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Older Women with Gum Disease at Higher Risk of Cancer

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From the time we were little kids, our parents were constantly on us about brushing our teeth at least once a day, usually before going to bed. Fifty to sixty years ago, it was all about brushing, brushing and brushing of our teeth.

Then about thirty to forty years ago, flossing became just as important as brushing. Many dentists started telling everyone to floss their teeth at least once or twice a day and many recommended brushing our teeth after every meal and before bed, to prevent the buildup of plaque and bacteria that harm the hard enamel layer on our teeth.

Then came the first visit to the dentist – a terrifying ordeal for many kids. They’ve all heard the horror stories of getting shots in their mouths, having dentists drill into our teeth and even pull them if necessary. If you are like me and have a genetic immunity to the vast majority of pain killers, visiting the dentist was truly something you wanted to avoid at all cost.

Tooth decay, fillings, root canals, caps, pulled teeth and dentures were the primary focus of things to avoid by brushing and flossing daily. However, gun disease also became a topic of importance to many dentists.

Today, the topic of gun disease carries more health importance as researchers learn more about it and its long-term effects, especially for older women, according to a new report:

“Now, a group of investigators at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo have just released data from a large cohort study, which showed that periodontal disease was associated with increased risk of several types of cancer in postmenopausal women, even in women who had never smoked. The findings from the new study were published today in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in an article entitled ‘Periodontal Disease and Incident Cancer Risk among Postmenopausal Women: Results from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Cohort’.”

“The SUNY Buffalo team assembled a prospective cohort study of 65,869 women aged 54 to 86 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Using questionnaires administered between 1999 and 2003, study participants self-reported on their periodontal disease history. The researchers evaluated cancer outcomes through September 2013. Using an average follow-up time of 8.32 years, the researchers had identified 7149 cases of cancer. Analysis of all the data showed that a history of periodontal disease was associated with a 14% higher risk of developing any cancer.”

“‘Our study findings serve to provide further evidence that periodontal disease is linked to cancer and support the need for further investigation into how periodontal disease contributes to increased cancer risk,’ remarked lead study investigator Ngozi Nwizu, Ph.D., assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology at The University of Texas School of Dentistry.”

Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D., a professor in the department of epidemiology and environmental health and dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions at SUNY Buffalo and a senior study investigator added:

“The esophagus is in close proximity to the oral cavity, and so periodontal pathogens may more easily gain access to and infect the esophageal mucosa and promote cancer risk at that site.”

Ladies, remember to brush and floss daily and use a good mouthwash like Listerine that helps kill harmful bacteria left behind after brushing. Our lives, diets and environments are already filled with one cancer risk causing item after another, so don’t fall victim to your own mouth and gums.

Vulvar Cancer Risks, Symptoms and More

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Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve discussed 4 of 5 major categories of gynecological cancers. We’ve covered urinary, ovarian, cervical and vaginal cancers. Today, we’ll discuss the fifth category of gynecological cancers – vulvar cancer.

Just to be clear, vulvar cancers are those that occur on labia major, labia minora (outer and inner genital lips), clitoris and vaginal opening. Nearly 6,000 women are diagnosed with vulvar cancer every year in the United States. Approximately 1,110 women die each year from vulvar cancer.

If diagnosed early at stage 1, vulvar cancer has a 5-year cancer survival rate of 98%. The 5-year survival rate for stage 2 is about 85%. That drops to about 74% if discovered at stage 3 and if not diagnosed until stage 4, the 5-year survival rate plummets to only 31%.

Like vaginal cancers, there are two main types of vulvar cancer:

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of vulvar cancer, accounting for over 80 percent of cases. One particular subtype of squamous cell cancer is called Verrucous carcinoma. This form grows slowly, often looks like a large wart, and is associated with a good prognosis (outlook).

Adenocarcinoma accounts for approximately 8 percent of vulvar cancers. These cancers usually begin in the Bartholin glands, which are found just inside the entrance of the vagina and normally produce a mucous-like fluid that acts as a lubricant. Adenocarcinomas can also develop in sweat glands. Another related condition is Paget disease, in which the adenocarcinoma cells are restricted to the top layer of the skin of the vulva. Some patients with this condition may also have an area of invasive adenocarcinoma.

Some vulvar cancers are a form of melanoma (like skin cancer) in cells with pigments and it’s possible that some of these may be related to extended exposure to the sun – nude sunbathing.

Symptoms of vulvar cancer may include symptoms for other forms of cancer and other medical conditions, but the symptoms recommended to watch for include:

  • Persistent itching – this is an itch that just doesn’t go away. It often is worse at night, to the point of making sleeping difficult.
  • Pain – found at the vulvar areas listed above. The severity of the pain can vary, depending on the location, how far it has spread and what stage of cancer.
  • Abnormal patches of skin – These patches are often white, sometimes pink or red, and feel rough to the touch. If the vulvar cancer is a form of melanoma, the patch of skin may be darker.
  • Open sore(s) – this is a sore or ulcer that persists for more than a month. The sore may also be associated with a growth or lump.
  • Painful urination – generally, painful urination occurs during the early stages and if not a urinary tract infection, see your doctor as soon as possible.
  • Discharge or bleeding – any discharge or bleeding not associated with the normal menstrual cycle should be cause for concern.
  • Swelling – this is when the vulvar region swells larger than normal and the swelling persists.
  • Changes in shape and/or color – if you have a mole in the area of the vulva, any changes in its shape and/or color may be an indication of cancer.
  • Thickening of the skin of the vulva

Since a variety of the symptoms are also indicative of other conditions, if you have any of these symptoms, see your doctor. He or she might have to do a biopsy to determine if your symptoms are indicative of vulvar cancer or not. Once diagnosed via a biopsy, your doctor should refer you to a gynecologic oncologist – a person who specializes in female reproductive cancers.

You need to know your body intimately. As awkward as it may sound, you need to regularly look at your genitalia (use a mirror if necessary) and you need to touch and feel yourself regularly. Since some of the symptoms are changes in appearance and texture of the vulva, it’s necessary to know what you look and feel like when normal. Otherwise, you may not detect any changes as early which reduces your chance of surviving.

Risk factors for developing vulvar cancer include:

  • Age – about 80% of cases involve women over the age of 50.
  • Smoking – smoking has been attributed as increasing the risk of developing vulvar cancer, especially if the woman has been infected with high-risk HPV virus.
  • HPV – this is why it is so important to get the HPV vaccine.
  • HIV – having HIV increases the risk of developing vulvar cancer.
  • VIN – vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia – a precancerous condition where the abnormal cells are still restricted to the surface areas.
  • Lichen sclerosus – condition where vulvar skin gets thinner and itches a lot.
  • Cervical cancer – having cervical cancer increases the risk of cancer developing in the vulva and vagina.

If you are diagnosed as having vulvar cancer, the treatment will depend upon what stage the cancer was found. As in most other cancers, the three main treatment options are surgery, radiation or chemotherapy. This will depend upon your oncologist and the stage of your cancer.

Know your body and if you suspect anything, see your doctor. Be honest and open with your doctor. Don’t be too embarrassed or try to hide it from your doctor as that will only result in harm to yourself.

Why Are Women More Prone to Asthma than Men?

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Take a good long look at a large bush. In a way, that’s what the inside of your lungs look like. As you breathe in, air flows into your windpipe which then branches to each lung. As they enter the lungs, they continue to branch more and more, forming smaller and smaller branches, much like a bush. These branches are called bronchioles, and it’s in the smaller ones where oxygen is taken into the blood while the blood releases carbon dioxide, which you exhale.

At times, certain things trigger increased inflammation of the bronchioles, causing them to swell and surrounding muscles to tighten. This leads to shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest. A severe asthma attack can lead to asphyxiation if not treated quickly.

Asthma is a condition where the bronchioles are constantly inflamed, but more so at times than others. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, there are four basic types of asthma:

1. Exercise induced asthma. A person can appear normal and healthy most of the time, but physical exertion such as exercising, can trigger increased inflammation of the bronchioles and an asthma attack.

2. Occupational asthma. This is when a person’s asthma is triggered by breathing in fumes, gases, dust and other particles in the air, often at a place of work.

3. Childhood asthma. This is when asthma develops in children, generally before the age of 5. Millions of children in America suffer from childhood asthma.

