Dr. Len's Cancer Blog
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J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, MACP - Dr. Lichtenfeld is Deputy
Chief Medical Officer for the national office of the American Cancer Society.
He directs the Society’s Cancer Control Science Department, which produces the
Society’s widely recognized guidelines for the prevention and early detection
of cancer and guidelines for nutrition and physical activity for cancer
survivors. Additionally, Dr. Lichtenfeld is a frequent spokesperson on a
variety of cancer-related subjects and serves as a liaison for the Society with
many professional and public organizations. More >>
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A recent article in the International Journal of Surgery has rekindled interest in the myth that surgery itself may have an adverse effect on cancer survival by removing the cancer. In this report, the “target” population is pre-menopausal African American women with breast cancer.
The authors write that they have a theory that might provide a scientific basis for the myth.
It’s not bad to have a theory. But when the theory regarding a myth becomes interpreted as a fact, the risk of harm to people at risk is substantially increased.
That could happen in this particular circumstance.
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An announcement earlier today from the US Food and Drug Administration discussed FDA approval for what the FDA said was “the first cleared molecular test that profiles genetic activity” in breast cancer.
The test, called MammaPrint, analyzes 70 genes in a sample of breast cancer tissue and provides a prognostic index estimating the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence after primary treatment.
If you read this blog regularly, you may recall that we discussed this and similar tests in some detail in early August, following a research report and an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Unfortunately, the results of that study and the comments in the editorial weren’t exactly overwhelmingly enthusiastic regarding the practical implications of these particular genetic predictive tests.
This begs the question of whether or not things have changed in some way in the meantime.
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There is the medical equivalent of a tsunami wave building out there, only we don’t know where this one is going to land.
It is called DCA, and we are suddenly receiving requests for information about something few if any of us had heard about as a cancer treatment until this past week.
I suspect some of this rapid explosion is fueled in part by the internet and the rapid exchange of information, and some by advocates who believe in the long-held conspiracy theory that someone is holding back the single simple answer to curing all cancer.
Before we replace rational discourse with irrational exuberance, it is my personal opinion that a bit of caution is in order. The basic reason for my conservative view is “been there, done that.”
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The financial markets are going gaga over Altria.
Who is Altria and why all the excitement?
Just one of the most profitable companies which happens to make cigarettes and markets them around the world. You may know it better from one of its leading brands: Marlboro.
But the reason for the excitement isn’t just about the cigarette business. It’s about the business that Altria is getting out of.
You see, Kraft Foods is also part of Altria. You know Kraft Foods because you likely use many of their products, especially macaroni and cheese.
That’s quite a contrast: cigarettes vs. mac and cheese.
Instead of making your kids happy at dinner, they will now be able to devote all of their resources to killing many of them by age 80.
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