Evidence Based Research | Patient Resources

A large Danish study published by the Molecular Metabolism in Cancer and Ageing Group at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, has found that cancer increases the risk of new-onset type-2 diabetes lung, pancreatic, breast, brain, urinary tract, or uterine cancers. Type 2 diabetes, which typically develops after the age of 40, is usually due to a combination of the pancreas failing to produce enough of the hormone insulin, and the cells in the body failing to adequately respond to insul...

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system dysfunctions and attacks host tissues. Although the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease has not been elucidated, there are several factors that have been associated with the disorder. Factors include genetic predisposition, nutrient deficiencies, use of certain medications affecting thyroid function, and environmental factors including exposure to radiation, heavy metals, and chemical contaminants. Thyroid disorde...

T cells are the immune system's SWAT team. Their job is to constantly patrol the blood, lymphatic system, tissues, and organs. If they come across cells that are contaminated with or damaged by pathogens, they eliminate them. They can also recognise and destroy cancer cells. The problem, though, is that the tumour cells find ways of escaping this line of defence. Researchers around the world are working to prevent these evasive manoeuvres and harness T cells for targeted immunotherapies a...

Researchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences are hoping to catch stomach cancer before it develops in at-risk patients. In a paper published in Gastroenterology, researchers identified a genetic variation that could help identify when patients with Helicobacter pylori are more likely to develop stomach cancer. The National Cancer Institute cites infection with H. pylori as the primary identified cause of certain types of stomach cancer. H. pylori is a bacterium that grows in the ...

A recent study suggests that high-fat diets and a synthetic material found in unregulated performance enhancers activated a cell nuclear receptor which contributes to the progression of pancreatic cancer. The study, published in the prestigious peer-reviewed paper Nature Communication  was led by Imad Shureiqi, MD, professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School. According to the study, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a severe form of cancer that is ...