One in six cancers is caused by treatable infections

Infections cause approximately 2 million cases of cancer per year and are responsible for about 1.5 million of the 7.5 million cancer deaths worldwide, according to a study published in the journal Lancet Oncology.

"Infections with certain viruses, bacteria, and parasites are one of the biggest and preventable causes of cancer worldwide," the researchers wrote

The researchers examined a wide variety of cancer records, including a database on incidence of 27 types of cancer in 184 countries. They found that in 2008, approximately 16 percent of all cancers diagnosed could be attributed to infection. The rate of infection-related cancers was, on average, three times higher in developing countries than in richer ones, but the specifics varied widely. For example, only 3.3 percent of cancers in Australia and New Zealand could be attributed to infection, compared with a whopping 32.7 percent of all cancers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nearly all infection-related cancers (1.9 million) were caused by one of four infectious agents: Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium of the gastrointestinal tract; the human papillomavirus (HPV); and the viruses hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

These microbes are mostly responsible for gastric, cervical and liver cancers, respectively. Approximately 50 percent of women's infection-related cancers occur in the cervix, while approximately 80 percent of men's occur in the liver, stomach and colon.

Mere infection with one of the cancer-related microbes does not guarantee the development of cancer, however.

"One thing that infection-associated cancers have in common is that a chronic infection is required," researcher Martyn Plummer said. "It takes decades for an infection to progress to cancer."

Many commentators noted that the findings give hope for dramatically reducing global cancer rates.

"Application of existing public-health methods for infection prevention, such as vaccination, safer injection practice, or antimicrobial treatments, could have a substantial effect on future burden of cancer worldwide," the researchers wrote

"The findings show the potential for preventive and therapeutic programs in less developed countries to significantly reduce the global burden of cancer and the vast disparities across regions and countries," said Harvard's Goodarz Danaei, who was not involved in the study.

"Since effective and relatively low-cost vaccines for HPV and HBV are available, increasing coverage should be a priority for health systems in high-burden countries."

A New HPV Vaccine Push?

Danaei was not alone in responding to the study with a call for increased use of the controversial and potentially dangerous HPV vaccine. Referring to the HPV shot, Otis Brawley of the American Cancer Society (ACS) said, "The more people you vaccinate, male and female, the more likely you are to get a population that doesn't have the disease."

Many countries now recommend the HPV vaccine for all girls aged 11 or 12, or for unvaccinated women under the age of 27. More and more agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are now recommending it for boys, as well. But a 2011 study in the Annals of Medicine warned that this pro-vaccination push may be driven by financial concerns and bad science.

In particular, the authors warned that clinical trials of Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil used two different placebos as a way to conceal the true rates of serious side effects, and that the vaccines have never been proven effective at lowering cervical cancer rates or mortality.

"The medical profession has presented partial information to the public, namely, in a way that generates fear, thus promoting vaccine uptake," researchers Lucija Tomljenovic and Christopher Shaw of the University of British Columbia-Vancouver wrote.

"Medical and regulatory entities worldwide continue to provide inaccurate information regarding cervical cancer risk and the usefulness of HPV vaccines, thereby making informed consent regarding vaccination impossible to achieve."

Sources for this article include:

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.cbsnews.com

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/036024_infections_cancer_prevention.html#ixzz1wV0T38Ep

Deadly strain of MRSA now resistant to a last-line antibiotic used to treat infections

A deadly strain of a hospital superbug has become resistant to a last-line antibiotic used to treat infections, scientists have warned. Although it has not spread so far, doctors said 'the risk that MRSA could eventually overwhelm even our last-line drugs is a very serious one' branding it 'a dangerous organism in hospitals.' American researchers have found since 2002 there have been 12 cases of the antibiotic resistant superbug CC5.

A deadly cluster of MRSA bacteria. A type called CC5 has become proficient at picking up resistance gene

It has become proficient at picking up resistance genes including the one that makes it resistant to vancomycin - the last line of defence for hospital-acquired infections.

