Recent Longevity News for the fourteen days ending 7/30/14:

Fish Oil May Guard Against Alcohol-Related Brain Damage - Medscape, 7/25/14 - "The researchers assessed brain samples from adult male rats exposed during a period of several days to repetitive ethanol intoxication. Half of the brain samples were further exposed to omega-3 DHA and the other half were not ... Results showed higher levels of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) resulting from the excessive alcohol exposure, which led to increased neuroinflammation, or astroglial aquaporin-4 (AQP4), and increased brain edema ... Compared with rats that had not been exposed to alcohol, those that had been exposed had significantly higher levels of cPLA2 and phospho-CPLA2 in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and olfactory bulb (all, P < .05). They also had significantly increased levels of sPLA2 in all 3 areas" - See docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.

Best Time of Day for a Testosterone Test - NYTimes.com, 7/25/14 - "They further divided them into two time groups: those who had their testosterone measured from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and those measured from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All the men had erectile dysfunction, a symptom of low testosterone levels ... The only men who showed a statistically and clinically significant decrease in levels between the two time periods were those younger than 45"

Diabetes Drug Linked to Lower Dementia Risk - Medscape, 7/24/14 - "they studied the association of pioglitazone and dementia incidence in a prospective cohort study of 145,717 adults age 60 years and older who were free of dementia at baseline in 2004 and followed until 2010. The information on prescriptions of pioglitazone on a quarterly basis was expressed as a linear variable covering the time-dependent number of quarters of prescriptions, which ranged between 0 and 28 quarters ... With each additional quarter of pioglitazone prescription, the relative risk for dementia fell by 6%" - Note:  Pioglitazone is another one I've been taking in low doses for years for anti-aging.

Vitamin D deficiency raises risk of schizophrenia diagnosis - Science Daily, 7/22/14 - "The meta-analysis found that people with schizophrenia had significantly lower levels of vitamin D in the blood compared to the control groups. The average difference in vitamin D levels between schizophrenic patients and control participants was -5.91 ng/ml. People with vitamin D deficiency were 2.16 times more likely to have schizophrenia than those with sufficient vitamin D in their bloodstreams. In addition, 65 percent of the participants who had schizophrenia also were vitamin D deficient" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Probiotics Benefit Blood Pressure in Meta-Analysis - Medscape, 7/21/14 - "the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) study showed a 3.3 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure, along with a 1.4 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, which were associated with a 22% relative reduction in risk of cardiovascular mortality, MI, or stroke ... Probiotic species varied among the trials; four studies used yogurt as the source of probiotic bacteria, two used fermented and sour milk, one used probiotic supplements in capsule form, one used probiotic rosehip drinks, and one used probiotic cheese ... For those who ate more than one probiotic species, the reduction in systolic blood pressure was 5.8 mmHg. Those who consumed probiotics for more than eight weeks had a 4.9 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure" - [Abstract] - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Eight ways zinc affects the human body - Science Daily, 7/18/14 - "Brain ... Cardiovascular System ... Liver ... Pregnancy ... Diabetes ... Endocrine System ... Healing ... Pneumonia" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.

Consuming probiotics for a month helps diminish fat accumulation in the liver, according to a new study - Science Daily, 7/18/14 - "In this current study, the strains were administered during thirty days in the diet of Zucker rats ... the administration of probiotics led to an accumulation of lipids (most of them triacylglycerides) in the liver which was significantly lower than that occurring in rats fed with a placebo" - See probiotic products at Amazon.com.

Antipsychotic drugs linked to slight decrease in brain volume - Science Daily, 7/18/14 - "Scientists have previously speculated that antipsychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia may be linked to this decrease in brain volume. Today's research confirms this association, showing that the rate of decrease in volume was greater when the dose of medication was higher"

Lipoic acid helps restore, synchronize 'biological clock' - Science Daily, 7/17/14 - "Researchers fed laboratory animals higher levels of lipoic acid than might be attained in a normal diet, while monitoring proteins known to be affected by disruption of the circadian clock in older animals ... They found that lipoic acid helped remediate some of the liver dysfunction that's often common in old age, and significantly improved the function of their circadian rhythms" - See alpha lipoic acid products at Amazon.com.

Niacin Doesn't Reduce Heart Problems, May Create Some, Research Finds - WebMD, 7/16/14 - "Half the patients received treatment with an extended-release pill containing niacin and laropiprant, while the other half received an inactive placebo. Laropiprant is a medication that treats flushed skin, which is a common side effect of niacin" - Note:  This has gone back and forth for years.  I'm still going to take my  1000 mg of immediate release niacin per day not only for the increased HDL but for a healthy skin.  For one thing, I don't see how they can reach that conclusion by saying that an extended-release pill containing niacin and laropiprant is the same as taking immediate release niacin along.  For one thing, see:

• A comparison of the efficacy and toxic effects of sustained- vs immediate-release niacin in hypercholesterolemic patients - JAMA. 1994 Mar 2;271(9):672-7 - "None of the patients taking IR niacin developed hepatotoxic effects, while 12 (52%) of the 23 patients taking SR niacin did"

