There are two camps of people, it seems, by and large, when it comes to oral sex- one that vocally demonstrates their love for and technique regarding oral sex and the other, largely silent and perhaps populated by abstainers.

In and of itself, oral sex is a controversial act, mainly because it can range so vastly from “not getting it” to partner or recipient reluctance to “oh my God, it’s better than going on a waterslide!” and thusly, going downtown is fraught with emotion and intrigue. Also, it’s possibly fraught with cancer.

This is not news. I seem to recall news of an oral sex and cancer link back when we all accessed the interwebs via AOL and the main news stories of the day popped up after “You’ve Got Mail!” But it seems at least once a year, this story rears its ugly head, ensuring your next blow job will be not only hard on your knees, but it will also stress you out to all get out when you remember the existence of this research. You’re welcome.

Medical oncologist at Georgetown’s Lombardi Cancer Center Dr. John Deeken spoke with The Atlantic about the findings, and indicates that while the data indicates something, it’s a bit tricky to discern exactly what:

“Like investigators elsewhere, we’re seeing an increased incidence of oropharyngeal cancer… This may be why we’re seeing the virus in tumors in those parts of the oropharynx, while the incidence of lip, larynx, and vocal cord cancers is not going up… The epidemiology is perplexing. The assumption, when we noticed the trend eight or nine years ago, was that this was a sexually transmitted disease due to more oral sex.”

Deeken continues:

“But at least at Georgetown, we have patients in their 80s with this kind of cancer. That raises questions about the sexual habits of Americans who are older, or about HPV.”

Researchers indicate that while research is ongoing, vaccination for HPV is the best way to prevent oral cancers that may stem from oral sex.

[Image: Shutterstock]

The Inquisitr » Science

UPDATE: A spokesman for the family has denied the report of Joe Paterno’s death. The spokesman said that the rumors are “absolutely not true.” Paterno’s son, Jay, also sent out a tweet, saying: “Reports are wrong – Dad is alive but in serious condition. We continue to ask for your prayers and privacy during this time.”

Original story continues below:

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno has passed away at the age of 85. The former coach of the Nittany Lions, who won a record 409 games, died tonight after a long battle with lung cancer.

Paterno revealed to the public on November 18th that he was suffering from lung cancer. Nine days later he lost his job at Penn State due to the sexual abuse charges brought against his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.

A spokesman for Paterno told ESPN yesterday:

“Over the last few days Joe Paterno has experienced further health complications. His doctors have now characterized his status as serious. His family will have no comment on the situation and asks that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”

Paterno scored 409 wins (the most in NCAA history) during his 46 seasons with Penn State. He brought the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games (most in NCAA history) and won 24 bowl games (most in NCAA history). But Paterno’s legacy has been tarnished in the last few months.

Sandusky is now being charged with 52 counts of child molestation and many people have criticized Paterno for not going directly to the police after he was made aware of the situation. After the sex scandal broke, Paterno said:

“(This is) one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.”

In an interview with the Washington Post, Paterno added:

“I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was… So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”

Paterno is survived by his wife, Sue, and their five children.

How do you think Joe Paterno will be remembered?

The Inquisitr » News

Esophageal cancer is the eighth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States and the fifth biggest in the United Kingdom so any new tools that enable doctors to detect and help fight it is probably more than welcome; which is exactly what this news from scientists working at the Medical Research Council will be.

It seems that one of our most common items may actually be able to help doctors detect a type of esophagus cancer called Barrett’s syndrome and remove the cancer cells.

As reported in the journal Nature Medicine that by using sugar researchers have been able to identify cancer cells during the cancer stage referred to as dysplasia, which is the time frame during which the cancer can be prevented by removing the cells.

The problem faced by doctors is being able to correctly identify those areas since they can be easily missed during endoscopy and biopsy. This can lead to a false sense of assurance for patients as well as unneeded treatments for those patients without dysplasia.

