Another great reason to exercise - your sex life

By Andrea Bradford Ph.D. on August 14, 2012 12:05 PM | Comments (0)

Regular physical activity is known to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer and other serious diseases. Often overlooked, though, is the potential for exercise to boost one's sex life.

In men, regular physical activity offers protection against erectile dysfunction and may even be helpful in reversing it. A 1990 randomized trial found that men who participated in a vigorous exercise program had more frequent sex, improved erectile function and more satisfying orgasms than men in the control group, whose activity levels changed very little.

More recent clinical trials showed that similar benefits may extend not only to healthy men, but also to men with obesity and chronic heart failure. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004, researchers found that nearly one-third of obese men who already had erectile dysfunction were able to substantially improve their sexual function through a program of diet and exercise.

Although comparable trials have not been carried out in women, surveys of premenopausal and postmenopausal women have found links between physical activity and better sexual function.

Increased blood flow
Laboratory studies also show that exercise just before sexual stimulation can improve blood flow to the genitals, which may enhance sexual arousal and orgasm.

Women who take certain types of common antidepressants (serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) often notice decreased feelings of sexual desire and sexual arousal and sometimes have problems reaching orgasm.

Can exercise benefit these women as well?

Yes, say Tierney Lorenz, a doctoral candidate, and Cindy Meston, Ph.D., professor of psychology, both at the University of Texas at Austin. In a study published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the researchers found that 20 minutes of vigorous treadmill exercise just before sexual stimulation enhanced blood flow responses measured in a laboratory.

In a follow-up study, not yet published, Lorenz found that these benefits of exercise translate to real-life benefits for women who take antidepressants. Women on antidepressants who exercised vigorously three times per week showed overall improvement in their sexual function. Certain groups of women especially benefitted from exercising shortly before sexual activity.

Improve mood and body image
The benefits of exercise include not only better blood flow but also improved mood, better body image, and stress reduction -- all of which can also affect sexual function and satisfaction. Although studies of exercise and sexual function have not included cancer survivors, there are good reasons to believe that many cancer survivors can enjoy similar benefits.

For more information about including more exercise in your lifestyle, visit http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-topics/prevention-and-screening/exercise/index.html

Two genes predict tumor's progression to invasive breast cancer

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By Jon Bardin

November 28, 2012, 1:15 p.m.

A new genetic test may help determine whether a small tumor in the breast is likely to turn in to full-blown breast cancer, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The small tumor, called a ductal carcinoma in-situ, or DCIS, resides in the milk ducts and is generally considered pre-cancerous. But according to the study, DCIS lesions left untreated will eventually progress to breast cancer in about 50% of patients. The lesions, which tend to be small and only detectable via mammogram, have become increasingly common as mammography has become more widespread.

Given that about 50% of women with DCIS will not progress to breast cancer, researchers have begun focusing on determining which half is which.

• Study questions value of mammography screening
• To screen or not to screen
• Is breast cancer overdiagnosed?

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In the new study, carried out by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, researchers looked to see whether the absence of genes that have been previously identified as tumor suppressors might increase the likelihood that a DCIS lesion would progress to invasive breast cancer.

In particular, they focused on two genes: RB and PTEN, both of which have been previously associated with breast cancer progression. The researchers studied the tissue of 236 women who had had surgery to eliminate the tumor without removal of the whole breast, a technique called breast-conserving surgery.

The team found that only one of the tumor suppression genes -- RB -- was significantly associated with progression to invasive breast cancer, while PTEN showed a slight association. But when both genes were turned off, patients were five times more likely to have their DCIS tumor progress to full-blown invasive breast cancer: While only 10% of patients with both RB and PTEN turned on developed invasive breast cancer, 53% of those with both genes turned off developed cancer.

The researchers believe the finding could provide a method to personalize the care of patients with DCIS by applying more aggressive therapies to those who have the genes turned off.

Return to the Booster Shots blog.

Copyright © 2012, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-two-genes-associated-with-breast-cancer-progression-20121128,0,1457993.story

Genetic Testing: What Patients Should Know

Network - Winter 2011

By Mary Brolley

When Banu Arun, M.D., explains her work, she starts with the basics.

An expert in genetics — specifically the genes involved in mutations that raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancers — Arun is a professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology and co-director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program at MD Anderson.

First, she notes that a person’s lifetime risk of cancer is one out of two for men, one out of three for women. To add context, she might add that in 2010, an estimated 1.5 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer.

Of those who do get cancer, only 5% to 10% will do so by inheriting a mutated gene.

In fact, nine out of 10 people who develop cancer do so simply because they:

    • get older

    • fit into a higher-risk category due to smoking, obesity or alcohol abuse

    • have a predisposing condition such as HIV infection 

    • have any combination of these factors

Still, for the small proportion of patients at risk of inheriting cancer, genetic testing is an area of growing awareness and interest.

