Cancer Awareness: Spotlight on Prostate Cancer

The month of September represents a few different cancer awareness campaigns: childhood cancer, gynecological cancers, leukemia/lymphomas, prostate cancer, and thyroid cancer. Every single one of these deserves attention and will hopefully get to spread their message, but this week we’re focusing on prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, aside from skin cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be over 200,000 new cases in 2015 alone. As with all cancers, the key is early detection and early diagnosis.

Who’s at risk for prostate cancer?

The vast majority (97%) of prostate cancers occur in men over age 50, making age the biggest risk factor. For reasons that are unclear, men of African or Caribbean descent have higher incidence rates for prostate cancer. Genetics does play a role in prostate cancer so people with a family history of prostate cancer can have an elevated risk for it.

What are the signs of prostate cancer?

In the early stages, there are usually no symptoms and no signs that anything is wrong.

For advanced stages of prostate cancer, some of the symptoms may include:

• Weak or interrupted urine flow
• Inability or difficulty urinating
• Need to urinate frequently
• Blood in the urine
• Pain or burning sensation with urination

How do you screen for prostate cancer?

There are a few tests to screen for prostate cancer. The most common one is known as a digital rectal exam (DRE). This is when a doctor or nurse will insert a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for lumps or anything unusual on the prostate.

Another option is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This a blood test used to measure the amount of PSA, a substance produced mainly by the prostate, in the body. High levels of PSA can be a sign for prostate cancer, but can also be a sign of infection or inflammation. Since the PSA test can’t pinpoint prostate cancer for sure, a biopsy might be done at this point to examine the tissue and cells in the prostate.

What are the treatment options?

As with most diseases, treatment options can depend on many factors like disease state and age. For older patients with less aggressive tumors, the best treatment option is careful observation, or simply just waiting and watching. It might sound scary but these milder tumors grow slowly and aren’t as likely to metastasize, or spread, so keeping a careful eye on it could be the best course of action.

Prostate cancer treatments can often affect quality of life by causing side effects like erectile or urinary problems so unnecessary treatment should be avoided. For more advanced diseases or more aggressive tumors, treatment options include surgery, radiation treatment, and/or hormonal therapy.

The good news is that most (93%) of all prostate cancers are diagnosed in the early stage where the 5-year survival rate is nearly 100%. Along the same lines, the 10- and 15-year survival rates are 98% and 94%, respectively.

Ongoing research efforts

Cancer biologists and oncologists continue the search for ways to detect cancer earlier, treat it better and ultimately to find a cure for cancer. To do that, they look at biological markers on the surface of cancer cells and find new ways to target them. However, their work in the lab can only go so far.

As you read this there are currently clinical trials going on around the country for all cancer types (prostate, skin, breast, etc.) and for all areas like prevention, screening, and treatment. Clinical trials rely on volunteers who meet the eligibility criteria to gather results. Sometimes the new treatment might not do anything, but sometimes it just might help. This type of information is what the researchers, need to know in order to help more people in the future.

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The Blood Cancer That Is Myeloma

One way to learn about a disease is to understand the meaning behind the root words that make up the name of the disease. As part of the term Myeloma: Myelo is defined as spinal cord or bone marrow and Oma denotes tumors and other abnormal growths. Therefore, Myeloma is a type of cancerous growth that happens in the soft center of bones (bone marrow). It occurs in a specific kind of blood cells called plasma cells. Normal plasma cells form the infection fighters of the body called the “antibodies.” In Myeloma, these plasma cells become abnormal, multiply uncontrollably and release only one type of antibody that has no useful function, known as paraprotein. Paraprotein is often measured to diagnose and monitor Myeloma.

There are a number of Plasma Cell dyscrasias (disorders) and Myeloma is one of them.

