Brain Cancer - Cat Parasite Link

Don't know how many of you caught this last month but I came across this article whilst on the internet:

Published July 27, 2011

"An infectious parasite spread by cats may be a cause of brain cancer in humans, research suggests. The single-celled organism Toxoplasma gondii infects about a third of the world's population. Often it causes no symptoms, but the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies and damage the nerve systems of people with weak immune systems.

The new study shows a positive correlation between rates of infection by T. gondii and brain cancer incidence around the world. Scientists collected global data on brain cancers in men and women and compared them with figures on T. gondii prevalence. Adjusting for a range of factors that can influence brain cancer statistics, the researchers found that cancer rates went up with greater exposure to the parasite.

Across the range of infection prevalence, from 4 of the population, T. gondii was associated with a 1.8-fold increase in the risk of brain cancer. The scientists, led by Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, France, wrote in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters: "We feel our results are sufficiently strong to propose that T. gondii potentially increases the risk of brain cancer in humans." Previous research had already linked the parasite to brain tumours in animals. There is also other evidence that T. gondii has effects on the brain leading to changes in behaviour."

According to a comment following this article a reader commented that there is very little risk of contracting this from healthy indoor cats and he goes on to advise that the most common method of infection in humans is actually via the consumption of undercooked or raw meat.

Going Back Home

Hi Everyone,

Well my time on this wonderful Island is nearing it's end for now. It has been the most fabulous experience all brought about really by the fact that following my meningioma brain tumour my whole life was put into perspective and I now believe that taking time out is a necessity to appreciate how great life is. We have had a ball! It was great revisiting with friends and showing my husband the beauty of this country and we have experienced peace, quiet and tranquility on an Island full of splendid wildlife, secluded beaches, laid back humour, long lunches and much pondering about how lucky we are.

We are lucky but we have made this happen and I look forward to returning again another year but for now it's home to Cyprus and the UK to visit our families and to reassess where we want to go next.

BRAIN TUMOUR NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Just reading through a local paper here in Queensland last week and it reports that Brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australias youth and accounts for more than one third of cancer deaths in children under 10. One person dies from malignant brain cancer every eight hours in Australia!

These are alarming statistics. More awareness and funding is desparately required for further research as brain cancer research is the least funded but deadliest cancer in Australia today. A leading Neurosurgeons commented that it will take AU$50 billion over the next 30-50 years to find a cure for brain cancer but that funds are required urgently now to make an impact on reducing the alarming statistics above.

Once diagnosed, patients have just a 5% chance of surviving this extremely aggresive disease and most die within 12 months. Brain cancer remains the least understood of all cancers. Risk factors are unknown and there are no screening procedures in place.

A third of all other cancers can be prevented by us making concious lifestyle choices, for example by regular exercise, not smoking and eating balanced diets. However, brain cancer in indiscriminate and due to lack of research they do not know how to prevent it.

For more information on Brain Cancer Action Week and how to donate please visit: Brain Cancer Action Australia

Everyone Should Have A Chance!

Life After Benign Meningioma Surgery

I am lucky enough to be over in OZ with my lovely husband for 6 months and we have taken an apartment on Magnetic Island, just off Townsville in Queensland.

One thing about having had a brain tumour is that it pulls you up and makes you think about what is important in life and how you should go about making the most of it. We are in the incredibly lucky position of being Internet marketers now and therefore as long as we have our laptops and can ensure an Internet connection we can continue to work from where-ever we are. I lived for 14 years in Australia in what now seems like the distant past, as so much has changed in my life and was desperate to come back for a visit, so my husband said at the end of last year that that is what we would do then - we would make it happen!

So I thought rather than some meningioma news this time I would share some of my photos of life in OZ with you because this is what life so beautiful and so worth living.

Your time is not refundable, spend it well!

Brain Tumour Research

Wife & Mother goes extra mile for Brain Tumour research fundraising:

Watch the following video clip:

http://video.stv.tv/bc/news-20110415-brain2/