Lung cancer

The Department of Health is to sign an agreement with the Chamber of Mines and National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) to kick-start a project to benefit former mineworkers who are seeking compensation for occupational lung diseases.

A MAJOR ingredient of curry powder helps stop the spread of breast cancer, scientists have discovered, in research that could lead to a new way of treating people in the advanced stages of the disease. Texas-based researchers found that curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric, inhibits the spread of breast cancer into the lungs and improves the effectiveness of current remedies.

In people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) may prevent most excess cases of Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a new study in the March 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Children who Breathe Secondhand Smoke Increase Risk of Getting Lung Cancer as Adults

Smoking contributes to almost one in 10 of all adult deaths in South Africa, with more smokers dying of tuberculosis (TB) and lung-related disease than of cancer. Margaret Urgan, study co-ordinator of the Cancer Epidemiology Research Group in Johannesburg, gave these statistics to the 14th conference of the Africa region of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease in Durban. Urgan said that today's smoker predetermined his premature death 30 or 40 years down the line. Urgan said South Africa had made tremendous strides in eliminating smoking. However, chewing tobacco remained a problem, especially among rural women. The co-ordinator of the International Non-Governmental Coalition Against Tobacco, said that the number of tobacco farmers in South Africa had fallen from nearly 2 000 in 1985 to 600 in 2001. The director of the tobacco division of the union, Dr Karen Slama, said that international tobacco companies were spending R20 billion in two weeks on advertising in the United States. This was roughly the same amount that the Global Fund was giving this year to needy countries to fight diseases such as TB, malaria and AIDS. She said the tobacco industry had a record of subverting, circumventing, ignoring or even changing tobacco control legislation. (Source: The Mercury, 17 June 2002)