Side-effect-free chemotherapyTreating cancer with chemotherapy can be as destructive to healthy cells as it is to tumour cells, causing notorious, debilitating side effects. US scientists have now developed an enzyme with the potential to eliminate the extreme fatigue, sickness and hair loss that result from this cell damage and strike fear into the hearts of cancer patients.
The researchers, led by Zaver Bhujwalla from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, developed a........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/22/2006 4:44:22 AM)
Yeast Model Shows Promise As Alzheimer's TestA century ago this month, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer formally described characteristics of the neurodegenerative disease which ultimately came to bear his name. While international efforts to learn about Alzheimer's disease and develop treatments have progressed significantly in recent years, a cure remains an elusive goal.
A new research tool developed by Susan Liebman, distinguished university professor of biological sciences at........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/20/2006 5:08:44 AM)
No Link Found Between Viagra and HIV InfectionErectile dysfunction (ED) medications known as Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors have been used by millions of men as safe and effective management options associated with high rates of patient and partner satisfaction. Recent reports have appeared, however, that some individuals have misused this class of drug, combining them with narcotics such as methamphetamines. These reports further note that such individuals may be, in........Go to the News-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 5:12:57 AM)
Vaccine And Colorectal CancerBritish scientists have developed a vaccine that stimulates colorectal cancer patients' immune systems to fight malignant cells.
In a clinical trial of 67 patients, scientists at the University of Nottingham found that when the vaccines were administered before and after surgery to remove malignant tumors, they helped stimulated immune cell production in up to 70 percent of patients. These results are reported in the November 15 issue of........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 4:34:42 AM)
Vaccine Shows Promise Against Breast CancerA diagnosis of breast cancer has taken on a new meaning in the past 10 years, as research has produced a host of new therapies and detection techniques, significantly improving long-term survival for women who have been fighting the disease. To build on these successes, researchers are now harnessing what they have learned about treating breast cancer and applying it to possible methods of prevention to reduce the total incidence of the........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:01:41 AM)
Nanoparticle Hold Promise in Reducing Radiation Side EffectsWith the help of tiny, transparent zebrafish embryos, scientists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Medical College are hoping to prove that a microscopic nanoparticle can be part of a "new class of radioprotective agents" that help protect normal tissue from radiation damage just as well as standard drugs.
Reporting November 7, 2006 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 9:38:32 PM)
Enzyme To Treat Diabetic Kidney DiseaseNorthwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine scientists have observed that an enzyme called ACE2 may hold the potential to treat diabetic kidney disease, the most common form of kidney disease.
In the laboratory, scientists led by Daniel Batlle, professor of medicine in the Feinberg School, chief of the nephrology/high blood pressure division and staff nephrologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, have found low levels of the ACE2........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/7/2006 7:12:24 PM)
Smoking, Radiation And Prostate CancerSmoking has been found to contribute to poorer outcomes for people treated for many kinds of cancer and now, researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center have associated smoking and acute side-effects following radiation therapy for prostate cancer. The study was presented today at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Philadelphia.
Smoking is associated with an increased risk of........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/5/2006 9:12:45 PM)
3-D Radiation And Feeding-tube UseAlthough current surgical techniques and multi-modality treatment regimens allow organ preservation for a growing number of patients with head and neck cancers, remaining dependent on a feeding tube after treatment is a major problem for these patients. An analysis by Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers sought to identify which treatment-related factors are more likely to avoid feeding-tube dependency.
"Three-dimensional treatment planning........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/5/2006 9:07:08 PM)
Alzheimer's Drug Shows PromiseThe only drugs currently available for Alzheimer's patients are those that alleviate symptoms, but a team of scientists led by Paul Aisen, MD, director of the Memory Disorders program at Georgetown University Medical Center, is testing a new class of drugs that actually target the molecule believed to cause the disease. Aisen and his colleagues report that a compound called tramiprosate reduced levels of a marker for the progression of........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/2/2006 8:47:06 PM)
MRI Study To Prevent Brain DamageA stroke victim arrives in the emergency room and, within minutes, the doctor must make a decision: Should drugs be administered to open up the blocked blood vessel and prevent further brain damage? Or is this patient at high risk for suffering a brain hemorrhage if the blocked vessel is opened?
