Colon-rectal Cancer

The Annals of Internal Medicine published that colonoscopies are still very effective in detecting colon-rectal cancer, but they're only good at doing so in cancers found on the left side [descending] of the colon, not on the right side (ascending). Possible reasons the test favors the left side include the form and structure of the colon's different parts, and the different types of polyps that are commonly found on the right side versus the left side.

The colon has four different parts, including the ascending and descending colon, which are physically very different.

One possibility is the polyps on the left side of the colon are sort of mushroom-shaped with a stem, thus making them easier to see (and to remove). Whereas the right side often has more squatter-looking polyps that don't have stems, or are sometimes flat and thus harder to see.

Other possibilities are that it's harder for an endoscope to reach the right side than the left side, or that the treatment you drink to clean out the colon before you get screened isn't being taken properly or there's a combination of these factors going on.

Colon-rectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, but screening can prevent cancer, because from the time you detect polyps in a colonoscopy, it will take 10 to 15 years to turn into cancer. So, if you remove the polyps before they turn into cancer, you can avoid it altogether

Tumors' Chemical Signal

Leukemia cells use powerful chemical signals to lure healthy blood-forming stem cells into their cancerous lairs, where they lose their power to make healthy blood cells, U.S. researchers said.

But by jamming these signals in mice, the team was able to protect the stem cells, called hematopoietic progenitor cells. If it works in humans, this process could help preserve healthy blood cells in people with leukemia.

Leukemia cells and some solid tumors create specific niches in the bone marrow where they multiply and spread. Healthy blood-making cells also congregate in special bone marrow niches, where they divide and make cells needed to fight infection, control blood clotting and carry oxygen to the body.

Cells that were previously in happy normal homes were actually so attracted by the malignant niches; they were migrating into these tumor cell niches where they were compromised. Their number declines over time and once they were in the malignant niche they couldn't leave it and were stuck there. The cancer overproduces a normally expressed molecule called a stem cell factor, which entices normal stem cells into the cancer niche. When the team blocked the release of this chemical signal with neutralizing antibodies, the blood-making cells went about their normal business.

In anther unrelated French-led international study found that acute myeloid leukemia patients treated with Vidaza (azacitidine) have significantly increased overall survival. Acute myeloid leukemia is a cancer in which abnormal cells accumulate in bone marrow and interfere with normal blood cell production. Patients with AML typically have a poor prognosis and do not respond well to conventional chemotherapy. Noting approximately 30 percent of patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, formerly known as "preleukemia," will progress to AML.

The results from an international phase III trial that was the first to show an increased overall survival for higher-risk MDS patients. The study showed 50 percent of the AML patients who were treated with Vidaza survived at least two years, compared with only 16 percent of patients treated with conventional regimens.

Heparin

Serious injuries and deaths have been associated with the use of heparin, a blood-thinning drug that contained active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from China. The adverse events have included allergic or hypersensitivity-type reactions, with symptoms such as low blood pressure, angio-edema, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

FDA testing in January found that large amounts of Chinese raw heparin imported into the United Sates were contaminated with the chemical over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate. The FDA believes the substance was added to allow the product to pass tests that measure heparin levels.

A major heparin recall ensued. Almost 250 deaths and hundreds of severe allergic reactions were blamed on tainted batches of the blood thinner, which is frequently given to patients having heart surgery and kidney dialysis.

Two Celsus Laboratories products facing recall were heparin sodium and heparin lithium. The sodium form is given directly to patients as a blood thinner. Heparin lithium is used to coat medical devices, such as blood-collection tubes, to keep blood from clotting on them.

Changzhou SPL, a Chinese subsidiary of Scientific Protein Laboratories, was identified as the source of the contaminated heparin used by Baxter International, which bought heparin ingredients from SPL from 2004 through 2008 but did not inspect the facility until September 2007. The company sent one person who spent one day in the plant, five months later, the F.D.A. discovered myriad problems.

A Congressional investigator said the contaminant, over-sulfated chondroitin sulfate, cost $9 a pound compared with $900 a pound for heparin. Even with serious questions about products safety and contaminated ingredients imported from China , regulatory agency and local manufacturers continue to ignore consumer safety warning sign for ingredients and products made in China , allowing them to enter into the country without careful examination until tragedy happen.

The FDA has issued 13 recalls of tainted heparin products so far this year. Scientists are racing to develop safer, synthetic versions of the anticoagulant to reduce American dependence on China for the drug, which is traditionally made from a complex carbohydrate derived from pigs’ intestines.

