The American Cancer Society gave the state an “F” because it’s one of only a few states without any laws requiring insurance providers to cover the cost of a colorectal cancer screening.

ACS numbers show colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Wisconsin. But it can be prevented through screening.

Not all companies cover the exams, forcing some people to choose between paying for the test or not getting one.

But things could change. Wisconsin lawmakers are set to vote on a bill that would make all state-regulated providers cover the cost of a routine screening.

“People in Wisconsin want their lawmakers to do everything they can to combat cancer in this state and there’s no reason they should continue to accept an ‘F’ grade on this matter,” said Bob Meyer, Wisconsin Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society.

Colorectal surgeon Song

Two soft drinks a week may double the risk of getting pancreatic cancer, according to a recent study.

The soda industry strongly disagreed with the study, calling it flawed and showing other research that did not find an association between soda drinking and pancreatic cancer.

”People who drank two or more soft drinks a week had an 87% increased risk – or nearly twice the risk – of pancreatic cancer compared to individuals consuming no soft drinks,” says study lead author Noel T. Mueller, MPH, a research associate at the Cancer Control Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research has published the study.

Cancer of the pancreas was found in over 40,000 people in America in 2009, according to American Cancer Society estimates, and about 35,000 deaths from the disease were expected. The pancreas lies beneath the stomach and creates the hormone insulin to balance blood sugar. It also produces juices with enzymes in order to break down fats and proteins.

Video on pancreatic cancer

Prior studies showed mixed conclusions as to the connection of of soft drinks boosts the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Mueller and his associates studied 60,524 men and women enrolled in a Singapore Chinese Health Study, which began in the early 1990’s, for up to 14 years, to observe their diet and whether they got cancer.

They asked all participants about food intake, including sodas and juices. Mueller says the researchers didn’t ask specifically about diet soda consumption, but that most of the soda drunk was regular or sweetened.

In Singapore at that time, Mueller says, there was very little intake of diet soda.

“We followed the participants for 14 plus years, keeping track of different cancers,” he tells WebMD.

They found 140 cases of pancreatic cancer and looked back to see if there was an association with sodas or juices.

The researchers divided the consumption of sodas and juices into three categories: none, less than two servings a week, or two or more servings a week.

Those who drank two or more a week — the average number was five — had the 87% increased risk, Mueller tells WebMD.

No link was found between juices and pancreatic cancer risk.

Why is there an association with soft drinks? Mueller says they are not certain. “What we believe is the sugar in the soft drinks is increasing the insulin level in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth. That increase in insulin is what may be leading to the development of the cancer.”

His team adjusted for other risk factors, such as advancing age, smoking, diabetes, and body mass index. It is well known that the risk for pancreatic cancer rises with age.

Here are the 10 ways.

1. Moderate your alcohol consumption: drinking alcohol increases the risks of cancers of the pharynx, mouth, larynx, rectum, esophagus, colon, and liver. Women should limit themselves to one alcoholic beverage per day. Men should limit themselves to two.

2. Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables: The American Cancer Society recommendation is to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily since they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other substances that decrease the risk of cancer. Recent studies have shown that the connection between eating vegetables and fruits and lower risk of cancer risk isn’t as strong as once thought. However the majority of researchers still subscribe to the idea that a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to secure overall health.

3. Think about chemoprevention: Chemoprevention is using natural or synthetic compounds to reduce the cancer risk or recurrence. Tamoxifen, prescribed to prevent breast cancer in women, is the most famous chemoprevention agent. The downside: chemoprevention drugs may have serious side effects.

4. Decrease the amount of fat in your diet: Studies suggest that high-fat diets are linked to several types of cancer, including postmenopausal breast, colon, and lung cancer. High-fat diets are usually high in calories and increase the risk of obesity. More study is required to understand which types of fat should be avoided and what amount effects cancer risk.

5. Stay within your ideal weight zone: Being overweight will tend to increase the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer as well as cancers of the endometrium, colon, esophagus and kidney. There have been studies showing that obesity increases the risk of cancers of the prostate, liver, stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, ovary and cervix. Some studies estimate that excess weight is a factor in 15 to 20 percent of cancer-related deaths.

6. Get screening exams: Pap tests, mammograms, colonoscopies and other routine screenings obviously don’t prevent cancer. But screenings will detect cancers early, when treatment is more likely to be successful.

7. Exercise: Evidence increasingly suggests that people who exercise have lower risk of certain cancers than those who are sedentary. From 45 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day, on most days of the week, is considered optimal to decrease the risk of breast and colorectal cancers.

