Cancer rate in the United States highest in the world

February 28th, 2002

A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer (2002;97:72-81) compared cancer rates in major developed and developing countries.

1.5% of the North American population was diagnosed with cancer over the past 5 years (this study excluded skin cancers, except for melanoma). Western Europe was second with 1.2%, followed by Australia, New Zealand and, finally, Japan with 1%.

Developing countries were found to have consistently lower rates, a fact that is attributed to the lower life expectancy in those countries. It is reasoned that, since people die younger from other causes, not enough of them reach an age at which cancer becomes more likely.

It is interesting to note, however, that the Japanese – with their dramatically lower cancer rate – have a higher life expectancy than we do. Like the U.S.A., Japan has its share of environmental chemicals and other pollutants, including mercury contamination of its seafood but, overall, the Japanese favor a more traditional diet with fewer processed foods.

Tags: Cancer
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Constipation in children and milk allergy

February 1st, 2002

Severe constipation is generally defined as 3 or fewer bowel movements a week. This condition seems to affect many of the children who come to my office. Rarely have parents been informed, before seeing me, of a possible link between constipation in children and allergy to the protein in milk.

What sometimes confuses the issue is that routine blood tests for food allergies may not reveal a reaction to milk, but eliminating milk for a trial period from a child’s diet rarely fails to reduce or eliminate the problem.

A quick search on Medline, the Internet service that searches medical journals, yields 104 studies, all from reputable sources and some from pediatric publications, linking children’s constipation with allergy to milk. A few of these studies are:

• Allergic constipation: association with infantile milk allergy. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2001 Jul;40(7):399-402
• Cow’s milk and chronic constipation in children. N Engl J Med 1999;340(11):891
• Constipation and intolerance to cow’s milk. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2000;30(2):224
• Constipation in children. N Engl J Med 1998;339(16):1155-6
• Allergy to cow’s milk presenting as chronic constipation. Br Med J 1983;287(6405):1593
• Constipation in childhood. BMJ 1989;299(6708):1116-7

Tags: Constipation, Food Allergies
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