ACS News Today

The US Food and Drug Administration is taking action to protect consumers from fake cancer treatments. The agency issued 25 letters this week to 23 US-based companies and 2 foreign individuals warning them to stop promoting and selling products that fraudulently claim to prevent and cure cancer. The agency also posted a list of crackpot “cures” on its Web site, warning consumers to avoid 125 tablets, creams, teas, black salves, and tonics known to be scams.

Numerous studies have shown your risk of getting colon cancer is higher if you have a first-degree family member who had the disease. New research shows that your chances of surviving the disease may be influenced in part by your family ties, too.

This weekend top cancer researchers and physicians head to the Windy City for the 44th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held May 30th through June 3rd.

Results from two pioneering studies led by researchers from Duke University Medical Center offer hope to patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the more common and deadliest types of brain tumors.

The benefits of exercise are well-documented in people without cancer. A growing body of research also shows that exercise can help people with the disease, too -- by reducing fatigue, improving physical functioning, and boosting overall wellbeing. And according to preliminary findings from researchers at Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, even some of the most challenged patient groups can reap the rewards. ...

The 3 major television networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—will join forces this fall to raise funds for cancer research. On Friday, September 5, 2008, instead of airing usual prime-time fare, all 3 plan to simultaneously broadcast an hour-long, commercial-free telethon benefitting cancer research.

Whether a person quits smoking depends in large part on whether his spouse or friends kick the habit, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Harnessing these social forces may be the key to reaching more smokers and helping them quit, experts say.

A new study suggests breast cancer patients might fare worse if they don't have enough vitamin D in their blood. However, experts warn more research is needed to know just how vitamin D might be linked to breast cancer, and they caution against going overboard with supplements.

A new American Cancer Society report shows that education level can have a profound effect on people's health -- including whether they die from cancer and other diseases.

A new study published in Breast Cancer Research lends further support to the concept of screening women for breast cancer early and often.

Women who quit smoking see significant health benefits within 5 years of their last cigarette, but it can take up to 20 years or more for their risk of death to drop to the level of those who never smoked, according to a new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

According to a new study published this week in Breast Cancer Research, daily aspirin use appears to slightly reduce the risk of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer. However, the current evidence isn't strong enough to suggest women take aspirin as a preventative measure, and experts caution against regular use of the painkiller for this purpose, warning it can cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding.