Recent studies in breast cancer treatment have shown the effectiveness of a new method. This revolutionary new practice named “targeted intraoperative radiotherapy” involves one simple session of radiation therapy, rather than the usual 6 1/2 weeks required by traditional breast cancer radiation therapy. Research has shown that the therapy is effective, but returning cancer in the future is still a possibility with this method.

This treatment is completed during surgery. A recent study conducted involved 45 women with breast cancer; half received the targeting radiation during their breast-conserving surgery, while the other half received traditional radiation for weeks after the surgery. Results seemed very promising; about 86% of those who received the targeting radiation did not require further treatments after the procedure.

There is a special device which is used to target the breast cancer during surgery, it then subsequently delivers the one-time radiation exposure for approximately 30 minutes. One-time targeting radiation therapy is recommended by oncology specialists for women who have a small breast tumor with a very clear location. Because the radiation device is designed to seek out the cancer’s location specifically, this is one important aspect to keep in mind.

There is good news on the horizon for women that have to undergo breast cancer treatment. A new study has shown that breast cancer treatment has a great benefit from a one-time dosage of radiation directed towards the site of the tumor. This of course comes in contradiction to previous treatments where daily radiation was spread to the entire breast tissue.

The study, which featured more then 2,000 patients around the world, took over four years to conclude. Treatment was given and shown that the recurrence of cancer was nearly the same for both methods. Women that were examined and were found to have breast cancer in the early stages were treated with more direct methods, removing the tumor from the breast entirely.

It was noted that the benefit of a single dosage of direct radiation was more of a convenience issue and that women would be under sedation after the cancerous tumor would be removed. It’s a faster, easier option than lengthy doses of daily treatments for weeks at a time.

Although this is great news for cancer patients, there is a drawback to the study. Doctors and research advocates both agree that women would need follow up check ups for up to eight years after diagnosed. It’s rare for cancers to reoccur after eight years or longer. Oncologists also noted that the study has showcased only small changes and recurrences in differing treatment options.

The new treatment option also showed improvement in patient’s psychology, with many reportedly upbeat and happy with the outcome, opposed to daily regimens. While there are still some concerns over the treatment, it seems to be headed in the right direction, with many women hopeful for a brighter future.

For the past few decades, prostate cancer has been an increasingly large health concern for men. Each year, it is among the largest killer of men over the age of 50. While the cause for why some men obtain the disease and others don’t is still not completely known, a new study may have found a link between patients and how large of a tumor will be developed if the patient does have prostate cancer.

According to the Henry Ford Hospital’s Urology Institute, located in Detroit, Michigan, there could be a correlation between a patient’s weight and the size of the tumor that they develop. This new theory is based on a study that reviewed the charts of over 3,300 men that had prostate removal surgery between 2001 and 2007.

To review whether there was an actual correlation between tumor size and BMI, the team at the Urology Institute compared the weight of the patient to the weight of the tumor. The study determined that in every BMI category, which ranged from normal to morbidly obese, there was a direct correlation between tumor and patient weight as heavier patients had larger tumors and lighter patients had smaller tumors.

The lead of the study, Dr. Nilesh Patil, is set to present the finding of the team’s study at the American Urology Association’s annual meeting in San Francisco. The authors of the study noted that there was already a link between a person having a high BMI and how aggressive the patient’s cancer was.

Dogs are best known as man’s best friend, but did you know that dogs might next be deemed man’s doctor? Studies show that dogs are able to sniff out a hormone produced in urine when a man is in the early stages of prostate cancer. This, however, isn’t a new area for doctors, who have known that dogs can typically smell cancer hormones, if properly trained. A dog has a more sensitive nose than humans, therefore allowing the animals to detect the unique hormone smell. In a study of sixty six samples, the dogs were correct sixty three times.

A urine test is also being developed that can help doctors better test for prostate problems, even more than the current blood test or rectal exam alone. Gen-Probe’s Progensa PCA3 detected about half of the cases of prostate cancer and gave about a twenty percent false positive rate. This urine test looks for a genetic string of RNA that does not appear to have any function but is overactive in men with prostate problems. A cancer-free man would have a level of this RNA of about 20-25, while a man with precursor symptoms might score around 38-40. If there is active prostate cancer, the score will be about 50-55.

Overall, the test correctly identified forty nine percent of prostate cancer cases, and about seventy eight percent of the men who tested positive for it actually had cancer. This test was approved in Europe in 2006, but it is not yet approved for the United States.

Scientists in the US are closer than ever of finding a cure for breast cancer.

The group of researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, led by Dr. Vincent Tuohy, may have found a vaccine that could not only stop breast cancer from forming, but slow down the growth of an existing tumor and even completely stop its progress in some cases.

The preliminary testing was done on mice and the results were so encouraging that the Dr. Tuohy said that the treatment carried a real possibility of completely eliminating the existence of this type of cancer.

The testing was done on set of 6 mice who were bred to be especially prone to the breast cancer. After they received the vaccine, none of the mice developed any type of cancer. That was very favorable when compared to the control group of other six mice who were bred the same way but received only the placebo vaccine. This control group all developed breast cancer, amplifying the validity of the vaccines success.

