Cancer is a man-made disease triggered by the excesses of modern life, says a new study. Tumours were rare until recent times when pollution and poor diet became issues, the review of mummies, fossils and classical literature has found. Despite slivers of tissue from hundreds of Egyptian mummies being rehydrated, just one case of cancer has been confirmed, reports the journal Nature Reviews Cancer. And references to cancer-like problems in ancient … full story

Drinking, smoking and unhealthy diets have fuelled a doubling in mouth, throat and food pipe cancers in young people. Every year the diseases, known as upper aero-digestive tract (UADT) cancers, kill 10,000 people in Britain and more than 100,000 across Europe. Sufferers include Michael Douglas, 66, who is receiving gruelling treatment for throat cancer. But the cancers are also becoming increasingly common among younger people and researchers … full story

People recently diagnosed with lung cancer are at higher risk of having a stroke than those without lung tumors, suggests a large new study from Taiwan. Researchers looking at data covering more than 150,000 adults found that among those with lung cancer, 26 in every 1000 experienced a stroke each year, compared with 17 in 1000 who did not have cancer. "This is one more telling sign of the long term risk of smoking," said Dr. Andrew Russman, a … full story

Indirubin, a herbal compound used in traditional Chinese remedies might beat deadly brain tumours. Indirubin is derived from the Indigo plant, an active ingredient in the Dang Gui Long Hui Wan formula that is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia. Researchers from the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Centre (OSUCCC) discovered indirubin, a compound that blocks migration of glioblastoma cells and endothelial cells, halting them from forming … full story

British scientists have found a new way of killing cancer cells, a media report said Friday. The study not only sheds light on why some people fail to respond to chemotherapy but also reveals a new way of targeting cancer cells, the Daily Express reported. Until recently, it was thought cells could only die through a process called apoptosis. Apoptosis is often blocked by cancer cells, and drugs often do not work, which allows the tumour to grow … full story

More than the apple, a strawberry a day could keep not just one doctor away, but an entire army of brain, hormone and cancer specialists. Fisetin is a natural flavonoid found very abundantly in strawberries and to some extent in other fruits, vegetables, tea and red wine. It eases diabetes complications, Salk Institute’s Cellular Neurobiology Lab (CFL) said. Flavonoids are natural compounds having similar effects as antioxidants, which help protect … full story

A breast cancer wonder drug could be turned into a universal weapon against tumours. Newcastle University researchers said a family of cancer drugs, known as PARP inhibitors, affect the way tumour cells repair themselves. These inhibitors target hereditary forms of breast cancer as well as ovarian prostate cancer and pancreatic tumours with the same rogue gene, the journal Nature Medicine reports. The drugs exploit the “Achilles heel” of hereditary … full story

Carrots can halt the progression of breast cancer in the early stages of the disease, a study says. The retinoic acid, which is contained in carrot, also rejuvenates the skin and a weak version of it is used in anti-wrinkle face creams, express.co.uk reported. The study has shown that retinoic acid reverses early changes in cells that lead to breast cancer. The chemical affects cell growth, proliferation and survival. The results were presented … full story

Curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric, can fight colon cancer when used in combination with a popular anti-inflammatory drug, say researchers. A treatment based on this finding has had promising results in human clinical trials, the journal Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology reports. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that chronic inflammation in the stomach can cause gastric cancer and that inflammation in the liver from hepatitis … full story

Supplementing diet with fish oil may prevent muscle and weight loss that commonly occurs in cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy. The process can cause cancer patients to lose muscle mass and become malnourished, leading to fatigue, a decreased quality of life and shorter survival. Researchers believe that supplementing the diet with fish oil – which contains omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid – may help patients maintain or … full story