Funding for breast cancer research by the National Institutes of Health rose to more than $600 million in 1999, up from just $90 million in 1991. Women participate more actively in decisions about their medical care, more of them receive breast-conserving lumpectomies than in the past and survival rates have gone up. And some women’s advocates have made it onto important policymaking panels. But the authors spend most of their time hashing out the societal, social and scientific problems surrounding breast cancer. Unfortunately, they write in a consistently academic tone that weakens their message and may make the book less compelling for the layperson whose attention they appear to be seeking. The prevailing gripe of the book, which is repeated ad nauseam, is that the majority of the funding is channeled into research that focuses on a biomedical approach to preventing and treating cancer (genetics, chemotherapy and surgery), rather than research that examines the environmental factors, like pollution and toxic waste, that these authors believe contribute to breast cancer.

“Efforts to encourage research and advocacy into possible environmental causes — including corporate pollution — have met with stiff resistance and meager funding, not to mention potential conflict of interest,” writes sociologist Jane Zones in her essay “Profits From Pain: The Political Economy of Breast Cancer.” Another writer cites studies that indicate links between breast cancer rates and hazardous-waste sites, industrial pollution, pesticides like DDT, chemicals like PCBs (an organic chemical used in industry) and products like polyvinyl chloride (known as PVC or vinyl).

Although she picks and chooses studies that support her position, the evidence is compelling enough to make an effective case for further research. Several authors contend that society shirks its responsibility for preventing breast cancer, placing it instead on the individual woman — from her diet to her genes to her reproductive life. In an essay on women’s magazines’ coverage of breast cancer, three coauthors write, “Ultimately, the magazines send the message that women can locate the causes of breast cancer in either their lifestyle behaviors or in their bodies. Breast cancer then becomes a personal problem rather than a social issue.”

Aspirin is over 100 years old Aspirin may protect against cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus, a study suggests. Researchers in Italy say taking aspirin regularly for five years cuts the risk of contracting these diseases by two thirds. The findings add to growing evidence that aspirin truly is a miracle drug. Previous studies have shown that the pill, developed more than 100 years ago, may help prevent bowel and lung cancer. While most people take it to relieve pain, it is also widely used to protect against heart disease and even arthritis. Analysis Reports of its latest therapeutic benefits follow a study by scientists from the Institute of Pharmacological Research in Milan.

They analysed information from three separate studies involving 965 cancer patients and 1779 people who were in hospital for other conditions. Everyone in the studies filled in detailed questionnaires about smoking and drinking habits, diet and how often they took aspirin. They found that people who had taken aspirin regularly for five years or more cut their chances of developing cancers of the mouth, throat and oesophagus by two thirds compared to those who didn’t take the medicine. Many of the aspirin users in the study had been taking the drug because they had been diagnosed with other health problems, such as heart disease. The scientists believe that if people started taking the drug earlier, specifically for its anti-cancer properties, it might be possible to achieve even stronger protective effects.

However, further research will be needed to evaluate this and to track possible side-effects of long-term aspirin use. But lead researcher Dr Cristina Bosetti hailed the findings. “This is the first quantitative evidence that taking aspirin may reduce the risk of developing cancers in what we call the aerodigestive tract, connecting the mouth and the stomach. “We think that aspirin may take effect by acting on an enzyme called cyclooxegenase-2, which has a role both in inflammation and the process of cancer growth. “Our results further extend our knowledge of the health benefits of this remarkable drug and suggest that taking it could become an important way of protecting ourselves against cancer.”

Ginger is well known for its health benefits Ginger may protect against bowel cancer, scientists have claimed. Test showed gingerol – which gives ginger its flavour – could slow the growth of human tumours in mice. Plants from the ginger family have been used for thousands of years, and have been reported to have anti-cancer properties. A second study presented to the American Association of Cancer Research showed a relative of mint could slow prostate cancer. These results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents Dr Ann Bode, University of Minnesota Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s Hormel Institute in Austin, fed half a milligram of [6]-gingerol to mice genetically engineered not to have an immune system three times a week before and after they were injected with human bowel tumour cells.

Other mice were injected with the tumour cells — but were not given the gingerol. Tumours were allowed to grow until they reached a size of one cubic centimetre (0.06 cubic inch), after which the mice were put to sleep. After 15 days, 13 tumours of a measurable size had appeared amongst the control mice, but only four amongst the mice given the gingerol. By day 28, all the mice in the control group had measurable tumours, but it took 10 more days for all but one of the gingerol group to develop measurable tumours. By day 49, all the control mice had been killed because they had developed tumours of one cubic centimetre or more, but 12 of the gingerol mice were still alive and their average tumour size was about half the maximum allowable size.

Dr Ann Bode, who led the research, said: “Plants of the ginger family have been credited with therapeutic and preventive powers and have been reported to have anti-cancer activity. “The substance called [6]-gingerol is the main active compound in ginger root and the one that gives ginger its distinctive flavour.” She added: “These results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may be effective chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal carcinomas.”