In a report published in the Nov. 27 issue of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, the Hopkins team says boosted levels of the chemical messenger nitric oxide appear to dampen the effects of a specialized cell that diverts the immune system away from tumors, allowing swarms of cancer-attacking T-cells to migrate to tumor sites in the rodents. Lab-grown cancer cells treated with sildenafil showed similar results, as did tissue samples taken from 14 head and neck cancer and multiple myeloma patients.

(First posted Dec. 7, 2006 7:41 pm)

Talc has been used as a treatment of a side effect of lung cancer. This side effect is that fluid builds up around the lungs and exerts pressure on them. Talc has been placed around the lungs and the ensuing scarring has prevented the fluid build up to happen.

Strange thing is though that patients under this treatment have also showed a longer life expectancy. It seems like the talc is able to stimulate good cells and inhibit bad ones. It seems to do this by stimulating the production of the hormone endostatin. This hormone has been tried before but done through injection . It is speculated that the talc does a better job by stimulating the body's own production, locally.

“We were surprised to find that talc has added benefits besides causing scarring and taking away the fluid that surrounds the lung,” Antony said. “The cells that cover the lining of the lung are stimulated by the presence of talc to produce a factor that inhibits the growth of blood vessels and kills the tumor cells themselves.” Less than one day after treatment with talc, patients began producing 10-fold higher levels of endostatin, a hormone released by healthy lung cells. Endostatin prevents new blood vessels from forming, slows cell growth and movement, and even induces nearby tumor cells to commit suicide. All of these make it hard for tumors to grow and spread into healthy lung tissue.

According to Wikipedia though,  talc is suspected suspected to be cancer inducing...

(First posted June 7, 2007 5:12 pm)

“One reason cats are so susceptible to secondhand smoke is because of their grooming habits. Cats constantly lick themselves while grooming, therefore they lick up the cancer-causing carcinogens that accumulate on their fur,” MacAllister said. “This grooming behavior exposes the mucous membrane of their mouth to the cancer-causing carcinogens.” Malignant lymphoma is another type of cancer that cats that live with smokers have a higher risk of getting. This cancer occurs in the lymph nodes and cats are twice as likely to have this type of cancer compared to cats living in a non-smoking home. This form of cancer is fatal to three out of four cats within 12 months of developing the cancer.

(First posted Sep. 2, 2007 8:14 pm)

A mouse resistant to cancer, even highly-aggressive types, has been created by researchers at the University of Kentucky. The breakthrough stems from a discovery by UK College of Medicine professor of radiation medicine Vivek Rangnekar and a team of researchers who found a tumor-suppressor gene called "Par-4" in the prostate.

(First posted Nov. 28, 2007 12:05 pm)