Greg Albers, MD, director of the Stanford Stroke Center, and his team report in the recent issue of Annals of Neurology that new magnetic resonance........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/2/2006 5:23:40 AM)
Serotonin Child Abuse LinkA research team found that when baby rhesus monkeys endured high rates of maternal rejection and mild abuse in their first month of life, their brains often produced less serotonin, a chemical that transmits impulses in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are associated with anxiety and depression and impulsive aggression in both humans and monkeys.
Abused females who became abusive mothers in adulthood had lower serotonin in their brains........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/2/2006 5:04:20 AM)
Poor Readers Have Higher Risk Of SuicideTeenagers with reading problems are at significantly higher risk for suicide and for dropping out of school than typical readers, as per a research studyby Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center researchers.
"In our study, poor readers were three times more likely than typical readers to consider or attempt suicide and six times more likely to drop out of school," said lead author Stephanie Sergent Daniel, Ph.D. "Educators and parents........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/1/2006 4:59:04 AM)
Amniocentesis Safe For Pregnant WomenAmniocentesis is the most usually prescribed invasive test performed during pregnancies in the United States. Most women fear them while doctors recommend them based on guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These guidelines stem from past research studies and recommendations by the CDC that were based only on maternal age. Studies that are decades old have suggested that amniocentesis increases the rate of........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/1/2006 4:22:51 AM)
Speaking In TonguesGlossolalia, otherwise referred to as "speaking in tongues," has been around for thousands of years, and references to it can be found in the Old and New Testament. Speaking in tongues is an unusual mental state linked to specific religious traditions. The individual appears to be speaking in an incomprehensible language, yet perceives it to have great personal meaning. Now, in a first of its kind study, researchers are shining the light on........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 10/30/2006 8:23:42 PM)
Breast Cancer Therapy In Which Order?For women who have had surgery for early breast cancer, it may not matter whether they receive follow-up chemotherapy before, after or during radiation therapy, according to a new review of studies.
A woman's chances of survival or seeing the cancer return are similar in all three cases, if radiation therapy and chemotherapy begin within seven months after surgery, the review concludes.
However, the studies suggest that certain toxic side........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/30/2006 6:34:56 PM)
Racial discrimination against African-American in HealthcareThe experience of racial discrimination may be a key factor in explaining why African Americans have higher rates of obesity and suffer at higher rates from such diseases as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders, as per UCLA researchers.
Repeated responses to such discrimination -- which include elevated blood pressure and heart rate -- can cause enormous stress on a person's mental and physical health, as per research scheduled would be........Go to the News-blog (Added on 10/29/2006 7:04:04 PM)
linking ethnic identity to breast cancer genesGenetic research over the past decade has linked Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity to an increased risk for hereditary breast cancer, so much so that certain gene mutations have become known as "Jewish ancestral mutations." But a new study released in the recent issue of The American Journal of Public Health challenges this approach, warning that disparities in access to care and other unintended consequences can, and have, resulted.
The study, by........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/27/2006 5:16:11 AM)
Media And Body-imageNew research explores the relationship between so called "thin-ideal" images in the media and body-image issues among young women. Female undergraduates who viewed advertisements displaying ultra-thin women exhibited increases in body dissatisfaction, negative mood, levels of depression and lowered self-esteem. These findings were particularly true for women who have negative views of their current body image and believe themselves to be........Go to the News-blog (Added on 10/27/2006 4:55:14 AM)
3-D monitor vision test for childrenA new random-dot stereotest using a 3D display and infrared oculography has been found to objectively assess stereopsis in children older than three years according to an article published in the November 2006 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS).