8. Limit radiation exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, from the sun, sunlamps or commercial tanning beds, is the primary cause of skin cancer.

9. Stop smoking or don’t start smoking: The risk of cancers caused by smoking is proportional with the length of time a person has smoked and the quantity of cigarettes smoked. Lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death among Americans is caused by smoking. Quitting smoking decreases the risk of lung cancer and it is never too late to take action on this.

10. Guard yourself from infection: Infections caused by viruses are well known to be risk factors for a wide variety of cancers. Human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted disease, is the most frequent cause of cervical cancer. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C aggravate the risk of liver cancer. They are usually spread by contact with contaminated blood, contaminated needles or sex. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that leads to AIDS, additionally increase the risk of many cancers.

Breast cancer often can be treated with early detection. That’s why health insurance that pays for mammograms is especially important. But mammography rates declined between 2003 and 2005, with a notable decrease for Hispanic women (from 65 percent to 59 percent) and African-American women (from 70 percent to 65 percent). Never mind the controversy over mammograms for women under 50; an estimated one in five women over 50 has not received a mammogram in the past two years.

Everyone needs health insurance to keep healthy, yet women are disproportionately underinsured. An estimated 21 million women and girls went without health insurance in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And a recent congressional report found that 18 percent of all women not eligible for Medicare are uninsured.

Why are so many women left uncovered? Perhaps it’s because many medical situations faced by women are treated as pre-existing conditions, including breast cancer. The National Cancer Institute estimated that in 2004 approximately 2.4 million women had a history of breast cancer. Without continuing coverage, cancer survivors face steep risks.

Health Insurance Facts: Fighting Cancer With No Insurance

Why are women falling behind in insurance coverage faster than men? According to the Department of Health and Human Services, various factors restrict women’s access to health care, which include a vast array of “pre-existing conditions” such as breast cancer, pregnancy, caesarian section and domestic violence. In addition, women are less likely to be employed full time, which makes them less likely to be eligible for employer-based health benefits. In fact, fewer than half of women have the option of obtaining employer-based coverage.

Any health care reform proposal should take that into consideration and include access to comprehensive care, including preventative care such as mammograms. Americans, men and women alike, understand this need. A recent poll commissioned by Moving Forward, a values-based research initiative developed by the Women Donors Network and the Communications Consortium, found that a strong majority of voters — 87 percent — think insurance companies should be required to cover women’s preventive care and screenings, such as contraception, Pap tests for cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings.

Public health experts recommend health insurance coverage be universal and available to all regardless of work status, place of residence, health status or other factors unrelated to need. Reform should be aimed at achieving quality outcomes and eliminating disparities as well as at being affordable. Coverage also needs to be continuous from birth until end of life without interruptions or delays, as gaps in existing coverage allow women to fall through the cracks.

Reform will bring health care to more American women and their families than ever before in our nation’s history. Women would do well to learn more about their stake in health care reform. One good resource is www.WomenandHealthCareReform.org. The best thing we can do to end breast cancer is to make sure all health insurance coverage is universal — not limited by exclusions due to pre-existing conditions — and includes preventative care and basic services such as breast and cervical cancer screenings. Let’s create a system that provides health care, not just sick care.

Wendy C. Wolf is a board member of Living Beyond Breast Cancer and Women Donors Network and leads WDN’s effort on reproductive and other health issues.

Cancer prevention step 1: Don’t use tobacco

All types of tobacco put you on a collision course with cancer. Rejecting tobacco, or deciding to stop using it, is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It’s also an important part of cancer prevention.

Smoking has been linked to several types of cancer, including:

Bladder
Cervix
Esophagus
Kidne
Lip
Lung
Mouth
Pancreas
Throat
Voice box (larynx)

Chewing tobacco has been linked to multiple types of cancer, including:

Esophagus
Mouth
Throat

Inhaled chewing tobacco (snuff) may increase the risk of cancers, including:

Esophagus
Mouth

Even if you don’t smoke, avoid exposure to secondhand smoke. Being around others who are smoking may increase your risk of lung cancer.

Cancer prevention step 2: Eat a variety of healthy foods

Though making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can’t guarantee you won’t get cancer, it may help reduce your risk.

The American Cancer Society recommends that you:

Eat an abundance of foods from plant-based sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, eat other foods from plant sources, such as whole grains and beans, several times a day. Replacing high-calorie foods in your diet with fruits and vegetables may help you lose weight or maintain your weight. A diet high in fruits and vegetables has been linked to a reduced risk of cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung and stomach.