Several forms of Myeloma:

• Multiple Myeloma (MM) is the most common: More than 90 percent of people with Myeloma suffer from MM. This affects several different areas of the body
• Plasmacytoma – a tumor made up of one type of plasma cells that can be found in one site. These sites can bone or soft tissue
• Localized Myeloma – a few neighboring sites evident
• Extramedullary myeloma – involvement of tissue other than bone marrow, such as skin, muscles or lungs.

Division according to progress:

• Slowly progressing: Asymptomatic that is it has no symptoms.
• Symptomatic myeloma has related symptoms such as anemia, kidney damage and bone disease.

Why does Myeloma happen?

Myeloma happens because the cells that are responsible to cause myeloma get mutated. The blood cells form certain specific cells called B cells. These cells form plasma cells which in turn form the healthy proteins called “antibodies” that fight all infections. If these plasma cells get mutated, they multiply and outnumber all other important cells. If they are not treated they can:

• Crowd out functioning white cells, and the immune system can’t guard against infection effectively
• Secrete high levels of protein in the blood and urine, which can lead to kidney damage
• Build up in bone, causing it to weaken, which can lead to bone pain and fractures.

Who is more susceptible?

• Older individuals
• More common in men
• African Americans are 2 times more likely to develop the disease
• Some studies are showing a link between the development of myeloma and radiation or exposure to certain kinds of chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers and certain other agents
• Overweight or obese individuals

Presentation

• Bone pain and fractures: the pain is usually constant and aggravates on movement. The myeloma cells secrete a specific kind of substance (Cytokines), which erodes bone through bone dissolving cells (osteoclasts). Bones can become frail enough to break or fracture in a minor fall or injury and even during normal activities, such as walking, lifting, sneezing or coughing.
• Anemia leading to fatigue and weakness: the cancerous cells can outnumber the RBCs.
• Frequent infections: since the plasma cells that are now formed are defective, they do not form antibodies adequately and hence the body loses the full capacity to fight infections.
• Numbness, tingling, burning or pain in the hands.
• Some patients have high levels of calcium, which can cause increased thirst and urination, constipation and, in extreme cases, decreased alertness and kidney failure.

Tests

• Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine to check how well your kidneys work.
• Protein levels in the blood and urine.
• Complete blood count (CBC) to measure red and white blood cells.

Treatments

• Chemotherapy — drugs that kill cancer cells — can often slow the progress of the disease when they’re used together with other treatments.
• Steroid drugs
• Lenalidomide (Revlimid)
• Pomalidomide (Pomalyst)
• Thalidomide (Thalomid)
• Bortezomib (Velcade )
• Radiation therapy uses high-dose X-rays to destroy cancer cells.
• A stem cell transplant replaces the cancerous cells with healthy cells. People who can donate stem cells include the person with Myeloma, a close relative or a donor with closely matched cells.

What can I do to lead a better life?

• Eat a healthy well balanced diet.
• Exercise so that the mood gets elevated and you feel better.
• Relax
• Locate the various support groups in your area or online to meet people who are fighting the illness or are survivors.
• Keep your morale up: it might be possible that the disease comes back once it is cured. Get help as soon as possible and stay strong.

Through healthy choices and will power, you can face Myeloma in a bold way. Be strong and support those who have it. Seek medical help and be hopeful as a lot of research is in underway.

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Celebrating Life on National Cancer Survivors Day

Cancer is defined as a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body. A survivor is a person who copes well with difficulties in their life.

The National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation defines a Cancer Survivor as anyone living with a history of cancer – from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of life. Therefore, a Cancer Survivor is somebody who has overcome his/her cancer or cancer diagnosis.

A new report by the American Cancer Society says that even though the rates of new cancer cases are decreasing, the number of cancer survivors is growing. This is due partly to improved treatments that help people with cancer live longer, and improvements in early detection that allow doctors to find cancer earlier when it is easier to treat.

