Cianna Medical announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued two patents that are directly related to its SAVI™ multi-catheter brachytherapy device for the treatment of breast cancer. The patents, Nos. 7,497,819 and 7,497,820 and titled “Expandable Brachytherapy Device,” represent the first patents issued for a family of applications focused in brachytherapy.

The SAVI multi-catheter open architecture design allows for the delivery of patient-specific radiation that minimizes the radiation dose to healthy tissue. Published reports and clinical experience show that most women who are excluded from balloon brachytherapy because of the location of the lesion or breast size can receive treatment with the SAVI delivery system.

“These two patents are the first of many we expect to secure through our comprehensive intellectual property portfolio,” said Jill Anderson, President and CEO of Cianna Medical, “We are well positioned to protect our products and our leadership in the breast brachytherapy market. Strong IP and innovative, proven technology make Accelerated Partial Beast Irradiation (APBI) with SAVI a viable therapy for women suffering from breast cancer.”

Cianna received 510(k) clearance for SAVI from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2007 for use during brachytherapy procedures. For appropriate patients, SAVI is an advanced technology that may reduce treatment time to just five days, versus six to eight weeks for traditional radiation therapy.

Colon cancer is cancer of the large intestine (colon), the lower part of your digestive system. Most cases of colon cancer begin as small, noncancerous (benign) clumps of cells called adenomatous polyps. Rectal cancer is cancer of the last 6 inches of the colon. Together, they’re often referred to as colorectal cancers.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer killer overall and third most common cause of cancer-related death in the United States in both males and females. Who is at risk for colorectal cancer. Men tend to get colorectal cancer at an earlier age than women, but women live longer so they catch up with men and thus the total number of cases in men and women is equal. Women diagnosed with uterine or ovarian cancer before age 50 are at increased risk of colorectal cancer. Woman with a personal history of breast cancer have only a very slight increase in risk of colorectal cancer. The average age to develop colorectal cancer is 70 years, and 93% of cases occur in persons 50 years of age or older. You have a higher risk for colon cancer if you have:

• Cancer elsewhere in the body.
• Colorectal polypsCrohn’s disease
• Family history of colon cancer
• Personal history of breast cancer
• Ulcerative colitis.

Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

Symptoms of colorectal cancer vary depending on the location of the cancer within the colon or rectum, though there may be no symptoms at all. The most common presenting symptom of colorectal cancer is rectal bleeding. Cancers arising from the left side of the colon generally cause bleeding, or in their late stages may cause constipation, abdominal pain, and obstructive symptoms. On the other hand, right-sided colon lesions may produce vague abdominal aching, but are unlikely to present with obstruction or altered bowel habit. Other symptoms such as weakness, weight loss, or anemia resulting from chronic blood loss may accompany cancer of the right side of the colon.

If your doctor learns that you do have colorectal cancer, more tests will be done to see if the cancer has spread. Colonoscopy is currently the only test recommended for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk persons at 10 year intervals. Colonoscopic surveillance (also called screening colonoscopy) needs to be available at more frequent intervals for individuals at high risk for colon cancer (for instance, those with a personal history of colorectal cancer or adenomatous polyps; family history of colorectal cancer; non-hereditary polyposis; colorectal cancer; or a pre-disposing condition such as inflammatory bowel disease.

The first step to avoiding this ailment is prevention with regular tests at the doctor, but there are other ways of getting around this disease in between checkups. Nevertheless, it appears that increasing the fiber content in the Western diet would be useful in the primary prevention of colorectal cancer. This helps by providing a colon cleanse and rids the colon of toxins. It is recommended that physical activity messages promoting at least 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days of the week be included in primary prevention interventions for cancer. The population prevalence for meeting proposed physical activity criteria for colon cancer prevention is low and much lower than that related to the more generic public health recommendations.

Our bodies need lots of calcium and not only for building strong bones. Colon cancer prevention is one of the most exciting uses for calcium. However, instead of using calcium supplements, this study relied on low-fat dairy products to supply 1,200mg calcium per day. Investigators found this amount of calcium decreased the incidence of changes in the cells lining the colon, which is often seen in the initial stages of colon cancer. A significant protective factor is adequate dietary calcium intake during the period of maximum growth, ages 9 and 25 years, so that proper peak bone mass is achieved by age 20and 30 years and maintained until mid-life, with only slow bone loss in the following years. As already noted, dietary surveys indicate a significant gap between the recommended calcium intake and the actual intake in the United States in the critical years of adolescence and young adulthood and later in life.

You have all got to check out this site.  getthebean.com I’d bet that there isn’t a single person reading this post that doesn’t love caffene in some form or another.  What better way to get your fix can you find than one that will let you help people at the same time? Meaghan and the crew over at GTB share your coffee passion (or wonderful tea if you prefer), but throw on an interesting twist.  They donate a portion of their proceeds to various cancer charities.  Here’s how the process works:

1. Drop them a line letting them know about your cancer connection.  Was it your battle, or has someone you loved suffered?
2. They will then post your story on  Meaghans blog @ gtbfightscancer.blogspot.com
3. Then, they choose one of the stories to feature each month
4. If your stroy is the lucky one, then you pick your favorite Get the Bean coffee flavor and the cancer charity you’d like them to donate to.
5. For the next year they will donate a portion of the sales from that flavor the the charity you’ve chosen

It’s really that simple and easy.  If you wish to enter your story, you can email them at fightcancer@getthebean.com.

