Even after eliminating known pancreatic cancer risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, blacks still had a 42 percent higher risk of dying from the disease than their white counterparts, according to a WUSTL-led study, which appears online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

References:

1. Sept. 2, 2009 — Pancreatic Cancer Deaths Higher for Blacks in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 9 others.

Medical tests are no fun, so why take them twice? People often end up with inadvertently skewed results, but some simple prep work will ensure that your numbers are accurate. Includes advice from WUSTL researchers on how not to skew the PSA (prostate cancer screening) exam.

References:

1. Aug. 23, 2009 — Take charge of your checkup in the MSNBC.com

Another report on the use of nanobees -- tiny particles designed to destroy cancer cells by delivering a synthesized version of toxin called melittin that is found in bees.
Samuel Wickline, director of WUSTL's Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, explains how it works.
Nanobees are one of the latest examples of how nanotechnology may change the way diseases are treated.

References:

1. Aug. 18, 2009 — Ultra-tiny 'bees' target tumors in the CNN International

and 1 others.

Decoding the genome of a man with acute myeloid leukemia revealed genetic mutations that may be common among other cancer patients. The findings could help scientists understand the genetic basis of cancer. Includes comments by WUSTL researchers Richard Wilson, co-author and director of the Genome Center, and Timothy Ley, study senior author and medicine professor.

References:

1. Aug. 5, 2009 — Genome of Leukemia Patient Reveals Common Mutations in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 13 others.

WUSTL biochemists Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson helped decode the human genome and are now working to find genetic mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia.

References:

1. June 30, 2009 — Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson: Taking Cancer's Genetic Measure in the U.S. News & World Report online

Some genetic traits are easier to defy than others. Others, such as cancer or diabetes, are not so simple to escape. Advice on how you can reduce your risk with proven tips for protecting your health from head to toe. WUSTL surgery professor Ming You, director of the Chemoprevention Program at WUSTL's Siteman Cancer Center, comments on the role heredity plays in asthma, allergies and lung cancer.

References:

1. March 12, 2009 — Control your DNA destiny in the MSNBC.com

The days of one-size-fits-all cancer treatment are numbered: A rush of new research is pointing the way to tailor chemotherapy and other care to what's written in your tumor's genes. WUSTL oncologist Matthew Ellis, co-inventor of a different breast cancer genetic approach, comments.

References:

1. Feb. 16, 2009 — Push is on to tailor cancer care to tumor's genes in the Associated Press

and 122 others.

More than 100,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer in the U.S. each year. Researchers at WUSTL and Harvard University have found that regular exercise cut people's risk of developing colon cancer by 24 percent.

References:

1. Feb. 13, 2009 — Another Good Reason to Exercise in the The Washington Post blog

A new study led by cancer prevention specialist and lead author Kathleen Wolin at WUSTL, showed that being physically active can reduce the risk of colon cancer by a quarter.

References:

1. Feb. 12, 2009 — Being physically active can reduce the risk of colon cancer by a quarter, a review of research has found in the Telegraph.co.uk (UK)

WUSTL oncologist Matthew Ellis talks about new research that shows that estrogen therapy may be an effective treatment to women with advanced breast cancer.

References:

1. Dec. 12, 2008 — Estrogen: A surprise treatment for metastatic breast cancer in the CNN.com

and 2 others.

Estrogen is medicine's most two-faced hormone, confusing doctors and patients for decades on its role in the benefits and risks of heart disease and cancer. Now WUSTL researchers have shown that in some women with breast cancer tumors that thrive on the hormone, giving them more estrogen actually can trick the tumors into submission.

References:

1. Dec. 12, 2008 — Estrogen paradox can fight tumors in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

and 13 others.

Taking regular exercise combined with a good night's sleep can reduce the chances of developing cancer by 20 per cent, a new study suggests. Earlier this year a WUSTL/Harvard study suggested a long-lasting protective effect could be achieved by exercising from a young age.

References:

1. Nov. 17, 2008 — Sleep after exercising to reduce cancer risk in the The Daily Telegraph (UK)

A large probe of lung tumors sheds light on the mutations that tend to underlie cancer in a new study conducted by researchers from Washington University, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. The study also identifies new cellular pathways that can trigger these malignancies.

References:

1. Oct. 22, 2008 — Closest look yet at lung cancer genes in the Science News Web edition

A narrow region on chromosome 15 contains genetic variations strongly associated with familial lung cancer, says a study conducted by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other institutions in the United States and the United Kingdom.

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2008 — Genetic Region Linked To Five Times Higher Lung Cancer Risk in the ScienceDaily.com

and 11 others.

The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the strongest case so far for the biological underpinnings of nicotine addiction and sheds more light on how genetics and lifestyle habits join forces to cause cancer.
This finding could someday lead to screening tests and customized treatments for smokers trying to kick the habit.
"This is really telling us that the vulnerability to smoking and how much you smoke is clearly biologically based," said WUSTL psychiatry professor Laura Bierut, a genetics and smoking expert who did not take part in the studies. She praised the research as "very intriguing."

References:

1. April 3, 2008 — Genetic Link Tied to Smoking Addiction in the Associated Press

and 256 others.

News item on WUSTL medical research -- Women who undergo breast reconstruction after cancer surgery are twice as likely to develop an infection at the surgical site if they are given a prosthetic implant instead of their own tissue.
The study appeared in the January issue of Archives of Surgery.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2008 — Women who undergo breast reconstruction after cancer surgery are twice as likely to develop an infection in the The Times (London)

More than one in 20 patients undergoing breast surgery later developed infections at incision sites, according to a new study, a complication that was more common than thought. Study co-authors WUSTL infectious diseases professor Margaret Olsen and WUSTL plastic and reconstructive surgery professor Keith Brandt comment.

References:

1. Jan. 22, 2008 — Study Says Implants Double Risk of Infection After Breast Reconstructive Surgery in the The New York Times

and 27 others.

Article looks at why people tend to dismiss symptoms that can indicate a serious illness.
Research has shown that your personality can affect how you react to medical symptoms too.
A 2005 WUSTL study found that men with low overall anxiety levels were more likely to ignore symptoms of rectal cancer and delay treatment. Those with at least moderate anxiety levels, on the other hand, tended to quickly recognize symptoms such as rectal bleeding as a sign of a serious illness.

References:

1. July 31, 2007 — Don't ignore your body's warning signs in the MSNBC.com

Many genetic tests look at DNA inside the patient. A second fast-growing field is the detection of the DNA flaws that make tumor cells grow far more rapidly than regular cells.
WUSTL oncologist Timothy Pluard changes his treatment plan in one-quarter of cases because of the tumor test.

References:

1. June 18, 2007 — The Telltale Tumor in the Forbes

WUSTL scientists have developed a technique using magnetic resonance imaging and nanoparticles to track cells injected into mice.
Developed in the laboratories of Samuel Wickline and Gregory Lanza, the study suggests fluorine-laced nanoparticles might soon allow physicians to directly track cells involved in medical treatments.
The study's lead author, doctoral student Kathryn Partlow, explains.
Wickline heads WUSTL's Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.

References:

1. March 27, 2007 — Nanoparticles used to track cells in the United Press International

and 8 others.