National Cancer Survivors Day is a day that is celebrated all over the U.S. and, now, in some other countries as a day to acknowledge the strength and determination of cancer survivors. It is celebrated on the first Sunday in June. This day is celebrated with some specific aims in mind:

• It applauses the survivors and honors their courage
• It showcases the willpower to fight the disease to those who have been diagnosed with cancer
• It is a way for cancer patient families to meet similar families
• It creates awareness for the whole society

It is a very important day as all the former patients, recently diagnosed patients, family and care providers come together and celebrate life and spread the message of positivity. This emotional day reminds us the truth about life, that “time keeps on changing.” One moment may seem hopeless but the next moment might bring extreme joy and zest. Meeting up and learning about the life stories of cancer survivors is a very effective way of encouraging and cheering on those who are fighting the battle.

National Cancer Survivors Day is for over 14 million people to come together to spread awareness and, as a result, encourage health agencies to develop avenues for research. All of us can join the cause to help those in need and donate to secure better research and facilities.

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Stomach Ulcers and Corkscrew Bug

November is Stomach/Gastric Cancer Awareness month. The stomach is responsible for receiving and digesting bolus (chewed foods)–essentially preparing the foods for nutrient absorption in the small intestines. Cancer arises when cells in the stomach lining accumulate a buildup of mutations, leading to loss of cell cycle regulations. Risk factors of gastric cancer include age 55 years and older, male, smoking, genetics, and diet choices. It is also highly correlated with previous bacterial infection from Helicobacter pylori, which will be discussed in this article.

What is H. pylori?

H. pylori is a spiral rod shaped bacterium that thrive in microaerophillic conditions (requiring low oxygen concentration, much like your stomach environment). It is also equipped with tail-like “flagella” used for navigation in the stomach. It is thought that the bugs propel themselves quickly away from the acidic conditions of the stomach contents towards the stomach mucosal lining, which is less acidic. Once H. pylori establish themselves in the mucosal lining, they cause inflammation and damage, and eventually acid will breach to deeper stomach lining layers, causing ulcers and gastric pains.  

H. pylori-associated peptic ulcers

Traditionally, stomach ulcers and inflammation were associated with stress, spicy foods, and smoking. However, physician pathologist team Dr. Barry Marshall and Dr. Robin Warren frequently observed helical shaped bacteria in the stomach slides of patients suffering from gastric ulcers, and were convinced that the bacteria played a part in causing the stomach ulcers. In the summer of 1984, Dr. Marshall became a guinea pig doctor and infected himself by ingesting broth filled with the bacteria. Subsequently, he cured himself with antibiotics–thus establishing the link between stomach ulcers and H. pylori. Their discovery led them to the ultimate accolade: the 2005 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

H. pylori, or the Corkscrew Bug, is found in the environment, but is closely associated with where hygiene is poor. Therefore, a person may be infected via contaminated water, food, and more. Direct transmission from an infected person to another is also very likely. In developing countries, infection mostly occurs during childhood and affects more than 80% of the population. In industrialized areas, the percentage is below 40%.

People colonized with H. pylori have a 10-20% chance of developing stomach ulcers, and a 1-2% risk of developing gastric cancer. The factors involved include bacterial-host interaction and environmental factors.

Symptoms

Sufferers from stomach ulcers likely have dull aching stomach pains, especially in between meals when the stomach is empty and acid can directly irritate the ulcers. Symptoms may be alleviated by eating, especially non-acidic foods. Other signs include bloating or nausea. If ulcer bleeding occurs, one may vomit blood or coffee-ground like substance or have bloody stools, sharp pains in the stomach, fatigue, and more.

Overtime if left untreated, H. pylori infection may lead to gastric cancer. Symptoms include general gastric distress (heartburn, stomach pains, bloating, small appetite, vomiting).    