It looks like this months featured flavor is Mexico Coetepec, and is currently selling for $10.95/lb.  Super cheap for this wonderful brew described as having

medium acidity, a sweet smooth body and flavor with a hint of fresh roasted hazelnuts

The sales are going to support the Melanoma Research Foundation, and you can read their story at the Get the Bean Fights Cancer blog.

Since I last hopped over, it looks like they’ve also added a huge tea selection, biscotti (for your sweet tooth), Monin syrups, a gifts section, smoothies and more.  There is really great energy around this project, and I wish them the best.  We can all do our part by clicking over and picking up a couple bags of coffee beans.  While they aren’t carrying coffee makers yet, I’d bet it won’t be long before Meaghan gets her hands on some nice grinders and French presses to keep all of us perking.

Related Links

• GetTheBean.com: Great Gourmet Coffee Helping Cancer Charities …
• Risks of Colon Cancer in Women and Men | Your Cancer Risk Guide

Exciting news in the breast cancer treatment field.  I just got word of this from one of my readers (thanks Gina!)  and wanted to share it with all of you.  It seems that the MultiCare Tegional Cancer Center has been testing the new SAVI applicator, and just like the Cooper Clinic is having fantastic results.  This allows women to have their radiation dose tailored to their body providing more targeted treatment, and fewer side effects.  This means that instead of six to seven weeks of typical treatments, that many women can achieve the same breast cancer treatment results in only 5 days.  FANTASTIC!

This sophisticated new radiation treatment with the SAVI™ applicator expands treatment options for most women with early-stage breast cancer. Now the majority of women who qualify for partial breast radiation can be treated with the SAVI applicator. Partial breast radiation is a short, five-day course of radiation therapy given after a lumpectomy. SAVI delivers a form of partial breast radiation known as breast brachytherapy, which targets the tumor site from inside the breast.
SAVI is the only single-entry device that contours the radiation dose specifically to the patient’s individual anatomy. Its design overcomes the limitations of older brachytherapy techniques, such as balloon brachytherapy.  “I use SAVI for the majority of my patients who are candidates for partial breast radiation,” said breast surgeon Lynne Clark, M.D., the first surgeon in Washington to utilize the device. “We can offer this choice to women who would not otherwise qualify for brachytherapy and better individualize treatment for each patient.”
Breast brachytherapy typically involves two treatments per day for only five days. This approach is much more convenient than traditional, external-beam radiation treatment, which takes six to seven weeks. Breast brachytherapy with SAVI also minimizes radiation exposure of healthy tissue. That reduces the risk of exposing critical structures such as the skin, heart, and lungs to radiation.
“This new device does most everything balloon brachytherapy can do and more. It enables us to provide better treatment to many of our breast-cancer patients,” said Carolyn Rutter, M.D., a radiation oncologist at MultiCare. “SAVI allows us to tailor radiation to the patient’s anatomy. That can potentially reduce side effects that may be associated with radiation therapy.” Breast brachytherapy is used as part of breast-conservation therapy, which includes lumpectomy – the surgical removal of the cancerous tissue within the breast plus tissue immediately around the tumor – followed by radiation. This approach is an alternative to mastectomy, which removes the breast and is often followed by breast reconstruction.

About MultiCare Regional Cancer Center
MultiCare offers comprehensive breast health services – from education, prevention and screening programs to advanced diagnostics, treatment and support. The system’s breast-imaging capabilities include digital mammography, enabling earlier detection that is the key in fighting the disease. Breast cancer treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy. MultiCare also offers complementary therapies such as nutritional therapy, physical therapy and emotional counseling.
MultiCare Regional Cancer Center is also the exclusive south Sound network affiliate of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance.
For more information, go to www.multicare.org and click on “cancer.”

Cancer can target any age group, but nearly all types are more common in middle aged and elderly people than in young people. Skin is the most common type of cancer for both men and women. The next most common type among men is prostate cancer; among women, it is breast cancer. Lung cancer, however, is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women . Brain cancer and leukemia are the most common cancers in children and young adults.

