Alcohol ups breast cancer recurrence risk
OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Women who have at least three to four alcoholic drinks per week have a 1.3-fold greater chance of breast cancer recurrence, U.S. researchers found.
Marilyn L. Kwan of Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif., said women who are post-menopausal or overweight may be most susceptible to the effects of alcohol on recurrence. Drinking fewer than three drinks per week was not associated with an increased risk, Kwan said.
Kwan and colleagues examined the effects of alcohol on cancer recurrence and mortality in the Life After Cancer Epidemiology Study -- 1,897 early-stage breast cancer survivors diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer from 1997-2000.
After eight years of follow-up, Kwan and colleagues found 349 breast cancer recurrences and 332 deaths. Increased risk of the cancer coming back was most predominant among those who consumed two or more glasses of wine per day.
"Women previously diagnosed with breast cancer should consider limiting their consumption of alcohol to less than three drinks per week, especially women who are postmenopausal and overweight or obese," Kwan said in a statement.
The findings were presented at the Cancer Therapy & Research Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center, the American Association for Cancer Research and Baylor College of Medicine San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Helmets promote risky behavior on slopes
SIPAPU, N.M., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Responsible behavior on ski slopes prevents injuries more than helmets, which can offer a false sense of security, the National Ski Areas Association said.
"We've seen that when people put on helmets, they become less risk-averse. Maybe they ski faster than they normally would or take a black diamond course they wouldn't normally try," said Dave Byrd, a spokesman for association, which represents 327 alpine ski resorts in the United States,
Snowboarders and skiers should wear helmets but they won't prevent serious head injuries completely, Byrd told The Santa Fe New Mexican in a story published Friday.
Helmets help prevent head injuries sustained at speeds as fast as 14 mph, but most skiers and snowboarders travel much faster, Byrd said.
"Our position is that it is not any particular device that is going to save you. It is skiing responsibly," he said.
No state requires helmets for skiers and snowboarders, though some ski resorts require employees to wear helmets and also require children 12 and under to wear a helmet.
Crypt searched for Caravaggio's bones
PORTO ERCOLE, Italy, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A crypt in the Tuscan town of Porto Ercole, Italy, could contain the 400-year-old bones of artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, anthropologists said.
A team from Bologna University and Ravenna University planned to use infrared scanners, CAT scans, DNA analysis and carbon dating to solve the mystery of where Caravaggio, a master of chiaroscuro lighting, was buried, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Friday.
The crypt in Porto Ercole was the mostly likely of eight possible burial sites, said Caravaggio expert Maurizio Marini. Local church records said Caravaggio died in the town in 1610.
On Wednesday, the anthropologists began sorting through 30 to 40 sets of bones in the crypt to separate out those belonging to men around the age of 40 who might have died in the 17th century.
Likely candidates were to be taken to the anthropology department in Ravenna for further tests, including DNA bone sampling to be compared with that of male descendants of Caravaggio's brother, ANSA reported.
Canna plant useful in storm runoff
HAMMOND, La., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Ornamental plants, such as canna, have proved beneficial in removing nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater runoff, scientists in Louisiana said.
Excess nitrate-nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus degrade water quality and spur the growth of oxygen-depleting microorganisms.
Scientists at Louisiana State University grew canna and other ornamentals, such as iris, calla lily, and dwarf papyrus in stormwater mitigation projects.
Grown in floating wetland systems in warmer climates, the ornamentals proved both attractive to the eye and environmentally friendly in removing excess nitrogen and phosphorus, researcher Yan Chen said in a release Thursday.
Australian canna showed the greatest potential because it is a perennial grown year round, can be harvested regularly and offers the most consistent removal of excess nutrients, Yan Chen's team said.
Future research will evaluate planting densities, harvesting frequency and growth maintenance techniques.