Researcher Jim Sliwa said: 'MRSA strains are leading causes of hospital-acquired infections in the United States, and clonal cluster 5 (CC5) is the predominant lineage responsible for these infections.

'Since 2002, there have been 12 cases of vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) infection in the United States - all CC5 strains.'Vancomycin is a key last-line bactericidal drug for treating these infections.' 

In the study researchers sequenced the genomes of all available vancomycin-resistant MRSA strains to find what distinguishes them from other lineages and why CC5 is apparently more adept than other strains at picking up vancomycin resistance.

Vancomycin-resistant MRSA strains and other CC5 lineages have some important differences from other types of MRSA, including adaptations that allow them to co-exist with other types of bacteria and may help them take up foreign DNA.It was found they lacked a set of genes that encode an antibiotic protein made by bacteria to kill other bacteria. Mr Sliwa said: 'This is important because it enables CC5 to get along well with other bacteria in mixed infections. 

'Instead of killing off competing organisms, CC5 aims to co-exist. This enables it to pick up genes - like the one that encodes vancomycin resistance - from unexpected places. 'Mixed infections are breeding grounds for antibiotic resistance because they encourage the exchange of genes among very different kinds of organisms.'In roughly the place where these bacteriocin genes are missing is a unique cluster of genes that encode enterotoxins - proteins that attack the human host and, again, could make it easier for mixed populations of bacteria to grow at infection sites.' Researchers also discovered CC5 has a mutation in a gene which is known to influence the ability to assimilate foreign DNA. He added: 'This makes CC5 a dangerous organism in hospitals. 

'In hospitals, pathogens are under continuous pressure from antibiotics to survive and evolve, and CC5 isolates appear to be very well adapted to succeed by acquiring new resistances. 'Frequent use of antibiotics in hospital patients could select for strains like CC5 that have an enhanced ability to co-exist with bacteria that provide genes for antibiotic resistance.'The findings are published by the American Society for Microbiology.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2147653/Deadly-strain-MRSA-resistant-line-antibiotic-used-treat-infections.html#ixzz1vvZLhqCe

Licorice root proven effective against oral infections

A new study indicates that dried licorice root is effective against the bacteria which causes tooth decay and gum disease, both of which can lead to tooth loss. Reporting their findings in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Natural Products, researchers say that that two substances in dried licorice root may help prevent and treat tooth decay and gum disease.

Traditional healing, modern science

The dried root of the licorice plant has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Practitioners of TCM use dried licorice root for a variety of health concerns: to treat coughs, ulcers, sore throat, arthritis, lupus, liver disorders, food poisoning and diabetes. Licorice is known by herbalists to possess antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties. The medicinally used root is not an ingredient in the licorice candy sold in the US which uses the similarly flavored anise oil.

As modern medicine slowly begins to accept that traditional healing traditions have value, many herbal remedies proven by centuries of efficacy have been examined using scientific standards. In a previous study, clinical trials indicated that an injectable form of licorice root was effective against hepatitis C. However, mainstream medicine still has not officially approved licorice root as a treatment for any condition.

Corporate funding for herbal study

The recent study is a striking instance of strange bedfellows. In this case, corporate profits proved to be the champion of traditional herbal wisdom. The lead researcher for the study is Stefan Gafner, PhD, a scientist employed by Tom's of Maine which markets natural personal care products, including toothpaste and dental floss. The company, started on a shoestring in 1970, was purchased by multinational conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive in 2006.

Gafner and his fellow researchers analyzed licorice root to identify the compounds work against bacteria. They found that two compounds, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, offered the strongest anti-bacterial benefits. Both substances were shown to kill two of the major bacteria that were responsible for promoting gum disease. Licoricidin was also found to kill a third bacteria responsible for gum disease. In their article, the researchers say that these two licorice substances may treat or even prevent the oral infections which lead to tooth loss.

