Stomach Cancer

Napoleon Bonaparte died a more prosaic death than once thought, succumbing to stomach cancer rather than arsenic poisoning, according to new research. Theories that the French emperor was poisoned with arsenic have abounded since 1961, when an analysis of his hair showed elevated levels of the toxic element. But that element could have come from drugs used to treat the cancer.

A former teacher who faked stomach cancer and went on a spending spree with about $37,000 in donations was sentenced in Boston to two years in prison. Heather Faria, 27, pleaded guilty to five counts of larceny and one count of gross fraud. Prosecutors said she duped friends into holding a fundraiser for her medical treatments and then spent the money on a vacation, a wide-screen television and jewelry.

Cuban officials told a group of visiting U.S. lawmakers that Fidel Castro did not have cancer or a terminal illness, the most comprehensive denial yet of rumors about the ailing leader's health, members of a U.S. delegation said Sunday. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Cuban officials did not provide more details on the 80-year-old leader's health, but did say he would return to public life.

Re: ["Her Self-diagnosis: Too Much Googling," April 16], I can relate to the article. I recently diagnosed myself with stomach cancer -- until it passed as gas. WENDY BECKENDORF \o7Santa Monica \f7

Five months before dying of a rare form of stomach cancer, Sandra McNamara uncovered a devastating family legacy. Her illness was closely linked to a genetic mutation. She had it, and that meant her three sisters and their children might have it too. McNamara picked up the phone and started calling relatives in Chicago, Boston and Denver. You need to know: This cancer is hereditary, she said. Get tested. The disclosure threw the family into turmoil as relatives evaluated their choices, including whether to have their stomachs surgically removed as a preventive measure.

A few ounces of broccoli sprouts a day might go a long way in reducing the risk of stomach cancer, according to research presented last week at the American Assn. for Cancer Research. That's because broccoli sprouts contain abundant amounts of sulforaphane, a substance known to inhibit \o7Helicobacter pylori\f7 -- the bug made famous by this year's Nobel Prize in medicine.

Citing the state's "compassionate release law," a Sacramento judge has ordered that a Sacramento woman who is dying of stomach cancer be released from prison. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Gunther issued the order Thursday after hearing evidence that Genevieve Kathi Loza, 48, should be released because she has less than six months to live. Loza was convicted in 1994 of fatally shooting her roommate, Dawn Fisher, 21, during an argument over a boyfriend.

Like your steak well done? Lots of pan drippings? Not a healthful choice, says the National Cancer Institute. The latest research suggests that cooking meat too long--and at too high a temperature--increases the risk of cancer. And pan gravy? Better not even think about it. Gravy made from meat drippings is high in carcinogens, the researchers said. Red meat has long ridden high on the list of questionable foods, largely because of its high-fat link to heart disease.

Promising a taste that will linger for a lifetime, Isaku Watanabe fills a small pot with the best new tea of spring. Then he serves the tea by telling his guests not to drink it. "Lick it," he commands. Roll it down the tongue to savor the subtle, even melancholy, blend of sweetness and faint bite, the gentle, grassy scent. Then ponder the aesthetic he hails as the "essence of green." "If you gulp it down," he declares, "you cannot experience green tea."