The researchers discovered a new mechanism for identifying Barrett’s dysplasia cells by spraying on a fluorescent probe that sticks to sugars and lights up any abnormal areas during endoscopy. By analyzing the sugars present in human tissue samples taken from different stages on the pathway to cancer — using microarray technology developed by NYU’s Mahal — they found that there were different sugar molecules present on the surface of the pre-cancerous cells. This technology uses sugar binding proteins, known as lectins, to identify changes in sugars and pinpointed carbohydrate binding wheat germ proteins as a potential diagnostic. When the wheat germ proteins, attached to a fluorescent tag that glows under a specific type of light, were sprayed onto tissue samples, it showed decreased binding in areas of dysplasia, and these cells were clearly marked compared with the glowing green background.

via Science Daily

This new discovery is especially important as the number of cases of esophageal cancer has been on the rise in recent years and doesn’t look to be decreasing anytime soon.

The Inquisitr » Science

While it may not have been a typical extra-curricular activity, 17-year-old Angela Zhang’s after school project may change the world. Zhang has been making headlines recently after taking home a check of $ 100,000 from the national Siemens science contest , and now it has been suggested that her research could lead to a potential cure for cancer. “I created a nanoparticle that’s kind of like the Swiss Army knife of cancer treatment in that it can detect cancer cells, eradicate the cancer cells and then monitor the treatment response. So the major aim of the project was to personalize cancer medicine,” Zhang told ABC News. The teen began reading doctorate level work on bio-engineering when she was a freshman. She admitted it was a “little bit overwhelming” at first, but she quickly caught the hang of it, and by junior year the rest was history. Read More… More on chronic conditions

Originally posted here….

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I have a new theory.

If anyone wants to raise awareness of a risk, the very last thing they should ever do is email forward it to everyone they know to raise awareness. You’ve probably been getting emails about the risk of using deodorant or anti-perspirant with chemicals known as parabens for some years now, so much so that maybe you skimmed right over this headline because everyone already read the Snopes page about breast cancer and deodorant.

Parabens are controversial in the personal care product market due to a widespread belief that the chemicals are cancer causing. And while there is no direct evidence of a causal link between parabens and cancer, studies- including a more recent one- have detected parabens in tumors and potentially linked behaviors such as underarm shaving and anti-perspirant use with breast cancer risk.

But some of the most recent data may actually clear deodorants as breast cancer causing even if parabens play a role. Researchers in the UK recently examined tumors from 40 women with breast cancer, again finding traces of parabens in the specimens. Interestingly, seven of the women whose tumors were studied reported not engaging in behaviors such as underarm shaving or the use of deodorant, suggesting that if parabens were a contributing factor, their presence in other products could be just as relevant.

Dr. Philippa Darbre is a cancer researcher at the University of Reading, and she explains:

“The implication is that in these seven nonusers, the paraben measured must have come from another product or products.”

Researchers again point out that while the evidence shows that parabens are absorbed, it does not prove that the parabens are actually causing the cancer. On its website, the American Cancer Society reiterates that there is “no strong epidemiological studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and very little scientific evidence to support this claim.”

Vice president emeritus of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society examined the data out of the UK, and noted that “the study merely confirms earlier, smaller studies which detected parabens in breast tissue of women with cancer. It shows that parabens can be absorbed (probably from personal care products) and the underarm deodorant is not the only source.”

Have you altered your grooming habits in response to fears about breast cancer and paraben exposure?

[Image: Shutterstock]

The Inquisitr » Science

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif. — A Southern California girl who became a nationally recognized face of child cancer with a blog that chronicled her fight against brain tumors has died. Jessica Joy Rees was 12 years old. Jessica’s family announced her death on her Facebook page, stating that her 10-month battle with brain cancer ended Thursday. Tens of thousands of people responded by posting updates to the page in a show of support that includes “likes” and prayers. Read More… More on Brain Science

Go here to read the rest….

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RadarOnline

Doctor’s orders.

​Does drinking wine affect a girl’s odds for breast cancer?

Battle of the studies! Just a couple months ago, Harvard University released some buzz-killing stats showing that “women who drink just four small glasses of wine a week increase their risk of developing breast cancer by 15 percent.” That’s largely because alcohol consumption is thought to increase estrogen levels — and lord knows cancer cells love their estrogen.

But hold up: Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center here in L.A. would like to make a case for the red variety. A new study out of the hospital to the stars shows that…

Drinking red wine in moderation may reduce one of the risk factors for breast cancer, providing a natural weapon to combat a major cause of death among U.S. women.

