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Thalassemia and Cancer

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Offline Danielle

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Thalassemia and Cancer
« on: January 15, 2009, 12:04:12 AM »
Hi, everyone. :)

I'm doing some nursing research for school and I just wanted to get some info.  Do any of you know, or heard of, anyone with Thalassemia getting any type of cancer?  Whether it's from smoking, the sun, etc?  I'm trying to figure out if cancer cells can survive in a hemoglobin deprived individual.

If you guys know of any information on this, I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.  I'm not looking for any names of people, or anything that may breech confidentiality.

Thank you.   :hugfriend
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Offline Sharmin

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2009, 12:40:01 AM »
Hi Danielle,

Are you looking for examples of people with thal minor, intermedia or major in particular?

My grandma is thal minor and she had cancer in her throat 7 years ago, she was treated with radiation and she had complete remission. 

Sharmin

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Sharmin
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Offline Andy Battaglia

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2009, 12:44:57 AM »
Danielle,

Miaki's husband, Stan had lymphoma. He was a major. My employee had lymphoma and a recurrence. He is a minor (he recently had a bone marrow transplant and is waiting to see if it works, as now he is transfusion dependent). Cancer thrives in a high iron environment, thus the research into IP6 as a cancer inhibitor, so it is likely and I have heard this is true, that it is one more problem older thals are confronting as the survival age rises.
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Andy

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Offline Manal

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #3 on: January 15, 2009, 01:56:21 AM »
Hi Danielle

I too know of three cases who had breast cancer, two are thal minors and the third had one muted thal gene + one muted sickle cell .

What i know is that cancer does not thrive in oxygenated enviroment

manal
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Offline Lena

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #4 on: January 15, 2009, 05:30:24 AM »
Hi Danielle,

I know of 2 thal majors with cancer-theroid and intestine related respectively- aged over 50 years old. Only  one has survived,that with the intestine cancer,the other died. I believe that as thals grow older they face the same health problems as the general population. There is as well the liver cancer due to hepatitis,but I do not think you refer to that.

Lena.
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Offline Sharmin

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2009, 04:00:06 PM »
More reasons to have more antioxidants on board - we need something to combat the oxidative effects of iron overload. 
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Sharmin
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Offline Andy Battaglia

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #6 on: January 15, 2009, 06:50:37 PM »
Westerners consume far too much iron and it has been reflected in high cancer rates. Do we really need iron fortified foods? No. Does the iron lobby, like the mercury lobby have too much influence? Yes.
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Andy

All we are saying is give thals a chance.
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Offline Danielle

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2009, 04:24:57 AM »
Wow, this is all very interesting.  Thank you so much, you guys.  Your info is very helpful.   :hugfriend

Sharmin, I'm looking for Majors, mostly, but also Thal as a whole.

Lena, you are correct.  I'm not looking into Cancers that have manifested due to complications of Thalassmia. but your other info is great.

Manal, so it's actually the complete opposite?  Cancer prefers an oxygen-deficient environment?  ???

Andy, I have heard about cancer being attracted to the iron, which is also very interesting to me.  There are other diseases, like Yersinia, that thrive on high iron, but also love Desferal.  I had gotten that years ago when my appendix burst.  It was horrible.

This is actually a quite intriguing subject to me.  Also, just as Thals are supposedly immune to Malaria, I'd like to find out about others diseases that cannot thrive in a low hemoglobin/oxygenated individual.  However, I remember Sajid telling us that he actually contracted Malaria a while back, if I'm not mistaken.   :huh

Thank you for the info, everyone.  :bighug

 :thankyou2
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Offline Dori

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2009, 03:14:45 PM »
Quote from: Danielle on January 16, 2009, 04:24:57 AM
Wow, this is all very interesting.  Thank you so much, you guys.  Your info is very helpful. 

Sharmin, I'm looking for Majors, mostly, but also Thal as a whole.

Lena, you are correct.  I'm not looking into Cancers that have manifested due to complications of Thalassmia. but your other info is great.

Manal, so it's actually the complete opposite?  Cancer prefers an oxygen-deficient environment?  ???

Andy, I have heard about cancer being attracted to the iron, which is also very interesting to me.  There are other diseases, like Yersinia, that thrive on high iron, but also love Desferal.  I had gotten that years ago when my appendix burst.  It was horrible.

This is actually a quite intriguing subject to me.  Also, just as Thals are supposedly immune to Malaria, I'd like to find out about others diseases that cannot thrive in a low hemoglobin/oxygenated individual.  However, I remember Sajid telling us that he actually contracted Malaria a while back, if I'm not mistaken.   




Hey Danielle,

Yersinia, is named a lot in books about iron overload.
It it is very funny to see your question about malaria. I was thinking about that too today. I thought maybe you can catch is when you ihgb is high. Then you hgb will drop and what about the malaria?

I know my explanation is not very good, but I hope you do understand it.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2009, 11:06:40 AM by Peartree Girl »
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Offline Zaini

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2009, 07:01:29 PM »
Little Z once also caught malaria,her malarial parasite reports came back positive.

Zaini.
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Offline Sharmin

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2009, 07:03:02 PM »
Perhaps it is the thal minors that are protected - because thal majors get blood transfusions and they may be at the same risk as the general population - not sure  ???


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Sharmin
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Offline Zaini

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2009, 07:12:01 PM »
I also thought at that time that she might have gotten the blood which had malarial parasites,but they screen the blood,so is it possible?
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Offline Andy Battaglia

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2009, 07:19:55 PM »
Thalassemia does offer some protection against malaria. This does not mean thals are immune. What it means is that malaria does not thrive in blood that is affected by blood disorders. Thals still get malaria but it is unlikely that malaria will kill a thal while it will kill others. Because of this, thal carriers survived malaria while others did not, leading to a higher percentage of thal carriers in the general population. There are various theories why, but apparently malaria does not do well when there are high fetal hemoglobin concentrations.
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Andy

All we are saying is give thals a chance.
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Kathy11

Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2009, 09:59:19 PM »
Quote from: sharmin on January 16, 2009, 07:03:02 PM
Perhaps it is the thal minors that are protected - because thal majors get blood transfusions and they may be at the same risk as the general population - not sure  ???




This is the light at the end of the tunnel if its the" fact", "there must be something good " :biggrin

I can dream  cant I?
Kathy
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Offline Dori

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Re: Thalassemia and Cancer
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2009, 11:05:53 AM »
Danielle, do you want to know about iron overload and cancer? In that case I can get you in contact with a lady who does research about hemochromatose and breast cancer. She is very well educated. I am not sure she is a doctor or not. I think she isn't, but she knows a lot. If you like the idea, you can send me a live message. It is a very interesting woman. She is now in the seventies and she lives in the US.

Best wishes, Dore
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