Osteoporosis drug 'doubles cancer risk'

Those who have taken oral bisphosphonates for five years or more are twice as likely to develop the cancer than those who have not, the analysis of medical records found. 

Every year almost 8,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, or gullet cancer, and about 7,500 people die from it.

Survival rates are low compared to other cancers, with only three in 10 surviving more than a year after diagnosis.

Among the general population of people aged 60 to 79, the chance of developing oesophageal cancer is about one in 1,000 over five years.

But researchers found that among those who had taken oral bisphosphonates for five years or more the rate doubled to two in 1,000 over the same period.

Among men it increased from 1.5 to three per 1,000 and among women from 0.5 to to one per 1,000.

Last night the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Government's medicine's regulator, said there was "no need" for patients to stop taking the medication on the basis of the study alone.

The MHRA collaborated with academics at Oxford University's Cancer Epidemiology Unit to look at data from the UK General Practice Research Database, which has anonymised patient records for around six million people.

Among those aged 40 and over, 2,954 had oesophageal cancer, 2,018 had gastric cancer and 10,641 had bowel cancer, all diagnosed between 1995 and 2005.

The results also showed that the chance of oesophageal cancer was 30 per cent higher in people with one or more previous prescriptions for oral bisphosphonates, compared to people who had never taken the drugs.

The risk was almost double for those who had 10 or more prescriptions compared with those who had had between one and nine, according to the study, published today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) online.

There were no links between the drugs and stomach or bowel cancer.

Some three million people suffer from osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Society. The Duchess of Cornwall, whose mother and grandmother both died of the disease, is president of the charity.

More than a million people were prescribed a bisphosphonate in 2009/10, according to the MHRA, which work by preventing bone loss and rebuilding lost bone. More than 6.5 million prescriptions were issued.

They are a group of drug that include alendronate, etidronate and risedronate.

Doctors often prescribe them as a preventative measure for those who might be at a higher risk of osteoporosis, such as post-menopausal women.

However, some doctors are becoming concerned that they are being over-prescribed with scant thought of their side effects, which are known to include difficulty swallowing, chest pain and heartburn.

Dr Des Spence, a Glasgow GP who has also written on the subject in the BMJ, said doctors should focus less on the drugs and more on how to avoid falls, as well as on improving diet and increasing targeted exercise.

Dr Spence described the study as "very telling".

While he said oral bisphosphonates were commonly used to prevent fractures in people who might be at risk of osteoporosis, he thought that approach "isn't supported by the evidence".

He was unconvinced the benefits outweighed the risks, he added.

If the cancer link proved correct, he said "this would be an opportunity to reflect and think about the use of this medication, particularly in people who havenot had a history of fracture."

Dr Jane Green, lead author of the study, said their results were "part of a wider picture" because bisphosphonates were "increasingly prescribed to prevent fractures".

She said: "what is lacking is reliable information on the benefits and risks of their use in the long-term."

But she added: "Oesophageal cancer is uncommon. The increased risks we found were in people who used oral bisphosphonates for about five years, and even if our results are confirmed, few people taking bisphosphonates are likely to develop oesophageal cancer as a result of taking these drugs."

Their study contradicts one published only a few weeks ago, using the same dataset, that showed no link between the drugs and the disease.

However, the latest research followed patients for almost twice as long and had greater statistical power.

A spokesman for the MHRA said: "On the basis of the findings of this study there is no need for patients to stop taking their bisphosphonate medicine.

"However, in order to reduce the risk of oesophageal irritation, which is a recognised risk associated with bisphosphonate use it is important to carefully follow the instructions in the Patient Information Leaflet.

"Patients should also report any signs of oesophageal irritation such as difficulties or pain on swallowing, chest pain, or heartburn to their doctor."

He added: "The safety of all bisphosphonates will continue to be closely monitored."

Dr Laura Bell, science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: "This is an important study that will help doctors understand more about the risks and benefits of oral bisphosphonates but it's important to stress that even if people take oral bisphosphonates for a long time the risk of developing oesophageal cancer is still small.

"Anyone who is taking these drugs and is worried about their risk of cancer should talk to their doctor."

A spokesman for the National Osteoporosis Society said: "When you consider the fact that there are 230,000 osteoporotic fractures every year in the UK and 1,150 hip-fracture-related deaths every month, the case for treatment is strong.

"In addition, the researchers point out that the risk is small and that few people taking bisphosphonates are likely to develop oesophageal cancer."

Via : telegraph.co.uk


 

Where an infant fixes their gaze 'could be an early indicator of autism'

Source : autismcauses1.com

An early sign that a child may develop autism could be as simple as noting where they fix their gaze.

Those considered at 'high-risk' of developing a form of the disorder were far more likely to become fixated with a non-social toy when left to their own devices.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability and part of a spectrum disorder. The main symptoms are difficulties with social interaction, impaired communication skills and unusual thought and behaviour patterns. 

Autism is thought to affect one in 100 children in England and those with autistic siblings are 25 times times more likely to develop the condition than those with no family history of autism.

Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger institute and University of Delaware studied 25 six-month-old infants in this 'high-risk' group along with 25 of their peers. 

The youngsters were placed in a chair with a simple joystick. When they moved it the musical toy was activated and they were given more attention by their caregiver. When actively engaged the children in both groups spent a similar amount of time looking at the person as they did at the toy.

However, the team found that when the babies were not being engaged, those in the high risk group spent far more time gazing at the toy than the caregiver.

Study author Dr Rebecca Landa, said the study showed a subtle early marker for autism.

'This study shows that there is a particular vulnerability in high-risk siblings at six months of age,' she said.

'They are not as socially interactive and engaged on their own as their peers, but still respond typically when engaged by their caregivers, making for a subtle difference that could be easily overlooked by both parents and some professionals.'

The study suggests that like older children, infants at high risk of autism may benefit from frequent exposure to simple cause and effect lessons to aid their development.

'Babies in both groups of the study learned the multi-stimuli task to the same degree,' Dr Landa said.

'The high-risk siblings still have the capacity to learn cause and effect as well as their low-risk peers at this young age.'

Dr Gina Gomez de la Cuesta, Action Research Leader at The National Autistic Society was cautiously optimistic about the findings.

She told the Mail Online: 'There has been a lot of research which examines a child's level of joint attention or eye gazing patterns and the potential links to autism.

'This study of siblings is interesting as it shows more problems in initiating joint attention with others than responding to joint attention.

'However, until the children reach an age where diagnosis is possible, it is difficult to say how accurately these behaviours can be used to predict a diagnosis of autism.'

Via : dailymail.co.uk

Autism - Infant's Gaze a Possible Marker

Source : from nichd.nih.gov

Infants who show delayed communication and social skills are at a high risk of developing autism that may be indicated by unprompted gazing at people.

Published in the September issue of the Journal of Child Psychology
and Psychiatry, the study also found that six-month-old high-risk infants demonstrated the same level of cause and effect learning skills when compared to low-risk infants of the same age.

The study observed 25 infant siblings of children with autism (high-risk group) and 25 infants with no family history of autism (low-risk group) at six months of age in order to assess cause and effect learning as well as social engagement.

Infant siblings of children with autism are considered at high-risk for the disorder, as they are 25 times more likely to develop autism. Researchers at Kennedy Krieger, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Delaware, created a novel, multi-stimuli social learning task, where infants were seated in a custom chair with an attached joystick within easy reach, a musical toy located to the right and their caregiver on the left. Researchers evaluated how quickly the infant learned that the joystick activated the toy and the infant's level of social engagement with their caregiver.

Researchers found that, like the low risk group, the high-risk siblings exhibited typical levels of social gazing when their caregivers actively engaged them, such as pointing at the toy and expressing excitement.

However, high-risk sibs spent less time looking to their caregivers and more time fixated on the non-social stimuli (toy or joystick) when the caregiver was not engaging them, which could indicate a disruption in development related to joint attention. Joint attention is often a core deficit for children with autism.

Via : medindia.net

New Autism Study Concentrates On Infants Gaze

A new study on siblings of infants with Autism has been released by researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. 

In the study,  infant brothers and sisters of Autistic children were tested for early signs of the developmental disorder. 

They were tested for signs of social delay and later communication with their caregiver.

The infants in the study, a total of 50, half of which were brothers and sisters of children without Autism.  Infants in the high risk group, those with a family history of Autism, are 25 times more likely to develop the disorder. More children will develop Autism than will be diagnosed HIV/Aids or cancer.

The infants were tested for cause and effect learning and communication skills. Given the choice between playing with a musical toy or communicating with their caregiver. The infant was placed in a customized chair that gave them access to a musical plaything via a joystick on one side while a individual was on the other side.

The infants from the high risk group tended to want to have access to the toy as opposed social interaction with the caregiver. This occurred when the individual was not actively engaged with the infant. About 20 percent of the infants in the high risk group may develop Autism later on in childhood.

The study on infant siblings of children with Autism is published in the September issue of The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The study was financed by grants from the National Institutes of Mental Health.

Via : gulfstreamcleaning.com

Can Fruits, Veggies Help Ward Off Lung Cancer?

Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables may help protect some smokers from lung cancer, a new European study suggests.

 

But, the researchers stressed that quitting smoking will do far more to reduce risk than “an apple a day” or having a salad for lunch.

In the study, participants who ate a diet that contained a diverse mix of fruits and vegetables appeared to have a 27 percent lowered risk of a common type of lung cancer, the researchers reported.

“First and foremost, the best way to reduce one’s risk of lung cancer is to quit smoking. That is of paramount importance,” said principal investigator Dr. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, project director of cancer epidemiology at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands. 

“However, we realize that there are still millions worldwide who cannot and don’t want to quit smoking. To just ignore them would be somewhat of a pity. This study shows there is a possibility of reducing one’s risk even if one is a smoker.”

