MS Strength

Decreased Cancer Risks for MS Patients?

A recent Swedish study yielded an interesting statistic about its country’s multiple sclerosis patients: there was a noted lowered risk for developing various forms of cancer. Dr. Shahran Bahmanyar (of Sweden’s Karolinska Institute) lead this study which tracked the records (over the course of 35 years) of roughly 20,000 Swedish MS patients v. approximately 200,000 people without MS.

Findings included a 10% lowered risk for a number of cancers. Specific types included pancreatic, ovarian, stomach, lung, prostate, and lymphatic. Says Dr. Bahmanyar, “We speculate that the lower risk for cancer among people with MS could be a result of lifestyle changes or treatment following diagnosis.” The lowered risk was also slightly more pronounced in female MS patients.

*For more information about this study, see Medscape Today.

The Global Idea: A Community Blog for Travelers

Do you ever wonder where you can find helpful, practical tips for your vacation that pinpoint easily-accessible transportation, tourist sites, and accommodations? And do you want to inform others about the great travel tips you’ve already learned? Well, some wise folks at the website The Global Idea came up with a fantastic idea: a travel Wikipedia (an online encyclopedia which is updated and changed by its readers) for those with special travel needs.

The Global Idea is set up with a main page (featured travel destinations and instructions for contributing are presented here), a FAQ page, a help page, an online store, a travel blog written by the creators, a link to important websites, and an extensive destinations index which spans the entire globe.

*Visit www.theglobalidea.com to access this travel Wikipedia.