Genetic testing involves taking a blood sample. It may take several weeks to get the results. Though some patients worry that test results might be used against them, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act provisions prohibit group plans from using genetic information to determine eligibility or establish a preexisting condition.

Arun believes that before deciding whether to undergo testing, people should first speak with a genetic counselor.

“They’re specially trained to do a risk assessment with a patient,” she says. “And deciding to see a counselor doesn’t mean you have to go through testing. They’ll discuss the benefits and limits of being tested in each case.”

“For example, only about 10% of breast cancer types are inherited. The rest are what we call ‘sporadic’ — that is, they occur because of a confluence of factors.”

But what if there is a family history of cancer?

First, make a family tree

Sketch out your birth family, noting whether anyone was diagnosed with and/or died of cancer, and at what age. Then go back as far as you can, filling in as many details as possible on earlier generations.

The red flags for hereditary predisposition are finding relatives who contracted cancer before turning 50 years old and/or had more than one primary cancer. 

Other warning signs are many family members with the same or a related cancer and multiple generations affected.

A positive result carries big weight because it means the person has a greater lifetime risk of developing cancer, and doing so at a younger age.

The best person to test is likely the person with cancer, Arun says. “Once we identify the mutation that caused her cancer, we can test first-degree relatives — mother, sisters, daughters — to see if they also carry it.”

Among the most common hereditary mutations are BRCA1 and BRCA2, which have been identified as breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility genes.

“It can be helpful for women to know their gene status before beginning treatment,” she says. “For example, a woman identified as carrying one of the BRCA mutations might consider a range of options, from treatment for the affected breast and surveillance on the other, to a prophylactic mastectomy.

“And once a woman knows she has the mutation, she can get more intensive screenings, including those for ovarian cancer, earlier.”

Though it’s her passion — her calling — Arun knows that genetic testing isn’t the answer for every cancer patient.

Limits, benefits of testing

The tests can only provide information about a person’s risks of developing this type of cancer.

Not all of the genes associated with hereditary cancer have been identified. Not all gene mutations may be detectable. Results can be inconclusive. And costs, which range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, might not be covered by insurance.

But for some patients, the tests provide crucial knowledge. Those who test positive for a known cancer-causing mutation might find that their initial disappointment and dread are followed by a resolve to meet the risks head-on with increased vigilance and enhanced screening.

In families that carry the mutated gene, those who test negative are relieved that their health and that of their children is less at risk.

Arun says that even these clients contribute to the Clinical Cancer Genetics Program’s research, which includes identification of new chemopreventive agents and several Phase II prevention studies.

“A number of young women we test agree to let us keep their blood samples for research. We’re so thankful for that,” she says.

http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/network/issues/2011-winter/genetic-testing-the-basics.html

Dramatic News in Breast Cancer Research

by COLUMBIA SURGERY on OCTOBER 3, 2012

The latest scientific research has confirmed that breast cancer can be categorized into four specific types, depending on its genetic root. Perhaps even more significantly, the study revealed distinctive genetic changes that feed not only breast cancer but many other kinds of cancer.

“We’ve known for awhile that there are several breast cancers, and we’ve talked about four subtypes,” says Sheldon Marc Feldman, MD, Chief, Division of Breast Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. “But this study teaches us it’s more complicated than we thought. It shows that even within subtypes, there can be a lot of genetic variation. It explains why some patients with the same subtype of cancer respond to one kind of treatment and others don’t.”

A September 23 New York Times article, Study Divides Breast Cancer Into Four Distinct Types, reported “The study is the first comprehensive genetic analysis of breast cancer, which kills more than 35,000 women a year in the United States. The new paper, and several smaller recent studies, are electrifying the field. The investigators identified at least 40 genetic alterations that might be attacked by drugs. Many of them are already being developed for other types of cancer that have the same mutations.”

Dr. Feldman explained this means that one kind of breast cancer is actually more similar to a certain kind of ovarian or even lung cancer than it is to another breast cancer. He predicts the day will come when “we won’t talk about breast cancer or pancreatic cancer or lung cancer but rather cancer with these particular genetic characteristics. Treatments won’t be specific to organs. Instead we’ll treat according to genomic differences.”

One part of the national Cancer Genome Atlas, the study analyzed breast tumors in 825 patients with non-metastatic cancer. The goal was to pinpoint genetic mutations that can be destroyed before the cancer spreads.

“I strongly agree with the researchers who believe this study illuminates where we’re going in terms of treatment: that we might cure breast cancer,” says Dr. Feldman. “Now we have the possibility of finding additional targets, and if we can find agents that hit those targets precisely, no one will need surgery. It will be like pulling out a plant by the roots instead of treating it with root killer, getting at what is causing the cancer.”