Treatments

Because of the widespread nature of H. pylori and that it does not always cause disease, doctors will only screen for and treat H. pylori colonization if symptoms are present. Treatment usually include multiple antibiotic classes combined with stomach acid reducers or bismuth subsalicylate. It is important to adhere to the full course of treatment as failure to do so will harbor antibiotic resistance in H. pylori, making future treatments more difficult. Avoid NSAIDs pain killers, spicy foods, smoking, and alcohol, as these will usually worsen your symptoms.  

Prevention is also effective in reducing H. pylori transmission, such as being mindful about handwashing and avoiding contaminated sources.

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2016 math gaming competition kicks off

EdGaming math competitions can be a driver for engaging students

Educational games developer DimensionU has launched the 2016 Spring Tournament Season for its DimensionU Math Video Game Competitions in partnership with a variety of local education agencies and STEM Outreach organizations.

Math-based video game competitions provide a compelling environment to support student learning across a broad range of skill levels, offering the opportunity, regardless of academic background, for students to participate and achieve academic success.

The spring tournament season kicked off this month in Dallas Independent School District at its annual STEM Day event on February 6, 2016.

The tournament season slate continues with math competitions in the following locations:
Honolulu, Hawaii – Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Charleston, South Carolina – Champaign, Illinois – Rome, New York – Huntsville, Alabama – Picatinny, New Jersey – Tampa, Florida – Garland, Texas – Washington, D.C. – Austin, Texas – Fort Worth, Texas – New York, New York.

The competitions are typically conducted as live physical events involving elementary, middle, and high school students under a team-based and/or individual-based structure with curriculum differentiated according to a student’s current grade or performance level. This unique feature of the DimensionU Gaming platform, combined with its action-oriented game format, enables and fosters participation among a more inclusive base of students.

“Aside from educational excitement, what is most significant about our competitions is that they can be a key to unlocking the academic potential in students who may otherwise not be engaged in the classroom,” said Steven Hoy, CEO of DimensionU. “ We are creating positive change for many students and lighting a path towards the opportunity for higher education by establishing educational success through non-traditional means,” added Hoy.

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Edthena integrates videos from Gates Foundation METX project

Educators now have access to more than 2,000 videos and recorded lessons

Teachers using Edthena, an online video coaching platform for classroom observation, now have access to the complete library of Measuring Effective Teaching Extension (METX) videos.

The METX library, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is one of the largest video collections of classroom practice with more than 2,100 recorded lessons.

“Learning is collaborative, and learning to improve teaching is no exception,” said Steve Cantrell, the chief research officer at the Gates Foundation and co-director of the Measures of Effective Teaching Project. “But it’s hard to bring a group of adults into a classroom at the same time to observe and learn from real classroom practice. Edthena solves this problem for teachers and their coaches.”

Accessing the METX videos inside the Edthena platform makes it possible to interact with and analyze the teaching videos using the Edthena commenting tools. While watching a video, it will be possible to add comments at specific moments in time. Comments can also be linked to any teaching framework in use by the organization.

Launched in 2011, the Edthena platform helps schools and districts implement video coaching within a professional development process. Teachers upload videos of classroom instruction and share with colleagues who provide time-stamped comments. Now teachers can pick videos from the METX library for analysis, too.

Teachers and coaches will have many options for how to utilize the METX videos as part of their learning. Some examples include:
● Sharing METX videos to a group for collaborative conversation within a professional learning community
● Independently analyzing METX videos as a check for understanding about implementing a specific skill

“I think what’s exciting is that this isn’t just a library of videos to watch passively. By integrating the METX videos into Edthena, we’ve transformed this library into one that can be used actively as part of collaborative discussions about teaching,” said Adam Geller, founder and CEO of Edthena. “Many districts and universities want example videos that can be used alongside teacher-created videos, but securing the content often proves too challenging.”

Cantrell agrees. “It takes a lot of time and energy to develop a shared understanding of good teaching. Edthena’s use of commenting at specific moments in the video makes this much easier,” he said. “Edthena will help coaches and instructional leaders do their work better.”

