The cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil was given to a quarter of teenage girls in the United States last year.

That statistic comes from the first government report on Gardasil vaccinations released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to a CDC press release, 25.1% of adolescent girls received at least one dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine last year.  

Approved in the summer of 2006, Gardasil is the first vaccine designed to protect girls against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease. Four strains of HPV have been proven to cause 70% of cervical cancers.

Earlier this week, a German researcher won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering the link between HPV and cervical cancer.

Health officials recommend girls get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12.

New research shows that men who drink red wine have a lower risk of developing lung cancer.

Chun Chao, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California, analyzed data collected through the California Men's Health Study.

Chao's research measured the effects of consuming beer, red and white wine, and liquor on the risk of lung cancer.

According to a press release from the American Association from Cancer Research, Chao found that on average there was a 2% lower risk of lung cancer for each glass of red wine consumed per month. However, among study participants who smoke cigarettes, one to two glasses of red wine per day reduced lung cancer risks by 60%.

According to Chao, "An antioxidant component in red wine may be protective of lung cancer, particularly among smokers."

Researchers involved with the study point out that quitting smoking is always the best way to reduce the risk of lung cancer. Chao also says that his findings do not recommend heavy alcohol consumption.

The study is published in this month's issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

If you are over the age of 75, you may no longer need a routine screening for colon cancer.

According to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, people who have reached the age of 75, and have been screened regularly for colon cancer with no evidence of the disease, do not need to undergo additional screenings.

The government task force concluded that after 75 the risks involved with colon cancer screenings begin to outweigh the benefits.

In addition, the task force recommended that no person over the age of 85 should receive colon cancer screenings, regardless of medical history.

These new guidelines are considered updates to a 2002 report, which recommended regular colon cancer screenings for everyone beginning at age 50.

Harald zur Hausen, a retired German scientist, has won this year's Nobel Prize for medicine.

Dr. zur Hausen's is credited with discovering the link between human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer.

In the 1970s zur Hausen began researching different types of HPV. This research led to his discovery of the virus in cervix cancer biopsies. Today, these same human papilloma virus types are found in an estimated 70% of cervical cancer biopsies worldwide.

Zur Hausen's research led to the development of an HPV vaccine, which has been approved in both the U.S. and Europe.

Zur Hausen is sharing the Nobel Prize with French researchers Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for their discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Don't be surprised if you see your favorite football players wearing pink athletic gloves during the next big game.

Cutters Gloves, a manufacturer of high-performance athletic gloves, gave away 1,000 pairs of pink football gloves through the company's website earlier this week.

The donation was intended to raise awareness of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October commemorates the 23rd anniversary of the health campaign.

"The response was overwhelming," said Laura Beraznik, Cutters' co-founder and brand manager. "Our goal is to create thousands of pink glove impressions on youth and high school football fields across the country in October. We believe the unusual sight of pink gloves on the football field will generate additional interest in National Breast Cancer Awareness and hopefully motivate others to get involved."

According to a company press release, Cutters is also making a financial contribution to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Snack-sized quantities of walnuts can slow cancer growth. That's according to a recent study from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

The study included two groups of mice; one group was fed the equivalent of two human servings of walnuts, while the other group ate a more typical American diet.

Researcher W. Elaine Hardman, Ph.D., of Marshall's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, says the object of the study was to determine if eating walnuts has an impact on the rate of breast cancer growth.

According to the study, tumors in the walnut-fed group took twice as long to double in size. Hardman says walnuts contain three components which have proven to slow cancer growth in other studies: omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and phytosterols.

Hardman, who has spent 15 years studying the role of diet in cancer, says research shows that Americans need to get more fat calories from omega-3 fatty acids than from saturated fats.

The study has been published in the current issue of the journal Nutrition and Cancer.

According to a study published this week in The Journal of the American Medical Association, black men and women have a greater chance of developing cancerous polyps in the colon.

Researchers found that colon polyp incidence rates are 15.5% to 23% higher in black individuals. In addition, the study found that colorectal cancer death rates for black men and women are 38% to 43% higher than for white men and women.

Authors of the study stated, "In summary, we find that asymptomatic black men and women undergoing colonoscopy screening are more likely to have 1 or more polyps sized more than 9 mm compared with white individuals. The differences were especially striking among women. These findings emphasize the importance of encouraging all black men and women to be screened."

The study used data from 67 practice sites in 25 states, including private practices, academic sites, and Department of Veterans Affairs sites.

A new study by Canadian researchers shows that early-stage breast cancer patients who receive three weeks of intense radiation treatment experience the same results as patients who undergo the standard five to seven weeks of radiation therapy.

The study, which was presented yesterday to the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Boston, monitored more than 1,200 women for 12 years.

Half of the women in the study underwent the standard schedule of 25 radiation treatments in 35 days. The other half received 16 treatments in 22 days. While the second group received slightly higher daily doses of radiation, the total cumulative dose was slightly lower.

Researchers found that reducing the length of treatment time and increasing the dosage of radiation produced the same treatment benefits, in addition to reducing patient costs and the amount of time spent away from families and careers.

The procedure is currently more common in Canada and Europe.

Acupuncture is more effective and longer-lasting than medication in managing the side effects of conventional breast cancer treatments. That's according to a study completed by the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit.

The 12 week study involved 47 breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy and experiencing at least 14 hot flashes per week.

Results of the study showed that acupuncture reduced the hot flashes as effectively as venlafaxine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant drug used to treat hot flashes. Also, patients did not experience any of the common side effects associated with venlafaxine, which include decreased libido, insomnia, dizziness and nausea.

In addition, some of the breast cancer patients involved in the study showed health benefits from the acupuncture treatment, including an increased sense of well being, more energy, and a higher sex drive.

According to Eleanor Walker, M.D., lead author of the study, "Our study shows that physicians and patients have an additional therapy for something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors and actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects. The effect is more durable than a drug commonly used to treat these vasomotor symptoms and, ultimately, is more cost-effective for insurance companies."

The study is scheduled to be presented later this week at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese medicine technique, uses sterile needles applied to specific areas of the body to help control pain and relieve symptoms of disease.

Learn how physicians at Cancer Treatment Centers of America utilize acupuncture as a complementary cancer treatment therapy.

The Federal Trade Commission has charged five companies with making false claims that their products can cure cancer.

The five companies include:

• Alexander Heckman d/b/a Omega Supply
• Native Essence Herb Company
• Daniel Chapter One
• Gemtronics Inc.
• Mary T. Spohn d/b/a Herbs for Cancer

"There is no credible scientific evidence that any of the products marketed by these companies can prevent, cure, or treat cancer of any kind," said Lydia Parnes, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

In a press release issued yesterday, the FTC said that six other companies have already agreed to settlements.

The lawsuits correspond with the launch of an FTC education campaign to warn consumers about cancer cure scams. For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/curious.