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Medical Edge Newspaper Column from Mayo Clinic

GREEN TEA NOT A CURE FOR LEUKEMIA, BUT FURTHER STUDY IS WARRANTED

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What’s this I hear about green tea curing leukemia? My wife said she heard on the news that it can. Why green tea? What dose do you have to drink? — Honolulu

ANSWER: The blanket statement that green tea cures leukemia is not accurate. There are different kinds of leukemia and no definitive cures. However, I can tell you about a particular kind of leukemia — B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) — and the suspected therapeutic potential of one element found in green tea. Note that these are preliminary findings. Take care not to mistake the promise of early results to be proof of an effective treatment.

CLL is the most common form of leukemia in the United States and is most often seen in patients age 60 and older. There is no cure. Chemotherapy, the main treatment, is typically given only in the most severe cases of progressive CLL. CLL is also unpredictable in its clinical course — the disease can be severe or mild, progressing slowly or quickly. This combination of characteristics makes CLL extremely frustrating for patients and their families. As a result, we are very interested in finding new, nontoxic treatments for both early and later-stage (i.e. more advanced) CLL.

That’s where research into green tea comes in. There are at least three reasons to focus research on green tea: 1) Since the 1970s, epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence of solid-tumor cancers (such as breast and lung) is lower in parts of the world where green tea is consumed. 2) Mouse experiments testing green tea’s cancer-preventing properties have shown that it protects against tumors. 3) In the laboratory, a chemical component of green tea, epigallocatechin (EGCG), has been shown to induce cancer cell death.

None of this means that green tea cures leukemia. At best, it means further research is reasonable.

If green tea does prove to be an effective treatment, it won’t be necessary to drink it as a brewed beverage. The beneficial compounds will likely be given as pills or applied topically.

Neil Kay, M.D., Hematology; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Additional Resources:
Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Appointment Information
More Information on Green Tea

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What happens to my baby at her “well-baby” checkup, and what are doctors looking for? — Oklahoma City

ANSWER: Your baby will be undressed down to the diaper, weighed, measured and given a general medical exam beginning at age two weeks; further checkups will happen at two months, four months, six months and nine months of age. In general, your doctor or nurse practitioner is looking for normal development and evidence that your baby is thriving in the new environment of the external world.

Well-baby checkups are your time to ask questions and report concerns, as well. Take the opportunity to bring up such universal concerns as breast-feeding, weight gain and sleep. Most importantly, well-baby visits help physicians detect any emerging medical conditions early, when they are most treatable.

Well-child visits should be fun. Parents can get reassurance about a child’s growth, development and health — and some ideas on how to deal with problems. The visits also provide the opportunity to discuss common challenges, such as helping children who cry in the night. Anticipating upcoming changes in a baby’s needs, the parents and the doctor can discuss feeding, safety concerns and infant development.

The regular visits are timed to help follow developmental milestones and to give immunizations at the proper times. When well-child checkups are missed or delayed, parents should work with the doctor to “catch up” on vaccinations and care. Extra visits can be scheduled in between the regular visits when there are special concerns.

Well-baby examinations usually include:
— General observation of the baby.
— At two weeks, medical check of the healing navel; in circumcised boys, the penis.
— Measuring growth.
— Flexing the legs to check for hip fit in sockets.
— Listening to the heart and lungs.
— Looking in the eyes, nose and mouth.
— At some visits, immunizations. For more information, search on “immunization schedule” at www.mayoclinic.com.
— Some tears! As skilled as physicians are at communicating their good intentions to children, the shock of a new environment, being undressed and being gently probed can all be too much.

Phil Fischer, M.D., Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Additional Resources:
Mayo Clinic Pediatrics
Appointment Information
Well-Baby Checkups
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Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. To e-mail a question, go to www.mayoclinic.org, or write: Medical Edge from Mayo Clinic, c/o TMS, 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y., 14207. For health information, visit www.mayoclinic.com.