Study Sheds Light on Cannabis and Paranoia - WebMD, 7/17/14 - "After analyzing the results, the scientists found that THC increased the likelihood of paranoia happening ... Half the participants had paranoid thoughts with THC, compared to just 30% with placebo ... The paranoia declined as the drug left the bloodstream ... The drug also caused a range of other psychological effects: anxiety, worry, lowered mood, negative thoughts about the self, various changes in perception (such as sounds being louder than normal and colors brighter), thoughts echoing, altered perception of time, and poorer short-term memory ... They say it's likely that paranoia creeps in because THC increases negative feelings, and the perceptual changes lead to the rise in paranoia"

Moderate alcohol use associated with increased risk for atrial fibrillation - Science Daily, 7/14/14 - "Consistent with previous research, the study found an association between high alcohol consumption, defined as more than three drinks per day, and increased risk for atrial fibrillation and a strong association with binge drinking ... the risk for atrial fibrillation increased 8 percent with each additional drink per day"

Abstracts from this week:

Improvement in symptoms and cochlear flow with pycnogenol in patients with Meniere's disease and tinnitus - Minerva Med. 2014 Jun;105(3):245-54 - "All subjects were managed with the best available management (BM); one group used the supplement Pycnogenol (150 mg/day) ... There was a more significant improvement in all registry items at 3 and 6 months in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The number of lost working days was lower in the Pycnogenol group. At 3 months, 45.4% of subjects using Pycnogenol were completely asymptomatic in comparison with 23.07% of controls. At 6 months 87.3% of the Pycnogenol subjects were asymptomatic compared with 34.6% of controls. Cochlear flow velocity was significantly better (higher flow, higher diastolic component) in the Pycnogenol group (P<0.05). The subjective tinnitus scale decreased in both groups (P<0.05); the decrease was more significant in Pycnogenol subjects (P<0.05) at 3 and 6 months" - See Pycnogenol at Amazon.com.

Molecular signalling of a novel curcumin derivative versus Tadalafil in erectile dysfunction - Andrologia. 2014 Jul 25 - "novel curcumin derivative (NCD) ... curcumin (CURC) ... In conclusion, a tendency was observed that CURC and NCD have high efficacy and more prolonged duration of action in enhancing erectile function" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.

Lower free testosterone level is correlated with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in asymptomatic middle-aged men with type 2 diabetes mellitus - Int J Clin Pract. 2014 Jul 16 - "Lower FT level was significantly associated with LVDD [univariate odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, p = 0.032; multivariate OR = 0.71, p = 0.039]"

Glycosylated Hemoglobin Level Is Associated with Hearing Impairment in Older Japanese: The Kurabuchi Study - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Jul 8 - "HbA1c levels were positively associated with hearing impairment (OR per 1.0% increase in HbA1c = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.00-1.68). This association persisted even after excluding 58 participants with a self-reported history of diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Longitudinal analysis revealed the temporality of the discussed association (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.03-2.23)"

Drugs that interact with levothyroxine; an observational study from the Thyroid Epidemiology, Audit and Research Study (TEARS) - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2014 Jul 17 - "Iron, calcium, proton pump inhibitors, and oestrogen all increased serum TSH concentration: an increase of 0.22 mU/L (p <.001), 0.27 mU/L (p<0.001), 0.12 mU/L (p< 0.01), and 0.08 mU/L (p < 0.007) respectively. For these four study drugs, there was a clinically significant increase of over 5 mU/L in serum TSH, in 7.5%, 4.4%, 5.6%, and 4.3% patients respectively. There was a decrease of 0.17 mU/L (p value .01) in the TSH concentration for those patients on statins. The TSH decreased by 5 mU/L in 3.7% of patients. There was no effect with H2 receptor antagonists or glucocorticoids"

Defending Plasma T3 is a Biological Priority - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2014 Jul 5 - "Studies in rodents indicate that different levels of genetic disruption of the feedback mechanism and deiodinase system are met with elevation in serum T4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, while serum T3 levels remain stable. These findings have focused attention on serum T3 levels in patients with thyroid disease, with important clinical implications affecting therapeutic goals and choice of therapy for patients with hypothyroidism. Although monotherapy with levothyroxine is the standard of care for hypothyroidism, not all patients normalize serum T3 levels with many advocating for combination therapy with levothyroxine and liothyronine. The latter could be relevant for a significant number of patients that remain symptomatic on monotherapy with levothyroxine, despite normalization of serum TSH levels" - See T3 at International Anti-aging Systems.

Association Between Hearing Impairment and Lower Levels of Physical Activity in Older Adults - J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Jul 15 - "Individuals with moderate or greater hearing impairment had greater odds than those with normal hearing of being in a lower category of physical activity as measured according to self-report (OR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.11-2.28) and accelerometry (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 0.99-2.91)"

Dietary advanced glycation end products are associated with decline in memory in young elderly - Mech Ageing Dev. 2014 Jul 15 - "We here provide for the first time evidence in which high levels of dietary AGE (dAGE) are associated with faster rate of decline in memory in 49 initially non-demented young elderly (p=0.012 in mixed regression models adjusting for sociodemographic and cardiovascular factors). Since modifying the levels of AGEs in the diet may be relatively easy, these preliminary results suggest a simple strategy to diminish cognitive compromise in the elderly and warrant further investigation"

CLA Supplementation and Aerobic Exercise Lower Blood Triacylglycerol, but Have No Effect on Peak Oxygen Uptake or Cardiorespiratory Fatigue Thresholds - Lipids. 2014 Jul 18 - "were randomly assigned to either a CLA (Clarinol A-80; n = 18) or placebo (PLA; sunflower oil; n = 16) group ... Overall, these data suggested that CLA and aerobic exercise may have synergistic, blood triacylglycerol lowering effects, although CLA may be ineffective for enhancing aerobic exercise performance in conjunction with a 6-week aerobic exercise training program in college-age men" - See conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.