The study involved 56 children, 38 with various visual impairments and 18 with normal vision. Study participants were seated on their mother's lap or alone with their heads........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 10/26/2006 5:14:49 AM)
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Chemotherapy Temporarily Affects The BrainResearchers have linked chemotherapy with short-term structural changes in cognitive areas of the brain, according to a new study. Published in the January 1, 2007 issue of CANCER (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/cancer-newsroom), a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study reveals that within 12 months of receiving adjuvant chemotherapy, significant regions of the brain associated with memory, analysis and other........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/27/2006 5:02:28 AM)
A Gene That Enhances Muscle PerformanceA team of researchers, led by scientists at Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth College, have identified and tested a gene that dramatically alters both muscle metabolism and performance. The researchers say that this finding could someday lead to treatment for muscle diseases, including helping the elderly who suffer from muscle deterioration and improving muscle performance in endurance athletes.
The researchers report that the enzyme........Go to the News-blog (Added on 11/16/2006 4:46:09 AM)
Obesity An Advantage In Hemodialysis PatientsDespite significant improvements in dialysis therapys, currently over 20% of the 350,000 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in the United States die each year. A study published in Hemodialysis International finds that this high mortality rate may be attributed to malnutrition.
MHD patients experience what has been termed the "obesity paradox," wherein obesity is linked to increased chance of survival. "A larger body fat mass as seen in........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/15/2006 5:03:11 AM)
Cancer In Women With Rare Breast ConditionWomen whose mammograms reveal a suspicious lesion need a needle biopsy to confirm or rule out cancer. But if that biopsy reveals only abnormal - not malignant - cells, is a more extensive evaluation necessary?
Yes, suggests a new study by doctors at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. They looked at the medical records of women whose initial core-needle breast biopsies found rare, yet non-malignant breast conditions:........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 8:52:37 PM)
Psychological Needs Of New Breast Cancer PatientsAlmost half of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are found to have clinically significant emotional distress or symptoms of psychiatric disorders before treatment is begun, according to a new study published in the recent issue of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study reveals that while virtually all of the women admitted to,experiencing some level of emotional distress, 47 percent met clinically........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/13/2006 7:47:57 AM)
Traditional Books Provide Parent-child InteractionParents and pre-school children have a more positive interaction when sharing a reading experience with a traditional book as opposed to an electronic book or e-book, according scientists at Temple University's Infant Laboratory and Erikson Institute in Chicago. This shared positive experience from traditional books characteristically promotes early literacy skills.
The scientists presented the findings of their study, "Electronic books: ........Go to the News-blog (Added on 11/8/2006 9:04:22 PM)
More Hemodialysis May Improve SurvivalA study recently published in Hemodialysis International found that more frequent hemodialysis treatments (five or more weekly) can significantly increase the survival rate of patients suffering from irreversible kidney failure. Typical treatment in the U.S. generally involves three sessions weekly.
The study examines the mortality rate of 117 U.S. patients. Those receiving five or more treatments per week were shown to have a 61% better........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/7/2006 4:50:45 AM)
Pounding Heart And Sweaty PalmsPeople who get scared when they experience a pounding heart, sweaty palms or dizziness -- even if the cause is something as mundane as stress, exercise or caffeine -- are more likely to develop a clinical case of anxiety or panic disorder, as per a Florida State University researcher in Tallahassee, Fla.
While other scientists have proposed a correlation between this so-called "anxiety sensitivity" and a range of anxiety problems, the study........Go to the News-blog (Added on 11/6/2006 7:44:16 PM)
Six Months Of Hormone Therapy Enough For Prostate CancerProstate cancer patients treated with either radiation or surgery who use hormone therapy for longer than six months do not survive any longer than patients who use the treatment for a shorter amount of time, according to a study presented November 5, 2006, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 48th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.
"Many patients with high risk prostate cancer are treated with two or more years of........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/5/2006 8:47:33 PM)
Common Antacids To Fight GingivitisChemicals usually used to treat heartburn also display fighting power against the oral bacteria linked with gum disease, as per scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Gteborg University in Sweden.
A study published in November's Archives of Oral Biology explores how the active ingredients in popular antacids could help fend off gingivitis. If the work holds up in subsequent studies in people, the compounds could one day........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 11/2/2006 8:58:28 PM)
Breakthrough In Eye Cancer TreatmentScientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in a mouse model a new, locally applied treatment for the eye cancer retinoblastoma that not only greatly reduces the size of the tumor, but does so without causing the side effects common with standard chemotherapy. The treatment also appears to be suitable for certain forms of breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer, and is simple enough for widespread use even in countries........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/2/2006 5:18:54 AM)
Stress Hormones May Speed Up Cancer GrowthNew research here suggests that hormones produced during periods of stress may increase the growth rate of a especially nasty kind of cancer.
