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Prepackaged, processed foods are typically high in fat, salt, and sugar. If that's not enough to make you put down a cookie or resist a frozen dinner, consider an observational study published online Feb. 14, 2018, by The BMJ. It analyzed dietary questionnaire answers of 105,000 middle-aged men and women in France for five years. Foods were grouped according to degree of processing 鈥� that is, the amount of change the ingredients go through as food makers improve flavor, coloring, and shelf life. For example, dehydrated soups, baked goods, sugary cereals, processed meats, biscuits, and sauces were considered ultra-processed foods. Less processed foods included canned vegetables, cheeses, and freshly made unpackaged bread. Every 10% increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 12% higher risk for cancer in general and an 11% increased risk for breast cancer. No significant link was found to prostate or colorectal cancer. The study doesn't prove that ultra-processed foods cause cancer, but researchers say the cumulative effects of food additives remain largely unknown.

Sometimes the emotional part of cancer is the toughest test.

Any kind of cancer diagnosis is life-changing. There suddenly are many decisions to make about treatments, possible surgery, and recovery. It can be a lot to deal with. But one part of the cancer process that often gets pushed aside is the psychological aspect 鈥� how do you manage the many emotions that come with it?

"The natural response to hearing 'cancer' is to feel a surge of anxiety and negative thoughts like 'I'm going to die,'" says Dr. John Peteet, head of the psychosocial oncology fellowship at the Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "Yet many men are reluctant to admit this and keep their feelings inside, so it's tough to know when they need help with this part of a cancer diagnosis."

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If your food is more likely to come out of a bag or a box than from a tree or the ground, you may be putting yourself at higher risk for cancer. A study published online Feb. 14, 2018, by The BMJ found that people who eat more ultra-processed foods have a higher overall risk of cancer than those who don't. In fact, when the proportion of ultra-processed foods in a person's diet increased by 10%, the risk of cancers increased by more than 10%.

The researchers came to their conclusions after reviewing data from more than 100,000 people, on average 42 years old, based on their usual consumption of 3,300 different foods. The foods were classified according to their level of processing. Ultra-processed foods included things like

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Here's another reason to say goodbye to hot dogs, soda, and white bread: A Harvard study published online Jan. 18, 2018, by JAMA Oncology suggests that diets promoting chronic inflammation are associated with colorectal cancer. Researchers analyzed the self-reported eating habits of more than 120,000 men and women, who filled out surveys every four years over a period of 26 years. People in the study who ate the most foods that promoted inflammation 鈥� such as red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and refined grains 鈥� had a higher rate of colorectal cancer compared with people who ate the least of these foods. For men, the risk was 44% higher; for women, the risk was 22% higher. The people who ate pro-inflammatory diets also ate fewer vegetables and drank less tea, wine, and coffee. A growing number of studies have found that chronic inflammation is associated with cancer. And many other studies have shown links between pro-inflammatory diets and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The bottom line: Anything you can do to reduce the risk of chronic inflammation is a good idea. That could mean cutting out foods that are associated with inflammation, reducing stress, or getting more exercise.

In the journals

A prescription cream called 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, sold as Adrucil and other brands) may help people reduce their risk for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to a study published in the Jan. 3, 2017, JAMA Dermatology. SCC, the second most common cancer in the United States, strikes twice as many men as women.

Researchers recruited 932 people, 98% of whom were men, with an average age of 71. Each had experienced at least two skin cancers 鈥� SCC, basal cell carcinoma (BCC, the most common skin cancer), or both 鈥� on their face or ears within the past five years. They were randomly assigned to receive either the 5-FU cream or a placebo cream. Everyone applied a thin layer twice a day to their face and ears for up to four weeks. Over the course of a year, the 5-FU group had a 75% lower incidence of SCC compared with the placebo group. They also had a 11% lower incidence of BCC, but this difference was not statistically significant. It's not known why 5-FU helped prevent SCC but not BCC, according to the researchers.

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Your doctor may one day be able to use a simple blood test to find out if you have cancer. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University reported in the January 19 issue of Science that they have developed a blood test that can spot early signs of cancer.

The researchers screened blood for DNA and proteins related to eight different types of cancer. They were able to identify early cancers from more than 1,000 patients with different types of cancer that had not yet spread. Over all, the test found 33% to 98% of cancers, depending on tumor type.

Combining multiple forms of radiation therapy with hormone treatments lengthens survival in men with aggressive prostate cancer.