Sugar-sweetened soda consumption and risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul 16 - "followed 79,570 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1980-2008) and 107,330 women from the NHS II (1991-2009) ... women who consumed ≥1 servings of sugar-sweetened soda/d had a 63% (HR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.15, 2.30; P-trend = 0.004) increased risk of developing seropositive RA compared with those who consumed no sugar-sweetened soda or who consumed <1 serving/mo. When we restricted analyses to those with later RA onset (after age 55 y) in the NHS, the association appeared to be stronger (HR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.56, 4.46; P-trend < 0.0001)"

Serum magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium are associated with risk of incident heart failure: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul 16 - "A total of 14,709 African Americans (27%) and whites from the ARIC cohort [aged 45-64 y at baseline (1987-1989)] were observed through 2009 ... A total of 2250 incident HF events accrued over a median follow-up of 20.6 y. Participants in the lowest (≤1.4 mEq/L) compared with the highest (≥1.8 mEq/L) category of magnesium were at greater HF risk (HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.46, 1.99). For phosphorus, there appeared to be a threshold whereby only those in the highest quintile were at greater HF risk [HR(Q5 vs Q1): 1.34; 95% CI: 1.16, 1.54]. Higher concentrations of calcium were also associated with greater risk of HF [HR(Q5 vs Q1): 1.24; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.43] ... Low serum magnesium and high serum phosphorus and calcium were independently associated with greater risk of incident HF in this population-based cohort" - See magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.

Green Tea, Black Tea, and Oolong Tea Polyphenols Reduce Visceral Fat and Inflammation in Mice Fed High-Fat, High-Sucrose Obesogenic Diets - J Nutr. 2014 Jul 16 - "Green tea (GT) ... black tea (BT) and oolong tea (OT) ... C57BL/6J mice fed high-fat /high-sucrose [HF/HS (32% energy from fat, 25% energy from sucrose)] diets ... Treatment with GTPs, OTPs, BTPs, and an LF/HS diet led to significantly lower body weight, total visceral fat volume by MRI, and liver lipid weight compared with mice in the HF/HS control group. Only GTPs reduced food intake significantly by ~10% ... In summary, all 3 tea polyphenol extracts induced weight loss and anti-inflammatory and angiogenic effects, although the tissue content of polyphenol differed significantly" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Association of fish oil supplement use with preservation of brain volume and cognitive function - Alzheimers Dement. 2014 Jun 18 - "fish oil supplements (FOSs) ... Older adults (229 cognitively normal individuals, 397 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 193 patients with Alzheimer's disease) were assessed with neuropsychological tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging every 6 months ... FOS use during follow-up was associated with significantly lower mean cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale and higher Mini-Mental State Examination scores among those with normal cognition ... FOS use during the study was also associated with less atrophy in one or more brain regions of interest" - [Science Daily] - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.

Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":

LittleBits New CloudBit Module Simplifies Internet-Controlled Projects - makezine.com, 7/23/14 - "it can function in three ways: receiving commands you send it via the web (using a web app, IFTTT, or a custom interface made with their API) and transmitting them to the other components in your circuit, sending signals to the web from a littleBits circuit, or interfacing from bit to bit across the web. With the expanding library of modules, it opens a large range of capabilities for littleBits projects, from making a remote controllable pet water feeder, to receiving remote sensor, to theoretically controlling your AC, coffee maker, or other appliances" - [Engadget.com] [CNET] - See littleBits Electronics Base Kit at Amazon.com.

Hamilton Beach Searing Grill lets you see underneath the hood - CNET, 7/15/14 - "The Hamilton Beach Model 25361 Searing Grill ($89.99) is an indoor grill with a closeable lid that has a window incorporated into it. Under the hood, the countertop grill features a familiar design with the inclusion of a dishwasher-safe grilling plate as well as a drip tray. A variable temperature dial offers the control necessary for cooking a wide variety of foods while a sear function helps to brown foods for added flavor. An update of a previous design, the new Hamilton Beach grill is scheduled to become available in September of this year" - See Hamilton Beach 25361 Indoor Grill at Amazon.com.

Health Focus (Head and Neck Cancer):

Alternative News:

