By Ryan Acosta, Staff Writer

With relatively beyond normal summer temperatures these days, hordes of Americans prefer to spend more time outdoors instead of confining themselves inside their homes. For some, it’s a respite from the artificial coolness of air conditioners and a somewhat good way to avoid incurring astronomical power bills. But for many people, spending time outdoors during summer days is synonymous to feasting on grilled foods.

Flavorful pork kebabs. Succulent grilled burgers. Heavenly mouth-watering sirloin steaks. Who can resist such tempting delights straight out of good old American barbeque pits? Yet those whose who frequently indulge in gastronomic feasts during summer outdoor barbeque parties should now think twice from downing too much red meat delights.

Among other factors, such as, smoking, alcoholism, poor physical activity, and hereditary inclination, frequent consumption of red meat may increase an individual’s chances of developing colon cancer during his later years.

Prevalence of Colon Cancer

With more than 100,000 men and women diagnosed per year, colon cancer is the third most prevalent kind of cancer in the US. Colon cancer’s fatality risk is quite high. About 53,196 individuals die from colon cancer annually, making it the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths across the country.

In contrast with other forms of cancer that have even age distribution, colon cancer primarily occurs in the elderly. As of the latest, the US Department of Health and Services, CDC, and National Cancer Institute estimate that about 70 percent of colon cancer patients are 75 years old or above.

Treatment

When discovered in its early stage, further progression of colon cancer may be prevented. The matter becomes more difficult in the later stages of the disease. Several alternative medicine gurus say that they have the magic herb for advanced stage colon cancer, but that is a blatant lie. There is no panacea for advanced colon cancer as of now.

Removal of affected regions in the colon to prevent cancer cells from further developing and spreading to other organ parts of the body is the prevalent primary colon cancer treatment. Doctors also recommend chemotherapy to reduce tumor size, impeded tumor growth, or to prevent metastasis of cancer cells. While radiotherapy is a common treatment program on other forms of cancer, it is not used much in colon cancer patients. For one thing, it is very complicated to target particular spots in the colon. Also, radiotherapy may cause patients to develop radiation enteritis.

Need for More Research on Colon Cancer Treatment

According to the US Census Bureau, the graying population of America will continue to grow in forthcoming years. In fact, 20% of the US population by the year 2025 will be composed of seniors 65 years and older. Since age is one of the most dominant risk factors of colon cancer, there is a very great need for increased research on discovery of new and more effective colon cancer treatment.

Because of its relatively high mortality rate, scientists are exploring ways to reduce colon cancer mortality. Scientists conducting research for the National Cancer Institute have discovered that Vitamin D may help in reducing colon cancer mortality.

Another particular exciting colon cancer treatment that is being considered is immunotherapy. Researchers are now exploring several vaccines to treat colon cancer or to prevent its recurrence. Such vaccines aim to help patients develop more robust immune systems so that they can fight colon cancer effectively.

Much, however, is needed to be discovered. A single hand cannot do a lot of work. Similarly, scientists who are working hard to find new and more effective colon cancer treatment will not be able to succeed on their own. They need assistance from each and every one of us.

We at Campaign for Aging Research are dedicated to fighting aging. With your kind and selfless help, we can achieve our goal of securing a healthier life for seniors who suffer from colon cancer and other forms of age-associated illnesses.

References:

Chao, A., Thun, M.J., Connell, C.J., et al. Meat Consumption and Risk of Colorectal Cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association. 293.2 (2005): 172–82.

Freedman, D.M., Looker, A.C., Chang, S.C., and Graubard, B.I. Prospective Study of Serum Vitamin D and Cancer Mortality in the United States. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 99.21 (2007): 1594-602. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/9/21/1594.

Harrop, R., et. al. Vaccination of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Modified Vaccinia Ankara Encoding the Tumor Antigen 5T4 (TroVax) Given Alongside Chemotherapy Induces Potent Immune Responses. Cancer Immunology. 57.7 (2008): 977-986.

National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Statistics Review: 1975-2001. 2004. http://seer.cancer.gov/cgibin/csr/1975_2001/search.pl.

