Prevention - Cancer Currents Blog
Cancer prevention news, with comments from leading scientists. Topics include preventive interventions for those at increased risk of cancer, protective behaviors, and more.
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Study Probes Awareness of Alcohol’s Link to CancerA study confirmed that most US adults aren’t aware of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. Even among those surveyed who were aware, some believed risk varies by the type of alcohol.
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Bariatric Surgery May Reduce the Risk of Some Common CancersA new study suggests that people with obesity who had bariatric surgery had a much lower risk of five common cancers that aren’t related to hormone levels, including lung, colorectal, and esophageal cancer.
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Cancer Screening Guidelines Often Lack Information on Potential Harms, Study FindsIn a review of 33 cancer screening guidelines, researchers have found that many don’t adequately capture the potential harms of cancer screening. Providing information on harms is critical so people can have informed discussions about screening with their health care providers, the researchers noted.
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FDA Proposes Rule Prohibiting Menthol CigarettesA proposed rule prohibiting menthol flavoring is expected to make cigarettes less appealing, lower smoking rates, and reduce diseases and deaths caused by cigarette smoking. Tobacco control researchers say the proposed ban could have the greatest impact on youth and African American smokers.
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More Evidence that One HPV Vaccine Dose Protects against Cancer-Causing InfectionsOne dose of the HPV vaccine was highly effective in protecting young women against infection from high-risk HPV types, a study in Kenya found. A single dose would make HPV vaccines more accessible worldwide, reducing cervical cancer’s global burden.
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Keto Molecule Offers Clue for Preventing Colorectal CancerIn a study in mice, researchers showed that BHB, a compound produced while eating a ketogenic diet, may slow or stop colorectal cancer from growing. More studies are needed, they warned, to see if BHB has similar effects in humans.
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Air Is Life: The Navajo Nation’s Historic Commercial Tobacco BanWith the passage of the Air is Life Act of 2021, the Navajo Nation enacted the most comprehensive ban on commercial tobacco products of any American Indian tribe to date.
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FDA Oversight of E-Cigarettes Gathers Speed: A Conversation with Mitch ZellerCompanies that want to market e-cigarettes in the United States must now submit applications to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this interview, Mitch Zeller, director of FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, provides insights into FDA actions on e-cigarettes.
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Does Too Much Fructose Help Colorectal Cancers Grow?Excess fructose can promote obesity and colorectal cancer, a new study shows. In mice, the study found that the sweetener, a component of table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, increased how long normal and cancer cells in the intestines live.
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Despite Proven Safety of HPV Vaccines, More Parents Have ConcernsDespite consistent evidence that HPV vaccines are safe and effective, a new study shows that more parents are citing concerns about their safety. Researchers cautioned that efforts are needed to counter this trend and improve vaccination rates.
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Pattern of DNA Damage Links Colorectal Cancer and Diet High in Red MeatResearchers have discovered a consistent pattern of DNA damage in colorectal tumors that may explain how a diet high in red and processed meat can help cause colorectal cancer.
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Advancing Cancer Prevention: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Philip CastleThe director of NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention, Dr. Philip Castle, discusses the division’s priority areas and his vision for making more rapid progress in cancer prevention, including moving toward precision prevention and immunoprevention.
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Smoking Initiation Shifting from Teens to Young AdultsThe age at which people tend to start smoking has shifted upwards, with more young adults than teens trying smoking for the first time or becoming regular smokers, according to a new study.
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Large Study Confirms that HPV Vaccine Prevents Cervical CancerWidespread HPV vaccine use dramatically reduces the number of women who will develop cervical cancer, according to a study of nearly 1.7 million women. Among girls vaccinated before age 17, the vaccine reduced cervical cancer incidence by 90%.
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Regular Aspirin Use May Increase Older People’s Risk of Dying from CancerRegular use of low-dose aspirin may increase an older person’s risk of being diagnosed with advanced cancer and of dying from cancer, results from the ASPREE clinical trial suggest. Learn more about what this 19,000-participant study found.
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Updated Nutrition Facts Label Reflects Science on Diet and Health, including CancerOn January 1, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring food manufacturers to display updated nutrition facts labels on their product packaging. Experts from FDA and NCI discuss the update and the research that underpins the changes.
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Single Dose of HPV Vaccine Yields Long-Term Protection from Many Cancer-Causing TypesMore than a decade after vaccination, women who had received a single dose of the HPV vaccine continued to be protected against infection with the two cancer-causing HPV types targeted by the vaccine, an NCI-funded clinical trial shows.
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HPV Vaccine May Provide Men with “Herd Immunity” against Oral HPV InfectionsOral HPV infections cause over 70% of all oropharyngeal cancers in the United States. In a new study of adults aged 18‒59, the rate of HPV vaccination rose from 0% to 6% for men, while oral HPV infections fell by 37% among unvaccinated men.
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Pediatricians’ Offices Can Help Parents Quit Smoking, Study ShowsResearchers tested a program that trains pediatricians’ offices to provide smoking cessation treatment to parents during visits with their child’s doctor. The approach is intended to reach adults who are motivated to quit to protect their child’s health.
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Prostate Cancer Prevention and Finasteride: A Conversation with NCI’s Dr. Howard ParnesThe Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial showed that finasteride can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, but might increase the risk of aggressive disease. NCI’s Howard Parnes talks about subsequent findings and what they mean for men aged 55 and older.