So That's Why It's So Tough to Quit; A Gene Therapy Win Against Cancer; One More Reason to Love Aspirin...; ...And to Bypass a Different Painkiller
So That's Why It's So Tough to Quit
Cigarettes are packing a bigger punch. That's the finding issued last week by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which requires manufacturers selling cigarettes in the state to report on nicotine content annually. Of 116 brands analyzed, 92 delivered more of the addictive substance in 2004 than in 1998. On average, 10 percent more nicotine is getting to smokers' lungs; three Doral 85 brands passed the 30 percent mark. Cigarettes with the lowest levels: Doral Ultra-Light Kings and Winston Ultra-Light Kings. Though tar content is largely responsible for lung cancer and emphysema, nicotine raises heart rate and blood pressure-and makes it hard to quit. People using nicotine patches or gum may have to start with a larger dose. "Health providers need to take this into account when prescribing nicotine aids," says Donna Rheaume, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health. - Deborah Kotz
A Gene Therapy Win Against Cancer
By adding cancer-fighting genes to ordinary immune system cells, researchers have saved two end-stage melanoma patients who had perhaps three months to live. "One had tumors in his liver, his lymph nodes, and his neck," says Steven Rosenberg, a specialist in tumor immunology at the National Cancer Institute. "Every other treatment had failed." Those tumors are now gone, Rosenberg and his colleagues reported online last week in Science. Regular immune cells have difficulty even finding cancer, but researchers inserted genes that gave cells search-and-destroy skills. An additional 15 patients have died or are close to death, so the treatment "isn't ready for prime time," Rosenberg says. But stronger anticancer genes, now available, could improve the response, says Steven Albelda, who runs a gene therapy program at the University of Pennsylvania. More information on this therapy is at www.clinical trials.gov. - Josh Fischman
One More Reason to Love Aspirin...
Men who take aspirin regularly to safeguard their hearts might be gaining prostate protection too. Research released last week by the Mayo Clinic found a daily dose of aspirin or another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug cut the risk of developing an enlarged prostate in half. It also lowered the likelihood of frequent nighttime urination. Lead researcher Jennifer St. Sauver, an epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, believes while the study subjects were Caucasian, the benefits should apply to men of other races. The researchers caution against automatically boosting aspirin intake, as NSAIDs can cause stomach ulcers. - Sarah Baldauf
...And to Bypass a Different Painkiller
Two new studies in the New England Journal of Medicine show that it's too risky for most people to rely on the NSAID Celebrex to protect them against colon cancer. The painkiller did reduce the recurrence of colon polyps by 66 percent but raised the risk of heart failure, heart attack, or stroke by two to three times. Note: The study looked at dosages two to four times what a person with arthritis would normally take. - Deborah Kotz
This story appears in the September 11, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.