That's Fit

Quite a few years ago I wrote an article regarding the concept that 3 servings of low-fat dairy a day could help you lose weight. Then it was uncovered that the sponsor of the original study had ties to the dairy industry. Hmmm... makes you pause and think about how unbiased the study was, doesn't it? It's unfortunately the case with a lot of studies. Research is time consuming and expensive, so financial backing is necessary. Often, the finances come from an organization with a vested interest in the result. Any researcher worth his or her salt will perform an unbiased and accurate study regardless of the sponsor, however. And, if the sponsor wants accurate results, they should demand nothing less. Sometimes, however, the sponsorship of a study makes people question the results.

Such is the case with a 2006 study that determined lung scans might help save smokers from cancer. Big tobacco indirectly financed the study by making sizable donations (to the tune of 3.6 million) to a foundation that was listed as a sponsor of the study. Researchers properly revealed the study sponsors, but the indirect connection to big tobacco wasn't revealed. At this point, there is no indication that the study's findings are in any way tainted.

Ok, so it wasn't really a garage sale. But when Ozzy Osbourne decided to part with several of his personal affects from his home that was featured on the MTV reality show "The Osbournes," he raised $800,000 for cancer research among a mixed crowd of metal heads and art enthusiasts at a high-end auction house.

The proceeds will go to The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer while the show was still on the air, and she shared her experience with viewers.

In a study on mice with breast cancer, those with a calcium deficiency were more likely to see their cancer metastasize to the bones. Also, mice on a low calcium diet had more bone affected by cancer.

Experts shared that 70 percent of advanced cancer patients develop bone tumors, and many older women are calcium deficient. The spread of cancer to bones triggers a cellular process which breaks existing bone down, resulting in more pain, illness and a bone environment ripe for further cancer growth.

While animal study results do not necessarily mimic human response, breast cancer patients with a calcium deficiency could be at a higher risk of bone metastases. Dietary calcium could serve as a supporting treatment to prevent the spread of cancer to the bone.

The study was completed by researchers at the ANZAC Research Institute in Australia, and published in the October issue of Cancer Research. Read the full story in Science Daily.

In an effort to find new and revolutionary ways to combat cancer, medical researchers and hedge fund managers have created a contest. The goal is to come up with the best new idea for cancer research, and the winner gets $1 million.

It's called the Gotham Prize for Cancer Research, and anyone -- whether you're a cancer expert or an interested member of the general public -- is allowed to participate. The prize was created in response to decreasing funding to investigate and combat the disease, along with the restricted access to funds that are available -- a situation which has researchers writing grants for what will get funded, not necessarily what will produce results.

If you're interested, you simply need to write an essay or thesis outlining the idea. You won't even be the one to implement the research, as that will be left up to the experts.

They're challenging you to open their minds.