Cholera

The World Health Organization said Friday that Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic is not under control; cholera outbreaks have become more frequent in Zimbabwe since the early 1990s, but recent political crisis, which has seen the economy collapse and health care system break down, has enabled the disease to spread rapidly. About 14,000 people are reported to have been infected while another 600 have succumbed to the disease, the figure can be significantly higher together with unreported cases. As usual, Robert Mugabe's government denied any cholera outbreak, instead accused former colonial power Britain of starting that "genocidal" cholera epidemic and the west "racist" attempts to topple his government.

Cholera, which is transmitted through food and water, is an infectious illness that can kill its victims within hours of contraction. Once the bacteria enter the body, they release a toxin that causes the intestine's pump to suck all the water from the body. In its severe form, cholera is one of the world's most fatal illnesses. Within an hour of the onset of symptoms, a healthy person can become crippled from rapid dehydration, nosebleeds, dry skin, tiredness, diarrhea, vomiting and cramps. The only way to treat it is to give the body enough fluids to survive until the bacteria's life cycle ends, which is usually about five days.

The only real prevention for the disease is good hygiene. Sterilization, sewage treatment, water purification and good food practice are ways of preventing and containing the spread of the disease. But in Zimbabwe, where there is wide spread hunger and no water, let alone clean water, it is difficult to even start tackling the problem.

World's Hungers

The hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa is getting worse and could tip into famine if the next harvest fails, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Thursday. Food production across the Horn of Africa has suffered because of poor rains while global food prices have risen. Some African countries already have the lowest GDP per capital income in this poorest region of the world, recent high inflation rate and adverse effect of global warming couple with AIDS and Cholera outbreak will have a devastating effect on majority of the poor masses in the months ahead.

In Somalia, fighting between the government and Islamists has left millions hungry. Conflict also affects parts of Ethiopia. United Nations estimated nearly 17 million people mainly children and infants are in urgent need of food and other aids across the Horn of Africa, with donors having contributed only half the $1.4 billion needed to feed them for the rest of the year. To make matter worst, adults in these impoverished nations are more interested in fighting and power struggle than preparing for the impending natural disaster and feeding the children .

A British minister sharply attacked the United Nations on Thursday, saying the organization was not fit to lead the world's drive to eradicate poverty."Reform is urgent." the minister told U.N.

He was speaking at the end of a fact-finding mission to assess the U.N.'s work in Africa, called for reform in areas such as the United Nations' leadership, humanitarian assistance and performance. His demand that the United Nations meet tough performance targets comes as the U.N. and aid partners voice fears that countries will cut back on aid commitments as the global financial crisis puts their budgets under pressure. The mission convinced him there was a need for more transparency and streamlining in the way the United Nations operated.

Director of the U.N.'s Millennium Campaign which has set goals to halve extreme poverty and boost life expectancy by 2015, told Reuters many donor countries gave money to the wrong places for the wrong things; it's not going to the poorest countries for meeting the goals. Half of it goes for political interests, for opening up markets and other things.

Plastics Container

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that plastics used in food packaging be of greater purity than plastics used for non-food packaging. This is commonly referred to as food grade plastic. Plastics used to package pharmaceuticals are held to an even higher standard than food grade.

Below are some of the general classification :

1)Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.

Common uses: Plastic bottles for soda, water, food, liquid soap, and lotion.

2) High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents.

Common uses: Plastic bottles and jars for cosmetic, food, milk, and detergent.

3)Vinyl or Polyvinyl Chloride, (PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life.

Common uses: Clear food and non food packaging, medical tubing, and wire insulation.

4)Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce grocery bags and garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons.

Common uses: Plastic bottles for honey, mustard, and bread or food bags.

5)Polypropylene (PP) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt.

Common uses: Plastic containers for ketchup, yogurt, margarine, and medicine.

6)Polystyrene (PS) in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products.

Common uses: Packaging for CDs, aspirin bottles, cups, plates and cutlery.

7)Polycarbonate, a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and recently in the Rubbermaid Stain Shield line of home food storage containers.

Common uses : Plastic Bottles for squeezable Ketchup and syrup.

Some of the containers are not suitable for reuse as a storage for food or liquid for human consumption due to chemical leakage after certain period of time; it is always important for the consumer to double check with the food and drug agency safety department regarding the reuse-ability , and it is strongly advise that never heat your food in the plastic container in microwave as the combination of plastic , fat and high thermos heat trigger a chemical reaction that produce dioxin - a highly carcinogenic and toxic compound.

