Dear CNN, do the research
Breast cancer theory supports African folklore
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/22/cancer.breast.blacks.reut/index.html
The gist: African (or at least African-American) folklore dictates that if cancer is 'exposed to air' it will cause the person to get much worse and die. A medical doctor suspects there may be some truth to this and while wholly lacking in any new research evidence, thinks this is a research question to explore further.
"I must say that I am sure there is more to this than just a myth," said Michael Retsky of Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. His latest hypothesis, which he admits is not supported by any new direct research, is published in the International Journal of Surgery. . .
Retsky and colleagues studied several databases on women who have had breast cancer surgery. They published one study in 2005 suggesting that surgery might cause the activation of tiny tumors that had already spread. . .
Retsky believes there may be two mechanisms at work. One idea is that surgery itself, by wounding the body, causes it to produce growth factors that fuel the growth of the other, tiny tumors.
The other holds that a primary, or main tumor, secretes some sort of factor that holds the other tumors in check. When the main tumor is removed, the smaller tumors -- which had already spread -- are free to grow.
This creates the appearance that the cancer has come back, and with a vengeance.
These factors are known as anti-angiogenesis factors. Angiogenesis means the development of blood vessels, and several new cancer drugs employ anti-angiogenesis factors, literally starving tumors of their blood supply.
Dear CNN,
Perhaps you should mention this to you readers, not to mention Dr. Retsky (if he is a doctor) that this is NOT a new theory and in fact is NOT a new model and in fact the only thing NEW here is that Retsky looked at breast cancer databases to see if previous models held true.
The angiogenesis model and model of cancer inhibitory signalling was developed by Judah Folkman several decades ago. In fact, the actual experiments involved in demonstrating the dependence of cancer on angiogenesis and the presence of inhibitory and growth factor interactions began so long ago, some of the surgical videos are in black and white. If Retsky doesn't know about one of the most innovative cancer researchers of the twentieth century, he's not equipped to be spouting his opinions on cancer to the media at large.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Folkman
In short, do your damn homework.
--nawilla
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/02/22/cancer.breast.blacks.reut/index.html
The gist: African (or at least African-American) folklore dictates that if cancer is 'exposed to air' it will cause the person to get much worse and die. A medical doctor suspects there may be some truth to this and while wholly lacking in any new research evidence, thinks this is a research question to explore further.
"I must say that I am sure there is more to this than just a myth," said Michael Retsky of Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. His latest hypothesis, which he admits is not supported by any new direct research, is published in the International Journal of Surgery. . .
Retsky and colleagues studied several databases on women who have had breast cancer surgery. They published one study in 2005 suggesting that surgery might cause the activation of tiny tumors that had already spread. . .
Retsky believes there may be two mechanisms at work. One idea is that surgery itself, by wounding the body, causes it to produce growth factors that fuel the growth of the other, tiny tumors.
The other holds that a primary, or main tumor, secretes some sort of factor that holds the other tumors in check. When the main tumor is removed, the smaller tumors -- which had already spread -- are free to grow.
This creates the appearance that the cancer has come back, and with a vengeance.
These factors are known as anti-angiogenesis factors. Angiogenesis means the development of blood vessels, and several new cancer drugs employ anti-angiogenesis factors, literally starving tumors of their blood supply.
Dear CNN,
Perhaps you should mention this to you readers, not to mention Dr. Retsky (if he is a doctor) that this is NOT a new theory and in fact is NOT a new model and in fact the only thing NEW here is that Retsky looked at breast cancer databases to see if previous models held true.
The angiogenesis model and model of cancer inhibitory signalling was developed by Judah Folkman several decades ago. In fact, the actual experiments involved in demonstrating the dependence of cancer on angiogenesis and the presence of inhibitory and growth factor interactions began so long ago, some of the surgical videos are in black and white. If Retsky doesn't know about one of the most innovative cancer researchers of the twentieth century, he's not equipped to be spouting his opinions on cancer to the media at large.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judah_Folkman
In short, do your damn homework.
--nawilla