The MET project was launched in 2009 as a research partnership of academics, teachers and education organizations committed to investigating better ways to identify and develop effective teaching practices.
During the 2011-12 and 2012-13 school years, more than 350 teacher volunteers from six school districts video-recorded their lessons in order to help researchers and educators identify and develop examples of great teaching.

The METX library offers a special benefit for coaches and teachers because it includes three videos of every lesson: a front view of the board, a wide-angle view of the room, and a split-screen view. As a result, teachers have the option of focusing on what the instructor did, the overall interaction between instructor and students, or both.

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Science achievement gaps begin as early as kindergarten

Research indicates math, reading achievement in early grades also influences later science achievement

Science achievement gaps present between racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the eighth grade already exist when those children are in kindergarten, according to new research published in Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association.

A research team analyzed data from the National Center for Education Statistics on over 7,750 children from kindergarten entry to the end of eighth grade and found that kindergarten children’s basic world knowledge was the strongest predictor of their general first grade knowledge, which in turn was the strongest predictor of their third grade science achievement. Their science achievement gaps remained fairly stable from third grade through eighth grade.

Math and reading achievement also were associated with science achievement in those grades, which suggests that improving math and reading skills in lower-performing students might help improve their science achievement gaps. The report cites prior research noting that children’s kindergarten math and reading achievement is strongly predictive of their achievement in elementary school, and the achievement gaps begin very early.

“If you enter kindergarten with very little knowledge about the natural and social world, you are likely to be struggling in science by third grade, and you are then likely to still be struggling in science by eighth grade,” said Paul L. Morgan, an associate professor of education policy studies at Pennsylvania State University. Along with Morgan, George Farkas (University of California, Irvine), Marianne M. Hillemeier (Pennsylvania State University), and Steve Maczuga (Pennsylvania State University) conducted the research.

Of those children in the study who had low levels of general knowledge, 62 percent struggled with science in third grade and 54 percent struggled with science in eighth grade.

General knowledge gaps between racial/ethnic minority and white children were already large at kindergarten entry. For example, 58 percent, 41 percent, and 52 percent of black, Hispanic, and American Indian children had general knowledge scores in the bottom 25 percent at kindergarten entry. The contrasting percentage for white children was only 15 percent. About 65 percent of low-income children entered kindergarten with low levels of general knowledge. Only 10 percent of high-income children did so.

“We were dismayed by how early the gaps emerged,” said Morgan. “However, the gaps were also largely explained by modifiable factors, including those that can be addressed by policymakers. Our findings argue for the importance of intervening early, particularly for children who may be at risk because of fewer opportunities to informally learn about science prior to beginning elementary school.”

The researchers noted that children from traditionally marginalized groups have lower access to high-quality childcare and preschools, a circumstance that limits their learning opportunities prior to entering kindergarten. Income inequality and racial segregation in schools then perpetuate the disparities in learning opportunities and contribute to science achievement gaps throughout the elementary and middle grades.

“Science achievement gaps are themselves mostly explained by underlying inequities that we, as a society, too often tolerate or simply decide not to fully address,” Morgan said.

The findings suggest that, for the United States to retain its long-term scientific and economic competitiveness, policymakers should redouble efforts to ensure access to high-quality early learning experiences in childcare settings, preschools, and elementary schools, particularly for children who are at risk.

According to a 2010 National Academies report, low levels of science achievement in the United States are no longer a “gathering storm” but now are “rapidly approaching a Category 5” in their potential to derail the nation’s long-term global competitiveness. Waiting to address science achievement gaps by middle or high school may be waiting too long.

At the family level, Morgan said that regularly talking and interacting with very young children, pointing out and conversing about physical, natural, and social events that are occurring around them, and supportively extending their general knowledge about the world may be ways that parents can help their children learn the facts and concepts that will prepare them to take full advantage of the science instruction they receive during elementary and middle school.

Funding for this study was provided by the National Center for Special Education Research, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Material from a press release was used in this report.

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