Roche Obtains Co-Exclusive License to Develop PCR Assays Detecting Mutations in the PI3K Oncogene

July 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

PLEASANTON, Calif., July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that the company has obtained a worldwide co-exclusive license for the biomarker PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) from QIAGEN to develop real-time and endpoint PCR diagnostic assays. Johns Hopkins University owns the patent for the PI3K biomarker and has previously granted an exclusive license to QIAGEN’s wholly owned subsidiary DxS, now QIAGEN Manchester. Financial details were not disclosed.

The PI3K pathway is mutated in more cancer patients than any other (1), playing a significant role in colorectal, gastric, breast and endometrial tumors, among others. Drugs that inhibit PI3K are a significant focus of current cancer drug development. Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has several molecules in early development targeting various points along this pathway, in a variety of tumor types.

Multiple scientific papers have shown that PI3K has the potential to be a clinically relevant biomarker for the prediction of individual response to specific cancer therapies. “There is abundant clinical evidence that the PI3K biomarker will play a significant role in the future of oncology treatment,” said Paul Brown, president and CEO, Roche Molecular Diagnostics. “Diagnostic assays that detect mutations in PI3K will be an essential component of cancer drug development and personalized healthcare.”

Roche has an ongoing program to develop a real-time PCR assay that detects mutations in the PI3K oncogene. The assay will run on Roche’s cobas® 4800 System. Roche intends to make the PI3K PCR assay available to internal and external pharmaceutical partners for use in clinical drug trials.

The PI3K assay will complement Roche’s extensive menu in development of assays for validated biomarkers, including the B-RAF V600E mutation, found in greater than 50 percent of melanomas.

“Given the demonstrated predictive value of these biomarkers, developing assays that identify clinically relevant mutations is an area of high priority for Roche,” said Brown. “By applying our vast, global experience in both cancer drug development and molecular diagnostics, we believe we can quickly generate new assays that will provide value to both drug developers and oncology medical professionals.”

About the cobas® 4800 System

The cobas® 4800 System is designed to deliver new standards in laboratory testing efficiency and medically relevant diagnostic information with increased testing throughput. The system combines state-of-the-art sample preparation with Roche’s proprietary real-time PCR technology for the amplification and detection of genetic material (deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA). The intuitive, easy-to-use software integrates sample preparation, amplification and detection, and results management.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche’s personalized healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2009, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested almost 10 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 49.1 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information: www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

1) American Association for Cancer Research. http://www.aacr.org/home/public–media/stand-up-to-cancer/su2c-dream-teams/targeting-the-pi3k-pathway-in-womens-cancers.aspx

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Drug Study Shows Improvement in Major Orthopedic Surgery Care

July 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

HAMILTON, Canada, July 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — An ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin called semuloparin has been found to reduce the incidence of venous thromboembolism in orthopedic surgery patients in a large clinical program being led by a steering committee chaired by McMaster University professor Dr. Alexander Turpie.

The follow-up analysis of three recently completed international clinical studies on short-term venous thromboembolism (VTE) protective medicine in patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery demonstrated that the ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin semuloparin reduced the incidence of VTE and all-cause death by 25 per cent compared to the commonly used therapy drug enoxaparin (a low-molecular-weight heparin).

Patients undergoing major orthopedic surgery are at increased risk of developing a dangerous blood clot that blocks veins, which is known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Without treatment, the incidence of confirmed deep-vein thrombosis, blood clots within the veins of the legs and pelvis, is up to 40 to 60 per cent following major orthopedic surgery.

“This is a potential advance in orthopedic surgery compared to current VTE prophylaxis options,” said Turpie, a professor of medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster.

The favourable benefit-to-risk profile observed with semuloparin compared to enoxaparin in the classic major orthopedic surgery model supports the further evaluation of semuloparin as VTE preventative therapy in other areas including oncology, as VTE is a known complication in patients with cancer. Patients suffering from cancer have a four to seven fold greater risk for VTE.

