Health
Cancer patients can relieve side effects with surprising activity
Dancing it out can be a great way to recover from chemo.
That’s according to new research from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, which found that dancing the tango can boost neurological recovery in cancer patients by reducing lingering symptoms of chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy (CIN) is a condition that can occur anywhere throughout the body, but mostly impacts the hands, feet and limbs, according to an OSU press release.
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Eighty percent of breast cancer survivors experience CIN, which can cause pain, falls, difficulty walking and diminished quality of life, experts say.
Previous data showed that music and exercise can “help prevent neurologic degeneration,” the researchers said. (iStock)
The DAANCE study assessed how the adapted Argentine tango can help restore mobility and alleviate symptoms like numbness, burning, tingling and loss of feeling in these problem areas.
The study, led by Lise Worthen-Chaudhari, PhD, a scientist in the OSU Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, was funded by the National Institute on Aging.
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Worthen-Chaudhari, a former dancer herself, expressed the need for alternative treatment options for CIN.
The researcher and her team designed the study for breast cancer survivors experiencing CIN who had received their last chemotherapy treatment at least three months prior.
“There is hope for recovery from the beating that cancer gives your body, brain and nerves.”
In the early stages of the study, the researchers found that small doses of social dance improved dual-task function compared to larger doses of at-home exercise.
This could be due to the cognitive engagement of dual-task functioning, the researchers concluded.
The Argentine tango, a social dance that originated in Argentina, requires cognitive engagement. (iStock)
Just 20 minutes of social dance a few times a week could begin to “rewire the neuropathways that have been impacted by cancer treatment,” according to Worthen-Chaudhari.
Preliminary data also shows that dancing the tango can lead to improvements in balance, cognitive function, motor function and neuropathy symptoms.
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The rhythm of the Argentine tango, at 120 beats per minute, helps activate a “neural phenomenon” called “entrainment,” where “two or more oscillating systems (like brainwaves or behaviors) align,” the researchers noted.
Given tango’s ideal cadence, Worthen-Chaudhari told Fox News Digital that it “made sense” that doing the dance a couple of times per week would deliver positive effects of “movement, rhythmic entrainment and social connection, all at once, in a way that promoted recovery more than any of those elements in isolation.”
Pilot data shows that this repetitive, slow music and walking dance help re-map nerves damaged by chemotherapy, she added.
“This work is about helping survivors reclaim their lives and thrive, rather than just survive.”
Other institutions have also reported success in balance and cognition after using adapted tango with Parkinson’s disease patients.
This therapy could help individuals with other conditions, such as diabetes, dementia, neurodegenerative diseases and general aging, Worthen-Chaudhari noted.
In addition to cancer patients, dancing the tango could also help individuals with other conditions and could relieve general aging effects, the researchers stated. (iStock)
An expanded five-year study will continue to look into dual-task performance, with plans to recruit 140 breast cancer survivors at the OSU Cancer Center.
The researchers will explore whether the effects of tango therapy can be sustained over time to improve movement and cognitive functions.
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“In essence, this work is about helping survivors reclaim their lives and thrive, rather than just survive,” Worthen-Chaudhari wrote in the release.
“It’s about providing them with a fun, effective way to improve their sensory motor skills and reduce the fear of falling, ultimately enhancing their overall well-being.”
Worthen-Chaudhari, shared that she was “delighted” to find that tango with a friend could work just as well as exercise to alleviate these symptoms.
“I wanted to know if tango could do more than prevent decline … if it could stimulate neuro-recovery among those trying to recover from neuro-trauma,” she told Fox News Digital.
The rhythm of Argentine tango activates “entrainment” in the brain, the researchers said. (iStock)
“I’m excited about an option that doesn’t require sweating, such that you have to shower before going back to work or out to dinner.”
“In retrospect, I can see that it makes sense, but I was surprised that the results were clear even in an initial study of the idea,” the scientist added.
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She assured, “There is hope for recovery from the beating that cancer gives your body, brain and nerves.”
Aimee Kain, a breast cancer survivor and participant in the study, shared with Fox News Digital her “amazing” experience.
“This research and study showed me that something I already enjoy can become a treatment.”
“It not only connected me with other women who are living with some of the same side effects as me, but it was also a fun, lighthearted way to approach treatment,” she said. “There are huge benefits to that.”
“This research and study showed me that something I already enjoy can become a treatment.”
Kain reported that she’s currently healthy and doing “all the things I enjoy with minimal struggles” while looking forward to the future.
“That’s really all you can ask for,” she said.
The survivor encouraged others to give dance a try, even if it’s “a little outside your comfort zone.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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