Establishing licorice root's ability to fight oral infections will help many people. Statistics from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research indicate that nearly 92% of American adults and seniors have had some form of tooth decay in 59% of teens and 42% of children aged 11. More than 80% of adults in the US may have gum disease, often without knowing it. Gum disease, which in extreme cases can result in tooth loss, is also a risk factor in many types of heart and lung disease.

If you plan to use licorice to improve your oral hygiene, remember that natural remedies should be used with informed awareness. Herbal experts recommend that people with high blood pressure or heart disease exercise caution and not take large amounts of licorice over extended periods. Also, the herb is not recommended for pregnant women. Like most herbs, licorice root can interact with some prescription drugs, causing side-effects.

It is good to read about a corporate conglomerate's profit motive put to good use for once, validating the wisdom of traditional herbal healing. It will be interesting to see if Colgate-Palmolive applies the information from this study to the oral hygiene products other than the Tom's of Maine line. Many Colgate-Palmolive products use toxic chemicals including triclosan and fluoride. The conglomerate is still viewed negatively by many environmental activists, both for its marketing of disposable plastic products and for its New Jersey plant's contribution to groundwater pollution. However, the company has made improvements in the past; for instance, declaring a moratorium on animal testing in 1999 following protests by animal rights groups.

Sources: naturalnews.com

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120104115106.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fhealth_medicine%2Falternative_medicine+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Health+%26+Medicine+News+--+Alternative+Medicine%29

http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/gancao-properties.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/017804.html

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034626_licorice_root_oral_infections_herbs.html#ixzz1jHZv7gsK

Is Cancer a Response to a Fungal Infection?

Dr. Tullio Simoncini proposes that cancer is a response to the fungal infection, candida, which is responsible for the common yeast infections women suffer, especially after taking antibiotics, and thrush, best known as a mouth infection causing a pure white coating on the tongue. He noted that tumours are nearly all white, the color of most fungus, and that candida, a common fungal infection, requires an acidic environment. From there, he concluded that cancer can be destroyed with the application of sodium bicarbonate—humble baking soda.

Click here to watch a video of Dr. Simoncini explaining his theory, complete with images demonstrating the fungal nature of cancer.

He claims to be able to cure most cancers by applying sodium bicarbonate to the tumour. There's a clear logic that says this may be true. If diagnosed with cancer, the strongest treatment, application via catheter applied directly to the tumour, can be provided only by a mainstream doctor, someone who is unlikely to be willing to provide such a treatment. However, Dr. Simoncini and others believe that sodium bicarbonate taken orally can also help treat cancer.

Mainstream medicine and Big Pharma, which are dependent on expensive drugs and treatments, have little interest in finding out if a fungus is the cause of cancer and if baking soda can treat it. At this point, only those who apply the treatment know for sure. Of course, funding for such research is in very short supply, so researchers aren't rushing to do studies—not that medical journals would rush to publish articles about it. Therefore, it's up to the alternative treatment world to try to determine whether it makes sense.

The logic is clear. Candida is a common infection that can easily become systemic. It thrives in an acidic environment and quickly dies in an alkaline one. Dr. Simoncini, among others, has noted that candida is nearly always found in conjunction with cancer. Medical research has documented that the immediate environment of tumours is acidic. Dr. Simoncini, who is an oncologist, reasoned that a tumour is the body's attempt to sequester and remove candida infections.

He pictures it like this: Candida spreads throughout the body, with particular focus on connective tissues in organs. The body responds by attempting to sequester the fungus, especially when it invades critical spaces deep inside organs.The fungus spreads—metastasizes—and new tumours develop as the body continues to respond to the invasion. The more this happens, the more the affected person becomes weak and exhausted. Eventually, the result is severe debilitation and death by "cancer".

Antifungal drugs are not a solution. Their effectiveness has always been limited, but worse, even that is being lost to drug-resistant fungus. Clearly, another solution needs to be found. Fortunately, in terms of prevention, there are excellent techniques.

Author: by Heidi Stevenson