HEADLINES / TRENDS l STATS l RESEARCH l MEDIA l PEOPLE

May 2010

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Cancer Resources:
Where to Go for Help

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Therapy Dogs Provide Comfort
in Times of Need

In our June 2009 issue we saw how service dogs, once thought of exclusively as guides for the blind, now help people with a number of special needs.

The latest canine specialty: Easing the emotional trauma associated with natural disasters and other crises. Research has shown that petting an animal can lower stress levels and blood pressure. Canine crisis response take this idea a step further with trained dog-handler teams who have helped people get through such horrific experiences as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the Virginia Tech shootings.

To learn more, contact HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response: www.hopeaacr.org, 877-467-3597.

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Filtering Water 10 Ways

One of the keys to good health is access to fresh, pure water. This explains why a growing number of people are turning to countertop water filters, among them the 10-Stage System from New Wave Enviro.According to the company, this filter is designed to remove heavy metals, chlorine, organic contaminants, and herbicides and pesticides to below EPA minimum levels. The filter lasts one year on average for a family of four, and the availability of replacement cartridges means you don’t have to replace the whole system. New Wave also has BPA-free plastic, stainless steel and corn-resin bottles so you can carry your filtered water with you.

To learn more, contact New Wave at 800-592-8371 or www.newwaveenviro.com.

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A Biologist’s Cancer Story

You could fill a bookcase with volumes written by cancer survivors, many of which provide
valuable insights into living with this disquieting disease. But as a poet and trained biologist, Sandra Steingraber’s effort is more ambitious. Beautifully written, Living Downstream blends her own tale—a cancer diagnosis at age 20—with an environmental detective story: Why did she and many members of her adoptive family develop malignancies?

If you’ve ever wondered about the link between pollution and cancer, read Living Downstream.
(Da Capo Press)

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Quote

My cancer scare changed my life. I'm grateful for every new,
healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life.

—Olivia Newton-John,
Breast cancer survivor

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Research Roundup, Cancer Edition

Folic acid, a nutrient best known for protecting babies against birth defects, may reduce
a woman’s risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 50%.

According to results published in the February 2010 issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, folate intakes of more than 253.3 micrograms a day significantly decreased risk. This study, which
was conducted by the National Cancer Institute, involved data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, a large, ongoing investigation.

Women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer may be helped by DHA. French researchers, writing in a recent issue of the British Journal of Cancer, report that supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid prolonged survival in women with advanced cancers, including those that had spread to the liver and other sites.

Seaweed extract has shown promise as a potential treatment for lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system. Jordanian scientists, reporting study results at a March conference
sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, found that the marine-based extract inhibited the growth of lymphoma cells without affecting healthy ones.