Re: 2.5 billion dollars

Childhood cancer treatments cause chronic illness later in life
by Ben Kage, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Nearly 80 percent of children diagnosed with pediatric cancer will become long-term survivors due to advances in treatment, according to a new study published in the Oct. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, but it also states that those survivors will likely live for 20 to 30 years with one or more chronic health problem caused by those treatments.
"It's important to put our findings into context," said Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Program for Adult Survivors of Pediatric Cancer and lead author of the study, which found that a little more than one-quarter of pediatric cancer survivors will have to deal with serious, even life-threatening conditions for decades.

"Cancer is a deadly disease and to cure it often requires fairly toxic therapy. Because children and teens have organs still in the growing stage, they're particularly vulnerable to the effects of these therapies, so it's common to see chronic health problems years after," Oeffinger said. "The silver lining, however, is that cancer survivors need to realize that some of these conditions can be prevented, and many can be reduced in severity."

The study analyzed information from the Childhood Cancer Survivor study, which detailed the lives of more than 10,000 survivors between the years of 1970 and 1986. A little more than 62 percent of the cancer survivors had at least one chronic health condition, and 27.5 percent had conditions that were severe or life-threatening. Seventy-three percent of patients who had been diagnosed with their cancer 30 years earlier had chronic conditions, and 42.4 percent had severe or life-threatening conditions.

The patients with the highest risk of serious, long-term side effects were those treated for bone cancer, central nervous system tumors, or Hodgkin's disease. Female survivors were at a 1.5 times increased risk of severe chronic conditions than males. Oeffinger said it was important for patients and health care providers to be aware of this increased risk for women.

"This study really highlights the increasing need for lifelong follow-up," said Dr. Philip Rosoff, director of the Duke University Hospital Program in Clinical Ethics at the Center for the Study of Medical Ethics and Humanities in the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. "Thinking about the late effects of treatment is a luxury we have that shows how successful we've become at curing childhood cancer.

"As the treatments for cancer in general get more successful, this is going to be an increasingly large portion of clinical practice. We need to raise the awareness of physicians of all backgrounds," he said.

Both Oeffinger and Rosoff said that all cancer patients should receive a treatment summary of their treatment types, dosages, and potential problems from treatment for their medical records. Oeffinger added that it was extremely important for cancer survivors to eat right, exercise and avoid habits such as smoking.

"There are natural alternatives to the toxic, harmful treatments offered by the conventional cancer industry," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and creator of the HerbReference.com education web site. "Real medicine should help patients heal, not poison them with chemicals that damage their vital organs.

"Chemotherapy is extremely dangerous and causes permanent damage to the brain, liver, heart, kidneys and other organs."

Barrie Cassileth of the AMA.
*organized medicine*.

The Alternative Medicine Handbook, by Barrie R. Cassileth, is organized as ..... at University Hospitals · October 2007 - $100M grant to Case Medical School.

http://www.naturalnews.com/z020737_cancer_childhood_cancer_cancer_treatments.html

Childhood cancer treatments cause chronic illness later in life
by Ben Kage, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Nearly 80 percent of children diagnosed with pediatric cancer will become long-term survivors due to advances in treatment, according to a new study published in the Oct. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, but it also states that those survivors will likely live for 20 to 30 years with one or more chronic health problem caused by those treatments.
"It's important to put our findings into context," said Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Program for Adult Survivors of Pediatric Cancer and lead author of the study, which found that a little more than one-quarter of pediatric cancer survivors will have to deal with serious, even life-threatening conditions for decades.

"Cancer is a deadly disease and to cure it often requires fairly toxic therapy. Because children and teens have organs still in the growing stage, they're particularly vulnerable to the effects of these therapies, so it's common to see chronic health problems years after," Oeffinger said. "The silver lining, however, is that cancer survivors need to realize that some of these conditions can be prevented, and many can be reduced in severity."

The study analyzed information from the Childhood Cancer Survivor study, which detailed the lives of more than 10,000 survivors between the years of 1970 and 1986. A little more than 62 percent of the cancer survivors had at least one chronic health condition, and 27.5 percent had conditions that were severe or life-threatening. Seventy-three percent of patients who had been diagnosed with their cancer 30 years earlier had chronic conditions, and 42.4 percent had severe or life-threatening conditions.

The patients with the highest risk of serious, long-term side effects were those treated for bone cancer, central nervous system tumors, or Hodgkin's disease. Female survivors were at a 1.5 times increased risk of severe chronic conditions than males. Oeffinger said it was important for patients and health care providers to be aware of this increased risk for women.

"This study really highlights the increasing need for lifelong follow-up," said Dr. Philip Rosoff, director of the Duke University Hospital Program in Clinical Ethics at the Center for the Study of Medical Ethics and Humanities in the Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology. "Thinking about the late effects of treatment is a luxury we have that shows how successful we've become at curing childhood cancer.

"As the treatments for cancer in general get more successful, this is going to be an increasingly large portion of clinical practice. We need to raise the awareness of physicians of all backgrounds," he said.

Both Oeffinger and Rosoff said that all cancer patients should receive a treatment summary of their treatment types, dosages, and potential problems from treatment for their medical records. Oeffinger added that it was extremely important for cancer survivors to eat right, exercise and avoid habits such as smoking.

"There are natural alternatives to the toxic, harmful treatments offered by the conventional cancer industry," said Mike Adams, a consumer health advocate and creator of the HerbReference.com education web site. "Real medicine should help patients heal, not poison them with chemicals that damage their vital organs.

"Chemotherapy is extremely dangerous and causes permanent damage to the brain, liver, heart, kidneys and other organs."

