Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Blood Protein Could Signal Lung Disease Risk
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WEDNESDAY, March 1 (HealthDay News) -- C-reactive protein (CRP), a blood marker for inflammation typically used to identify cardiovascular risk, might also help spot people with abnormal precancerous lesions in the lung, Canadian researchers report. Researchers measured CRP, lung function and other inflammatory markers in 65 people with "bronchial dysplasia" -- at least one site of abnormal lung cell activity, measured at greater than 1.2 millimeters in size. When the patients were assessed again six months later, 32 had bronchial lesions that had progressed to a more abnormal state, greatly raising cancer risk. What''s more, the team also found that "the odds of developing progressive disease were 9.6-fold higher in the group that had CRP greater than 0.5 mg per liter compared with the group less than this threshold," Dr. Stephen Lam, of the Lung Tumor Group, British Columbia Cancer Agency, at the University of British Columbia, said in a prepared statement. "These data are consistent with the prevailing hypothesis that squamous cell carcinoma arises from preinvasive lesions in stepwise fashion, which is called the sequential theory of cancer development. This hypothesis is supported by animal experiments mimicking human carcinogenesis," Lam said. He said the findings from this study may eventually help in the design of chemopreventive and early-detection studies, by identifying people at high risk for non-small cell lung cancer. More information The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about lung cancer screening.
Last Updated: March 1, 2006 |