OCTOBER EDITION
Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery
During the past 250 years, we have witnessed many landmark discoveries in our efforts to make progress against cancer, an affliction known to humanity for thousands of years. This timeline shows a few key milestones in the history of cancer research.
1775: Chimney Soot & Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Percivall Pott identifies a relationship between exposure to chimney soot and the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the scrotum among chimney sweeps. His report is the first to clearly link an environmental exposure to the development of cancer.
1863: Inflammation & Cancer
Rudolph Virchow identifies white blood cells (leukocytes) in cancerous tissue, making the first connection between inflammation and cancer. Virchow also coins the term "leukemia" and is the first person to describe the excess number of white blood cells in the blood of patients with this disease.
1882: The First Radical Mastectomy to Treat Breast Cancer
William Halsted performs the first radical mastectomy to treat breast cancer. This surgical procedure remains the standard operation for breast cancer until the latter half of the 20th century.
1886: Inheritance of Cancer Risk
Brazilian ophthalmologist Hilário de Gouvêa provides the first documented evidence that a susceptibility to cancer can be inherited from a parent to a child. He reports that two of seven children born to a father who was successfully treated for childhood retinoblastoma, a malignant tumor of the eye, also developed the disease.
1895: The First X-Ray
Wilhelm Roentgen discovers X-rays. The first X-ray picture is an image of one of his wife's hands.
1898: Radium & Polonium
Marie and Pierre Curie discover the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Within a few years, the use of radium in cancer treatment begins.
PAST EDITIONS
Taste the Cancer-Fighting Power of Curcumin
Curcumin has been used for centuries in India and other parts of Southeast Asia as both a cooking spice and a medicine to treat arthritis and gastrointestinal upset. Some studies have shown that curcumin may be helpful in treating or preventing certain cancers including triple negative breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.
Sweet Lemon-Pepper Turmeric Salmon
INGREDIENTS (serves 2)
¼ cup lemon juice
a large pinch of ground black pepper
¼ tsp + ⅛ tsp of ground turmeric, divided
½ tsp honey or agave nectar
½ pound of salmon (about 8 ounces- use wild salmon if possible)
extra slices of lemon
an extra drizzle of honey
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, a large pinch of ground black pepper, ¼ tsp of ground turmeric, and ½ tsp of honey together.
Place your salmon into a large ziplock bag, pour the lemon mixture into the bag, and put everything into the fridge to marinate for about 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the salmon from the bag and place on a cookie sheet. Cover the salmon fillets in two spoonfuls of the mixture from the bag, and then place the salmon skin side up.
Cook for 6 minutes, and then flip the salmon so that it is flesh side up. Then, sprinkle ⅛ tsp of ground turmeric on top of the salmon and sprinkle some more pepper on top. Cover each filet with a slice of lemon and a drizzle of honey.
Cook for 6 more minutes, or until the salmon flakes easily.
