| When Dana Reeve, widow of actor | | | | studies with people). Some of these |
| Christopher Reeve, died of lung cancer, | | | | agents are being investigated as single |
| the stories of her death pointed out | | | | agents; others are being tested in |
| that she didn't smoke. She was young, | | | | combinations of two drugs. |
| only 44; she had nursed her paralyzed | | | | Chemoprevention trials look at possible |
| husband for eight years; she left a | | | | ways to prevent cancer with |
| 13-year-old son an orphan. And how could | | | | interventions that include drugs, |
| she have gotten lung cancer? She had | | | | vitamins, diet, hormone therapy, or |
| never smoked.Lung cancer is often | | | | other agents. |
| preventable, and it is usually fatal. | | | | The American Cancer Society (ACS) has |
| Unfortunately I will also become a | | | | set aggressive challenge goals for the |
| victim of this disease. Not for myself, | | | | nation to decrease cancer incidence and |
| but a victim because I am a friend of a | | | | mortality--and to improve the quality of |
| lung cancer person. One of my very | | | | life of cancer survivors--by the year |
| dearest friends will undergo a lung | | | | 2015. To address these critical goals, |
| operation this coming Tuesday. | | | | the ACS publishes the Nutrition and |
| Be cautious of any information or claims | | | | Physical Activity Guidelines to serve as |
| obtained from unmonitored sources, in | | | | a foundation for its communication, |
| particular the Internet. The Internet | | | | policy, and community strategies and |
| can be an empowering source of | | | | ultimately, to affect dietary and |
| information, but a healthcare | | | | physical activity patterns among |
| professional should be consulted before | | | | Americans. |
| making medical decisions. | | | | These guidelines, published every five |
| What is cancer? | | | | years, are developed by a national panel |
| Cancer is a disease that starts in our | | | | of experts in cancer research, |
| cells. Our bodies are made up of | | | | prevention, epidemiology, public health, |
| millions of cells, grouped together to | | | | and policy, and as such, they represent |
| form tissues or organs. Genes inside | | | | the most current scientific evidence |
| each cell order it to grow, work, | | | | related to dietary and activity patterns |
| reproduce and die. | | | | and cancer risk. The ACS guidelines |
| Normally, our cells remain healthy. | | | | are consistent with guidelines from the |
| Sometimes a cell's instructions get | | | | American Heart Association for the |
| mixed up and it behaves abnormally. | | | | prevention of coronary heart disease as |
| After a while, groups of abnormal cells | | | | well as for general health promotion, as |
| can circulate in the blood or immune | | | | defined by the Department of Health and |
| system, or they can form lumps or | | | | Human Services' 2000 Dietary Guidelines |
| tumours. | | | | for Americans. |
| Tumours can be either benign | | | | In 2006 there will be an estimated |
| (non-cancerous) or malignant | | | | 174,470 new cases of lung cancer and an |
| (cancerous). Benign tumour cells stay in | | | | estimated 162,460 Americans will die |
| one place in the body and are not | | | | from the disease. |
| usually life-threatening. | | | | The American Cancer Society offers |
| Malignant tumour cells are able to | | | | support and hope for people diagnosed |
| invade the tissues around them and | | | | with lung cancer and their families as |
| spread to other parts of the body. | | | | well as resources to help smokers quit |
| Cancerous cells that spread to other | | | | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including |
| parts of the body are called metastases. | | | | its own Quitline, which since its launch |
| The first sign that a malignant tumour | | | | in May 2000 has provided services to |
| has spread is often swelling of nearby | | | | more than 150,000 callers. For more |
| lymph nodes, but cancer can metastasize | | | | information, call 800-ACS-2345 or visit |
| to almost any part of the body. It is | | | | Lung cancer chemoprevention - Why does |
| important to find malignant tumours | | | | it not work?From the National Cancer |
| early and treat them. | | | | Center. |
| Cancers are named after the part of the | | | | Common wisdom is that vitamin in fruits |
| body where they start. For example, | | | | and vegetables prevent cancer. However, |
| cancer that starts in the colon but | | | | trials of supplementing vitamins like |
| spreads to the liver is called colon | | | | vitamin A analogues (retinoids: |
| cancer with liver metastases. | | | | beta-carotene, retinol, retinyl |
| There are four main types of lung | | | | palmitate, or isotretinoin) or vitamin E |
| cancer: small cell lung cancer, squamous | | | | (alpha-tocopherol), did not prevent lung |
| cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and | | | | cancer in smokers. Randomised trials in |
| adenocarcinoma. Tobacco smoking is | | | | all the three settings: primary (healthy |
| strongly linked to the first three but | | | | high-risk e.g. smokers), secondary |
| only weakly linked to adenocarcinoma. | | | | (pre-malignant lesions), and tertiary |
| However, this type of lung cancer has | | | | (prevention of second primary tumours in |
| been linked to the use of low-tar | | | | previously treated patients), have |
| cigarettes. | | | | produced negative results (either |
| The best means of prevention is to never | | | | neutral or harmful). |
| start smoking or using chewing tobacco, | | | | Chemoprevention trials were prompted by |
| or to stop using tobacco products. A | | | | relationship between diet and lung |
| healthy diet is an important part of | | | | cancer. Diet rich in foliage vitamins |
| prevention. | | | | was protective against lung cancer - as |
| The outlook varies by cell type and | | | | demonstrated in a recent Dutch study of |
| stage of the disease. In general, the | | | | 939 patients. Similarly, higher blood |
| prognosis is better for squamous cell | | | | level of ß-carotene is linked to a |
| cancers than for adenocarcinomas. Early | | | | lower risk of lung cancer. Nonetheless, |
| detection is key to better chances of | | | | intervention trials failed to show a |
| survival. | | | | reduced risk in lung cancer by consuming |
| According to the American Lung | | | | ß-carotene. A phase III trial, the |
| Association, 87 percent of lung cancer | | | | Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) |
| cases are caused by smoking. Another 12 | | | | [beta-carotene (20 mg/d), |
| percent are linked to radon exposure. | | | | alpha-tocopherol (50mg/d)] indicated |
| Only 15 percent of people diagnosed with | | | | significant increases in lung cancer |
| the disease will still be alive five | | | | incidence (18%) and no effect on lung |
| years after the diagnosis; 60 percent | | | | cancer mortality (risk ratio, 0.99). |
| die within the first year. What is | | | | Another study, CARET, had a 28% increase |
| Chemoprevention? For individuals who | | | | in lung cancer with vitamin treatment. |
| demonstrate the greatest risk, | | | | Similarly, in both Euro-scan and the |
| researchers are currently conducting | | | | US-Lung Intergroup Trial (both testing |
| several new trials to test the use of | | | | retinoids in tertiary prevention), |
| natural and synthetic substances to | | | | results were neutral. |
| prevent development of the disease. This | | | | Disclaimer: please. Any information is |
| new research has been coined, | | | | for general entertainment and |
| chemoprevention. | | | | educational purposes only, and should |
| The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) | | | | not be construed as medical advice, |
| chemoprevention research effort started | | | | medical opinion, diagnosis or treatment. |
| in the early 1980s and has grown | | | | Any information provided by this web |
| considerably since that time. Currently, | | | | site is not a substitute for actual |
| approximately 400 compounds are being | | | | medical attention. Always promptly |
| studied as potential chemopreventive | | | | consult your licensed health-care |
| agents, mainly in laboratory research. | | | | professional for medical advice and |
| Over 40 of these compounds are being | | | | treatment. |
| studied in clinical trials (research | | | | |