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Why Is Our Progress Against Cancer So Slow?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 13, 2009 Comment (6)Sometimes it seems like we're not making much headway against cancer. Are we?
The answer is clearly yes, but with qualifications.First, the good news. According to the statistics published by the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, and the American Cancer Society, the death rates from all cancers combined have decreased in both men and women and in most racial and ethnic groups. These advances were primarily driven by reductions in the death rates for the three most common forms of cancer in men (lung, colon, and prostate) and for two of the three key forms of cancer in women (breast and colon), coupled with a plateau of lung cancer deaths in women.
Taken together, cancer death rates in the middle of this decade decreased by more than 18 percent among men and nearly 11 percent among women, compared with the statistics in the early '90s. More than a half-million deaths from cancer were avoided during these time intervals because of advances in prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and treatment. Younger adult age groups have experienced the most notable progress. And for certain childhood cancers (like acute lymphoblastic leukemia) or certain cancers that target younger adults (such as testicular cancer), the progress has been very substantial by any measure.
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How Common Is Anal Cancer?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 10, 2009 Comment (2)Farrah Fawcett's death shook me. How common is anal cancer in women, and how can I know if I'm at risk?
Although anal cancer is a relatively rare cancer, the incidence is increasing. There are about 5,000 cases of anal cancer per year in the United States, about 2,000 in men and about 3,000 in women, so it is more common in women than men. Anal cancer has been associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is likely sexually transmitted via receptive anal intercourse. The risk of anal cancer is also increased for immunosuppressed individuals; those with a history of other HPV-associated cancers, such as cervical or vulvar cancer; and smokers.The anal region has the sphincter muscles that are critical for continence. Thus, surgical removal of all but the smallest anal cancers will require a colostomy. For this reason, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation is more commonly used to treat localized anal cancers. Because of the association between anal cancer and other cancers, such as tonsillar cancer, with HPV infection, it is expected that the incidence of these cancers may decrease with the use of HPV vaccines. HPV vaccination is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for females ages 9 to 26 and was recently approved in males ages 9 to 26 as well.
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Can I Prevent Muscle Loss, or Sarcopenia?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 10, 2009 Comment (2)I'm getting older and am concerned about sarcopenia. Is there anything I should be doing to prevent age-related muscle loss?
Sarcopenia is the normal process of losing muscle mass as one ages. Studies indicate that up to about age 50 you will lose an estimated 4 percent of strength and muscle mass per decade. After that, the loss increases to about 10 percent per decade. By age 60, the average man will have lost approximately one third of his muscle mass. This dramatic loss can be reduced and to some extent delayed if you increase strength training with age. My recommendations for the breakdown of an exercise regimen are:Age Cardiovascular
TrainingMusculoskeletal
Conditioning30s 80% 20% 40s 70% 30% 50s 60% 40% Over 60 55% 45%