In the study, red wine actually lowered estrogen levels in participating women. (Luckiest Guinea pigs ever, right?) And “we did not find that the white wine actually increased risk” either, says Chrisandra Shufelt, assistant director of the Women’s Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai.

Here’s how the welcome new conclusions were drawn: “We looked at 36 women that drank red wine for one month,” says Shufelt. “Then they crossed over and drank white wine for one month.”

At this point, the medical center isn’t exactly recommending that some sober Sally turn purple-lipped in a quest for eternal youth. “We didn’t test that hypothesis,” says Shufelt. “But we would say that for women who already drink wine” and are worried about contracting breast cancer (and really, who isn’t) might want to consider transitioning from white to red.

Oh sweet, sweet science:

The Cedars-Sinai study found that chemicals in the skins and seeds of red grapes slightly lowered estrogen levels while elevating testosterone among premenopausal women who drank eight ounces of red wine nightly for about a month.

… Researchers sought to determine whether red wine mimics the effects of aromatase inhibitors, which play a key role in managing estrogen levels. Aromatase inhibitors are currently used to treat breast cancer.

Investigators said the change in hormone patterns suggested that red wine may stem the growth of cancer cells, as has been shown in test tube studies.

Thankfully, this is only the beginning of the red wine vs. breast cancer research at Cedars-Sinai.

“One of possibilites would be to look at how red wine would change breast itself,” says Shufelt. Because “the more dense the breast, the higher the risk factor.”

The study’s co-author says she feels “very strongly about this issue.” Think we can agree there. We’re not ones to turn down a possibly life-changing prescription for a fat glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, nightly.

[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com /
The Informer

Keep A Breast Foundation

​Call it the battle over boobies.

A Southern California nonprofit known for its “I Heart Boobies” logo and campaign to fight breast cancer is suing an East Coast novelty company for allegedly using the motto on its products.

The San Diego Reader has the juicy details of the federal copyright infringement suit, including that …

… the Carlsbad Keep A Breast Foundation found out about the alleged use of its logo/motto in October and contacted the company in question, Rhode Island Novelty.

Keep A Breast

​

According to the suit RIN told Keep A Breast it would stop hearting boobies.

But days later (and this gets, er, juicy), foundation CEO Michelle Wenner placed an order for 24 I Heart Boobies bracelets sold by Rhode Island Novelty and soon received them, the suit claims.

Burn!

And so, that, along with an alleged failure to properly account for how much I Heart Boobies merchandise was sold and / or kept in stock by RIN fueled the journey to court, according to the Reader.

Oh, and after all that Keep A Breast was made aware of RIN I Heart Boobies merch being sold at the Louisiana State Fair.

Double burn.

The moral of the story? We just like writing I Heart Boobies.

I Heart Boobies.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com /

The Informer

New technologies have always been able to help researchers learn more about our lives, our health and the way we interact with each other.  This time, due to new technology, researchers have been able to detect different substances in the air.  What they are finding is pretty shocking! In Italy, where the first large tests were done, they were able to detect cocaine and marijuana in the air throughout most of Rome.

Researchers have long been able to find traces of drugs in the sewage systems of major cities but to find it in the air is next to impossible, unless there is a decent amount of the stuff. Researcher now have that ability and have used it throughout Italy to come up with some statistical models. An example, They were able to also find a direct correlation between the amount of drugs in the air and certain cancers and behavioral conditions.

They were able to use police and medical data to correlate that the areas with the highest concentrations of drugs in the air are also the areas with the highest incidence of diseases associated with those drugs, drug addiction and the typical crimes associated with increase drug use in a particular area.

The tests, for now seem to be an completely accurate barometer of the amount of drug use in a given area.

This can be very useful technology for anti-drug zealots.  Imagine the police being able to test the air and prevent crime?  Or how about using the levels of an area before and after prevention laws are put in place to determine their effectiveness?

As always these types of things could have consequences too.  Could high concentrations of cocaine in the air depress real estate prices?  Could they be used to justify harsh police procedures based on a neighborhood and not specific evidence.

Do you think this technology is going to help or hurt in the War on Drugs?

The Inquisitr » Science