Keep in mind that “wide variety” meant more than a banana with breakfast and a helping of peas and carrots with dinner. Think kale and spinach; berries and melons; cabbage, cauliflower and eggplant — some 40 different fruits and vegetables in all.

The researchers analyzed data on more than 450,000 adults from 10 European countries. Participants filled out questionnaires about dietary habits and lifestyle, including occupation, medical history, tobacco and alcohol use and physical activity.

Over the course of nine years, 1,613 of the people were diagnosed with lung cancer.Vegetable consumption was divided into eight categories: leafy vegetables; fruiting vegetables; root vegetables; cabbages; mushrooms; grain and pod vegetables; onion and garlic; and stalk vegetables. Vegetables did not include legumes, potatoes and other tubers.

The 14 fruits tracked included fresh, dried and canned fruits but excluded nuts, seeds and olives. Participants were then divided into four groups, or quartiles, based on the diversity of their diet. 

Those in the highest quartile ate between 23 and 40 different types of fruits and vegetables during the prior two weeks. Those in the lowest quartile ate less than 10 different types of fruits and vegetables.

Smokers who ate the greatest variety of fruits and veggies were 27 percent less likely to get squamous cell lung cancer, which accounts for about 25 percent to 30 percent of all lung cancers, than smokers who ate the least variety.

“It is important to realize the risk reduction one can achieve by eating a greater variety of fruits and vegetables will be minor in relation to quitting smoking,” Bueno-de-Mesquita stressed.

The study is published in the September issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. It should be noted that the study relied on “self reports” — in which the participants described to the researchers their fruit and vegetable consumption. Such studies, while valuable, are not considered the “gold standard” of research — a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

But what is it about fruits and vegetables that may ward off the changes in cells that cause tumors to grow?

There probably isn’t one “magic” compound in the fruits and vegetables, Bueno-de-Mesquita said, but instead many compounds that interact with each other and the body in ways that aren’t yet understood.

It can be dangerous to put too much stock in any one substance, he added. A study in Finland found smokers who took the antioxidant beta carotene and vitamin E supplements actually had an increased risk of lung cancer.

Previous research has also linked fruits and vegetables with lowered risk of cancer. A 2007 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research report concluded that fruits probably protect against lung cancer, but there was no evidence that vegetables did.

But other research has suggested eating a variety of vegetables can reduce the risk of other types of cancers, including colorectal, gastric, breast, oral and pharyngeal cancer and squamous cell esophageal cancer.

Marjorie McCullough, strategic director of nutritional epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said fruits and vegetables may help to protect against lung cancer, but every smoker should be working on quitting.

“Quitting smoking is far and away the most important way to lower the risk of lung cancer, but eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may further help lower the risk of several cancers,” McCullough said.

Via : biomedme.com

European Study: Eating Fruits, Veggies Might Offer Respite from Lung Cancer

A novel European study is of the suggestion that eating a great variation of fruits and veggies might offer protection against lung cancer to smokers.

However, along with that the researchers said that quitting smoking would increase the chances of saving oneself from the risk of developing lung cancer and a regular practice of eating fresh fruits and vegetables, too, would help.

The report submitted by the researchers informed that while conducting the study, volunteers who consumed a diet that comprised a good variety of vegetables and fruits seemed to have cut their chances of developing the most general form of lung cancer by almost 27%.

Dr. H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita, who is the Project Director of Cancer Epidemiology at the National Institute for Public Health and Environment in the Netherlands, said that the best way to cut down on the risk of developing lung cancer would always remain quitting smoking.

But the fact remains that there are a lot of people all through the world who yet do not intend to kick the habit. Ignoring them would almost be a pity.

Thus, it is all about including a range of fruits and vegetables in meals that will improve the possibilities of cutting cancer risk.

Via : topnews.co.uk

Veggies May Lower Lung Cancer Risk

Eating a variety of vegetables and fruits may reduce the risk of lung cancer in current smokers, according to research published online Aug. 31 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Frederike L. Büchner, of the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, Netherlands, and colleagues evaluated 452,187 individuals from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study, including 1,613 diagnosed with lung cancer after a median follow-up of 8.7 years. Diet diversity scores were used to quantify the variety in fruit and vegetable consumption.

The researchers found that the risk of lung cancer decreased with increasing variety in vegetable subgroups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.77), though the association was restricted to current smokers (HR, 0.73). In continuous analyses, among current smokers, the risk of squamous cell carcinoma decreased with more variety in fruit and vegetable products combined (HR/two products, 0.88), vegetable subgroups (HR/subgroup, 0.88), vegetable products (HR/two products, 0.87), and fruit products (HR/two products, 0.84).

"The greater variety in fruit and/or vegetable consumption was not related to lung cancer risk in former and never smokers nor was it related to the risk of adenocarcinomas and small cell carcinomas. Because smoking is the predominant risk factor, the primary focus for public health in reducing lung cancer incidence should continue to be smoking prevention and cessation," the authors conclude.

Via : mdnews.com