Melamine

The list of companies facing potential recalls grew Friday as reports of foods tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, which has been blamed in the deaths of four Chinese infants, spread to a widening range of products.

Some companies learned the need for extra diligence in China the hard way, during a spate of scandals last year from unsafe foods and toothpaste to melamine-laced ingredients in pet food; but many continued choose to disregard the risks.

Tokyo-headquartered Lotte Group, a major snack maker, got caught up in the storm Friday after its popular chocolate-filled Koala cookies were recalled in Hong Kong and Macau because of melamine contamination.

Shanghai-based maker of White Rabbit, a popular vanilla-flavored toffee, said it stopped domestic sales after the Hong Kong government's Center for Food Safety said the candy contained more than six times the legal limit of melamine.

Baby Milk Formula

Tainted milk formula in China has killed three babies and sickened 6,200 in a spreading scandal that prompted three additional companies - including China's biggest dairy - to recall products. About 20 per cent of the dairy companies tested nationwide had sold products tainted with melamine, officials said. Suppliers to the companies are thought to have added the banned chemical, normally used in plastics, to watered-down milk to make it appear higher in protein. 6,244 babies had been sickened after being fed tainted milk formula, and that 158 were suffering from acute kidney failure.

In addition to Sanlu and Mengniu, two other companies, Guangdong-based Yashili and Qingdao-based Suncare, were recalling their products after melamine was found in their milk powder. Yashili and Suncare export their products to Bangladesh, Yemen, Gabon, Burundi and Myanmar. SanLu Group, a 43% stake of which was acquired by New Zealand-based Fonterra Co-operative Group for 864 million yuan in 2006, is seen to be the main but not the only culprit. Another foreign brand on the black list is Kocci, a China- Australia joint venture.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine had already reported that its inspectors had found melamine "in 69 batches of milk powder manufactured by 22 companies." The highest concentration of melamine was found in Sanlu's milk powder, he said. Among the other companies that had melamine in their products was Olympic sponsor Yili Industrial Co, with one batch out of 35 showing the chemical's presence, government is seeking more information after Hong Kong food inspectors ordered the recall of an ice cream bar made by Shanghai Yili AB Foods because melamine was found.

Chinese media have mostly kept quiet about claims that Sanlu and officials in Shijiazhuang, where the company is based, concealed the poisonings from the public and senior authorities during the Beijing Olympics in August. New Zealand Prime Minister said on Monday that Chinese officials acted last week only after her government pressed Beijing.

The widening scandal is an embarrassing failure for China's product safety system, which was overhauled to restore consumer confidence and preserve export markets after a string of recalls and warnings abroad last year over tainted toothpaste, faulty tires and other goods.

It is the second major case in recent years involving baby formula. In 2004, more than 200 Chinese infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula that contained no nutrients. Melamine was also found in Chinese pet food exported to the United States last year that killed dogs and cats. Chinese fish contaminated with banned drugs, cough syrup made with poisonous chemicals and dumplings laced with pesticide have also been found on sale in other countries.

Melamine is a low toxicity chemical product, and can cause urinary and reproductive system damage if taken in large amounts or over a prolonged time. Most of baby kidney stone cases reported are connected with San Lu baby formula milk powder. Babies may excrete small stones themselves by drinking more water, but they need medical attention if they suffer dysuria (painful urination) or urine turbidity (cloudiness).

According to the European Commission, the safe level of melamine migration, that is from food containers to food is 30mg/kg of food. The banned Sanlu-brand of milk products in China had melamine level in excess of 2,563 mg/kg of food.

Tree Man

A 35-year-old fisherman from a rural Indonesian town, is living with a rare and peculiar medical condition, tree-like warty “roots” cover his skin, and grow outward from his arms and feet.

The condition began after he cut his knee as a teenager. The warts progressively spread across his body, due to a rare genetic fault that prevents immune system from containing the growths..

An American dermatologist who tested samples of his blood believes he has identified the cause of the growths, called “cutaneous horns,” and has proposed a treatment that could save the fisherman’s life.

According to the doctor, the condition is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually causes small warts to develop on sufferers, but this is an extreme case of HPV. "The likelihood of having his deficiency is less than one in a million." He believes the ailment can be cleared up with a daily dose of a synthetic form of Vitamin A.

Radon Gas

There is about 0.35 pCi/L of radon in the outside air we breathe. Radon comes from the natural radioactive decay of radium and uranium found in the soil beneath the house. The amount of radon in the soil depends on complex soil chemistry, which varies from one house to the next.

