New studies are looking into why lung cancer affects women differently than men; it could be our dear friend estrogen.
Lung cancer will kill 72,000 women this year--more than breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers combined.
[Dr. Kathy Albain] is heading a National Cancer Institute-funded study that is recruiting 720 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients to examine what hormones, genes or other molecular factors explain why lung cancer behaves differently in men and women, smokers and nonsmokers."We're learning what's going on in the lung, and whether or not this is a real thing that can be exploited for cancer treatment," she says.
Estrogen already is a leading suspect.
One study reports that estrogen may “act as a fuel for lung tumors just like it does for many breast tumors, and that blocking estrogen with the same drugs that breast cancer patients use might also work in the lungs.� Another study looking at an experimental cancer drug shows that women (who took the drug) with the most estrogen in their blood had the best survival rate. Go figure.
Oh, and stop smoking please.
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Lung cancer different in women.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.feministing.com/cgi-bin/movabletype/mt-tb.fcgi/3370
I came across your post today. Maybe through an Angel, I dont know.
I lost my Mom this past September to lung cancer. She smoked up to 2 packs a day for 52 years. When she found out she had cancer, she quit, cold turky. Such faith this beautiful lady had. I miss her very much. My best freind. I myself am a smoker. I have tried to quit several times. Unlike her, I guess I dont have the courage, I dont know. I plan another quit date, wish me luck.
And thank you, for sharing this blog.
Try the patches. They help.
jane - Everyone has to find their own way, but I found that patches/gum just drew out the withdrawal. Cold turkey was the only method that worked for me.
CJ - I don't think it is about courage, it is about being truly ready to quit. For me, quitting never worked until I truly believed that:
1. There is no such thing as “just 1 cigarette�.
2. Relapsing is a significantly worse option than passing up “just 1 cigarette� even when I really, really want one.
If you do not truly believe these two things, I don’t see how any amount of courage will carry you through a successful quit.
I have to second noname's opinion. I quit smoking 7 years ago and I did it cold turkey. Now, I will say that I wish I could have afforded the patch or the gum. I think those would've helped me. However, I found that the nicotine withdrawal wasn't nearly as difficult as breaking the habit of having something to do and finding a different coping mechanism. Getting to the point where I didn't want to light up when I got into the car, after dinner, or while having a drink was the toughest part for me. And I'm a woman who lost her father to lung cancer when she was 16 yrs. old. The point is, I toughed it out, and now I can't imagine that I ever lit up the first one.
If estrogen is the big baddie concerning cancer in women, then hormone disruptors such as paraben, phenonip and germaben (all popular anti-microbials found in lotions, shampoos, cosmetics, etc.) should be taken off the market. Ethyl-, methyl-, butyl- and propyl-parabens are all treated like estrogen by your body. Think about how often you put these things on your skin...lotion, deodorant, makeup, conditioner, sunscreen, liquid soap. Your body is constantly inundated with the very chemicals that are partially (and likely largely) responsible for these deadly cancers.
CJ - I just read through my response to your post and realized I forgot to say two important things:
1. I'm sorry for your loss.
2. Good luck.
buy wow gold
cheap wow power leveling
my wow gold
cheapest wow power leveling
BUY wow gold
cheap wow power leveling
CHEAP rs gold
good wow power leveling
MY lotro gold
CHEAPEST aion gold
buy wow gold
cheap wow gold
CHEAPEST wow gold