April 12, 2002

In This Issue:
Green Tea, Curry, Hair Dye, Supplement Contaminated, Researchers Report, Clinical Trials, Informed Consent, and Sunny Outlook on Cancer Rates

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THE LATEST NEWS

Green Tea Shows Protection Against Gastrointestinal Cancer

Prostate Cancer Supplement Contained Drugs

Some Cancer Risk From Hair Dye

Curry Spice May Help Tackle Cancer

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RESEARCHERS REPORT LATEST FINDINGS

The American Association for Cancer Research met this week to announce and discuss their latest findings on supplements, dietary factors, gene therapy, the war on cancer, and a natural molecule called TRAIL that is part of the "death-inducing machinery necessary to stop cancer." The American Association for Cancer Research is a professional society of more than 18,000 scientists engaged in cancer research in 60 countries. For a list of summary findings as well as audio and video access, see

http://www.aacr.org/1100_files/XcNewsPlus/XcNewsPlus.asp?cmd=LIST

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CLINICAL TRIAL REFERENCE GUIDE

More than 80,000 clinical trials are conducted in the United States annually. Last year, more than 17 million people inquired about participating in clinical trials in the US, and more than two million people volunteered for studies. The American Association of Health Plans and a nonprofit research organization just published Should I Enter a Clinical Trial? A Patient Reference Guide. The 132-page document covers the risks, benefits, and implications of entering a clinical trial. The free guide and summaries are available online at www.ecri.org and www.aahp.org.

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INFORMED CONSENT IN CLINICAL TRIALS

Informed Consent, just released by a medical publisher, can help patients be more informed before giving their consent to join a clinical trial. This guidebook helps patients understand their rights as study volunteers and what to expect when participating in a clinical trial, noting that the authors analysis of FDA data found that one in 30 patients in clinical trials experiences a serious side effect. The focus of Informed Consent is on the more technical and legal aspects of clinical trials. The 300-page book was produced by CenterWatch, part of the Thomson Corporation, publisher of the PDR: Physicians Desk Reference and other medical reference material. Informed Consent costs $16.95.

http://www.centerwatch.com/bookstore/newreleases.html

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SUNLIGHT MAY REDUCE RISK OF BREAST, COLON CANCER DEATHS

While skin cancer is a serious issue especially in sunnier climates, scientists studying environmental factors and cancer found deaths from certain non-skin cancers were actually lower in sunnier climates. Based on death certificates and geography, the case-controlled study found breast and colon cancer deaths "were negatively associated" with exposure to sunlight. Residential and occupational exposure to sunlight also seems to affect the likelihood of dying from ovarian and prostate.

http://unisci.com/stories/20022/0404023.html