| There are a number
of renowned institutes and scientists who have
taken the relief of human suffering by pursuing
excellence in the fight against cancer as their
mission. These parties have been doing excellent
work and in this paper, we will cover a few of
the breakthroughs that have been accomplished
in cancer research.
Tea and Cancer Prevention:
The latest research has shown that tea might very
well have a helping hand in cancer prevention.
The data which has led to this important conclusion
was derived from experiments performed on animals,
and in these, the animals were supplied with polyphenols
equal to those which regular tea drinkers consume.
The results proved to be most definitive for cancers
of the oral cavity, stomach and colon.
Aside from this, studies undertaken on animals
also linked tea with a lessened risk of lung and
skin cancers. A study of rice and mice by the
American Health Foundation led to the finding
that green and black tea as well as caffeine given
in drinking water boosted the animal’s immunity
to cancer, because of a powerful carcinogen found
in tobacco. Yet another study showed that both
green and black tea hindered and decreased the
growth of malignant and benign skin tumors in
mice.
When similar studies were performed in humans,
the results have been less exact and consistent
but have been enough to point to tea as having
anticancer benefits. For example, when 35,000
postmenopausal women in Iowa were studied in this
regard, it was found that women who regularly
consumed two or more cups of tea everyday had
a lesser risk of developing cancers of the digestive
and urinary tracts. This could not be proven for
other types of cancer though (Tea: the latest
weapon against cancer, 2002).
Exercise to guard against cancer:
Exercise is another useful practice and has been
proven to aid in cancer prevention for women.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle studied the lifestyle and exercise
habits of 173 overweight postmenopausal women.
None of these women used hormone replacement therapy
and had a similar lifestyle. While half of the
women were in the habit of exercising for around
45 to 60 minutes, five days a week; the others
only exercised when they met once every week for
a 45-minute stretching class. As the eyar ended,
it was seen that the women in the first group
who exercised regularly had 17 percent lower estrogen
levels, while the levels in the women who stretched
stayed the same or increased. Lower estrogen levels
mean lesser risk of breast cancer.
The theory behind this was explained by lead researcher
Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. According to her,
estrogen levels can be easily lowered if fat reduction
is kept up. This can be accomplished through exercising.
This is especially useful for postmenopausal women
because it is this group which is at the most
risk of developing breast cancer due to their
age. Hence, it they exercise and reduce the fat
content of their body, their estrogen levels will
dramatically decrease. As compared to this, the
premenopausal group does not produce most of their
estrogen from fat but rather in their ovaries,
but research ahs shwon that exercise is a safe
bet, as it helps in reducing estrogen levels so
women of al ages should use this as a safegaurd
against breast cancer. Exercising moderatly for
around 45 minutes five daysa week is definitely
the best option, according to McTiernan (Exercise
to reduce your cancer risk…, 2002)
Bee Venom – Useful in fight against cancer:
Bee venom is being seen as a helpful ingredient
which is being used by scientists at CSIRO Molecular
Science to develop reformed cancer treatments
which will have lesser side effects than the drugs
currently being used to fight the disease.
The Commonwealth Government's Industry Research
and Development Board has funded this research
project with a $670,000 grant. This project aims
to use an active component of bee venom as a possible
cure for cancer. Basically, bee venom is comprised
of a lot of active ingredients, the primary one
being mellitin. Mellitin is a molecule which has
the strength to kill cells by entering through
the cell walls and rupturing the cells.
According to CSIRO scientists Dr Werkmeister
and Dr Hewish, “What we have done is to
modify the structure of the mellitin molecule
to remove the part that causes the allergic reaction
while still maintaining its ability to kill cell.”
The problem which scientists have come across
is that they have to ensure that mellitin only
targets and destroys the cancer cells and not
the normal healthy cells. The solution of this
problem is in the pipeline and the solution is
to combine the modified mellitin to an antibody
molecule which is capable of recognizing cancer
cells, to come up with the immunotoxin. This is
the ultimate cancer drug for the research team
at CSIRO and POWH. The team claims that immunotoxins
can attack a vast variety of cancer cells and
do not have the disadvantages associated with
chemotherapy treatment like hair loss, weight
loss and vomiting (Glynn, 1999).
Technology aiding the anticancer research:
The major microchip giant, Intel, has joined hands
with the American Cancer Society, the National
Foundation for Cancer Research, the University
of Oxford and United Devices, Inc. to help cancer
researchers. This was a philanthropic gesture
on Intel’s part and aims to drastically
change the face of cancer research. According
to John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., CEO of the American
Cancer Society, with this resource, scientists
will be able to perform research at amazingly
fast speed. He said that this was an excellent
advancement for the carrying out of not just cancer
research, but all forms of medical research.
Intel has always supported Peer-to-Peer technology
and has used it for its own internal computing
needs. However, this teaming up of Intel with
cancer researchers has ensured that the whole
world will be able to benefit from this endeavor.
According to Dr. Sujuan Ba, science director for
the National Foundation for Cancer Research, “this
collaborative initiative offers us the capability
to save three to five years in the design of anti-cancer
drugs, meaning promising medicine will get to
the market much quicker.”
Through the computer technology combined with
the expertise of medical health researchers and
oncologists, it has become possible for cancer
patients, cancer survivors and the general public
to help the above in their search for a cure of
one of the world's deadliest diseases (Needle,
2001)
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