Cancer increasing among young people

My daughter was 41 years old when she was diagnosed with Type 4 cancer in the orbital of her eye. After treatment the cancer is inactive, but she will never be cancer free, and the danger of a flare-up is still there.

According to a Wall Street Journal article (January 11, 2024), obesity and lifestyle choices are linked to cancers like colorectal, breast, and pancreatic, but doctors emphasize that they don't fully explain the rise in cancer cases among young, otherwise healthy patients. Some individuals, despite being in good health, develop cancer at a young age, challenging conventional explanations.

Graph from WSJ

Cancer originates from genetic mutations that trigger uncontrolled cell multiplication, leading to the formation of tumors. As individuals age, accumulating mutations increase the risk of cancer. However, in younger people, factors seem to initiate this abnormal cell production earlier. Researchers are exploring potential causes, ranging from sedentary lifestyles to exposure to microplastics.

Here are some of the factors doctors are considering for the increasing cancer rate among young people:

• Oncologists have identified a higher risk of early-onset colorectal cancer in women with prolonged TV watching habits and those who consumed sugary drinks in high school.

• Additionally, a connection has been observed between being born via caesarean section and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in some women.

• Studies suggest that diets rich in deep-fried and highly processed foods may contribute to early-onset colorectal cancer, while those high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables may lower risks.

• Researchers, including Dr. Y. Nancy You at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, have investigated the role of bacteria and other microbes in rectal cancer patients, finding age-related differences. Changes in the microbiome influenced by diet, antibiotic use, or other factors might contribute to inflammation and increased cancer risks.

• There's suspicion that cancer-causing exposures may have occurred during patients' childhood, making it challenging to trace specific causes.

Unlike historical instances where smoking was a major contributor to lung cancer, current trends suggest a multifactorial origin, with no single identified carcinogen. Some experts express concern that rising cancer risks in young people may reflect broader health issues.

Dr. Sachin Apte at Huntsman Cancer Institute wonders if the trend indicates a larger problem of declining health. Meanwhile, ongoing research at cancer centers, such as Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering, aims to unravel the complexities of cancer by studying patient samples and assessing potential risks, including lifestyle and environmental factors.

For more information, check out the original article from WSJ.

Cancer Is Striking More Young People, and Doctors Are Alarmed and Baffled - WSJ

Ivermectin and Cancer

Cancer cell dividing, SEM - Stock Image - M132/0909 - Science Photo Library

 The following are studies and links to articles about Ivermectin and Cancer.  More studies are available at google scholar. Search for "cancer" and "ivermectin."

Juarez, M., Schcolnik-Cabrera, A., & Dueñas-Gonzalez, A. (2018). The multitargeted drug ivermectin: from an antiparasitic agent to a repositioned cancer drug. American journal of cancer research, 8(2), 317–331.

Ivermectin belongs to the group of avermectins (AVM), a series of 16-membered macrocyclic lactone compounds discovered in 1967, and FDA-approved for human use in 1987. It has been used by millions of people around the world exhibiting a wide margin of clinical safety. This review summarizes the in vitro and in vivo evidences demonstrating that ivermectin exerts antitumor effects in different types of cancer.

 Liu, J., Zhang, K., Cheng, L., Zhu, H., & Xu, T. (2020). Progress in Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Antitumour Effects of Ivermectin. Drug design, development and therapy, 14, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S237393

This review summarizes the published studies to define the current progress in the characterization of ivermectin and cancer. Ivermectin causes cell death in cancer cell lines. Ivermectin can affect the growth and proliferation of cancer cells and plays several different roles, such as its functions as an RNA helicase, a small-molecule mimetic of the surface-induced dissociation (SID) peptide, an activator of chloride channel receptors, and an inducer of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. In addition, ivermectin induces the multidrug resistance protein (MDR), has potent anti-mitotic activity, targets angiogenesis and inhibits cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). Many studies have proven that ivermectin exerts antitumour effects and might thus benefit patients with cancer after sufficient clinical trials. 

Markowska, A., Kaysiewicz, J., Markowska, J., & Huczyński, A. (2019). Doxycycline, salinomycin, monensin and ivermectin repositioned as cancer drugs. In Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters (Vol. 29, Issue 13, pp. 1549–1554). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.04.045

Chemotherapy is one of the standard methods for the treatment of malignant tumors. It aims to cause lethal damage to cellular structures, mainly DNA. Noteworthy, in recent years discoveries of novel anticancer agents from well-known antibiotics have opened up new treatment pathways for several cancer diseases. The aim of this review article is to describe new applications for the following antibiotics: doxycycline (DOX), salinomycin (SAL), monensin (MON) and ivermectin (IVR) as they are known to show anti-tumor activity, but have not yet been introduced into standard oncological therapy. To date, these agents have been used for the treatment of a broad-spectrum of bacterial and parasitic infectious diseases and are widely available, which is why they were selected. The data presented here clearly show that the antibiotics mentioned above should be recognised in the near future as novel agents able to eradicate cancer cells and cancer stem cells (CSCs) across several cancer types.

 

 

How to break the sugar habit

BOSTON—A sugar-laden diet can be a killer. That's the conclusion of an international study from the Harvard School of Public Health. The authors attributed 180,000 deaths worldwide each year—25,000 in the United States—to consumption of sugary beverages, explains the July 2013 Harvard Women's Health Watch. Sodas and fruit drinks aren't our only sources of sugar. The average American eats between 22 and 30 teaspoons of added sugar each day, according to the American Heart Association.

"The harmful effects of sugar are primarily due to the weight gain from added sugar in the foods we eat and sugar-sweetened beverages," says Dr. Michelle Hauser, certified chef and nutrition educator and clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Most of the deaths are related to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes."

How much sugar do we actually need? In reality, "you don't need any added sugar," says Dr. Hauser. According to American Heart Association guidelines, women should get no more than 100 calories a day (about 6 teaspoons) from added sugar.

It's relatively easy to control the amount of sugar spooned onto food or into beverages like coffee and iced tea. It's harder to know how much sugar is hidden in pre-sweetened packaged and processed products. That's why it's so important to read food labels.

To cut back on sugar, don't try to eliminate all sugary foods at once. Instead, try switching to a healthy diet made up of more satisfying foods-whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy oils, and lean protein.

Read the full-length article: "How to break the sugar habit and help your health in the process"

Also in the July 2013 issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch:

• Normal memory loss—or dementia?
• Switching from brand-name to generic medications saves money
• How safe are sunless tanners?

Harvard Women's Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $20 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/womens or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).