United States Census Bureau. Population Projections of the United States, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin: 1993-2050. 1993: 5-1104.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2006 Incidence and Mortality. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.

Posted under: Cancer.

Tags: colon cancer

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By Ryan Acosta, Staff Writer

The novelist Barbara Kingsolver once said that, “What you lose in blindness is the space around you, the place where you are, and without that you might not exist. You could be nowhere at all.”

For many people, the sense of sight is perhaps one of the essences of existence. After all, we mainly judge reality on the basis of what we see. That is why blindness, be it partial or complete, is such a devastating blow for any individual.

While gruesome accidents may cause blindness, the vast majority of people suffer blindness due to diseases like glaucoma. In the United States, glaucoma is the main cause of blindness. It is estimated that more than 2 million Americans suffer from glaucoma.

There are several forms of glaucoma, but open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is by far the most common type and accounts for more than 90 percent of the total glaucoma cases in the US. While OAG may occur in young people, it tends to be more prevalent in the elderly. According to the latest estimates, OAG affects up to 1.86% of the total elderly population. And the number is expected to increase in forthcoming years. By 2020, it is possible that more than 3 million elderly may be affected with OAG.

What Causes OAG?

Open-angle glaucoma results when fluid pressure inside the eyes rises to an abnormal level. High fluid pressure eventually damages the optic nerve. Once the optic nerve is damaged, partial loss of vision and total blindness may follow.

Genetic factors may influence development of OAG. However, there are other reasons why fluid pressure in the eyes abnormally increases. Hypertension is believed to be a prime cause of OAG. Long term use of steroids may also cause a person to develop OAG.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

While many diseases have distinct signs and symptoms that may lead to early diagnosis, OAG is very different. At its early stages, OAG is asymptomatic. There is no pain in the eyes and vision may remain normal. But as the disease further develops, a person may have difficulty seeing objects to the side. If left untreated, loss of side vision will follow. Eventually, an OAG sufferer will also lost the ability to clearly see objects in front of him. Finally, total loss of vision will follow.

There is no standard screening for OAG detection. The disease can only be properly diagnosed through a combination of eye examinations, such as, visual acuity test, dilated eye exam, tonometry, pachymetry, and visual field test.

More Effective OAG Treatment is Imperative

As with other types of glaucoma, there is no known cure for OAG. Current treatments mainly aim to halt further loss of vision. However, it is an unfortunate fact that many OAG patients still suffer blindness even if they avail of proper treatment, such as medications and surgical procedures.

There is a great need for us to find more effective treatment for OAG. The National Eye Institute (NEI) is currently supporting research aimed at finding new ways to effectively treat OAG at its early stages as well as to developing long-term medical and surgical treatments for OAG.

Another exciting research opportunity involves the use of stem cells. For current and future OAG patients, stem cell research may offer one of the most promising hopes. Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, are now exploring the possibilities of using stem cell therapy to repair damaged optic nerves of OAG patients.

Yet, much is needed to be done. Scientists cannot do it alone. Cooperation from every segment of society is vital in order for promising studies to bear fruit.

Help Campaign for Aging Research combat aging. Through your generous support, we can find a better future for seniors who suffer from debilitating age-related diseases like open-angle glaucoma.

References:

Friedman, D.S., Wolfs, R.C., O’Colmain, B.J., Klein, B.E., Taylor, H.R., West S., Leske, M.C., Mitchell, P., Congdon, N., Kempen, J. Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group. “Prevalence of Open-angle Glaucoma Among Adults in the United States.” Archives of Ophthalmology. 122.4 (2004): 532-38.

Glaucoma Research Foundation. Optic Nerve and Stem Cell Research. 2010. http://www.glaucoma.org/research/optic_nerve_and.php.

National Eye Institute (NEI). Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS). April, 2010. http://www.nei.nih.gov/neitrials/static/study49.asp.

NEI. Facts About Glaucoma. February, 2010. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/glaucoma/glaucoma_facts.asp.

Truck, M.W. and Crick, R. P. The Age Distribution of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 5. 4 (1998): 173-183.

Posted under: Glaucoma.

Tags: Open-angle glaucoma

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