What is cancer? 

The organs of the human body (lungs, liver, skin, etc.) are composed of tissues. Tissues are composed of cells. Cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them, but sometimes this process goes wrong. Cancer begins in the cells. (read more) 

Conventional and Alternative Medicine Work Together

The Mind/Body Connection – How Behavior Affects Cancer Recovery 

Behavior is emerging as a “sixth vital sign” for gauging the health and well being of cancer patients and survivors. A growing body of research literature is uncovering the complex, multi-layered link between behavior and cancer progression and recovery. (read more) 

A Brighter Future through Cancer Research

A New Twist – Brain Tumors Removed through a Nostril 

 UCLA neurosurgeons are removing certain tumors through a patient’s nostril, an approach that helps the patient experience an easier and more rapid recovery. A meningioma is a small, benign tumor that is well suited for treatment using this surgical approach. A meningioma sits above the pituitary gland and typically causes a loss of vision. Traditionally this type of tumor had to be removed through the skull, and more recently by going in under the patient’s lip. 

Surgeons at UCLA have one of the largest patient experiences in the world performing this new, minimally invasive approach, which removes brain tumors through the nostril using an operating microscope and endoscope. (read more) 

Beating Cancer – Follow-up Care Key for Cancer Survivors

Prostate Cancer

Robotic Prostate Cancer Surgery Offered to Patients
The traditional nerve-sparing, radical prostatectomy, which is performed to treat prostate cancer, requires an open surgical procedure. UCLA surgeons are achieving comparable nerve-sparing results as achieved with traditional open surgery by performing a robotically assisted, minimally invasive prostate cancer surgery. The robotic approach is attractive to many patients with a diagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer who wish to preserve their sexual potency and urinary continence. Patients who are candidates for the robotically assisted surgery also experience a shorter hospital stay and recovery time than those patients who must undergo the open procedure. With the robotic approach, there is also less blood loss, pain and scarring. (read more) 

A Pomegranate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is used to detect the presence of cancer. After a man has undergone prostate cancer treatment, his PSA levels should be undetectable. If the PSA level increases after treatment, it’s an indication that the disease is progressing. A recent UCLA study suggests that drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice a day may slow down the recurrence of prostate cancer cells after surgery or radiation treatment. (read more) 

Lung Cancer  

The Truth About Lung Cancer
Notoriously known as the disease of smokers, lung cancer carries a social stigma that is pervasive among patients, family, friends and health-care providers. A little known fact: 15 percent of those individuals diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked, and 50 percent or more quit prior to their cancer diagnosis. It is the second most common cancer diagnosed in the United States, causing more deaths than cancers of the breast, prostate, colon, melanoma, liver and kidney combined. (read more)

Pathologists divide lung cancer into two broad groups: small cell and non-small cell. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 20 percent of all lung cancer diagnoses and tends to grow rapidly and spread to organs beyond the chest. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a group of tumors that include epidermoid cancer (also called squamous cell), adenocarcinoma, bronchioloalveolar cancer and large cell undifferentiated cancer. (read more) 


Promising Experimental Therapy – Advanced Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in both men and women and accounts for about 29 percent of all cancer deaths. 
A recent UCLA study suggested a common, anti-inflammatory drug used to treat arthritis, when combined with another cancer-fighting therapy, might help patients with advanced lung cancer. (read more) 

The War Against Lung Cancer
The management of lung cancer often involves the integration of both medical modalities and surgical interventions. Researchers at UCLA are dedicated to understanding the causes of lung cancer — knowledge that will lead to more effective prevention and treatment strategies. (read more)

Colorectal Cancer

What is Colorectal Cancer?
Colon cancer and rectal cancer — cancers affecting parts of the large intestine — are often collectively referred to as colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer can be prevented and cured if detected and treated early. In spite of this encouraging fact, approximately 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed every year and an additional 56,000 people die each year from this disease. It is the second leading cause of cancer death.
"Colorectal cancer surpasses breast and prostate cancers as a leading cause of cancer death in men and women," said Dr. James Yoo, assistant professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "It is largely preventable with early screening." 
Colorectal cancers usually start from polyps, small growths that protrude into the hollow center of the colon from the inner wall of tissue and can spread through the other layers of tissue, usually over a period of several years. You can lower your risk of colon cancer by following these guidelines:

·Receive regular colorectal cancer screenings beginning at age 50 if you are at normal risk.
·If you are at higher risk — due to a personal or family history of colorectal cancer, other cancers or inflammatory bowel disease — talk to your doctor about screenings before age 50.
·Eat between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day — from fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, nuts and beans.
·Eat a low-fat diet. Colorectal cancer has been associated with diets high in saturated fat.
·Eat foods with folate, such as leafy green vegetables.
·Drink alcohol in moderation.
·Quit smoking. Alcohol and tobacco in combination are linked to colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers.
·Exercise for at least 20 minutes three to four days a week. Moderate exercise such as walking, gardening or climbing stairs may help reduce your risk.
·Report to your doctor any persistent symptoms such as blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, narrower-than-usual stools, abdominal pains or other gastrointestinal complaints.
·Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity may increase the risk of colorectal cancer. 