Although nothing about this study would make Dr. Feldman treat patients any differently immediately, he already uses commercially available genomic profiles including Oncodx and Mammaprint in his practice at NYP/Columbia to help determine how likely it is the breast cancer will spread and whether or not chemotherapy is necessary.

Dr. Feldman adds, “No doubt discovering more genetic targets that drive cancer cell growth will improve our ability to treat patients with medications that are specific to their cancer. For someone like me who has been in this field a long time, it’s incredibly inspiring and exciting, to really begin to believe we’re going to see the end of this disease.”

http://www.columbiasurgery.net/2012/10/03/dramatic-news-in-breast-cancer-research/

Robyn | November 28, 2012

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Suggestions for Living with Cancer

Been diagnosed with cancer?…. Now what??
Image credit: 123RF Stock Photo

This guest post was written by Valerie Johnston of Healthline.  Healthline is a medical search engine that provides trusted health information, free tools, news and doctor-reviewed resources that encourage a healthy living.  Valerie is a health and fitness writer from East Texas and has ambitions of one day running a marathon.

Being diagnosed with cancer is unquestionably a scary experience. You may wonder how to cope with all of the emotions that you are feeling. Most peopleliving with cancer feel afraid, anxious, sad, and overwhelmed. While there is no way to make your diagnosis disappear, there are many things that you can do to take greater control over your feelings and your situation.

Stay Proactive

The last thing that you want to do when you’ve been diagnosed with cancer is to spiral downwards emotionally and to feel completely helpless. It’s completely natural and healthy to feel angry, upset, and sad about your diagnosis, but also important to not let yourself sink down into a pit of despair. Staying proactive will give you a sense of control. Learn as much as you can about the type of cancer that you have, treatment methods (both conventional and alternative), and don’t hesitate to ask your doctor questions.

Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Living with cancer can bring about a host of symptoms that deplete your energy levels, your physical well-being, and your state of mind. Now is a better time than ever to improve your health in any way possible. Ask your doctor about an appropriate exercise plan that you can follow. Exercise will boost your energy levels, help you to achieve a positive state of mind, manage stress, and improve many aspects of your physical health.

Consume a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet that includes plenty of foods high in antioxidants is very important for people living with cancer. Antioxidants are the “free radical scavengers” in your body. Free radicals are very harmful to the cellular processes of the body. By consuming foods high in antioxidants, you will promote a healthier immune system, which is very important for people with cancer.

Seek Emotional Support

Even if you are one of those people who never complains when sick, now is not a time to let pride get in the way of seeking outside support from friends and family. The people you are closest to are also experiencing their own emotions about your illness. Keeping your lines of communication open will be beneficial for everyone. Creating a support group of family members and friends can help you to cope with your emotions and to receive help as needed. As a group, you can gain strength and support from one another. There are also support groups available for people living with cancer. Wherever you seek support from, it will be helpful in boosting your mood, which will benefit your physical health as well.

Prepare for the Changes Ahead

Part of successfully coping with cancer is to be realistic about the changes ahead. Some treatment methods, such as chemotherapy, will cause physical changes such as hair loss. Participate in online and conventional cancer support groups to find out what other people have done to prepare for these changes. For example, preparing ahead of time by purchasing hairpieces or an attractive hat will help you to feel more comfortable as changes occur. Anticipating changes will help you to adapt while maintaining your emotional well-being.

Create Your Own Coping Strategies

As with anything in life, everyone is different when it comes to coping with cancer. What works for one person may not be ideal for you. Use a journal to keep track of the different strategies that you use. Don’t be afraid of experimenting. Your current struggle may offer a prime opportunity to try new life-enhancing activities. Maintain your current healthy relationships and activities, while casting a wider net on life’s opportunities. Seek spiritual guidance, try new relaxation techniques, and remember to stay active in living life while taking one day at a time.

http://cancerhawk.com/2012/11/28/suggestions-for-living-with-cancer

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/new-study-finds-evidence-of-chemo-brain/

New Study Finds Evidence Of Chemo Brain

November 27, 2012 6:07 AM

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ReportingDr. Brian McDonough

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breast cancer, Chemo Brain,Chemotherapy, CT Scan,Medical Editor Dr. Brian McDonough, PET Scan

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By Dr. Brian McDonough

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — For years, many cancer patients have claimed they don’t think quite as clearly after chemotherapy as they did prior to the treatment.

It is a condition called Chemo Brain, and for a long time, many people thought it didn’t exist. Now, according to new information based on a retrospective study which looked at brain scans from 128 breast cancer patients, the PET and CT scans showed there were changes in brain metabolism after chemotherapy, suggestive of an effect on the brain.

This is important, because it supports the concerns that many patients have had, and it also will allow scientists and physicians treating patients to take a look at Chemo Brain and find ways to offset it.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/new-study-finds-evidence-of-chemo-brain/