Scientific studies show, it only takes enough unsealed cracks or pin holes in the caulking to equal a hole 1/2" in diameter to let all the radon in. Scientists believe radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. When radon decays, it shoots off alpha particles. These are small, heavy, electrically charged, sub-atomic particles consisting of two protons and two neutrons. If an alpha particle strikes the chromosomes in a lung cell, it could alter the way that cell reproduces. Our bodies’ immune system should recognize and destroy these mutant cells before they can multiply over the next 10 to 20 years into a recognizable cancerous growth cell.

Methods will permanently seal the openings radon needs to enter the house.

• If the house tests above 20 pCi/L most experts agree it is prudent to install a system that can permanently reduce your family’s exposure to radon.
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• If the house tests below 4 pCi/L most experts agree that there is a relatively low probability of significant health risk at this low level of exposure. However, we recommend retesting the radon levels once you move in, to verify this low reading. Industry surveys show that up to 30% of the radon tests in real estate transactions are subject to some ventilation. LET THE BUYER BEWARE
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• Install all fans outside the living area of the house, so all interior piping is under negative pressure. Many contractors find it cheaper and easier to put the fan in the basement near an existing electrical outlet. Often these fans and piping develop leaks. This could allow the system to start pulling the thousands of pCi/L of radon out of the ground and blow it into the basement or crawlspace; thus making the radon levels in the house higher than they where originally.
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• Dig the suction pit under the floor as large as possible, or make sure it intersects the void beneath a grade-beam foundation.
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• Seal crawlspaces with a gas membrane, made of cross-laminated polyethylene, placed between two layers of 30 lb. tar paper, to protect it from damage. Make sure the membrane is tightly fastened to the foundation walls, with plywood strips and sealed with industrial grade urethane caulking. It is cheaper to install one layer of regular polyethylene directly over the soil, and fasten it to the walls with duct tape, glue or caulking.
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There are two basic types of radon gas testing devices, passive and active.

Passive Radon Testing Devices

• Do not need power to function.
• Include charcoal canisters, alpha-track detectors, and charcoal liquid scintillation devices that are exposed to the air in your home for a specific amount of time and are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Active Radon Testing Devices

• Require power to function.
• Continuously measure and record radon in the air, making radon spikes and dips more apparent.
• Include continuous working level monitors and continuous radon monitors.
• Generally considered to be more reliable than passive radon devices.

How Long Should You Test for Radon Gas?

Long term radon tests take more than 90 days, but provide an accurate picture of the average amount of radon in your home. Since time is an issue, home buyers usually perform short term radon with either an active or passive testing device. Most short term radon tests are completed in 48 to 96 hours.

How To Test for Radon

The EPA recommends that you perform radon tests on the lowest level of the home that could be used for living space without doing renovations.

• Choose a room that is used regularly, but do not use the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or a hallway.
• Sometimes two devices are used simultaneously or two 48-hour tests are done back-to-back to help establish average radon levels and to verify that devices are working properly.
• Keep windows and doors in the tested room shut except for normal entry and exit. For tests lasting less than four days, make sure windows and outside doors are closed for at least 12 hours before beginning.
• Do not do short term radon tests during times of high humidity, severe storms, or when winds are high.
• Place the testing device at least 20 inches above the floor so that it is out of drafts and high humidity and will not be disturbed.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions to record starting and ending times. Reseal the tester package and return it to the lab for analysis.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes. Thus, it may be present in substantial concentrations both indoors and outdoors.It is well known as a preservative in medical laboratories, as an embalming fluid, and as a sterilizer. Its primary use is in the production of resins and as a chemical intermediate. Urea-formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde resins are used in foam insulations, as adhesives in the production of particle board and plywood, and in the treating of textiles.

Sources of formaldehyde in the home include building materials, smoking, household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters,it is used to add permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, as a component of glues and adhesives,and as a preservative in some paints and coating products.

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

Other pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood and flake or oriented strand board, are produced for exterior construction use and contain the dark, or red/black-colored phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. Although formaldehyde is present in both types of resins, pressed woods that contain PF resin generally emit formaldehyde at considerably lower rates than those containing UF resin.

Formaldehyde has been classified as a human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience health effects such as watery eyes; burning sensations of the eyes, nose,and throat; coughing; wheezing; nausea; and skin irritation. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, while others have no reaction to the same level of exposure.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde