Category: Uncategorized

Gut microbiota: Evolution of bacteria with the mutagenic power of cancer cells

The diversity of bacteria in the human gut is an important biomarker of health, influences multiple diseases such as obesity and inflammatory bowel diseases and affects various treatments. How its diversity is maintained remains a mystery. Scientists lead by Isabel Gordo have observed in real time the emergence of bursts of diversity in microbiota caused by bacterial cells with mutation rates similar to those of cancer.
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Scientists identify first invasive case of rare mold in a cancer patient

City of Hope scientists have found a toxic fungus previously thought to not be infectious in the sinus tissues of a man with refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia. This is the first time that direct infection of a patient with the black mold Stachybotrys has been recorded. The team’s findings published this week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
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Younger cancer survivors far more likely to experience food and financial insecurity

New research from the American Cancer Society in the March 2020 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network finds that younger cancer survivors are more likely to experience significant financial strain for daily living necessities, such as food, housing, and monthly bills, even years after diagnosis. Among survivors between ages 18 and 39, 20.4% expressed high levels of worry about paying monthly bills compared to 12.9% of individuals without a history of cancer. Likewise, 6.3% of cancer survivors in that age group reported being unable to afford balanced meals, versus 3.4% of those without a cancer history. The findings were less consistent for survivors in the 40-64 age group, and the disparities disappeared for those 65-and-older.
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