"Bubble Boy" Develops Leukaemia

One of the boys with no immune system being treated with pioneering gene therapy at Great Ormond Street in London has developed leukaemia according to his doctors. They said they had been braced for this as cancer was an acknowledged risk of this treatment for X-SCID, commonly known as boy in the bubble syndrome. A trial in France of a similar therapy was halted in 2002 after four of eleven children developed leukaemia. So far ten children have been treated at the London hospital.

Cancer - Be Thin to Cut Risk?

Now the World Cancer research Fund has carried out the largest every inquiry into lifestyle and cancer. They have issued several stark recommendations. They feel that even those who are not overweight, should slim down if they want to cut their risk of cancer. This was due to a major international study. Not gaining weight as an adult, avoiding sugar drinks and alcohol and not eating bacon or ham is their conclusion. They feel everyone must also aim to be as thin as possible without becoming overweight. Too late for me. I love everything but the alcohol and I don't plan to change my lifestyle because another new study will probably come out next week that is just the opposite. We've seen that happen time and time again.

High Salt Diet Link To Ulcer Risk

The bug that causes stomach ulcers may be more likely to cause disease when exposed to high concentrations of salt according to a US team of researchers. There are two genes associated with the potency of Helicobacter pylori and they become more active when alot of salt is present. The American Society for Microbiology conference was presenting with the results. The researchers said research had shown salt was linked to gastric cancer. H pylori lives in the stomach and accounts for up to 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers. The bacterium may also increase the rist of gastric cancer.

Fred Thompson - for President?

Fred Thompson, well-known actor in Law and Order has announced that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer, nearly three years ago. He is 64 and feels he is in remission. He has never felt ill from it and this is a very slow-growing type of cancer, probably not life threatening. He decided to announce this on the Fox New Channel and also ABC Radio because he is considering running for president and felt the public should know. He doesn't feel it is a big deal as far as his health is concerned but he only knows as much as a person can know about such things. I think he was being very fair with the public by letting them know, don't you?