Hormone News and Research

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A hormone is a chemical released by one or more cells that affects cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. It is essentially a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one cell to another.

No evidence that taking estrogen alone increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women

The findings come three years after a related WHI study found that a different type of hormone therapy - which combined estrogen and progestin - did result in a higher risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women.

13 Apr 2006

Advances in chemotherapy significantly reduce risk of disease recurrence in breast cancer patients

Recent advances in chemotherapy have significantly reduced the risk of disease recurrence and death in breast cancer patients whose tumors are not hormone sensitive, according to a study by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and 10 other institutions.

13 Apr 2006

Research provides clues to obesity's cause

Hot fudge sundaes and french fries aside, new research suggests obesity is due at least in part to an attraction between leptin, the hormone that signals the brain when to stop eating, and a protein more recently associated with heart disease.

13 Apr 2006

Environmental scientists identify new culprits in the cancer equation

In the granite-rich region of Western North Carolina, taking a daily shower could pose a risk of developing lung cancer. So could working from home every day. That's because granite emits a carcinogenic gas, radon.

13 Apr 2006

Prostate cancer risk linked to high cholesterol

Italian Researchers say they have found what they believe to be the first direct link between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer.

12 Apr 2006

Usage and outcomes of primary androgen deprivation therapy for localized prostate cancer

In the online March 2006 version of Cancer, Dr. Kawakami and associates report from the CaPSURE database that primary androgen deprivation therapy (PADT) is used in 14% of prostate cancer (CaP) patients with reasonable outcomes at approximately 5 years follow-up.

11 Apr 2006

Estrogen-alone hormone therapy does not increase the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women

The results contrast with the previously reported WHI Estrogen plus Progestin Trial, which found an increase in breast cancer over about 5 years among those taking combined hormone therapy.

11 Apr 2006

Estrogen therapy increases the risk of blood clots in some women

According to new research postmenopausal women on estrogen therapy who have undergone a hysterectomy have an elevated risk of developing a blood clots in veins.

11 Apr 2006

Research explains why recipients of growth hormone therapy may develop colon polyps

The use of growth hormone therapy has been linked in some people to the development of colon polyps, a possible precursor to colorectal cancer - but medical researchers have debated the extent of a cancer risk.

11 Apr 2006

Scientists reconstruct Darwinian evolution to explain 'irreducible complexity'

Using new techniques for resurrecting ancient genes, scientists have for the first time reconstructed the Darwinian evolution of an apparently "irreducibly complex" molecular system.

11 Apr 2006

Leptin may lead to new approaches for curbing appetite

11 Apr 2006

Fat cells surrounding coronary arteries may play a role in development of heart disease

The fat cells that surround coronary arteries may play a central and previously unrecognized role in development of cardiovascular disease, according to a study by University of Iowa researchers.

11 Apr 2006

Removal of a woman's ovaries raises risk of dementia

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that ovariectomy, surgical removal of a woman's ovaries, raises her risk of developing dementia or cognitive impairment. Risk is especially increased if a woman has her ovaries removed at a young age.

11 Apr 2006

Scientists use corrective gene to block a protein in the kidneys that triggers high blood pressure

Nearly one-third of American adults have high blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure. But a new technique tested at the University of Florida could prove to be a long-term way to treat the disorder in humans, researchers say.

11 Apr 2006