(read more) 


Colonoscopy
Colonoscopy is the most effective tool in the battle against colorectal cancer — one that allows the physician to look for and treat early signs of the disease. This diagnostic test requires some preparation that includes fasting and cleansing of the bowels. The colonoscopy itself is performed under mild sedation and takes 30 to 60 minutes. (read more) 

Virtual Colonoscopy
Virtual Colonoscopy takes less time and involves less discomfort than traditional colonoscopy, but still requires preparation and cleansing of the bowels prior to the exam. However, if the exam reveals abnormalities such as polyps, the physician is not able to remove them unless a traditional colonoscopy is performed. (read more) 
  

Esophageal Cancer

What is Esophageal Cancer?
The esophagus is the muscular tube that connects the throat to the stomach. The muscles of the esophagus contract to move food from your throat to your stomach. The growth of two kinds of malignant cells can lead to a diagnosis of esophageal cancer:
- squamous cell carcinoma, characterized by thin, flat cells that are found in the upper and middle portions of the esophagus;
- adenocarcinoma, characterized by glandular cells that are generally found in the lower portion of the esophagus, near the stomach.

The exact cause of esophageal cancer is not known. But there are several risk factors that increase the chance that this cancer will develop. They include:

· GERD – Gastroesophageal reflux disease, sometimes called “heartburn.”
· Tobacco use
· Alcohol use
· Age (most esophageal cancer develops in patients who are over 60)

It’s possible to have the early stages of esophageal cancer and have no symptoms. However, common symptoms may include: 

· Painful or difficult swallowing
· Weight loss
· Hoarseness
· Pain in the throat (behind the breast bone or in between the shoulder blades)
· Disappearance of heartburn
· Chronic cough
· Vomiting
· Coughing up blood

There are several diagnostic tests to determine if esophageal cancer is present. (read more) 


The GERD Connection
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the abnormal backflow (reflux) of stomach acid into the esophagus. This occurs when a weak lower esophageal sphincter does not close tightly enough, allowing material from the stomach to rise back up into the esophagus.

If left untreated, GERD may lead to Barrett’s esophagus, an abnormal growth of intestinal-like cells that form in the lining of the esophagus. The growth of these cells may be the forerunner of an adenocarcinoma, a form of cancer found in the lower esophagus.

The UCLA Center for Esophageal Disorders provides treatment for GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, and a number of other problems related to the esophagus.  
 

Women's Cancer

Early Detection Test for Ovarian Cancer in the Near Future
Ovarian cancer is known as the “silent killer” because it is often not discovered until the disease has progressed to the most advanced stages. The day may not be far off when a simple blood test will help physicians diagnose ovarian cancer much earlier than is possible now. UCLA cancer researchers are working on the development of this promising diagnostic test. (read more) 


Early Stage HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer Treatment
HER-2 positive breast cancer is a more aggressive form of breast cancer that results in a poorer prognosis and shorter survival times for women with this type of cancer. UCLA researchers have demonstrated a promising new treatment for early stage HER-2 positive breast cancer that combines Herceptin with a particular targeted therapy -- one that does not carry with it the risk of dangerous cardiac problems. (read more)  

ASK OUR EXPERTS

What’s the difference between a Phase I clinical cancer trial and a Phase III clinical cancer trial?

Phase I clinical trials are the first tests involving human subjects for new anti-cancer drugs. Prior to that, the drug has only been tested in a laboratory setting. Phase I trials are used to establish a recommended dose, types of side effects that the patient might experience, and how the human body processes the drug. When a drug finally reaches a Phase III clinical trial phase, hundreds of patients are enrolled at many different testing centers throughout the country. Phase III trials are used to test this new treatment against existing treatments. All three phases must be completed successfully before a drug is approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (read more) 

What does the term ‘cancer stem cell’ mean?

”When a person gets cancer, we treat them and they’ll seem OK,” says Owen Witte, M.D., director of the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA. “But months, years, or even decades later, the same cancer comes back because we weren’t able to kill the cancer stem cell. For scientists to understand the cancer stem cell, they must first understand the embryonic stem cell, the cell from which all else in the body grows. If we can understand the normal embryonic stem cell, it may help us to understand the cancer stem cell and give us clues about how to target those cells with new therapies.” (read more) 

Can I lower the risk of cancer recurring by eating fruit and vegetables?

Most studies investigating the effects of diet on cancer have linked eating more fruits and vegetables with a lower risk of certain cancers such as lung, oral, esophagus, stomach or colon cancer. Though no definitive research is available yet, fruits and vegetables may also have a helpful effect on recurrence or even survival outcomes for individuals with breast, prostate or ovarian cancer. Regardless, cancer survivors (and everyone else for that matter) should include at least five servings of a variety of vegetables and fruits in their diet each day. (read more) 

Answers to Cancer Term Knowledge Quiz

1. metastasis                            (c) migration of cancer cells
2. oncologist                             (f) cancer specialist
3. staging                                 (a) extent of disease measurement
4. blood count                          (g) red cell, white cell, platelet measurement
5. bone marrow                        (b) produces blood cells
6. multimodality therapy           (d) surgery/chemotherapy/radiation therapy combined
7. radiation therapy                  (e) x-rays, cobalt-60, radium, neutrons