Bicarbonate 'could detect cancer' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

The naturally-occurring chemical bicarbonate, used to make baking soda, could help detect cancer using sensitive scanning, research suggests.

Bicarbonate is involved in the body's balancing of acid and alkali.

But cancerous tissue is known to turn it into carbon dioxide.

The Cancer Research UK team found MRI scans were able to track changes in the chemical and therefore identify cancers even in the very early stages.
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Working with mice, the researchers boosted the MRI sensitivity more than 20,000 times, the Nature journal reported.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7423304.stm

[Muttocracy]

1. interesting. I wonder what the status of cancer-sniffing dog tests is too. nt

[kimmerspixelated]

2. I don't know, it sounds promising,

Why, knock it? Better than, let's say radiation-filled screening, don't you think?

[Muttocracy]

3. I'm not knocking, sorry if it came across that way.

As scary as cancer is (given family I bet it will be what kills me), I think there are a lot of new diagnostic and treatment advances that are very promising.

edit to add link - I wasn't joking about the dogs - and after training, they're cheap! http://www.startribune.com/pet_central/11891291.html

[kimmerspixelated]

5. NO, problem, but read up on natural solutions

in alternative medicines, cutting edge stuff. You'll be amazed at the advances(of course not publisized),it will make you much less afraid of the BigC, cause all mainstream medicine wants to do is market fear instead of present CHOICES of healthy solutions. Not trying to flame!

[semillama]

6. "Not trying to flame!"

sure.

You'd be amazed at the unregulated crap flying around out there masquerading as a cure-all, marketed by companies that feed off people's ignorance and fear.

Really now, take that stuff to the health scare forum, you'll get a slightly more sympathetic response.

[kimmerspixelated]

7. Not saying there's not crap out there,

But non-synthetic D3 and other vits and minerals and many rain forest herbs, etc. are getting good reports. Also, something like Barley Greens (UltraGreens from Dr. Sears!) purify and fortify every cell in your body. I haven't been ill this year at all, and I think it's cuz of the Barley Greens. Another thing, is that-sure-anything that claims it is a cure-all, needs to be taken with a grain of salt. But remember, all illness is the result of an imbalance, or nutritional deficiency. Eat well(hard to do) or get the right vits and mins. first(non-synthetic)-or purify-then see what you might do. Extreme nutritional therapy usually cures what ails you. I'd rather try that than depend on Big Pharma to come thru for me. Likewise-I wouldn't just go get any old herb either! Hope that clarifies.

[semillama]

8. How do they purify and fortify every cell in your body?

Seems like a stretch. I checked out the UltraGreens product and it doesn't mention that. Seems like a small amount of a lot of different stuff in there. Probably Ok as a supplement to a regular whole foods diet, but I'd be interested to see how much is actually taken in by the body. I'm not knocking the value of nutrition - I think quality nutrition is the key to prevention (as do most doctors), but I'd also say that if nutritional therapy really did cure most ailments, then it would be standard practice in the medical profession. Sadly, if you have a serious disease, changing your diet is probably not going to cure you.

[kimmerspixelated]

9. This is why there is so much confusion.

MD's unless they are certified Naturopaths, are not qualified to promote natural methods, just like natural docs are not trained to give out pharmas,plus the added evil of reg. MD's being paid by BIG PHARMA to never offer real solutions unless it's their drugs!(questionable solutions) Anyway-lots of misinformed folks think that if their reg. doc doesn't know about it, it must not exist. It happens a lot to those that aren't researching for themselves.

[FiveGoodMen]

10. A lot of people who do their own research don't know how to separate wheat from chaff

[TZ]

4. Still have to do MRI's though n/t

Just makes it more sensitive.