• Efficacy of arginine-enriched enteral formulas in the reduction of surgical complications in head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis - Clin Nutr. 2014 May 4 - "Arginine improves healing and modulates inflammation and the immune response. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess whether arginine-enriched enteral formulas reduce complications (fistulas, wound infections, other infections) and hospital length of stay (LoS) in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer ... The administration of arginine-enriched enteral nutrition led to a significant reduction in fistulas and hospital stay in patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer" - See l-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Index-based dietary patterns and risk of head and neck cancer in a large prospective study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jan 8 - "We prospectively evaluated the association between 2 index-based dietary patterns [ie, the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI-2005) and alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED)] and risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma ... included 494,967 participants from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health study (1995-2006) ... Higher HEI-2005 scores were associated with reduced risk of HNC in men [HR: 0.74 (95% CI: 0.61, 0.89) for highest compared with lowest quintiles ... High aMED scores were also associated with lower HNC risk in men (HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.64, 1.01; P-trend = 0.002) and women (HR: 0.42"
• Bitter Melon Extract May Have Potential to Fight Head, Neck Cancer - Science Daily, 11/18/13 - "In this study, the bitter melon extract treatment suppressed the head and neck cancer cell growth in the mouse model, reducing the growth of the tumor ... bitter melon extract regulated several pathways that helped reduce the head and neck cancer cell growth in the animal model. After a period of four weeks, Ray found that the growth and volume of the tumor had reduced ... Ray's initial research found that treatment with this natural substance halted the breast and prostate cancer cell growth, eventually stopping them from spreading" - See bitter melon extracts at iHerb.
• Fatty acids could aid cancer prevention and treatment - Science Daily, 8/1/13 - "new research from scientists at Queen Mary, University of London ... In vitro tests showed omega-3 fatty acids induced cell death in malignant and pre-malignant cells at doses which did not affect normal cells, suggesting they have the potential to be used in both the treatment and prevention of certain skin and oral cancers" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Treatment with Metformin is Associated with Higher Remission Rate in Diabetic Patients with Thyroid Cancer - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 May 24 - "complete response (CR) ... progression free survival (PFS) ... Tumor size is smaller in patients treated with metformin suggesting inhibition of tumor growth by the drug. Among diabetics, absence of metformin therapy is an independent factor for decreased likelihood of CR and increased risk of shorter PFS" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• Nutrient-based dietary patterns of head and neck squamous cell cancer: a factor analysis in Uruguay - Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Mar 27 - "The first pattern (meat-based pattern) was positively associated with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck (OR 2.85, 95 % CI 1.81-4.15), whereas the third pattern (fruit-based) was strongly protective (OR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.27-0.63)"
• Pretreatment dietary patterns, weight status, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma prognosis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec 26 - "Consumption of a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, fish, poultry and whole grains and being overweight before diagnosis with head and neck cancer are associated with a better prognosis"
• Caffeinated coffee may reduce the risk of oral cancers - Science Daily, 12/10/12 - "Cancer Prevention Study II, a prospective U.S. cohort study begun in 1982 by the American Cancer Society ... 26 years of follow-up ... consuming more than four cups of caffeinated coffee per day was associated with a 49 percent lower risk of oral/pharyngeal cancer death relative to no/occasional coffee intake (RR 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.64). A dose-related decline in relative risk was observed with each single cup per day consumed ... Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and contains a variety of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other biologically active compounds that may help to protect against development or progression of cancers"
• Metformin may lower risk for oral cancer development - Science Daily, 3/31/12 - "administration of metformin reduced the size and number of carcinogen-induced oral tumoral lesions in mice and significantly reduced the development of squamous cell carcinomas by about 70 to 90 percent" - See metformin at The Antiaging Store.
• (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate induces Fas/CD95-mediated apoptosis through inhibiting constitutive and IL-6-induced JAK/STAT3 signaling in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Feb 7 - "These findings provide that EGCG may be useful in the chemoprevention and/or treatment of HNSCC" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Grape seed extract kills head and neck cancer cells, leaves healthy cells unharmed - Science Daily, 1/27/12 - "Nearly 12,000 people will die of head and neck cancer in the United States this year and worldwide cases will exceed half a million ... grape seed extract both damages cancer cells' DNA (via increased reactive oxygen species) and stops the pathways that allow repair (as seen by decreased levels of the DNA repair molecules Brca1 and Rad51 and DNA repair foci) ... we saw absolutely no toxicity to the mice ... the grape seed extract killed the cancer cells but not the healthy cells" - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
