| Cleveland Clinic Leading Clinical Program to Improve Early-Stage Lung ...
CHICAGO, Nov. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cleveland Clinic and Riverain Medical today announced the establishment of the first study in an ongoing program to determine whether chest X-ray CAD (computer-aided detection) can improve practical early detection of lung cancer. The program is designed to determine whether chest X-ray CAD can help identify hard to detect lung cancers at an early stage when they are most treatable, leading to improved patient survival rates. The announcement of the clinical program was made at the 93rd Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America being held November 25-30, 2007, in Chicago, IL. "Developing early detection methods is a key to improving treatment of lung cancer," said Micheal Phillips, M.D., Section Head of Imaging Sciences in Cleveland Clinic's Department of Diagnostic Radiology.
Public Health & Education | Low-Fat Diets Reduce Risk of Ovarian ...
An abstract of the study is available online. Most Women Unaware of WHI Results, Survey Says
Most women are unaware of the results from WHI studies that have found significant health risks associated with long-term hormone replacement therapy, according to a recently released survey, HealthDay/Washington Post reports (Doheny, HealthDay/Washington Post, 10/10).
NIH researchers in July 2002 ended the WHI study on combination HRT three years early because they determined that the treatment might increase the risk for heart disease, invasive breast cancer and other health problems. A later WHI analysis, published in the April 4 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that HRT use among women in their 50s does not increase their risk for heart attack (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/17).
Key Indicators For Quality Colonoscopy Identified
OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Defining measurements and identifying quality standards in the delivery of colonoscopic care is a major priority for the nation's leading gastrointestinal endoscopic healthcare association. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) recently identified objective measures related to colonoscopy. Using these guidelines and measurements, endoscopists can assess and improve their performance when delivering patient care. "Quality Indicators for Colonoscopy" was published as a supplement to the April 2006 issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, as part of a collection of quality indicators documents. "Setting quality standards for colonoscopy is a foremost concern for ASGE. These standards will assist in the fight to prevent colon cancer and for successful diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of digestive health conditions," said Gary W.
Freezing the Pain of Cancerous Tumors
In a study of 34 cancer patients, the method, called cryoablation, alleviated relentless pain that hadn't respond to all other treatments. "This was really severe, persistent pain that required patients to take narcotics just to get through the day," says researcher Matthew Callstrom, MD, PhD, a radiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. All reported at least some pain relief. All were able to cut back on, and in some cases even stop taking, narcotics. Most importantly, Callstrom tells WebMD, was the improvement in their quality of life. "Patients said, on average, that half their life was affected by pain at the start of the study. By 24 weeks later, it was down to 10%," he says. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Sangamo BioSciences Announces Presentation Of Data For ZFP Therapeutic ...
Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced the presentation of positive data in a mouse tumor model from its program to develop a novel cell therapy using its zinc finger DNA-binding protein nuclease (ZFN(TM)) technology for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a progressive and usually fatal brain cancer. The data were presented at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) by Sangamo's collaborator Michael C.V. Jensen, M.D., Associate Chair, Division of Cancer Immunotherapeutics & Tumor Immunology, City of Hope.
"Working with Sangamo, we have succeeded in generating ZFN-modified engineered T-cells that can destroy glioblastoma cells in vivo in the presence of dexamethasone," said Dr. Jensen. "This is an important result in the progress of our efforts to create a cell-based product which can be used in combination with glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone to treat patients with GBM.
Exercise, Psychological Counseling Could Ease Cancer-Related Fatigue
Cancer patients suffering from symptoms of fatigue might find some relief through regular exercise and psychological counseling to deal with stress, according to a new review.Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of patients with cancer and those undergoing treatment with radiation and chemotherapy. According to the American Cancer Society, 90 percent of patients in cancer treatment experience fatigue that can range from �mild lethargy to feeling completely wiped out.�The reviewers, led by Paul Jacobsen of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., said that fatigue affects patients� quality of life, with one-third feeling that it, �interferes with their ability to work, relationships with others and physical and emotional well-being.�There has been growing interest in helping these patients manage the symptoms of exhaustion with nonpharmacological treatments, and the systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of psychological therapy and exercise in meeting the goal.The review appears in the November issue of the journal Health Psychology.
Researchers advance stem cell gene therapy
Under this protocol, MGMT, a drug-resistance gene, is added into purified hematopoietic stem cells to protect these cells from the damage of chemotherapy regimens. In one of 24 presentations by Ireland Cancer Center researchers at the annual American Society of Hematology meeting, Stanton Gerson, MD, and colleagues presented that eight patients were enrolled on the trial and six were infused with their own stem cells which were engineered to carry the MGMT gene. In three patients, stem cells carrying the gene were identified in their blood or bone marrow. In one patient, stem cells carrying the gene were detected up to 28 weeks after their administration. This significant finding has never been reported before with this gene and drug combination. ??This study is the first to show the success of treatment with evidence that stem cells now carry the new gene,?? says Dr.
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