The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Vitamins fail to prevent bladder cancer

    During the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urological Association, researchers from the University of Washington reported that taking a multivitamin didn’t prevent urothelial (bladder) cancer.

    First, the details.

    • 77,719 older adults (50-76 years) completed a questionnaire.
    • They were followed for the next 5 years.

    And, the results.

    • 330 people developed urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder.
    • There was no evidence that taking a vitamin protected against urethral cancer.

    The bottom line?

    Dr. Mark Moyad, from the University of Michigan Medical Center, in Ann Arbor, moderated the session where this study was presented. He concluded, “The reality is that very little scientific research has proven vitamins to be effective in protecting against cancer and some studies have even shown that taking certain vitamins could increase one’s risk of cancer.”

    It’s interesting to know that vitamins available for purchase don’t prevent cancer. But this shouldn’t be a surprise considering they aren’t marketed to do anything more than prevent or correct deficiencies.

    The most significant action people can take to lower their risk for bladder cancer is to stop smoking.

    6/1/10 17:25 JR

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