• Vitamin or mineral supplement intake and the risk of head and neck cancer: Pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium - Int J Cancer. 2011 Dec 15 - "To investigate the potential role of vitamin or mineral supplementation on the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC), we analyzed individual-level pooled data from 12 case-control studies ... A decreased risk of HNC was observed with ever use of vitamin C (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.59-0.96) and with ever use of calcium supplement (OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.42-0.97). The inverse association with HNC risk was also observed for 10 or more years of vitamin C use (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.54-0.97) and more than 365 tablets of cumulative calcium intake (OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.16-0.83), but linear trends were not observed for the frequency or duration of any supplement intake. We did not observe any strong associations between vitamin or mineral supplement intake and the risk of head and neck cancer"
• Diet and the risk of head and neck cancer: a pooled analysis in the INHANCE consortium - Cancer Causes Control. 2011 Oct 29 - "We investigated the association between diet and head and neck cancer (HNC) risk using data from the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. The INHANCE pooled data included 22 case-control studies with 14,520 cases and 22,737 controls ... An inverse association was observed for higher-frequency intake of fruit (4th vs. 1st quartile OR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.43-0.62, p (trend) < 0.01) and vegetables (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.49-0.90, p (trend) = 0.01). Intake of red meat (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.13-1.74, p (trend) = 0.13) and processed meat (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.14-1.65, p (trend) < 0.01) was positively associated with HNC risk"
• Primary component in curry spice kicks off cancer-killing mechanisms in human saliva - Science Daily, 9/12/11 - "Curcumin, the main component in the spice turmeric used in curry, suppresses a cell signaling pathway that drives the growth of head and neck cancer ... The inhibition of the cell signaling pathway also correlated with reduced expression of a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, or signaling molecules, in the saliva that promote cancer growth ... it not only affected the cancer by inhibiting a critical cell signaling pathway, it also affected the saliva itself by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines within the saliva ... To be effective in fighting cancer, the curcumin must be used in supplement form. Although turmeric is used in cooking, the amount of curcumin needed to produce a clinical response is much larger. Expecting a positive effect through eating foods spiced with turmeric is not realistic" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Curcumin compound improves effectiveness of head and neck cancer treatment, study finds - Science Daily, 5/19/11 - "A primary reason that head and neck cancer treatments fail is the tumor cells become resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that a compound derived from the Indian spice curcumin can help cells overcome that resistance ... When researchers added a curcumin-based compound, called FLLL32, to head and neck cancer cell lines, they were able to cut the dose of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin by four while still killing tumor cells equally as well as the higher dose of cisplatin without FLLL32 ... Typically, when cells become resistant to cisplatin, we have to give increasingly higher doses. But this drug is so toxic that patients who survive treatment often experience long-term side effects from the treatment" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Cumulative Coffee Consumption and Reduced Risk of Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer - Nutr Cancer. 2011 Mar 31:1 - "Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and higher intake of bacon and deep-fried foods were directly related to disease; the inverse was observed to family income and salad intake. Coffee consumption and tobacco smoking were partially correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.14 among cases, 0.31 among controls). When adjusted for all covariates, a cumulative coffee consumption higher than 18.0 daily liters × year during lifetime was indicated to be protective against disease (adjusted odds ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.94, P = 0.037). This observation may have pharmacological implications for clinical medication of these cancers and is relevant to programs aimed at reducing the burden of disease"
• Epigallocatechin-3 Gallate Inhibits Invasion, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and Tumor Growth in Oral Cancer Cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Mar 9 - "Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for the progression, invasion, and metastasis of epithelial tumorgenesis. Here, we provided molecular evidence associated with the antimetastatic effect of green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG) in an oral squamous cell culture system by showing a nearly complete inhibition on the invasion (P < 0.001) of squamous cell carcinoma-9 (SCC-9) cells via a reduced expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (P < 0.001) and urokinasetype plasminogen activator (P < 0.001). EGCG exerted an inhibitory effect on cell migration (P < 0.001), motility (P < 0.001), spread, and adhesion (P < 0.001). We performed Western blot to find that EGCG inhibited p-focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK), p-Src, snail-1, and vimentin, indicating the anti-EMT effect of EGCG in oral squamous cell carcinoma. EGCG was also sufficient to inhibit phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced cell invasion and matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression, as evidenced by its inhibition on the tumor growth of SCC-9 cells in vivo via cancer cell xenografted nude mice mode. These results suggested that EGCG could reduce the invasion and cell growth of tumor cells, and such a characteristic may be of great value in developing a potential cancer therapy" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Coffee Drinking Associated With Reduced Oral Cancer Risk - Medscape, 10/19/10 - "Drinking coffee is associated with a 36% reduction in the risk for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx"
