Tag Archives: War on Cancer

January 5, 2013 · 10:31 am

Top five most common cancers

Dr. Mark Clanton talks about the five most common cancers. Lung cancer is at the top of the list for both men and women, but did you also know that although pancreatic cancer is number four, it is difficult to detect early?

Dr. Clanton also talks about how cancers represent cells that don’t die when they’re supposed to and don’t stay in the body where they’re supposed to. He describes how prostate cancer metathesizes and moves around to other parts of the body to look like other cell types.

Here’s a list of the top five most common cancers in the United States from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health:

  1. Lung cancer
  2. Colon and Rectal cancer
  3. Breast cancer
  4. Pancreatic cancer
  5. Prostate cancer

Interview series with Dr. Clanton

This is the fourth part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Watch other videos in this series:

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series.

Next Hot Science – Cool Talks presentation is next week!

What will future hurricanes be like for Texas? Don’t miss the next Hot Science – Cool Talks presentation, “Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: The History and Future of the Texas Coast” with Dr. Kerry A. Emanuel on Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Breast cancer, Cancer, Colon cancer, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Lung cancer, Metathesize, Pancreatic cancer, Prostate cancer, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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January 1, 2013 · 7:57 pm

Talking about epigenetics with Dr. Mark Clanton

Ever since I saw a NOVA program about epigenetics, I’ve been interested about how our environment can change our DNA.

In my latest video with Dr. Mark Clanton, we learn more about epigenetics and how scientists are trying to understand how our genes can change or be damaged based on the exposures that we have during life, such as what we eat, radiation, smoking, etc.

Dr. Clanton also talks about CH3 methyl groups that you can pick up when eating certain types of food and their affect on DNA methylation and our epigenome.

Interview series with Dr. Clanton

This is the third part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Watch other videos in this interview series:

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series.

Spring 2013 Hot Science – Cool Talks

Happy new year!

There are some great Hot Science – Cool Talks presentations coming up this spring from the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute:

(1) Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico: The History and Future of the Texas Coast

Tuesday, January 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

The Gulf of Mexico has seen some of the most destructive hurricanes on record.  What can residents in the Gulf region expect future storms to be like? Dr. Kerry A. Emanuel will share his groundbreaking research on how climate change can affect hurricane activity and discuss its implications for the Gulf region.

(2) Environmental Justice:  Progress towards Sustainability

Friday, February 22, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

Dr. Robert Bullard will present an insightful account of events, individuals, and organizations that have shaped the environmental justice movement over the past two decades. He will also describe a framework for how major advances in environmental justice can and should be achieved.

(3) Diagnosing Ourselves: Biotechnology in Your Back Pocket

Thursday, April 4, 2013, 7:00 p.m. CT

What advances are being made to allow people without medical training to readily detect things like viruses? Can such biotechnology help us understand our own unique physiology?  Dr. Andy Ellington will discuss exciting advances in low-cost, personalized diagnostics and the promise of creating virtual clinical trials through social networks to improve healthcare on a global scale.

If you’re not in Austin, Texas, that’s okay. You can also watch a live webcast of the talks from wherever you’re at! 🙂

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Cancer, DNA, DNA methylation, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, epigenetics, epigenome, Genes, Hot Science - Cool Talks, Nova, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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December 20, 2012 · 10:06 pm

How Does Lifestyle Affect Your Cancer Risk?

What kind of life choices may reduce your risk for cancer or other illnesses? What are you eating? How much do you exercise? How do you interact with your environment? The American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study – 3 (CPS-3) studies the impact of the environment on individuals through their genes.

Dr. Mark Clanton talks about CPS-3, and how the study is accepting participants to help understand how people’s decisions and their environment affects their DNA. The study is expect to last about 20-30 years, starting with an initial visit for measurements, a blood sample for DNA, and follow up questionnaires.

Many people may inherit genes that may make them susceptible to illness, but Dr. Clanton talks about how these genes are not turned on unless they are influenced by something in their environment, including their body weight, exercise, diet, and illnesses over time.

This is the second part in my interview series with Dr. Clanton, who is the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society and who was the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Clanton’s talk, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“, was part of the awesome Hot Science – Cool Talks series, presented by the UT Austin Environmental Science Institute.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Body weight, Cancer, Cancer Prevention Study, CPS-3, Diet, DNA, Dr. Mark Clanton, Environmental Science Institute, Exercise, Genes, Hot Science - Cool Talks, University of Texas, UT Austin, War on Cancer

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December 16, 2012 · 8:26 pm

How Cancer Begins with Misbehaving DNA

Now that I’m done with my fall semester, and I’ve practiced and completed the test for my next Taekwondo belt, I’m getting caught up with my blog, especially to post my great video interviews with Dr. Mark Clanton for the most recent Hot Science – Cool Talks presentation, “The War on Cancer: 41 Years after Nixon’s Declaration“.

In the first part of my video interview, Dr. Clanton talks about his background as the chief medical officer of the High Plains Division of the American Cancer Society. He was also the deputy director of the United States National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Clanton also talks about how every cancer begins with misbehaving DNA. DNA interacts with our environment and can change after we are born. Watch this video to learn more about DNA’s master architect role and about some of the treatments, such as chemotherapy, for treating fast growing cancer cells.

This is the first video in my interview series with Dr. Clanton. I’ll be posting more videos this week with Dr. Clanton  where we’ll learn about how genes and epigenetics play a significant role in cancer and what we can do about it.

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under American Cancer Society, Cancer, chemotherapy, DNA, Dr. Mark Clanton, epigenetics, Hot Science - Cool Talks, War on Cancer

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