Treating localised prostate cancer boosts survivalNEW YORK (Reuters Health) — Survival rates for men with localised prostate cancer are better with either surgery or radioactive seed implantation, a treatment called brachytherapy, compared with no “definitive” treatment, investigators at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City report. This is true even among older men.Based on the research, reported in the journal Cancer, men undergoing surgery or brachytherapy are much less likely to die of prostate cancer or any cause compared with men undergoing no definitive therapy. “This study is the first to demonstrate an apparent overall survival advantage for brachytherapy compared with no definitive treatment, and validates prior reports that document a survival advantage for surgery,” Dr. Jonathan D. Tward and associates write.

Nonetheless, only a small number of men with localised prostate cancer will die of the disease within ten years, the investigators note, and both surgery and brachytherapy are invasive procedures with possible lifetime side-effects.

“Factors other than survival, such as risks, side effect profiles, and quality of life weigh heavily on men deciding to undergo treatment for this disease, which is unlikely to claim their life,” the authors comment.

For those who opt for definitive treatment, “both younger and older men should be counselled that either surgery or brachytherapy is appropriate.”

Using the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database of 60,269 men diagnosed with localised prostate cancer between 1998 and 2002, Tward and colleagues assessed the rate of death due to prostate cancer or any cause after a median of 46 months. Outcomes of brachytherapy, removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) or no definitive treatment were assessed for men less than 60 years of age at diagnosis and those aged 60 years and older.Liquid calories add up at mealtimeNEW YORK (Reuters Health) — People who want to cut down on calories might be wise to trade in their regular soda for a diet version, a study suggests.In mealtime tests with 33 adults, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that diners ate as much food when they were given a sugary soft drink as they did when they drank water or diet soda. As a result, their calorie count jumped when they had the sugar-sweetened drink.

On average, volunteers downed 128 calories from a “small” 12-ounce soda and 151 calories from an 18-ounce portion. Other studies have found that people fail to “compensate” for calorie-laden drinks by eating less food than they otherwise would have. And sugary soft drinks aren’t the only culprits.

“It’s not just soda,” said Dr. Barbara J. Rolls, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State and the senior author on the new study. “A caloric beverage is going to add calories to your meal.”

She told Reuters Health that people looking to cut calories should first keep a record of their diet for a few days, then see where they can trim beverage calories. This is a good first step, according to Rolls, because cutting out beverages can be easier than eating less of your favourite foods. Water and diet soft drinks are some calorie-free options, but people can also reduce calories by adding water to their juice for a “spritzer,” or simply having a small soda instead of a large, Rolls noted.Exercise cuts smokers’ lung cancer riskNEW YORK (Reuters Health) — Women who smoke may be able to reduce their lung cancer risk with exercise, a new study shows. But the investigators caution that any relative benefit is dwarfed by the benefits gained from kicking the habit.In the study, women who reported high levels of physical activity were 23 percent less likely to develop lung cancer than those who were the least active, report Dr. Kathryn H. Schmitz of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and colleagues.

And among women who smoked, greater activity was tied to a 28 percent lower lung cancer risk, while women who were ex-smokers showed a 37 percent lower risk with more activity.

Nevertheless, smokers remained at much higher risk of lung cancer than those who had never smoked, or those who had quit, Schmitz and her team note.

“Quitting smoking is the single most important action a smoker can take to reduce risk of lung cancer,” they note.

To better understand the relationship, they looked at 36,929 women participating in the Iowa Women’s Health Study who were followed from 1986 to 2002.

Those who reported participating in vigorous activity at least twice a week, or moderate activity more than four times weekly, were classified as having a high physical activity level.Heart bag should not be approved — US govt.WASHINGTON (AP) — An implantable mesh bag meant to support the blood-pumping muscle of patients with heart failure should not be approved, federal health advisers said in upholding an earlier government decision.In a three to one vote, the Food and Drug Administration’s medical devices dispute resolution panel upheld an earlier agency decision not to approve the CorCap cardiac support device. The FDA maintains the heart device needs more study.

Acorn Cardiovascular Inc. disagreed with the FDA. The St. Paul, Minnesota, company said it had provided enough information to support a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness, but it failed to sway FDA advisers.

The device consists of a polyester mesh bag designed to be surgically wrapped around an enlarged heart to support the organ and potentially reverse the progression of heart failure.