The vaccine works by stimulating the whole immune system to attack the protein that is found in breast cancer cells.

Further clinical tests on women are necessary to confirm and certify vaccine’s validity. But if proven right, all women over 40 years of age could receive it and finally be breast cancer worry free.

Nobel Prize-winning geneticist, Mario Capecchi, suggests that some mental health disorders can be treated with bone marrow transplants. A team of researchers in Utah, led by Capecchi, used the procedure to cure mice with a disorder similar to trichotillomania. Trichotillomania is a psychological condition in humans that causes people to compulsively pull out their hair. The mice suffered from compulsive grooming. They would groom themselves to the point of developing raw patches of skin. Capecchi wondered if the cause of the disorder was not psychological, but the result of faulty immune cells. His award-winning team at the University of Utah discovered certain immune cells that rid the brain of dead cells were not functioning properly in the mice. The geneticist treated the mice with bone marrow and they were cured within months.

This study could have wider implications for a range of disorders, including Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. While experts have known for years that people with mental disorders tend to have poor immune systems, it was always assumed that their psychiatric illness was the cause. This research shows that it’s the other way around. It’s the immune system that is causing the mental health issues.

Bone marrow transplants carry significant risks. It’s a very dangerous procedure and kills 1% of all patients who undergo it. Capecchi isn’t recommending it to be used on people. However, the findings will lead to more research into immune-based therapies for mental disorders. “The book is just opened, and so there are many, many possibilities,” Capecchi told Cell, a scientific journal.

A company statement for the Norwegian cruise ship called Epic, has confirmed that an unidentified 21-year-old man on board suffered a heart attack and died when the ship was about 40 miles from Miami. The heart attack was possibly caused by a fatal allergic reaction.

Shocked passengers on board the 1,080-foot-long Epic, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship based at the port and big enough for 4,100 guests used online social websites and forums to spread the news of the tragedy, which occurred late Saturday night. One guest said that a CODE ALPHA was called to a cabin on deck 11. Then 3 guests were paged 15 minutes later to call 00 or go to customer service immediately, the guest recalled. The cruise director said that they were returning to Miami for a medical emergency about 15 minutes later.

The Epic docked at 12:45 a.m. and was met by Miami-Dade police investigators. The ship returned to sea at approximately 2:45 a.m. The rest of the ship’s travel plan won’t be affected by this delay, and Norwegian Epic will call in St. Maarten on Monday as planned.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee held its first hearing to evaluate a 34-year-old law related to toxic substances. The Toxic Substances and Control Act is under review after many environmental and public health leaders have asked for better, more updated policies. New legislation has been proposed and is being called the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act. The new law would require a company to prove a chemical is safe to use in the environment in order to be kept on the market.
Companies
A spokesperson from a chemical manufacturer’s society states the new act could be dangerous to the industry as a whole. Beth Bosely testified against the act, stating it is too vigorous in its safety demands and should not be applied to industrial chemicals. Bosely goes on to state that the strict safety testing standards would be costly and would deter new chemicals from being created. She also states there would be too much paperwork involved if the act is passed.

Advocates for the new legislation feel it is time the government regulates the amount of chemicals being put into the environment. Many toxic chemicals are blamed for the increasing number of cases involving asthma, diabetes, heart disease and several other illnesses that result in premature death. 

Research published in the Journal of Pediatrics indicates the cases of adults dosing their children with common drugs is on the rise in the United States. The drugs include over-the-counter non-prescription varieties, as well as illegal drugs such as alcohol, cocaine and marijuana.

Dr. Shan Yin, of Denver’s Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, helped to lead and author the study. The research covered over 21.4 million calls to the National Poison Data System from the year 2000 to 2008. Selecting cases classified as “malicious” in the database, Yin discovered 1,439 cases where a parent had drugged their child with malicious intent. 172 of the children received serious injury and 18 children died.

Yin was unable to fully articulate reasons for the cases as the records do not reflect motivation. He believes that standard causes for child abuse may be the reason. Yin says child abuse covers a wide spectrum, from people who are not deliberately intent on harming their child to adults who might be amused by a child’s intoxication in a sick and disturbing way.

Yin, a medical toxicologist, advised that child abuse standards should include drug abuses, as they currently cover emotional, physical and sexual harm only.

Recent studies in breast cancer treatment have shown the effectiveness of a new method. This revolutionary new practice named “targeted intraoperative radiotherapy” involves one simple session of radiation therapy, rather than the usual 6 1/2 weeks required by traditional breast cancer radiation therapy. Research has shown that the therapy is effective, but returning cancer in the future is still a possibility with this method.

This treatment is completed during surgery. A recent study conducted involved 45 women with breast cancer; half received the targeting radiation during their breast-conserving surgery, while the other half received traditional radiation for weeks after the surgery. Results seemed very promising; about 86% of those who received the targeting radiation did not require further treatments after the procedure.

There is a special device which is used to target the breast cancer during surgery, it then subsequently delivers the one-time radiation exposure for approximately 30 minutes. One-time targeting radiation therapy is recommended by oncology specialists for women who have a small breast tumor with a very clear location. Because the radiation device is designed to seek out the cancer’s location specifically, this is one important aspect to keep in mind.