The more we can learn about what causes cancer, the more likely we are to find ways to prevent it. Scientists study patterns of cancer in the population to look for factors that affect the risk of developing this disease. In the laboratory, they explore possible causes of cancer and try to determine what actually happens when normal cells become cancerous.

basics of stomach cancer
Out of ten people, there will be one person suffering from gastritis and out of one hundred, there will be one person suffering from stomach cancer. If the cancer can be identified early (when it only involves the superficial lining layer of the stomach and only involves a few cells) it is surgically removed. 90% of these individuals are likely to have a normal life span. However if the stomach cancer has involved all the layers of the stomach this chance decreases to only 50% and if it has spread outside the stomach or to distant organs of the body the chances of surviving in the long term are extremely gloomy.

causes of stomach cancer

• Benign stomach (gastric) ulcers, in most instances these benign ulcers in the stomach do not become malignant although in a few cases, they can become cancerous after many years . Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach appears to be an important cause of gastric ulcers.
• Chronic duodenal ulcer , this is a common condition of the duodenum , the organ situated next to the stomach . We can reassure those with this condition that even after many years of having a chronic duodenal ulcer , the chances of it becoming malignant are almost zero.
• Gastritis with low or absent stomach acid production . This situation can occur in an uncommon illness. Pernicious anemia and it can also occur without any obvious reason . No or low levels of stomach acid which is normally produced to aid digestion is associated with the disappearance of gastric glands and this is called atrophic gastritis . Atrophic gastritis is a pre malignant condition .

genetic disposition to stomach cancer
Family history plays a large role in determining your chances of getting stomach cancer. For example, such a history in a near relative doubles a person’s chances of developing stomach cancer during their life time

The common blood groups are A,B,O ,and AB. A person with type A blood has a 20% increased chance of developing stomach cancer during their life time compared to those with other blood groups

The presence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach also increases your chances of developing stomach cancer. This is an organism which in recent has been associated not only with stomach cancer but also with gastric and duodenal ulcers and with inflammatory changes called gastritis. Why Helicobacter infection is present in some individuals but not in others is at present in some individuals but not in others is at present is uncertain. Helicobacter Pylori infection can usually be eradicated by the use of suitable antibiotics . It has also been suggested recently by Australian scientists that the regular intake of acidophilus bacteria (found in some brands of yogurt and in some bacteria supplements) can also eradicate Helicobacter infection.

Dietary factors play a special risk for stomach cancer, the most common or which is a diet which is low in vegetables, fruit and cereals. Most notably are those fruits, vegetables and cereals which contain a lot of beta-carotene, vitamin c, and vitamin-e.

A diet high in pickled, smoked, salted, or cured food or foods preserved with nitrates such as salami, sausages, hot dogs, smoked meat, smoked fish, or pickled food of any kind can also increase your risks for stomach cancer. The high risk foods described above all seem to produce carcinogens called nitrosamines. Vitamin C acts as antioxidant and has other actions which neutralize the effects of nitrosamines . Dietary factors are probably the most important single cause of stomach cancer. Smoking is also very likely to be an important contributory cause of stomach cancer .

what you can do to prevent stomach cancer
Make dietary changes. It is particularly important to consume a diet containing fruits,vegetables and cereals which contain beta-carotene, vitamin c and vitamin e and at the same time avoid or eat very little pickled, smoked, salted, cured and nitrate preserved foods. In a recently reported study from China, where stomach cancer is still relatively common, the daily use of vitamin-e, beta carotene and selenium supplements decreased stomach cancer risk by one-fifth .

Avoid smoking. If you are a smoker, there are several plans available to help you quit smoking. Many times at no cost to you.

Eradicate Helicobacter Pylori , if helicobacter infection has been shown to be present ,suitable antibiotics can be used recent research suggests that the acidophilus bacteria found in some dietary supplements may also been effective way to eliminate helicobacter infection

The regular use of aspirin as a preventive for stomach cancer is also being explored . However the human evidence of a preventive role for aspirin in stomach cancer is insufficient at present to make a strong recommendation .

treatment for stomach cancer
Many people with stomach cancer want to learn all they can about their disease and their treatment choices so they can take an active part in decisions about their medical care. Often, it helps to make a list of questions to ask the doctor. Patients may take notes or, with the doctor’s consent, tape record the discussion. Some patients also find it helps to have a family member or friend with them when they talk with the doctor to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.

Chemotherapy is often used to treat stomach cancer. The side effects of chemotherapy depends mainly on the drugs and doses the patient receives. As a result of chemotherapy, patients may have side effects such as loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, or mouth sores. For some patients, the doctor may prescribe medicine to help with side effects, especially with nausea and vomiting. Usually, these side effects gradually go away during the recovery period or after treatment stops. Hair loss another side effect of chemotherapy, is a major concern for many patients. Some chemotherapy drugs only cause the hair to thin out, while others may result in the loss of all body hair. Patients may feel better if they decide how to handle hair loss before starting treatment.

In some men and women, chemotherapy drugs cause changes that may result in a loss of fertility. Loss of fertility may be temporary or permanent depending on the drugs used and the patient’s age. For men, sperm banking before treatment may be a choice. Women’s menstrual periods may stop, and they may have hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Periods are more likely to return in young women. In some cases, bone marrow transplantation and peripheral stem cell support are used to replace tissue that forms blood cells when that tissue has been destroyed by the effects of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Hormone therapy is another option for many suffering from stomach cancer. Patients may have nausea and vomiting, swelling or weight gain, and, in some cases, hot flashes. In women, hormone therapy also may cause interrupted menstrual periods, vaginal dryness, and, sometimes, loss of fertility. Hormone therapy in men may cause impotence, loss of sexual desire, or loss of fertility. These changes may be temporary, long lasting, or permanent.