Happy Thanksgiving.

Many of us face this day with some misgivings.  Our health is a challenge or our loved ones are struggling with cancer.  Medical bills pile up.  We don’t have the time or energy or money for all the things we want.

Some of us have lost family members or friends since last Thanksgiving.

But facing the holidays with gratitude and purposely practicing it makes a difference in health.  Researchers have found that focusing on what we are grateful for improves both physical and emotional health.

And expressing gratitude — by writing in down or talking about it — enhances those health effects.  So, today I am grateful. Read the rest of this entry »

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals has withdrawn Darvon®, Darvon-N®, and Darvocet® from the US market at the request of the FDA.

Even in recommended doses, Darvon (propoxyphene) can cause changes in heart activity which can be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG) adding to the risk of serious changes in heart rhythm.

On November 19, 2010, The FDA recommended that health professionals stop prescribing any propoxyphene immediately and that patients who are using it contact their doctor about the right way to stop.

If your doctor has prescribed a drug that contains Darvon for you, the doctor should contact you to discuss other ways of managing pain and safely discontinuing its use. Read the rest of this entry »

We are very pleased to announce that Representative Dan Boren (D-OK) will be joining us on our December Grassroots Advocate Chat to talk about a new bill he will be introducing early next year that will provide for new funding for colorectal cancer research.Register today to talk with Rep. Boren about this exciting new bill.

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Just for today, don’t smoke!

Nearly 47 million Americans risk their lives — and increase their risk for colorectal cancer — by smoking.

But the good news is that 30 years ago, 1 in 3 people in the US smoked.  Today that has dropped to 1 in 5.

Today, November 18, is a chance to try life without tobacco.  The American Cancer Society hopes that people who stop smoking today will stay smoke-free.

Need help? The National Cancer Institute has tools to help you if you are still struggling with smoking.

Irinotecan (also called CPT-11 and/or Camptosar) is often used to treat advanced colorectal cancer. But it causes diarrhea in most patients–severe in 30 percent—that often limits the dose a patient can tolerate.

Now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found a way to block one specific troublemaking enzyme thought to play a big role in causing the diarrhea.

Irinotecan is complicated: After it has killed tumor cells, the drug is filtered out of the bloodstream by the liver, where it’s changed to an inactive compound and discharged into the intestine to be excreted. But in the intestine, the drug can be reactivated by an enzyme that is made by bacteria that normally live in the gut. The reactivated toxic drug then damages the intestinal lining—leading to severe diarrhea.

Matthew Redinbo, PhD, and his team wanted to block the enzyme that reactivates irinotecan, yet not kill the intestinal bacteria, because it’s vital for digestion, vitamin manufacturing and fighting infections. Sorting through a database of 10,000 chemical compounds, the research team found four chemicals that, at least in a test tube, blocked the enzyme without harming the bacteria. They tested one compound in mice: Those given irinotecan plus the compound had far less severe diarrhea than mice given just irinotecan.

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