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Curry spice 'kills cancer cells'

(BBC 28/10/2009)

An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown. The chemical - curcumin - has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis and even dementia. Now tests by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab. Cancer experts said the findings in the British Journal of Cancer could help doctors find new treatments.

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Alcohol flush 'shows cancer risk'

(BBC 14/04/2009)

People who get a flushed face when they drink alcohol should be particularly wary of gullet cancer, experts warn. About 8% of the population - mostly people of East Asian descent - have an enzyme deficiency that causes their skin to redden when they drink alcohol. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism research found even moderate drinkers with this deficiency were more at risk of oesophageal cancer.

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Steaming hot tea linked to cancer

(BBC 27/03/2009)

Drinking steaming hot tea has been linked with an increased risk of oesophageal (food tube) cancer, Iranian scientists have found. The British Medical Journal study found that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk. Experts said the finding could explain the increased oesophageal cancer risk in some non-Western populations. Adding milk, as most tea drinkers in Western countries do, cools the drink enough to eliminate the risk.

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Too few surgeons for cancer ops

(BBC 14/10/2008)

One in 10 hospital trusts in England and Wales do not have enough expert surgeons doing operations for gullet cancer, data shows. Each year in England and Wales about 13,500 people are diagnosed with either oesophageal or gastric (stomach) cancer, making it the fifth most common type of cancer. The Department of Health says trusts need a minimum of three surgeons to provide care.

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I was fitted with a new stomach - and I was eating again within days

(Daily Mail 05/08/2008)

Cancer of the oesophagus affects 7,500 Britons each year. Around 30 per cent undergo complex surgery, but Malcolm Wells, 64, had a less invasive procedure.

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