Limit fat. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-fat foods, particularly those from animal sources. High-fat diets tend to be higher in calories and may increase the risk of overweight or obesity, which can, in turn, increase cancer risk.

Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Your risk of cancers, including mouth, throat, esophagus, kidney, liver and breast cancers, increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly. Even a moderate amount of drinking — two drinks a day if you’re a man or one drink a day if you’re a woman, and one drink a day regardless of your sex if you’re over 65 — may increase your risk.

Help to Stop Smoking – Mayo Clinic
There are proven treatments that help people stop smoking. Medications and supportive discussion with a health care provider and counseling with a specialist will greatly increase your chances for stopping. In this video, health care providers from the Mayo Clinic describe medication and counseling options and explain how they work to help smokers stop smoking Patients tell how treatment provided for them the help they needed to become and stay smoke-free. There is effective treatment for anyone who smokes. Visit the Mayo Clinic website.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature fundraising event, tasking its participants all around the country to celebrate survivors, remember those who have lost their lives to the disease and, most especially, to fight back against cancer. The event has been going on for 11 years in Paso Robles and 25 years nationwide.

This year, 44 teams — amounting to roughly 400 participants — took to a makeshift track at River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles, each team committed to have at least one person on the track at all times for 24 hours.

Relay for Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will have support and that one day cancer will be eliminated, according to the ACS. Moreover, the event raises both awareness and funds for ACS, which will be utilized for cancer research and services for patients facing cancer.

Paso Robles Mayor Duane Picanco thanked the hundreds of Paso Robles Relay participants for their commitment to stamping out cancer, a disease that will be diagnosed in an estimated 1,479,350 people in 2009 alone, according to the ACS.

“None of us are immune to this particular disease,” Picanco told the crowd. “We all know family and friends who have it and who have had it.”

In acknowledgment of the ACS’ mission, the effort of the event’s participants and the dedication of dozens of local volunteers that made the Paso Robles Relay for Life event possible, Picanco offered organizers a proclamation issued by the Paso Robles City Council, which declared Relay for Life to be a “meaningful, worthwhile event.”

First District Supervisor Frank Mecham was also on hand with an offer of appreciation from the county of San Luis Obispo.

“There are two things that I told my kids all through their life, that every morning you need to wake up with two things: hope and purpose; without them, there is nothing else,” he told team members who gathered for Opening Ceremonies. “You provide that hope and you provide the purpose by which we seek the means to address this terrible disease.”

Mecham himself lost both of his parents to cancer; his mother succumbed to the disease just over a year-and-a-half ago. It was in the same spirit of remembrance that other participants were inspired to dedicate themselves to the cause, as daughters walked in memory of their mothers, sisters in honor of their lost brothers and parents for children whose lives were cut short by cancer. And while there are tears shed for those who have passed on, every step taken by participants was strengthened by a hope for a future without the ravages of cancer.

“I lost my mother 21 years ago to a dreadful disease there was no hope for,” said Paso Robles Relay For Life volunteer chairperson Julie Aikenhead. “I have a friend today who has that same disease and for five years he has had hope. That is why we Relay.”

The enduring strength of cancer survivors is also lauded during the event. Each Relay for Life event across the country starts off with a lap by cancer survivors, some of them still immersed in their fight against the disease. At one time, Caroline Mercado of Templeton was given two weeks to live during her second battle against lung cancer, on Saturday she marched at the head of the group of survivors during the first lap in her role as Relay for Life ambassador. She is now a five-year survivor of the disease. Organizer Liberty Lowe praised the bravery and strength of all those, like Mercado, who have fought cancer.

“After watching my mom battle the ups and downs of cancer for almost five years, I have seen that it takes an extraordinary person to battle this evil called cancer,” she said. “With that, each and every survivor is remarkable.”

San Miguel resident Charlotte Holloway has now walked the survivors lap for two years in a row. She has been free of cancer for 18 months.

“It is very emotional, because I think I am totally in-check and then you look around at different people . . .” she trailed off, throwing up her hands in the air to communicate a depth of emotions not expressible in words.

It was Holloway’s struggle with cancer that prompted members of the SLO County Trailblazers, an all-women’s horse riding club, to get involved in Relay for Life.

“She was the inspiration for us having a team last year and then we found out there are more people [in our club who are survivors],” said team captain Alyssa Rigby.