The study showed that an increase in norepinephrine, a stress hormone, can stimulate tumor cells to produce two compounds. These compounds can break down the tissue around the tumor cells and allow the cells to more easily move into the bloodstream. From there, they can travel to another location in........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 11/1/2006 5:08:39 AM)
Estrogen Receptor Metastatic Breast Cancer LinkBreast cancer awareness month may have passed, but researchers remain focused on the disease with a new study showing that a unique estrogen receptor found in breast cancer tumors is a predictor of tumor size and metastases. The study, led by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital and Brown Medical School, is published in the November 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
"We found that a novel estrogen receptor, termed GPR30, is linked to........Go to the News-blog (Added on 11/1/2006 4:35:42 AM)
Microwave Your French Fries Before You Fry ThemMicrowaving your French fries before you fry them reduces the levels of a cancer-causing substance, reveals findings published recently in the SCI's Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
The discovery of acrylamide - a possible carcinogenic in humans - has led to much research being done to investigate the benefits of alternative cooking methods. Acrylamide forms during processes such as frying, baking and roasting where........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/31/2006 4:10:10 AM)
How Blood Clots Are Formed?Good science requires great patience. In many fields, ideas and theories surge ahead while the tools to test them can take decades to catch up. When Peter Richardson began talking with colleagues who were modeling blood flow through the vessels on the heart's surface, he hardly suspected that the collaboration would lead to a test of ideas he had proposed more than 30 years before.
The resulting model, described in the online edition of........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 10/30/2006 8:42:32 PM)
Oral Contraceptives Increase Risk For Breast CancerA meta-analysis reported in the recent issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings indicts oral contraceptives as putting premenopausal women at significantly increased risk for breast cancer, particularly women who use them previous to having a child.
The meta-analysis builds on a number of studies with similar findings. But even as the findings stack up, a number of women are unaware of the risks posed by oral contraceptive use previous to pregnancy,........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/30/2006 5:57:09 PM)
Breast Cancer Survivors Face Higher Suicide RatesThe burden is not over for breast cancer patients even after the battle with breast cancer is won. A new study suggests that breast cancer survivors have an increased risk committing suicide compared to women in the general population. Survivors of breast cancer have as much as 37 percent increased risk of committing suicide compared to other women and this increased risk of suicide persist for more than 25 years after the diagnosis of breast........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/30/2006 5:23:32 PM)
Videoconferencing In Pediatric OncologyAn article in the January 2007 issue of the Pediatric Blood & Cancer examines the use of videoconferencing between industrialized and developing countries as a way of improving patient care. The journal is available online via Wiley InterScience at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/pbc.
Pediatric oncology has seen vast improvements in survival rates in industrialized countries over the last several decades, but developing nations are........Go to the Cancer-blog (Added on 10/27/2006 5:09:26 AM)
Gene Target Against Crohn's Disease And Ulcerative ColitisThe discovery by a six-member Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Genetics Consortium of a genetic risk factor for IBD has been reported in Science Express, the online publication of the journal Science. According to one of the Canadian principal investigators, director of the Laboratory in Genetics and Genomic Medicine of Inflammation at the Montreal Heart Institute, Dr. John D. Rioux, "This discovery may lead to a paradigm shift in our thinking........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 10/27/2006 4:44:47 AM)
Moderate Drinking May Boost MemoryIn the long run, a drink or two a day may be good for the brain.
Scientists observed that moderate amounts of alcohol - amounts equivalent to a couple of drinks a day for a human - improved the memories of laboratory rats.
Such a finding may have implications for serious neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, said Matthew During, the study's senior author and a professor of molecular virology, immunology and cancer genetics at Ohio........Go to the Health-blog (Added on 10/26/2006 5:19:51 AM)
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