• Coffee and cancers of the upper digestive and respiratory tracts: meta-analyses of observational studies - Ann Oncol. 2010 Oct 13 - "oral cavity/pharynx (OP) and larynx, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), comparing the highest versus the lowest categories of coffee consumption, using random-effects models ... For OP cancer, the pooled RR was 0.64 (95% CI 0.51-0.80) for highest versus lowest coffee drinking, based on a total of 2633 cases from one cohort and eight case-control studies, with no significant heterogeneity across studies. The RRs were 0.61 (95% CI 0.41-0.89) for European, 0.58 (95% CI 0.36-0.94) for American and 0.74 (95% CI 0.48-1.15) for Asian studies, where coffee consumption is lower. The corresponding RRs were 1.56 (95% CI 0.60-4.02) for laryngeal cancer (732 cases from three case-control studies), 0.87 (95% CI 0.65-1.17) for ESCC (2115 cases from one cohort and six case-control studies) and 1.18 (95% CI 0.81-1.71) for EAC (415 cases from three case-control studies)"
• Perioperative arginine-supplemented nutrition in malnourished patients with head and neck cancer improves long-term survival - Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Sep 29 - "Plasma arginine concentrations are lower in patients with cancer, which indicates that arginine metabolism may be disturbed in these patients. Arginine supplementation has been associated with positive effects on antitumor mechanisms and has been shown to reduce tumor growth and to prolong survival. Furthermore, the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancer remains disappointing. Insufficient intake frequently leads to malnutrition, which contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates ... The group receiving arginine-enriched nutrition had a significantly better overall survival (P = 0.019) and better disease-specific survival (P = 0.022). Furthermore, the arginine-supplemented group had a significantly better locoregional recurrence-free survival (P = 0.027). No significant difference in the occurrence of distant metastases or occurrence of a second primary tumor was observed between the groups" - See L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
• Dietary Antioxidant and Mineral Intake in Humans Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Esophageal Adenocarcinoma but Not Reflux Esophagitis or Barrett' Esophagus - J Nutr. 2010 Aug 11 - "We found that overall antioxidant index, a measure of the combined intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, total carotenoids, and selenium, was associated with a reduced risk of EAC [odds ratio (OR) = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.33-0.98], but not BE (OR = 0.95; 95% CI = 0.53-1.71) or RE (OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 0.86-2.98), for those in the highest compared with lowest category of intake. Those in the highest category of vitamin C intake had a lower risk of EAC (OR = 0.37; 95% CI = 0.21-0.66; P-trend = 0.001) and RE (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.24-0.90; P-trend = 0.03) compared with those in the lowest category. Vitamin C intake was not associated with BE, and intake of vitamin E, total carotenoids, zinc, copper, or selenium was not associated with EAC, BE, or RE. In conclusion, the overall antioxidant index was associated with a reduced risk of EAC. Higher dietary intake of vitamin C was associated with a reduced risk of EAC and RE. These results suggest that antioxidants may play a role in the pathogenesis of RE and EAC and may be more important in terms of progression rather than initiation of the disease process"
• Genistein induces growth inhibition and g2/m arrest in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells - Nutr Cancer. 2010 Jul;62(5):641-7 - "These findings provide new insights into the potential intervention of NPC with genistein"
• Coffee may protect against head and neck cancers - Science Daily, 6/22/10 - "participants who were regular coffee drinkers, that is, those who drank an estimated four or more cups a day, compared with those who were non-drinkers, had a 39 percent decreased risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancers combined"
• Coffee cuts risk of head, neck cancers - MSNBC, 6/22/10 - "Overall, the risk of developing head and neck cancers was 12 percent lower in people who drank coffee compared with those who didn't ... And the more coffee consumed, the lower the cancer risk. In those who gulped more than four cups a day, for instance, the risk was reduced by more than a third ... Besides caffeine, coffee contains more than a thousand chemicals ... the compounds cafestol and kahweol may be protective against carcinogens that would normally damage our genes"
• Zinc in cancer prevention - Nutr Cancer. 2009 Nov;61(6):879-87 - "Zinc not only improves cell mediated immune functions but also functions as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation have been implicated in development of many cancers. In patients with head and neck cancer, we have shown that nearly 65% of these patients were zinc deficient based on their cellular zinc concentrations. Natural killer (NK) cell activity and IL-2 generation were also affected adversely ... Zinc status also correlated with number of hospital admissions and incidences of infections. NF-kappa B is constitutively activated in many cancer cells, and this results in activation of antiapoptotic genes, VEGF, cyclin DI, EGFR, MMP-9 and inflammatory cytokines. Zinc inhibits NF-kappa B via induction of A-20. Thus, zinc supplementation should have beneficial effects on cancer by decreasing angiogenesis and induction of inflammatory cytokines while increasing apoptosis in cancer cells. Based on the above, we recommend further studies and propose that zinc should be utilized in the management and chemoprevention of cancer" - See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.
• Oral health and risk for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: the Carolina Head and Neck Cancer Study - Cancer Causes Control. 2010 Jan 5 - "squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN) ... Routine dental visits were associated with 30% risk reduction (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide support for a possible modest association of periodontal disease, as measured by self-reported tooth loss indicators, but not tooth loss per se, with SCCHN risk" - Interesting because I survived neck cancer with about a 1 in 10 chance of survival (it will be 5 years next month, click here).  I've been getting my teeth cleaned every three months for about twelve years.
• Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase, an Immunomodulatory Protein, Is Suppressed by (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate via Blocking of gamma-Interferon-Induced JAK-PKC-delta-STAT1 Signaling in Human Oral Cancer Cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Nov 24 - "In this study, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the major constituent of green tea, is found to significantly inhibit the expression of IDO in human oral cancer cell lines ... This study indicates that EGCG is a potential drug for immune and target therapy to enhance cancer therapy by increasing antitumor immunity" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Green Tea Shows Promise As Chemoprevention Agent For Oral Cancer - Science Daily, 11/5/09 - "Green tea extract has shown promise as cancer prevention agent for oral cancer in patients with a pre-malignant condition known as oral leukoplakia ... more than half of the oral leukoplakia patients who took the extract had a clinical response ... The extract's lack of toxicity is attractive" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.
• Citrus fruit and cancer risk in a network of case-control studies - Cancer Causes Control. 2009 Oct 24 - "The ORs for the highest versus lowest category of citrus fruit consumption were 0.47 (95% confidence interval, CI, 0.36-0.61) for oral and pharyngeal, 0.42 (95% CI, 0.25-0.70) for esophageal, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.52-0.92) for stomach, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.72-0.93) for colorectal, and 0.55 (95% CI, 0.37-0.83) for laryngeal cancer"
• Curcumin May Inhibit Nicotine-induced Activation Of Head And Neck Cancers - Science Daily, 10/4/09 - "HNSCC cells were pre-treated with curcumin and then nicotine was introduced. The results of the studies showed that the curcumin was able to block the nicotine from activating cancer ... Although nicotine itself has not been shown to be carcinogenic, it has been shown to encourage the cancer-forming process" - See curcumin products at Amazon.com.
• Coffee may protect against oral cancers - MSNBC, 1/6/09 - "drinking coffee lowers the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity or throat ... cancer of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus .... Compared with people who did not drink coffee, those who drank one or more cups per day had half the risk of developing these cancers ... the reduction in risk included people who are at high risk for these cancers, namely, those who were current drinkers and/or smokers at the start of the study"
• As Head And Neck Cancer Risks Evolve, More Treatment Options Emerge - Science Daily, 9/10/08 - "a compound from green tea enhances the effects of a FDA-approved drug (erlotinib) against head and neck cancer cells in animals, suggesting that it could work similarly in humans. The results are published in the September issue of International Journal of Cancer ... More than two-thirds of patients come to doctors with locally and regionally advanced disease, and their prognoses are dismal ... But head and neck cancers are potentially curable when diagnosed at an early stage" - Note:  I took about 8 capsules of green tea extract per day when I had my neck cancer.  Maybe that's one of the things that save me.
• Fruit and vegetable intake and head and neck cancer risk in a large United States prospective cohort study - Int J Cancer. 2007 Dec 18 - "Results from this large prospective observational study are consistent with previous case-control studies and support the hypothesis that total fruit and vegetable intake is associated with reduced risk of head and neck cancer"
• Glycemic index, glycemic load and thyroid cancer risk - Ann Oncol. 2007 Oct 19 - "Compared with the lowest tertile, the ORs in subsequent tertiles were 1.68 and 1.73 for GI, and 1.76 and 2.17 for GL. The OR for highest tertile of GI compared with lowest one was 1.70 for papillary and 1.57 for follicular thyroid cancer. The ORs for GL were 2.17 for papillary and 3.33 for follicular thyroid cancer ... Our study shows that high dietary levels of GI and GL are associated with thyroid cancer risk"
• Avocados May Help Prevent Oral Cancer, Study Shows - Science Daily, 9/4/07 - "Nutrients taken from avocados are able to thwart oral cancer cells, killing some and preventing pre-cancerous cells from developing into actual cancers"
• Vitamin E: Friend or Foe During Radiation Therapy? - Physician's Weekly, 7/16/07 - "Not only did it show that vitamin E supplementation was of no benefit to patients, but it was also associated with a nearly 40% increased risk of death when compared to study counterparts who received a placebo. Vitamin E, despite what patients may think, appears to be much more harmful for patients who have head and neck cancer who are receiving radiation therapy"
• Eat Your Fruits And Vegetables: One Extra Serving Per Day May Lower Your Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer - Science Daily, 4/16/07 - "participants who ate six servings of fruit and vegetables per day per 1000 calories had 29 percent less risk for head and neck cancer than did participants who consumed one and a half servings per 1000 calories per day"
• Flavonoids and laryngeal cancer risk in Italy - Ann Oncol. 2007 Mar 19 - "Significant inverse relations were found for the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake for flavan-3-ols (OR = 0.64), flavanones (OR = 0.60), flavonols (OR = 0.32) and total flavonoids (OR = 0.60)"
• Folic Acid May Fight Throat Cancer - WebMD, 6/12/06 - "Every eight hours, participants took oral supplements containing five milligrams (mg) of folic acid ... The participants' laryngeal leukoplakia didn't progress to cancer during the study. In addition, 12 patients (28%) had a "complete response," meaning the laryngeal leukoplakia faded away" - See iHerb folic acid products.
• A randomized trial of antioxidant vitamins to prevent second primary cancers in head and neck cancer patients - J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Apr 6;97(7):481-8 - "alpha-Tocopherol supplementation produced unexpected adverse effects on the occurrence of second primary cancers and on cancer-free survival"

