MSI Press Blog

  For years, alcohol carried a kind of health halo — especially red wine. But modern cancer research has stripped away the romance and left us with a clear, uncomfortable truth: alcohol is a carcinogen , full stop. Not just hard liquor. Not just “heavy drinking.” Any drink containing ethanol — beer, wine, cocktails — increases cancer risk. Why alcohol raises cancer risk When the body breaks down alcohol, it produces acetaldehyde , a toxic compound that: damages DNA interferes with DNA repair promotes inflammation disrupts hormone regulation (especially estrogen) Over time, these changes increase the likelihood that damaged cells will become cancerous. Which cancers are linked to alcohol? The list is longer than most people realize. Strong evidence connects alcohol to: Breast cancer (even at low levels) Colorectal cancer Liver cancer Esophageal cancer Head and neck cancers Stomach cancer (emerging evidence) There is no safe threshold . Even one drink a day nudges...

  Hypercalcemia is a serious but treatable complication of cancer. It occurs when calcium levels in the blood rise too high, often signaling advanced disease. Recognizing its symptoms and understanding its causes can help patients and caregivers respond quickly. 🩺 What is Hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia means higher-than-normal calcium levels in the blood . Calcium is essential for strong bones, muscle movement, nerve signaling, and heart rhythm. But when levels climb too high, the body’s systems are disrupted, leading to dangerous complications. 🎯 Which Cancers Are Linked to Hypercalcemia? Hypercalcemia is most often seen in advanced cancers . The cancers most commonly associated include: Breast cancer Bone cancer Lung cancer Kidney cancer Prostate cancer Multiple myeloma Leukemia and lymphoma Head and neck cancers Gastrointestinal cancers 🔬 How Does It Happen? Cancer can cause hypercalcemia through several mechanisms: Bone metastases : Tumors spread to bone, re...

  Probably, most people would not connect sleep deprivation and cancer, but some new research indicates there might be a connection. There appears to be as well a connection between sleep deprivation and obesity and between obesity and certain kinds of cancer.  According to various research projects, long-term sleep deprivation can affect the body's biological clock, which controls sleep and other functions, potentially raising the odds of cancers such as breast, colon, ovarian, and prostate. Night owls can be particularly at risk. Exposure to light during overnight shifts for several years can reduce levels of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and may also have a role in preventing cancer growth. Here are a couple of the websites:  Does Sleep Affect Cancer Risk? | American Cancer Society  and  How does being a night owl impact quality of life and why? . For other Cancer Diary posts, click  HERE . Blog editor's note: As a memorial to Carl, and ...

  Study Finds Specific Cancers Could Be Prevented by Exercise ,  as recently reported by MSN.  To cite a portion, " Jones [the researcher] and his team found that regular exercisers had a slightly reduced risk of developing cancer overall compared to non-exercisers. However, the associated lower risk was higher for head and neck, breast, and lung cancers in particular. At the same time, the team found no link between exercise and a reduced risk of other types, like colorectal and ovarian cancer, and they found a possible higher risk linked to exercise for two types of cancer, melanoma and prostate cancer. They also noticed a dose-response effect, meaning that more exercise seemed to have a more potent impact on cancer risk in either direction." Now, it seems that the study included walking, jogging, and running outdoors. Commonsense says that additional sun exposure might have been involved with the increase in skin cancer (but, certainly, hats and sunscreen will help). F...

  Carl did not like to walk. That was not the only thing that did him in, but it was one of the things that might have helped him. The benefits of walking can be immense: Walking increases muscular strength , especially lean muscle mass and functional strength. Walking a mile a day has been found to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer and prostate cancer . In addition, walking and  aerobic exercise diminishes the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment , such as fatigue, anxiety and depression. See also  Walking for Exercise | Cancer Today (cancertodaymag.org) . Walking can improve mental health , thanks to releasing endorphins. Walking can decrease the likelihood of diabetes . Walking can decrease bad cholesterol . Walking can decrease high blood pressure . Walking can reduce cardiovascular risk by 14%. Finally, walking a mile a day can cut risk of dying from prostate or breast cancer by 40% says one study .  For another MSI Press blog post on walking...