Turpie’s meta-analysis study reports results from 4,479 patients recruited in three orthopedic surgery studies in hip replacement (SAVE HIP), hip fracture (SAVE HIP-FRA) and knee replacement (SAVE KNEE). The objective of the three studies was to assess once-daily preventative treatment with semuloparin (20 mg) compared to enoxaparin (40 mg daily in hip, and 30 mg twice-daily for knee) for seven to 10 days.

The results of the SAVE program in orthopedic surgery were presented today at the 21st International Congress of Thrombosis in Milan, Italy, and organized by the Mediterranean League Against Thromboembolic Diseases.

Turpie is chairing the steering committee for the SAVE program, an international series of studies. The SAVE program is supported by sanofi-aventis, producer of semuloparin.

Semuloparin’s benefit-to-risk profile in cancer is currently being investigated in two ongoing phase three clinical studies. SAVE ONCO evaluates semuloparin in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. SAVE ABDO assesses the benefits of semuloparin in major abdominal surgery, mainly cancer surgery. Semuloparin is a selectively engineered ultra-low-molecular-weight heparin.

SOURCE McMaster University

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Repeated exposure to dental X-rays ups thyroid cancer risk

June 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, June 4 (ANI): Repeated exposure to dental X-rays increases thyroid cancer risk, a new study has revealed.

Analysing 313 cancer patients, scientists from Brighton, Cambridge and Kuwait found the chances of developing cancer rose with increasing numbers of dental X-rays.

“The public health and clinical implications of these findings are particularly relevant in the light of increases in the incidence of thyroid cancer in many countries over the past 30 years,” the Telegraph quoted Dr Anjum Memon, of the Brighton and Sussex Medical School, as saying.

However, Dr Memon was quick to add that the increasing use of sensitive diagnostic techniques does not necessarily account for the entire increase and that other causes warrant investigation. (ANI)

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FACTBOX – Why is the West sceptical about Iran’s fuel offer?

May 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Iran has outlined a plan to the U.N. atomic watchdog under which it would give up some of its nuclear material but diplomats say the gesture would have no effect on a push to widen sanctions against Tehran.

Under the plan agreed with Brazil and Turkey last week, Iran would transfer 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) of its low-enriched uranium — enough for an atomic bomb if enriched to higher levels — to Turkey within a month.

A year later the Islamic Republic would get special nuclear fuel rods for a medical research reactor which makes isotopes to help treat cancer patients.

Why is the West cautious about this proposal?

TIME LAPSE

Western officials say the landscape has changed in the seven months since they brokered a similar plan with Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a way to ease tensions over Tehran’s atomic work.

Iran has continued enriching uranium and taking away 1,200 kg now would still leave Iran with enough for a bomb if it wanted to build one. Tehran says it has no intention of doing this and says its work is for peaceful purposes only.

Some observers say the swap is still worth it because it would remove half the material. Others say the deal has now lost its value because the bomb risk would remain and it fails to build confidence.

HIGHER ENRICHMENT

Iran also started enriching uranium to higher levels in February, saying it wanted to make fuel for the reactor itself, but the move unsettled Western powers because it takes the material closer to the grade needed for atomic weapons.

Tehran said it took the step because it said it was tired of waiting for the original deal to be agreed. Western officials say it was Iran which stalled progress, with a series of new conditions for the swap which it knew would not be accepted.

Iran has vowed that it will not stop its higher enrichment, even if the fuel supply agreement goes through and has started setting up more equipment for it.

Western diplomats have described this refusal to halt higher enrichment as a likely deal-breaker. They also question why Iran would still need to continue this process — which like its lower-grade enrichment violates U.N. sanctions — when countries are prepared to give it the fuel rods it says it needs.

They say Iran lacks the capability to make the specialized fuel assemblies in the short-term, so it makes no sense to produce more highly enriched uranium for a reactor that Tehran says will run out of fuel by the end of the year.