Other News:

• HPV-Linked Throat Cancer May Have Telltale First Symptoms - WebMD, 3/20/14 - "Half of those patients had a "mass" in the neck, versus only 18 percent of patients with HPV-negative cancer ... For the patients without HPV infection, a persistent sore throat and difficulty swallowing were the most common first signs ... people with HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer tend to have no symptoms, but instead notice a lump" -  I'm cured but I can vouch for that, there's no symptoms until you discover the lump. Mine was the size of a golf ball but I didn't notice it because it was wedged between the neck and the jaw.
• Byproducts of bacteria-causing gum disease incite oral cancer growth, study shows - Science Daily, 2/25/14 - "Kaposi's sarcoma-related (KS) lesions and tumors in the mouth ... These new findings provide one of the first looks at how the periodontal bacteria create a unique microenvironment in the oral cavity that contributes to the replication the Kaposi's sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) and development of KS ... The research focuses on how the bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn), which are associated with gum disease, contribute to cancer formation ... high levels of these bacteria are found in the saliva of people with periodontal disease, and at lower levels in those with good oral health ... These individual are susceptible to the cancer"
• More targeted form of radiation improves survival in patients with head, neck cancers - Science Daily, 1/13/14 - "patients treated with IMRT had a statistically significant improvement in CSS compared to those treated with conventional therapy, 38.9 percent vs. 18.9 percent, respectively"
• Shining the soothing light to reduce canker sores in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma - Science Daily, 10/21/13 - "They were divided into two groups of 47 individuals, one of which received LLLT while the other received placebo. Researchers observed a significant difference in the incidence of canker sore grades 3 and 4 between groups"
• HPV Head and Neck Cancer: The New Threat - Medscape, 10/17/13 - "a striking 12-fold increase in oropharyngeal cancer between 1977 and 2012, with HPV-positive disease increasing from 37% to 74% ... A striking feature of HPV-positive disease is that patients are typically diagnosed with large lymph nodes and so are often in advanced clinical stages at presentation"
• Hyperfractionated Radiotherapy Improves Survival in Head and Neck Cancer Patients - Science Daily, 9/27/13 - "A comparison of altered fractionation radiotherapy (AFRT) with standard fractionation radiotherapy (SFRT) in a meta-analysis of more than 11,000 patients showed an eight percent reduction in the risk of death in the AFRT group, as well as a nine percent reduction in the risk of progression or death"
• Researchers Tie Increased Throat Cancer Cases to HPV Infection - WebMD, 9/27/13 - "In a new study, investigators from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit analyzed U.S. government data and found that cancers of the base of the tongue, tonsils, soft palate and pharynx among adults aged 45 and younger increased 60 percent between 1973 and 2009. Collectively, these cancers are called oropharyngeal cancer ... Of the 1,600 patients in the study group, 90 percent were aged 36 to 44 and 73 percent were white. Fifty percent to 65 percent of the patients had surgery to remove their tumors. Patients who had both surgery and radiation had the highest five-year survival rate"
• Proton Therapy Cuts Side Effects for Pediatric Head, Neck Cancer Patients - Science Daily, 9/25/13 - "The side effects profile was really very mild, with basically no high-grade toxicity"
• Examining the Association between Oral Health and Oral HPV Infection - Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2013 Aug 21 - "Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the cause of 40% to 80% of oropharyngeal cancers ... 3,439 participants ages 30 to 69 years for whom data on oral HPV and oral health were available from the nationally representative 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ... higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was associated with four measures of oral health, including self-rated oral health as poor-to-fair [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.95], indicated the possibility of gum disease (PR = 1.51; 95% CI, 1.13-2.01), reported use of mouthwash to treat dental problems in the past week (PR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.52), and higher number of teeth lost (Ptrend = 0.035). In multivariable logistic regression models, oral HPV infection had a statistically significant association with self-rated overall oral health (OR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.15-2.09), independent of smoking and oral sex. In conclusion, poor oral health was an independent risk factor of oral HPV infection, irrespective of smoking and oral sex practices"
• Study Ties Poor Oral Health to Cancer-Causing Virus - New York Times, 8/21/13 - "the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reviewed data on both high-risk and low-risk oral HPV infection and oral health in 3,439 adults, ages 30 to 69 ... being male, smoking cigarettes, and having multiple oral sex partners increased the likelihood of oral HPV infection, findings similar to those in an earlier analysis of NHANES data ... after controlling for smoking and the number of oral sex partners, the new study found that self-rated poor oral health was an independent risk for oral HPV infection. The odds of having an oral HPV infection were 55 percent higher among those reporting poor to fair oral health" - Note:  Here's a cut and paste from my dental page on how to combat periodontal disease:
  • Periogard - Needs a prescription but is usually available at you dentist for around $10.
  • Sunstar Butler Proxabrush GUM Eez-Lok Handle
  • Sunstar Butler GUM Proxabrush Refill Ultra Wide (614) - use this wide brush for the back teeth
  • Butler 612 Soft Picks or Butler Ultra-Fine - use these narrower brushes for the front teeth
  • Put a few tablespoons of Periogard into a small glass.  Soak the brush in it and run it between your teeth.
• Cervical Cancer Vaccine May Also Guard Against Oral Cancer - Medscape, 7/23/13 - "The analysis is unique because it is the first demonstration of the efficacy of the bivalent vaccine (Cervarix) to prevent HPV 16 and 18 infections in the oral cavity ... These viruses are associated with an important and growing fraction of cancer of the oropharynx and tonsils ... The vaccine was found to be effective against oral HPV 16/18 infection in 93.3% of the women (95% confidence interval, 63% - 100%). There were 15 prevalent HPV 16/18 infections in the control group and only 1 in the HPV vaccine group"
• Vaccinating boys plays key role in HPV prevention - Science Daily, 7/22/13 - "HPV has been linked to anal, penile and certain types of throat cancers in men. Since the virus is also responsible for various cancers in women, vaccinating boys aged 11 to 21 will play a crucial role in reducing cancer rates across the sexes ... HPV is the single most common sexually transmitted infection"
• Evaluation of Human Papillomavirus Antibodies and Risk of Subsequent Head and Neck Cancer - J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jun 17 - "HPV16 E6 seropositivity was present more than 10 years before diagnosis of oropharyngeal cancers"
• Throat Cancer Link to Oral Sex Gains Credence - NYTimes.com, 6/3/13 - "In the 1980s, only a small number of throat cancers were linked to HPV infection ... Now, about 70 percent of all throat cancers are caused by HPV, up from roughly 15 percent three decades ago ... Men are three times more likely to be diagnosed than women with HPV-related throat cancer ... The cancers typically occur decades after initial infection with HPV ... partners of people with throat cancers caused by HPV were not at greater risk of developing oral HPV infections themselves"
• Periodontal disease and mouthwash use are risk factors for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma - Cancer Causes Control. 2013 Apr 9 - "We measured history of oral hygiene and dental care on 513 HNSCC cases and 567 controls from a population-based study of HNSCC ... Periodontal disease was associated with a slightly elevated risk of HNSCC (OR = 1.09, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.16). Using any type of mouthwash at least once per day was associated with increased risk compared to never using mouthwash (OR = 1.11, 95 % CI: 1.02, 1.20). HNSCC was associated with frequent use of non-alcoholic mouthwash compared to using any kind of mouthwash rarely or never (OR = 1.24, 95 % CI: 1.05, 1.47)"
• Comparing combination therapies for advanced head and neck cancer shows no improvement - Science Daily, 3/7/13 - "physicians have wondered if the addition of the more tolerable targeted biologic therapy to chemotherapy results in improved patient outcomes. Unfortunately, the data suggests that it does not"