Health Archives

The Top 5 Nutrition Myths: Debunked by Science

What are the top nutrition myths that most people believe? And how did we come to believe them, especially when information is so freely available? With so much nutrition information floating around on the web, it can be hard to sift out the truth. Nutrition myths are everywhere—your social media feed, your favorite fitness blog, even your doctor’s office. Here, we bust the top five nutrition myths to help you make better food choices starting today.

Targeted Cancer Treatments: How They Work

Is it possible to mount a targeted attack on cancer cells, as opposed to killing cells indiscriminately? How do targeted cancer treatments work? As scientists learn more about the biology underlying cancer, they become more adept at designing treatments that can target specific genes and proteins that are implicated in the growth and survival of cancer cells. The development of targeted cancer therapies—drugs that target only malignant cells—was one of the major breakthroughs in cancer research. Keep reading to learn about the arrival of targeted cancer treatments.

Understanding Cancer Causes: Major Breakthroughs

What causes cancer? How much do we currently know about cancer etiology? Until relatively recently, our knowledge of cancer and its causes was very limited. Although we’ve come far in our understanding of cancer, we still have a lot to learn about the disease and its causes. Keep reading to learn about the advancements in our understanding of cancer and its causes.

The Fight Against Cancer: Key Milestones

Why haven’t we cured cancer yet? What were some of the most significant efforts in the history of our fight against cancer? Humanity has been putting up the fight against cancer for decades, but victory has so far evaded us. Among the first key efforts were the establishment of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a ban on tobacco advertising, and the National Cancer Act. Keep reading to learn about some of the key milestones in our efforts to cure cancer.

Chemoresistance and the Rise of Total Therapy

Can you be resistant to chemotherapy? What causes chemoresistance? Chemotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment even today. Unfortunately, not all cancers respond to the treatment. Chemo-resistance has no single cause—it can arise due to a variety of host- or tumor-related factors. Learn about chemoresistance, why it occurs, and how chemo-resistant cancers are treated.

Battling Cancer: The Social Aspects to Consider

Can cancer be a social issue? What are the social implications of treating cancer? According to Siddhartha Mukherjee, the author of The Emperor of All Maladies, battling cancer isn’t just an interesting puzzle to solve—it is about helping people. We mustn’t focus so much on the disease that we lose sight of the people. Read about the social aspects of fighting cancer.

Are Vegetarians Healthier? Why Plants Are Here to Stay

Are vegetarians healthier than meat-eaters? Should you stop eating meat? Americans are the biggest consumers of meat out of any country. They also struggle with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease at an alarmingly high rate. That’s why many are starting to turn to vegetarianism—however, vegetarianism comes with its own set of health risks. Continue reading to find out if vegetarians are healthier than meat-eaters.

How Does Chemo Work in Treating Cancer?

How does chemo work in treating cancer? Why is chemotherapy so harmful? Chemotherapy uses powerful yet toxic drugs to destroy malignant cancerous tumors. However, drugs don’t discriminate between cancerous cells and healthy cells, which is why chemotherapy has so many side effects. Keep reading to learn about chemotherapy, how it works, and why it’s so harmful.

The 6 Hallmarks of Cancer Explained by Oncologist

What are the hallmarks of cancer? What are the six characteristics a cell has to possess to be considered cancerous? The hallmarks of cancer are the qualities that cells have to possess to be diagnosed as cancerous. The original six were proposed by Robert Weinberg and Douglas Hanahan: 1) automatic mitosis, 2) non-responsive to antigrowth signals, 3) “immortality,” 4) limitless replication, 5) self-sustaining, 6) mobility. Keep reading to learn about the hallmarks of cancer, explained by oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee.

Sequencing Gene Mutations in Cancer

Which genes are mutated in cancer? Is it possible to sequence all the gene mutations giving rise to cancer? Cancer cells are extremely diverse, and finding the exact gene mutations in a cancer patient to inform treatment would be difficult and time-consuming. A much more feasible approach would be to identify and repair the disrupted biological pathways. Researchers believe that the typical cancer cell has anywhere from 11 to 15 disrupted pathways, with an average of 13. Keep reading to learn about cancer cell genomes and pathways.