I am sad :'(

[fluffy]

North Americans are the unhealthiest people on the planet.

lol......the Scottish are right on your tail........we 'invented' the deep fried mars bar.........yuk!!!

fluffy

[carreyd away]

Hey Cotton, my dad is a prostate cancer survivor. It is amazing how treatable this cancer is if it's caught early enough. He has been cancer-free for 10 years. I've lost many friends and family members to cancer, but none to prostate. The treatment is not as heavy as the chemo for say, lung or breast cancer. They can take their chemo in the form of a pill or (dare I say it?) suppository. It doesn't wreck them like the drip type chemo does. No hair loss, no lack of energy, just slight nausea and inconvenience. Cancer is such a scary word, but doesn't always equate with death. Hopefully this will be over soon for your dad & your family.

[cotton]

I have lost many loved from cancer too. My Dad has lots of brothers and sister and he lost many of them to cancer. It is scary. I was tlaking to Mom about all the men we know that had prostate cancer and they are all survivors too. A first I didn't know that much about it but you guys helped me a lot so now I feel better. I still wish he did have to go thru this tho. But thanks everyone! You guys are the best!

[quirky]

Common virus kills cancer
Tue Jun 21, 4:20 PM ET



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common virus that is harmless to people can destroy cancerous cells in the body and might be developed into a new cancer therapy, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The virus, called adeno-associated virus type 2, or AAV-2, infects an estimated 80 percent of the population.

"Our results suggest that adeno-associated virus type 2, which infects the majority of the population but has no known ill effects, kills multiple types of cancer cells yet has no effect on healthy cells," said Craig Meyers, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania.

"We believe that AAV-2 recognizes that the cancer cells are abnormal and destroys them. This suggests that AAV-2 has great potential to be developed as an anti-cancer agent," Meyers said in a statement.

He said at a meeting of the American Society for Virology that studies have shown women infected with AAV-2 who are also infected with a cancer-causing wart virus called HPV develop cervical cancer less frequently than uninfected women do.

AAV-2 is a small virus that cannot replicate itself without the help of another virus. But with the help of a second virus it kills cells.

For their study, Meyers and colleagues first infected a batch of human cells with HPV, some strains of which cause cervical cancer.

They then infected these cells and normal cells with AAV-2.

After six days, all the HPV-infected cells died.

The same thing happened with cervical, breast, prostate and squamous cell tumor cells.

All are cancers of the epithelial cells, which include skin cells and other cells that line the insides and outsides of organs.

"One of the most compelling findings is that AAV-2 appears to have no pathologic effects on healthy cells," Meyers said.

"So many cancer therapies are as poisonous to healthy cells as they are to cancer cells. A therapy that is able to distinguish between healthy and cancer cells could be less difficult to endure for those with cancer."

AAV-2 is being studied intensively as a gene therapy vector -- a virus modified to carry disease-correcting genes into the body. Gene therapy researchers favor it because it does not seem to cause disease or immune system reaction on its own.

What about this? Seems like it could be a miracle.

[carreyd away]

That is music to my ears!

[lammy]

That sucks-

Hang in there for your father.

[Janel]

I'm late, cotton, but I hope everything is going well for your dad. Prayers for health and strength, rest and renewal......

I have been reading a lot lately too about the processed "convenience" foods that we eat--they are killing us!

[Canadian Jayne]

I eat very little meat, when I know I'm exerting alot of energy
eg. swimming for 2 hours or alot of physical labor but other than that
I stick with fruits, vedges and whole grains, nuts etc.
I am allergic to alot of addatives, I know because I end up with rashes
then I know there's been an additive that I cannot stomach.
If North America went natural the change would be amazing.

[searching_for_sunshine]

i have a theory that since the U.S. has a food and drug administration (FDA) that "polices" what we ingest, we are literally fattening our medical industry by producing drugs that cure the diseases that could be literally caused by the additives, hormones and chemicals added to our foods. one industry "feeding" the other. it's frightening to think about when you start doing the research.

i applaud the advances in medicine but maybe there wouldn't be a need if we were a bit more "natural."

[Jimenem]

Curse McDonalds! It's all their fault!

[searching_for_sunshine]

i wish the blame was that simple

[quirky]

Curse McDonalds! It's all their fault!

Come on. They're trying. They have that apple salad now. Of course, the apples are probably loaded with preservatives. Vicious circle.

I really enjoyed the documentary "Supersize Me" and found it elucidating.

Of course, sometimes you just want McNuggets.

[searching_for_sunshine]

quirky, i can honestly say i've never wanted McNuggets (but they're really not chicken now are they )

unfortunately the fast food industry throws out those little "bones" when they get bad press about what the food does to your body (ie supersize me). also unfortunate is that fast food is so cheap that sometimes it is more cost effective for some people to eat so there is no hope for a mass boycot of that industry.

sorry this is one of my other "soapbox" issues. i'll retreat and hold only good thoughts for cotton's father.

[cotton]

Thanks everyone

My Dad went to talk to the doctor today and they said he will have to have the operation but my Dad says he can not afford to lose out on 6 weeks of work but I the doctor says that if they do radiation there is a good chance it will come back again.

[quirky]

I'll pray for your Dad Cotton. That he can get the time off he needs to do what the doctors think is best. I'll pray for the skill of the doctors. Hang in there, girl!