LACK OF DETAILS

Unlike the IAEA plan, brokered by former IAEA-chief Mohamed ElBaradei, the new proposal does not included detail on who would make the fuel rods, who will pay for the process and what will happen to the low-enriched uranium stored in Turkey after the swap has been completed, Western officials say.

Without this sort of information, they say they cannot begin serious negotiations on Iran’s offer, which many of them see as an attempt to stall sanctions negotiations.

Some Western officials say the Iranian move fits into a familiar pattern of Tehran offering concessions when punitive measures loom.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Diplomats also say that with its promotion of the new proposal, Iran is trying to give the impression that it was the fuel deal which was at the centre of problems with the West, rather than its nuclear ambitions as a whole.

They acknowledge that the original IAEA-plan was always intended as a first step towards resolving the nuclear issue, not a solution.

But they say Iran’s lack of cooperation with the agency on questions about its atomic programme and its delay in engaging on the fuel deal, have left negotiators feeling wary.

They also fear that Iran may go back on its word.

Talks over the original deal suffered from internal Iranian disputes. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first appeared to favour the U.N. deal as a way to shore up his own power.

But he faced stiff opposition from rivals who did not want to see him reap credit for a breakthrough. Some voiced misgivings about parting with the nuclear material, which is seen as a strategic asset.

But analysts in Iran believe Ahmadinejad wouldn’t have agreed on this deal without the blessing of the supreme leader.

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Institute to open 250-bed hospital

May 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Construction likely to start by year-end

In Order to deal with the burgeoning patient rush at the region’s premier institute, the PGI will soon add a 250-bed hospital adjacent to the existing Nehru Hospital and the Kairon block.

The focus would be to provide quality care to cancer patients at the new block as 100 beds out of the total 250 beds would be kept exclusively for the cancer patients.

The addition of the new block will be the first addition of general beds block after the Nehru Hospital, which was built over four decades ago and now is saturated with the capacity of having nearly 1,300 beds.

The addition of the new block is a part of the PGI’s expansion plan, which also includes the completion of the Advanced Trauma Centre.

“The entire bed strength of the hospital is around 1,600 beds which includes beds in the specialty blocks like the Advanced Eye Centre, Advanced Cardiac Centre and the Advanced Paediatric Centre. Going by the patient rush, the addition of the new block would strength the PGI’s patient care index,” added an official. The construction of the new block might begin by end of the current year or in the first quarter of next year.

As far as the statistics coming out from the hospital, the premier referral hospital appears to be barely meeting the requirements of those thronging its premises. As per the official statistics at the hospital there are around 60,000 annual admissions in its wards and almost a 100 percent bed occupancy ratio.

Meanwhile, along with the beds for general patients, the hospital is also contemplating to add more private wards in the hospital’s new block.

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West plays down Iran gesture, sticks to sanctions drive

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Western powers said on Tuesday Iran’s continued stockpiling of enriched uranium devalued its deal to give up some of its potential nuclear bomb material, signalling Tehran would not evade more sanctions this way.

Under the deal agreed with Turkey and Brazil last week, Iran would send 1.2 tonnes of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey for safekeeping until Tehran received specially processed fuel for its medical isotope reactor around a year later.

But Western critics said the accord, echoing one brokered by the U.N. nuclear watchdog in October involving the same amount of LEU, would still leave Iran with enough material for one bomb, if enriched to high purity, since it is estimated to have almost doubled its LEU reserve with daily enrichment since then.

The United States, France and Russia — parties to the original deal in principle — saw it as a way to divest Iran of enough LEU to prevent covert “weaponisation”, while giving Iran the means to maintain care for some 850,000 cancer patients.

But U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned Iran’s gesture, six months after it backed away from the accord, as a “transparent ploy to avoid (U.N.) Security Council action” to pass a fourth Iran sanctions resolution now on the table.

Clinton, speaking after talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing, and French officials said Iran’s launch of higher-level enrichment in February seemed to eclipse any fuel swap deal.