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Herb Officially Recognized In England as A Cure for Colds
by Sherry Baker, Health Sciences Editor
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(NaturalNews) There is no cure for the common cold, right? Wrong. The Zulus of Africa have insisted for centuries that there's a remedy created from geraniums that zaps colds and flu, halting sniffles and coughs almost immediately. Now 21st century research has backed up these claims -- just in time for the beginning of cold and flu season.

In fact, the British government's department of health just announced the same kind of herbal remedy used by the Zulus for centuries has been granted an official license and can now be marketed and sold as a cold and flu medicine in England. The treatment carries the brand name Kaloba and comes in both oral drops and tablets. It is one of the first herbal remedies to be officially recognized in the UK as an effective, non-drug therapy for treating common ailments.

Umckaloabo, the technical name for the substance derived from the colorful geranium plant, has been found "effective in resolving all symptoms including headaches and nasal discharge" of colds and flu, according to research recently published in the Cochrane Review.

British health advocates have suggested the approval may help stop the over-prescribing of antibiotics. According to the British clinical organization NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence), £200million (the equivalent of about $357 million) are needlessly prescribed each year for antibiotics to treat cold and flu.

Those drugs are not only useless for the viral infections that cause colds and flu, but they can contribute to the rise of "super bugs" which are resistant to antibiotics. "In the light of inappropriate antibiotic use and increasing drug resistance rates worldwide, the need for an alternative, effective remedy for these medical conditions is crucial," concluded the Cochrane Review geranium research article.

Kaloba is derived from a species of geranium called Pelargonium sidoides and is made specifically from the plant's flowers. The medicine has been available in Germany for over 25 years, but has only just been licensed by Britain's Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency.

Although it isn't sold as a medicine in the US, the geranium therapy is not the only natural treatment known to help fight colds and flu. Here are some more non-drug health boosters that can help you stay sniffle and cough-free this winter:

Garlic has been shown to be potent against several kinds of bacteria and viruses. It's also an immune system booster.

Vitamin C has become a favorite in the fight against colds and flu. Linus Pauling,Ph.D.,the two-time Nobel laureate, was the pioneering researcher into the benefits of vitamin C . He showed it spurs the immune system to fight infections by boosting interferon, which is a natural anti-viral substance.

Zinc has been found in several studies, including research conducted at Dartmouth and Cleveland Clinic, to shorten the length of time a cold lasts. Look for zinc gluconate lozenges or get your fill of the virus-fighting mineral from whole grains, beans, pumpkin seeds and nuts.

Be Happy isn't just the title of an old song, it's another way to boost your immunity and keep colds and flu at bay. A mounting body of research suggets colds and flu are most likely to strike if you are under excess work or psychological stress. Not getting enough sleep can also leave you more vulnerable to infection. Meditation, relaxation techniques like yoga and exercise can help you de-stress and also fight insomnia -- which, in turn, can lessen your chances of coming down with colds and flu.

Astragalus is one of several herbs long purported to have a powerful impact on fighting infections, including colds and flu. Now scientists at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center have published research in the medical journal Vaccine stating they found the botanical therapy "surprisingly active" as a consistent immune enhancer.



Fraud is an ongoing problem
Research fraud has been occurring for decades. One popular example from the past is that of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute researcher Dr. William Summerlin, who, in 1974, colored patches of fur on white mice with a black marker in an attempt to prove that his new skin graft treatment was working. Methods of cheating and misleading the public have certainly evolved in complicacy since then, but the same basic idea still applies: Fraud is fraud, and medical fraud is acceptable under no circumstances.

The fact that the number of complaints of misconduct by researchers is on the rise is disturbing, especially when you consider how many instances of falsification, fabrication, plagiarism and other scientific misconduct likely go unreported. This trend points to a colossal problem for the system of modern medicine.

David Wright, a Michigan State University professor who has done his own research on why scientists cheat, told the Associated Press in July 2005 that there are usually four basic reasons for cheating: Some sort of mental disorder; foreign nationals who learned somewhat different scientific standards; inadequate mentoring; or powerful and increasing professional pressure to publish studies. The final reason is also the most common, according to Wright. However, any scientist who caves under the pressure by falsifying data certainly has low scientific, as well as ethical, standards.

When it comes to fraud in medicine, unethical researchers stand to gain money and prestige while misleading and possibly endangering the lives of untold numbers of people. This is something that must stop. It is profoundly frightening to live in a world where even the most reputable of medical publications are so easily fooled by false research.

Fraud is an ongoing problem
Research fraud has been occurring for decades. One popular example from the past is that of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute researcher Dr. William Summerlin, who, in 1974, colored patches of fur on white mice with a black marker in an attempt to prove that his new skin graft treatment was working. Methods of cheating and misleading the public have certainly evolved in complicacy since then, but the same basic idea still applies: Fraud is fraud, and medical fraud is acceptable under no circumstances.

The fact that the number of complaints of misconduct by researchers is on the rise is disturbing, especially when you consider how many instances of falsification, fabrication, plagiarism and other scientific misconduct likely go unreported. This trend points to a colossal problem for the system of modern medicine.

David Wright, a Michigan State University professor who has done his own research on why scientists cheat, told the Associated Press in July 2005 that there are usually four basic reasons for cheating: Some sort of mental disorder; foreign nationals who learned somewhat different scientific standards; inadequate mentoring; or powerful and increasing professional pressure to publish studies. The final reason is also the most common, according to Wright. However, any scientist who caves under the pressure by falsifying data certainly has low scientific, as well as ethical, standards.

When it comes to fraud in medicine, unethical researchers stand to gain money and prestige while misleading and possibly endangering the lives of untold numbers of people. This is something that must stop. It is profoundly frightening to live in a world where even the most reputable of medical publications are so easily fooled by false research.

.

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