4. Allergic asthma. This is when asthma occurs in conjunction with allergies. Allergies to specific things can trigger asthma. I suffer from this kind of asthma. It happens to me whenever I walk through the soap and detergent aisles in the stores. It also happens with many perfumes or scents like those used in candles. I’ve found it hard to breathe in places like church when a woman sits in vicinity to me and is wearing a strong perfume. My wife has had to give up many of her perfumes, body washes, skin lotions and more. She’s had to reduce the amount of fabric softener to use in my laundry.

There is no cure for asthma. There are treatments, such as inhalers and medications that are used to help treat the symptoms and improve the quality of life, but even then, knowing what triggers the asthma is very important in helping to prevent serious attacks. It’s also important for those around you know of your asthma so they can properly respond and get you help if need be.

Did you know that asthma affects more women than men?

Researchers have discovered that a recently discovered immune cell, called innate lymphoid cells, plays a role in allergic asthma. They have also discovered that the male hormone testosterone suppresses the production of the innate lymphoid cells, thus reducing the chances of developing allergic asthma.

According to lead author of the research, Cyril Seillet:

“Our research shows that high levels of testosterone in males protect them against the development of allergic asthma. We identified that testosterone is a potent inhibitor of innate lymphoid cells, a newly-described immune cell that has been associated with the initiation of asthma.”

“Testosterone directly acts on ILC2s (which are innate lymphoid cells) by inhibiting their proliferation. So, in males, you have less ILC2s in the lungs and this directly correlates with the reduced severity of asthma.” 

The ILC2 cells have been found to occur naturally in the lungs, skin and other organs of the body. They have been found to produce proteins that are inflammatory to the lungs and can, over prolonged periods, damage lung tissue. In turn, the person become far more susceptible to allergy induced asthma.

Obviously, treating women suffering from allergic asthma with testosterone is not a wise and simple solution as it can have a number of other changing effects on her body. However, learning the role that the ILC2 cells play in the onset of allergic asthma and how testosterone inhibits that process, may help researchers in time learn a way to actually treat and reverse this form of asthma and possible other forms as well.

Estrogen Fluctuations Linked to Some Memory Issues & Mental Disorders

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Generalizations are always dangerous to make, but allow me some latitude in making this one: Many women tend to be not only more emotional than men, but they also seem at times to be forgetful or somewhat scattered in their thoughts. Please, know that this is simply a generalization and does not apply to every woman everywhere.

Men tend to just chalk up these quirks as part of being a woman or to the fact that women tend to be more left brain than men. They tend to not only be more emotional but more caring, loving, creative and nurturing than men, while men in general, tend to be more analytical and scientific – right brain centered thinking.

Even women that are more analytical, administrative and scientific in their thinking, tend to have moments when that precise thought process is interrupted or a memory falters for a few fleeting seconds.

A recent study indicates that there is a biological reason for this behavior:

“Fluctuations in estrogen can trigger atypical functioning in a key brain memory circuit in women with a common version of a gene, NIMH scientists have discovered. Brain scans revealed altered circuit activity linked to changes in the sex hormone in women with the gene variant while they performed a working memory task.”

Researchers found that a common gene variant that codes for brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is effected by changing levels of estrogen in the body. BDNF produces a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a vital role in the memory circuits in the brain. This variant of the gene is believed to be found in at least 25% or 1 in every 4 women.

When the levels of estrogen change during the monthly menstrual cycle, it can have a direct impact on the production of the chemical messengers in the brain, thus effecting changes in memory and thought processes as well as mood.

Researchers believe that this finding can lead to ways of dealing with the onset and severity of such things as mood swings, anxiety and even schizophrenia during certain times in a woman’s life. Researchers also believe the findings could also help treat menstrual cycle and reproductive-related mental disorders.

The discovery was made by studying a number of women with and without the gene variant. They were administered different levels of estrogen and their brain functions were then studied to determine any effects. They were asked to perform certain memory tests. It was found that when women with the gene variant were exposed to estrogen, that a section of their brain related to memory showed different activity. Areas that were normally suppressed were activated, showing atypical activity patterns which were found to be associated with memory fluctuations and mood changes.  

Face it men, there is a very good reason why the woman in your life goes through different mood and memory phases. It’s not just because she’s a woman, but may well be due to the fact that she is one of those with the common gene variant that is effected by the different levels of estrogen coursing through her veins on the way to the brain. It truly isn’t her fault, so to speak

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