“We discussed at some length (with the Chinese) the shortcomings of the recent proposal put forward by Iran … There are a number of deficiencies with it that do not answer the concerns of the international community,” Clinton said.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said that even if Iran followed through on the deal, it would still retain half of its LEU reserve — sufficient for one nuclear warhead.

HARSHER SANCTIONS STAY ON TABLE

“I believe it is time to ratchet up that pressure, and the timetable is short. This government has a clear objective to ensure stronger U.N. and EU sanctions against Iran,” Cameron said during parliamentary debate in London on Tuesday.

France’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said Iran’s extended uranium enrichment activities were problematic for its proposal, conveyed on Monday to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which passed it on to Paris, Washington and Moscow.

Iran’s simultaneous reiteration that it would not rein in enrichment in any way, defying a series of resolutions by the IAEA and Security Council, “is being taken into account and it’s part of the problem,” spokesman Bernard Valero said.

“At the time (of the October deal) we were talking about 1,200 kilogrammes and now the stockpile must be around 2-2,400 kilogrammes,” Valero said. “There’s a bit of a difference between the two and that is also part of the problem.”

Iran insists its uranium enrichment programme is for solely peaceful purposes of electricity generation and medical care. But it has a history of hiding sensitive nuclear activity from the IAEA and continues to restrict U.N. inspections.

In Moscow on Tuesday, Iran’s ambassador to Russia was quoted by Interfax news agency as warning that Tehran would reconsider the new deal if further sanctions were imposed. Iran has called for renewed talks with the big powers on details of the pact.

“If there are new sanctions, it will become obvious to the Iranian public that the ’5 + 1′ group is hiding evil intentions and pursuing political objectives. This would force us to revise the Tehran accords,” Mahmoud Reza Sadjadi was quoted as saying.

“We believe that by this (deal) Iran has demonstrated its goodwill,” Sadjadi said. “After all that lobbying by Brazil, Turkey and other countries, we believe that it makes no sense to talk about new sanctions.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, Iran’s arch regional enemy, dismissed Tehran’s nuclear offer as “empty”.

“(That’s because Iran)…continues to enrich uranium it has at a high level, and reserves the right, according to this proposal, to take (what) it’s meant to transfer to Turkey back to Iran at any time,” Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament.

The draft sanctions resolution agreed by six world powers — the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and France — last week is being discussed with other Security Council members for what Washington hopes will be approval next month.

The extended sanctions provisions would target Iranian banks and call for high-sea inspections of vessels suspected of carrying cargo related to Iran’s nuclear or missile programmes.

(Additional reporting by Tim Castle in London, Vicky Buffery in Paris, Ari Rabinowitch in Jerusalem, Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow; Writing by Mark Heinrich; Editing by Michael Roddy)

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New drug type developed to kill lymphoma cells

May 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 11 (ANI): Scientists have developed a new type of drug designed to kill non-Hodgkin lymphoma tumour cells.

The breakthrough could lead to potential non-toxic therapies for cancer patients.

The researchers, including Dr. Ari Melnick, of Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Alexander MacKerell, of the University of Maryland and Dr. Gilbert Prive, of the University of Toronto, have identified a drug that targets an oncogene known as BCL6.

BCL6 functions as a master regulatory protein.

“It”s a protein that controls the production of thousands of other genes. Because of that, it has a very profound impact on cells and is required for lymphoma cells to survive and multiply,” said Melnick.

BCL6 causes the majority of diffuse large B cell lymphomas, the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Currently, about 60 percent of diffuse large B cell lymphomas can be cured with chemo-immunotherapy, said Melnick.

“The hope is that we can improve that to a higher percent, and in the long term reduce the need for chemotherapy,” he added.

Traditional cancer drugs target enzymes, which have small pockets on their surfaces that can be blocked with molecules.

Until now, pharmaceutical companies have been reluctant to create drugs that target a protein like BCL6 because they function through a different mechanism involving interactions with cofactor proteins involving extensive protein surfaces.

“And because the real estate covered by these interactions is so large, the drug companies have viewed these as being not druggable targets,” said Melnick.

The researchers could identify a “hot spot” on BLC6 that they predicted would play a critical role in protein interactions.

They showed that their BCL6 inhibitor drug was specific to BCL6, and did not block other master regulatory proteins.

The drug had powerful lymphoma killing activity and yet was non-toxic to normal tissues.

“This is the first time a drug of this nature has been designed and it shows that it”s not actually impossible to target factors like BCL6,” he said.

Emerging data from other investigators suggests that BCL6 is important in many other tumor types, including forms of leukemia.

The study has been published in a recent issue of Cancer Cell. (ANI)

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Website may revolutionise tumour treatment

April 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A website dedicated to researching rare tumours has been launched to assist cancer patients.

The website https://www.cart-wheel.org/ was designed and developed in Melbourne with local cancer specialists and patients.

Oncologist and principal investigator Dr Clare Scott says it is the first international, ethically-approved website to bring together patient information, including up-to-date research and clinical trials advice.

Dr Scott says rare tumours account for more than 30 per cent of cancer-related deaths and the days of relying solely on information from doctors are over.

“Patients are looking further afield than that and as treatments become more specialised, indeed they have to, it no longer is the case that a patient can rely on their doctor having all of the relevant information or clinical trials available,” she said.

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CT scan scare putting patients at risk

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There are reports that some cancer patients have been delaying their own diagnosis because of a reluctance to undergo CT scans.

Last month there was concern about the overuse of the scans in Australia, with doctors being urged to stop the indiscriminate ordering of scans over fears it could cause cancer.

A CT scan is a medical imaging procedure that uses X-rays and digital computer technology to create cross-section images of the body.

Medicare’s watchdog, the Professional Services Review, said there was an alarming trend of doctors using the scans without clinical justification and not understanding the health risks.

Dr Matthew Andrews, the director of the Royal Australian and NZ College of Radiologists, says he is aware of anecdotal reports of patients cancelling procedures because of the concerns raised by the Review.

“We are very concerned about that because the vast bulk of patients that have medical imaging performed, including CT scans, have those performed for clinically indicated reasons,” he told ABC’s News Radio.

“To avoid those is clearly risky for those patients and it is far riskier than any potential small radiation risk that may be involved in performing the procedure.”

Dr Andrews says the benefits of undergoing a CT scan far outweigh any risk involved with radiation levels.

“We always perform the minimum dose that we can get away with. Ideally, if we can get away with a test that uses no ionising radiation, such as MRI or ultrasound, we will do that first,” he said.

“If we need to use an ionising radiation we will minimise the dose to obtain the diagnosis.”

Dr Andrews says there is minimal risk of a CT scan increasing tumour sizes in patients or leading to patients contracting other forms of cancer.

“I think the way to look at this is that CT, appropriately used, is a tool that detects cancers – way, way many more cancers than it could potentially cause,” he said.

But he concedes that the scans are being overused to a degree as a first choice tool. He says some people having the scans are being exposed to radiation when they do not need to be.

“There are instances where CT scanning is being performed, mainly because of access and payment issues with Medicare,” he said.

“CT will be used because a patient can get access to a Medicare rebate when in fact an MRI scan will be more appropriate.

“Unfortunately the access to the Medicare rebate is not as universal for the CT.”

Dr Andrews encourages all patients to discuss their concerns with their doctor.

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Car rally fundraiser hits Broken Hill

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Around 30 cars rolled into Broken Hill yesterday, as part of the 2010 Crusin’ Along Car Rally.

The Rally is a fundraising drive for Cancer Care Western New South Wales – who are building a Lodge in Orange, for regional cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy treatment.

Fundraising Chairwoman, Jan Savage says while Broken Hill residents often seek treatment in Adelaide, there will soon be another option available to them.