They won a prize for the best decorated campsite in 2008 and were back this year to live up to their reputation. The women of the team transformed their campsite into a façade of an old western saloon, complete with swinging doors. From their home base, team members passed out educational information on cancer and sold items to raise more money for cancer research. Each of the 44 teams involved in Relay undertook a similar “Fight Back” activity.

At the official ACS “Fight Back” booth, volunteer Donna Jones, who lost both of her parents to cancer, was encouraging all participants to pledge to do something this year to fight back against cancer.

“We can eat right, we can exercise, we can not smoke and get whatever tests we need,” Jones listed as some of the ways to fight back. “I think prevention is really the answer.”

In many cases, taking preventative measures against cancer are small changes.

“It’s little baby steps that we can start with little kids,” Jones said.

Perhaps the most significant way that participants of Paso Robles Relay for Life fought back against cancer was by signing up for CPS-3, a groundbreaking, long-term cancer prevention study by the ACS to better understand the lifestyle, behavioral, environmental and genetic factors that cause or prevent cancer and to ultimately eliminate cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations. To date, 42,272 people have been enrolled in the historic study, according to the ACS.

Thanks to the Paso Robles Relay

The research released Wednesday is the first to show Iressa can be more effective than chemotherapy as a first-line treatment, and some experts are hopeful it will prompt the Food and Drug Administration to allow wide use of the drug, made by AstraZeneca PLC. Others are skeptical. Though the study shows an effect on cancer growth over one year, the drug’s impact on long-term survival is still in question. Also, the study was done in Asia, and the drug seems to work best with specific patients — Asians, women and nonsmokers who carry a specific gene mutation.

“I’d venture to say that additional studies will be requested in the United States population,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer.

AstraZeneca, which funded the study, is not planning a new push for expanded FDA approval of the drug, a company spokeswoman said. But the company is continuing to share data about the drug with federal health officials, she added.

Iressa is a daily pill that more precisely targets cancer rather than healthy cells. It’s an attractive alternative to standard chemotherapy, which involves trips to a hospital or clinic for infusions of poisonous chemicals that cause nausea and hair loss. In 2003, the FDA approved Iressa as a last-resort treatment for patients with the most common form of lung cancer, called non-small-cell lung cancer. The market was significant: Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other kind of tumor, and the Cancer Society estimates it will cause nearly 160,000 U.S. deaths this year. Non-small-cell lung cancer represents 85 percent of lung cancer cases.

But in 2005, the FDA stopped allowing new patients to go on Iressa after early results from a federally sponsored study failed to show it improved lung cancer patients’ survival rates. Another lung cancer pill, Roche Group’s Tarceva, acts in a way similar to Iressa and remained on the market as a treatment for patients not helped by chemotherapy. There wasn’t widespread outcry at the loss of Iressa because Tarceva remained available, said Dr. Edward Kim, a lung cancer specialist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Interest in Iressa continued, though, as doctors have become increasingly interested in personalized approaches to cancer treatment. Studies have shown some drugs work better in certain breast and colon cancer patients than others, and earlier studies have found that Iressa dramatically shrunk tumors in patients who had lung cancers with a specific genetic mutation. That kind of scenario is observed in only a small fraction of U.S. lung cancer patients, but is much more common in Asia, scientists say.

The latest study was led by Dr. Tony Mok of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and involved about 1,200 patients throughout southeast Asia. The study group included the kind of people most likely to have the mutation, said Dr. Pasi Janne, a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute lung cancer specialist.

The study measured cancer growth within a year after treatment, comparing patients who got Iressa to others who got chemotherapy. After one year, 25 percent on Iressa were alive without their cancer getting worse, as compared to 7 percent of those on chemo. Results were even better in those with the mutation. In those without the mutation, chemotherapy was more effective. The study was published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. A second study released by the journal concluded that large-scale screening of lung cancer patients for the genetic mutation is feasible and can lead to wiser treatment.

Cancer Facts : How Does Lung Cancer Develop? embedded by Sandy Hutchens

Lung cancer develops when smoking, air pollutants and free radical formation damages sensitive lung tissue, causing the cellular DNA to restructure and malfunction. Avoid lung cancer by quitting smoking with information from a doctor in this free video on cancer.

Expert: Dr. David Cathcart
Bio: Dr. David Cathcart specializes in occupational medicine and has an in-depth knowledge of cancer, as well as experience dealing with cancer patients and treatment for multiple years.