Daily Archives: December 2, 2008

Study Suggest Some Cancers May Go Away

Posted on December 2, 2008 by continuum wellness| 1 Comment

Study Suggests Some Cancers May Go Away
November 25, 2008, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/health/25breast.html

Cancer researchers have known for years that it was possible in rare cases for some cancers to go away on their own. There were occasional instances of melanomas and kidney cancers that just vanished. And neuroblastoma, a very rare childhood tumor, can go away without treatment. But these were mostly seen as oddities – an unusual pediatric cancer that might not bear on common cancers of adults, a smattering of case reports of spontaneous cures. And since almost every cancer that is detected is treated, it seemed impossible even to ask what would happen if cancers were left alone. Now, though, researchers say they have found a situation in Norway that has let them ask that question about breast cancer. And their new study, to be published Tuesday in The Archives of Internal Medicine, suggests that even invasive cancers may sometimes go away without treatment and in larger numbers than anyone ever believed. Robert M. Kaplan, the chairman of the department of health services at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles, [is] persuaded by the analysis. The implications are potentially enormous, Dr. Kaplan said. If the results are replicated, he said, it could eventually be possible for some women to opt for so-called watchful waiting, monitoring a tumor in their breast to see whether it grows. “People have never thought that way about breast cancer,” he added. Dr. Kaplan and his colleague, Dr. Franz Porzsolt, an oncologist at the University of Ulm, said in an editorial that accompanied the study, “If the spontaneous remission hypothesis is credible, it should cause a major re-evaluation in the approach to breast cancer research and treatment.”

Note: For reports from major media sources on many hopeful new developments in the battle against cancer, click here.
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Posted in breast cancer, cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, Health, medical news, medicine

FDA Overview: Products with potential Melamine contamination

Posted on December 2, 2008 by continuum wellness| Leave a comment

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that there is no known threat of contamination of infant formula manufactured by companies that have met the requirements to sell such products in the United States. However, the following is a list of companies and their products being recalled because of detected melamine contamination:

Lotte USA Inc., of Battle Creek, Mich.

* All flavors of Koala March Cookies. Distributed nationwide and to Canada through wholesale distributors and retail stores. The products are packaged in a plastic overwrap.

Hua Xia Food Trade USA Inc. of Flushing, N.Y.

* YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink. Distributed to New York City through Asian retail grocery stores and packaged in 250 ml flexible paperboard boxes with blue, red and green Chinese writing. There is a picture of an Asian man in a green shirt and white tie.
* YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink. Distributed to New York City through Asian retail grocery stores and packaged in 250 ml flexible paperboard boxes with black, red and white writing in English and Chinese. There is a picture of two cows playing a sport on the face of the box.
Tristar Food Wholesale Co. Inc. of Jersey City, N.J.

* Blue Cat Flavor Drink. Sold nationwide in Asian grocery stores, the product comes in 100 ml plastic bottles with a logo of blue cat on the back of the bottle and the word “blue cat” in Chinese on the front.
QFCO Inc. of Burlingame, Calif.

* White Rabbit Candy. Sold through wholesale distributors to retail stores in California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
Sunny Maid Corp. of Monterey Park, Calif.

* Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products. Mr. Brown 3-in-1 and 2-in-1 powdered packets were sold in plastic bags, each containing 30 individual packets. Flavors include Mandheling Blend, Arabica, Blue Mountain Blend, Caramel Macchiato, French Vanilla and Milk Tea.

The FDA is advising consumers not to consume the following products because of possible melamine contamination:

* Fresh and Crispy Jacobina Biscuits
* Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies
* YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink
* YILI Brand Pure Milk Drink
* Blue Cat Flavored Drinks
* White Rabbit Candies
* Mr. Brown Mandehling Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
* Mr. Brown Arabica Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
* Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Blend Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
* Mr. Brown Caramel Macchiato Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
* Mr. Brown French Vanilla Instant Coffee (3-in-1)
* Mr. Brown Mandheling Blend instant Coffee (2-in-1)
* Mr. Brown Milk Tea (3-in-1)
* Infant formula manufactured in China

Consumers should stop using these products and return them to the place of purchase for a refund.

FDA Statement (here)
Melamine Contamination in China (here)

Posted in FDA, food, Health, infants

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