“There was no accommodation and actually no radiotherapy facility available for a lot of the western area people,” she said.

“The accommodation and the cancer treatment centre, the bunkers, will be open in about 12 months time at the end of April, beginning of May 2011.”

The Rally will travel to White Cliffs tonight.

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Wide Bay welcomes chemotherapy funding

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cancer Council Queensland (CCQ) has welcomed new funding from the Federal Government for chemotherapy services in Bundaberg, in the state’s southern region.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in the Wide Bay last week announcing more than $8 million in funding for 14 new chemotherapy chairs at Bundaberg hospital.

Thirty-four new transition care places were also announced for the Wide Bay health region.

CCQ spokeswoman Anne Savage says it is great news.

“We welcome this funding. It’s an excellent outcome for Queensland,” she said.

“We were heavily involved in consultation with Queensland Health and various other organisations in making the applications for the funding so we believe these are the right outcomes for cancer patients.”

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Rudd announces health funding in CQ

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Prime Minister says the future of health is a system that’s funded nationally but run locally.

Kevin Rudd has told Gladstone health workers, local control will focus on areas of need.

He has announced around $3-million will be made available to create clinical training placements for regional areas, including Gladstone.

“What we’re proposing is a system that is funded nationally but run locally but run locally so that here in regional Queensland you can make more and more local decisions about the priorities that you have here,” he said.

“And we the Australian Government will be funding local hospital networks directly, that’s the big change for the future.”

Mr Rudd also announced $67 million to provide a range of cancer services at the Rockhampton Hospital.

“It means that we’re going to be able to ensure that we have the commissioning of three radio therapy bunkers, the construction of a third bunker, 16 chemotherapy chairs, this will enable us to provide more comprehensive cancer care here,” he said.

Victoria Bradshaw from Cancer Council Queensland says the new facilities will reduce the need for cancer patients to travel to Brisbane.

“People within our region, Rockhampton and the surrounding region can actually get the care that they need close to home surrounded by their family and friends,” she said.

“So it’s a pretty stressful time a cancer diagnosis and indeed living with cancer so to have these treatment facilities on our door step it really is tremendous news.”

Queensland Health’s central region Chief Executive says she’s delighted with the funding contributions the Federal Government is making to regional healthcare.

Doctor Coralee Barker says the extra funding announced by the Prime Minister will purchase much needed equipment.

“The announcements that are happening throughout central Queensland and indeed all of Australia, is fabulous,” she said.

It’s a huge injection, a major shot in the arm and we’re very grateful so we’ve been looked after quite well.

“We had the MRI and now the cancer centre and of course the announcement for Gladstone.”

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Funding to benefit rural cancer patients

April 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Regional cancer patients are set to benefit from $45 million in Commonwealth funding for new treatment services in Western Australia.

Cancer centres to be established in Geraldton, Northam, Bunbury, Albany, Narrogin and Kalgoorlie will be staffed by Perth-based specialists and local nurses.

They will provide new short-stay accommodation units, additional chemotherapy services, outpatient care and therapy services.

Parliamentary Secretary Gary Gray says the new services will benefit thousands of rural patients.

“In direct patient care at least 7,000 people per year and because of our ageing population we think the numbers will be growing,” he said.

“But most importantly this is about delivering world-class services into regional Western Australia.”

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Call for the death of word ”euthanasia”

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 30 (ANI): The word euthanasia should be used no more as it mixes ideas and values making the debate about dying more complex, according to an editorial in a respected Canadian journal.

The editorial appears in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Dr. Ken Flegel, senior Associate Editor and Dr. Paul Hébert, editor-in-chief, Canadian Medical Association Journal, writes: “The end of life debate seems particularly burdened by confusion over the term ”euthanasia”.

“Both sides use it to further their ideological views: one side says murder, the other mercy; the right to live versus the right to die with dignity; selfishness versus compassion.”

The term, euthanasia, is derived from Greek and was coined in 1646. It was intended to mean a gentle and easy death.

