the good news is that basically all varieties of coffee are effective at reducing prostate cancer risk. The study shows that decaffeinated coffee in particular offers essentially the same exact results as regular coffee. Drinking less than 6 cups per day also had a significant impact though the reduction in prostate cancer risk is not as great for those who drink less coffee each day.

Researchers say that possibly the most intriguing thing that came out of this study is that they are unsure what causes the difference. They say there could be a variety of chemicals and natural minerals present in coffee that reduce the risk for prostate cancer but at this time they are not sure what causes it. A follow up study is likely being conducted to determine what exactly causes this health benefit so that it may later be used as a treatment of some sort.

Some men are now finding it possible to have children through a new surgical procedure even though they had been told they would never be fathers because of cancer treatments they received as children.

A majority of cancer treatments that are used today can render a man infertile. If they know in time, they can bank some of their sperm for later use if they have to be treated for cancer. However, some either don’t know this, didn’t choose to do it, or were treated for cancer before they reached puberty so they didn’t have an option to give sperm at the time.

The new technique to help these men become fathers is being conducted by researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center. A similar procedure was made possible more than 10 years ago for men who were made infertile for various reasons. However, now they are discovering that it can be used in some men who had cancer as a child and until now have been told they were sterile.

The way it works is that a surgeon conducts a micro biopsy of the man’s testicular tissue to look for any sections that may contain sperm. Then, if any is found, it can be saved and used in regular in vitro fertilization to try to get a partner pregnant. In this new procedure, the doctors are able to get small amounts of sperm from about a third of the men. The resulting pregnancies have produced 20 children out of the 27 men whose sperm was able to be harvested, making the odds pretty good for having a baby. The total amount of men in the study was 73.

The brand new study determined that the men who had the best chance of being able to produce sperm through the new surgery were those that had been treated for testicular cancer. The men with the lowest chances of finding sperm through the new procedure were those men who had been treated for sarcoma during childhood.

The new surgery runs between $10,000 to $12,000 and doesn’t include the costs of IVF to get the partner pregnant. It’s being done now at several medical centers around the U.S.

Brennan Daigle has always loved the Army. He was about to turn 10 years old and his birthday wish was to be a soldier in the Army. But besides being only 10, Brennan has a rare form of muscular cancer called embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, which attacks the muscles and grows tumors on them.

But thanks to the efforts of Dream Come True of Louisiana and the Army at Fort Polk, Louisiana, Brennan is getting his wish.

His mother had already started a Facebook page called Brennan’s Brigade that kept everyone informed about his cancer. People from all over the world had left encouraging remarks and support. Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan too, have left wonderful and uplifting remarks, and one group posted a picture of themselves holding an American flag and telling Brennan that the flag was flying for him.

Once Dreams Come True got wind of his condition, they contacted the Fort Polk Community Relations Office which made some arrangements for some of the soldiers there to attend Brennan’s 10th birthday party. Brennan thought he was going fishing, but instead he was greeted by a formation of the 1st MEB soldiers, who were standing at attention and shouting “Happy Birthday” and clapping for Brennan.

Brennan then got to go for a ride in a Humvee and then shake hands with each of the soliders. But his day wasn’t over yet; he was also inducted into the Army as an honorary member and given a coin that stood for merit and excellence, a military jacket and other gifts.

Finally, the mayor of Sulphur, La., where Brennan lives, gave him the key to the city and made him the honorary Mayor for the day.

His mother was very impressed and thankful for the soldiers who took time out of their busy schedules for one little boy and said it said quite a lot about our men and women serving in the military.

The soldiers too were touched by the experience. They said it was good to give back and that it put things in perspective for them and taught them that we shouldn’t take our children for granted.

Ten-year-old Brennan had just one word for his experience with the soliders….Awesome.

Awesome, indeed.

You may not think that lacrosse is something the average 18-year-old girl would be interested in, but Maygen isn’t average.

Maygen became in in 2009 with Swine Flu and strep throat, but it ended up turning into lumps being discovered on her neck and it wasn’t just strep throat after all. It was something far more serious — hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph nodes.

Maygen had to undergo eight rounds of the chemotherapy treatments and the removal of the lumps. Shortly afterwards, her family was contacted by the Kids Wish Network. Her wish was to have season tickets to the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse games.

During the next year, she only missed one game and says that going to the games was inspirational and it helped her get through the chemo because she had something good to look forward to. Her seats are 4th row and right behind the glass and she is thrilled with the gift.

Besides going to all the games, Maygen is heading there for the “Black out Cancer Night” where the facility and team is planning something special in her honor.

Kids Wish Network is a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to giving hope, making good memories, and making a better quality of life for children with life-threatening illnesses. Kids Wish Network has a “Guardian Angel Fund”, which uses 100% of its contributions to support the wish granting program.
If you know a child between the ages of 3 and 18 who needs wish granting services, or if you would like to contribute to a child’s wish, please call 727-937-3600 or toll free 888-918-9004.
For more information on Kids Wish Network, visit their website at www.kidswishnetwork.org.