A nuance was introduced, by 1742, referring to the means of bringing about such a death and, in 1859, to the action of inducing such a death. Modern dictionaries have a variety of definitions, but they all imply the same meaning, an intentional action to bring about death in someone who is suffering.

The authors say: “Euthanasia”s broad meaning has inadvertently enveloped a set of actions that also involve the relief of symptoms in dying people.

“For example giving enough narcotic to relieve pain in cancer patients and adding enough sedation to enable comfort and minimize agitation is appropriate and compassionate care, even when the amounts required increase the probability of death. It can be argued that, in such circumstances, death becomes an acceptable side-effect of effective palliation. But, in our view, it is not euthanasia.”

The authors conclude: “As physicians, we should promote honest debate; assist in defining actions and terms; avoid further polarizing this important debate with our own values and ideologies, and help educate the public to increase engagement in this very important societal issue.

“Then ”euthanasia” can experience its own gentle death.” (ANI)

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Diabetes ‘ups death risk in cancer surgery patients’

March 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 29 (ANI): A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers has revealed that diabetics who undergo cancer surgery are more likely to die in the month following their operations than those who have cancer but not diabetes.

In the study, researchers found that newly diagnosed cancer patients — particularly those with colorectal or esophageal tumors — who also have Type 2 diabetes have a 50 percent greater risk of death following surgery.

“Diabetic patients, their oncologists and their surgeons should be aware of the increased risk when they have cancer surgery,” says Hsin-Chieh “Jessica” Yeh, assistant professor of general internal medicine and epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and one of the study”s leaders.

“Care of diabetes before, during and after surgery is very important. It should be part of the preoperative discussion.

“When people are diagnosed with cancer, the focus often is exclusively on cancer, and diabetes management may be forgotten. This research suggests the need to keep a dual focus,” Yeh added.

The findings are based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 previously published medical studies that included information about diabetes status and mortality among patients after cancer surgery.

The size of the studies ranged from 70 patients to 32,621 patients, with a median of 427 patients.

Yeh said that the analysis could not say why cancer patients with diabetes are at greater risk of death after surgery.

One culprit could be infection; diabetes is a well-established risk factor for infection and infection-related mortality in the general population, and any surgery can increase the risk of infections.

Another cause may be cardiovascular compromise. Diabetes raises the risk of atherosclerosis and is a strong predictor of heart attack and death from cardiovascular disease.

“The ultimate question of whether better diabetes management in people with cancer increases their survival after surgery can”t be answered by this study. More research will be needed to figure this out,” she said.

The study is to be published in the April issue of the journal Diabetes Care. (ANI)

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Brit nurse who ‘bedded three cancer victims” husbands’ sacked

March 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, March 10 (ANI): A nurse has been fired from a UK hospital amid claims she bedded three men whose cancer-stricken wives she cared for in their final days.

Sara Dale, 39, who worked for UK cancer support charity Macmillans, was also ‘debadged’ by the group.

The attractive divorcee met the men through her job at Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital in King”s Lynn, Norfolk.

Their terminally-ill wives were being treated there and after they died she embarked on relationships with the grieving widowers.

She currently lives with Stephen Ellis, 50, whose long-term partner Mel died of cancer last year.

“Sara was a very popular member of the team at the hospital. When the allegations surfaced people were genuinely shocked,” the Sun quoted an NHS source as saying.

“She has been off work for some time but her colleagues were only told she had been dismissed a couple of weeks ago.

“It has been kept quite hush-hush although word quickly got round about the allegations against her.

“Macmillan nurses do an amazing job in supporting cancer patients day in day out. And this is a really unfortunate episode,” the source added. (ANI)

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Novel way to improve bone health in cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 16 (ANI): Scientists looking for ways to reduce bone loss in astronauts claim to have found a novel way of improving the bone health of cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment.

“Our studies indicate significant bone loss at the radiation levels astronauts will experience during long missions to the moon or Mars,” said Ted Bateman, a member of NSBRI’s Musculoskeletal Alterations Team.

The study conducted over mouse models has shown that bone loss begins within days of radiation exposure through activation of bone-reducing cells called osteoclasts.

Under normal conditions, these cells work with bone-building cells, called osteoblasts, to maintain bone health.

“Our research challenges some conventional thought by saying radiation turns on the bone-eating osteoclasts. If that is indeed the case, existing treatments, such as bisphosphonates, may be able to prevent this early loss of bone,” he added.

He said even though the research is being performed to protect the health of NASA astronauts, cancer patients, especially those who receive radiation therapy in the pelvic region, could benefit from the research.

“We know that older women receiving radiotherapy to treat pelvic tumors are particularly vulnerable to fracture, with hip fracture rates increasing 65 percent to 200 percent in these cancer patients,” said Bateman.

Once a person loses bone, their long-term fracture risk depends on their ability to recover lost bone mass.

For older cancer patients, early introduction of bisphosphonates and other forms of treatment could help greatly since the process of regaining bone mass can be more difficult due to lower activity levels. (ANI)

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‘Wonder drug’ a true cancer-buster

September 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Sept 16 (ANI): A promising pill may be able to treat more types of cancer than first thought, according to researchers.

The wonder pill can tackle five other forms of the disease – prostate, skin, ovarian, bowel and womb cancer, say scientists.

As per lab tests, the drug targets cancer cells while leaving healthy cells relatively unaffected – meaning fewer side effects for patients. It belongs to a class called PARP inhibitors.

The type – olaparib – is already being used to treat some hereditary forms of breast cancer.

It was developed by Professor Alan Ashworth and a British team from research charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, reports The Sun.

The team found that the inhibitors killed cancer cells behind 30 per cent of breast cancers – and up to 80 per cent of breast, prostate, melanoma, womb, bowel and ovarian cancers.

Ashworth said: “These results are exciting because they show that PARP inhibitors are potentially a powerful targeted treatment with few side effects which may help a broad range of cancer patients.

“This shows the real benefits of applying cutting edge science to cancer treatment.”

And co-researcher Dr Chris Lord added: “This class of drugs could potentially make a big difference for thousands of cancer patients, including some with very limited treatment options.

“It shows Breakthrough’s focus on turning lab research into patient benefit as quickly as possible is having an impact.”

Prof Peter Rigby, chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said: “This shows they could benefit far more patients than previously believed.” (ANI)

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Depression ‘ups cancer patients’ dying risk’

September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 14 (ANI): Depression can decrease a cancer patient’s chances of survival, a new research suggests.

Published in the November 15, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the finding of an analysis highlights the need for systematic screening of psychological distress and subsequent treatments.

In order to determine the effects of depression on cancer patients’ disease progression and survival, graduate student Jillian Satin, MA, of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and her colleagues analyzed all of the studies to date they could identify related to the topic.

The researchers found 26 studies with a total of 9417 patients that examined the effects of depression on patients’ cancer progression and survival.

“We found an increased risk of death in patients who report more depressive symptoms than others and also in patients who have been diagnosed with a depressive disorder compared to patients who have not,” said Satin.

In the combined studies, the death rates were up to 25 percent higher in patients experiencing depressive symptoms and 39 percent higher in patients diagnosed with major or minor depression.

The increased risks remained even after considering patients’ other clinical characteristics that might affect survival, indicating that depression may actually play a part in shortening survival.

However, the authors say additional research must be conducted before any conclusions can be reached. The authors add that their analysis combined results across different tumor types, so future studies should look at the effects of depression on different kinds of cancer.

The investigators note that the actual risk of death associated with depression in cancer patients is still small, so patients should not feel that they must maintain a positive attitude to beat their disease.

Nevertheless, the study indicates that it is important for physicians to regularly screen cancer patients for depression and to provide appropriate treatments. (ANI)

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