New hope for patients at high risk of recurrences of heart disease

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 20 (ANI): Canadian researchers have confirmed the potential of a medication to reduce inflammation in patients with atherosclerosis.

The results of the clinical study, directed by Dr. Jean-Claude Tardif of the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI), have appeared in the journal Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging.

The promising findings of this study on VIA-2291 – a medication developed by Via Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco-based biotechnology firm – relate to its capacity to effectively reduce inflammation, which can contribute to the formation and progression of atherosclerosis plaque and infarct.

Dr. Tardif said: “Up to now, standard treatments for patients with acute coronary syndrome (unstable angina and infarct) have not specifically reduced inflammation, an important component of atherosclerosis. However, research in recent years has allowed us to determine that the presence of inflammation significantly increases the risk of recurrence among these patients. The clinical study was conducted with about 200 patients, and the findings we””re publishing show that VIA-2291 may finally offer the solution we need to target and reduce inflammation. In fact, these newly published data strongly support the evaluation of VIA-2291 in larger outcome trials.”

The Montreal Heart Institute””s Research Centre directed the study in several hospitals in Canada and the United States as well as analysed all of the data, including data collected by CAT scans of coronary arteries.

Dr. Tardif added: “The publication of this new study attests once again to the excellence of the entire team at the Montreal Heart Institute””s Research Centre. While we””re clearly satisfied with the findings obtained with VIA-2291, we””re even more thrilled at the prospect of taking a big step toward more effective and personalized prevention of cardiovascular disease.” (ANI)

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England fans need not worry about Rooney, say United bosses

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 10 (ANI): England”s fans should not worry over the fitness of star striker Wayne Rooney.

The 34-goal striker walked off 13 minutes from the end of United”s 4-0 win over Stoke at Old Trafford after suffering a recurrence of the groin problem has troubled him since the second leg of his side”s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich last month.

Mike Phelan, a Man U official, said Rooney will be fit enough to do himself justice in South Africa.

“He should be okay. All the phone calls and all the worries we can dispel straight away. He should be fine. It is just a precaution and he will be looking forward to his World Cup,” The Mirror quoted Phelan, as saying. (ANI)

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Rooney aggravates groin injury, Ferguson optimistic

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Wayne Rooney suffered a fresh injury scare as Manchester United’s title hopes were dashed on Sunday, the striker aggravating a groin injury which will have England coach Fabio Capello edgily awaiting details.

Rooney looked in discomfort when he was replaced after 75 minutes of the 4-0 rout of Stoke at Old Trafford, and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said it was a recurrence of a groin problem.

Chelsea’s 8-0 win over Wigan meant United’s hopes of a record 19th league title were over. Capello is due to name his provisional 30-man World Cup squad on Tuesday.

“Wayne’s aggravated his groin again,” Ferguson told reporters. “I think he’ll be okay for England though. I don’t think it is serious.

Rooney, 24, finished the season with 34 goals for United, including 26 in the Premier League. He missed several crucial games for United last month after suffering an ankle injury.

(Editing by Miles Evans; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Prison farm fighting noxious weed outbreak

April 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A prison farm at Westbrook on Queensland’s Darling Downs has employed an agronomist to oversee its cropping practices to prevent another outbreak of a noxious weed.

The Darling Downs Correctional Centre runs around 400 head of cattle, but earlier this year 28 cows died when they ate the “purple thorn apple”.

Centre general manager Bernie Kruhse says the farm has changed its practices to prevent another recurrence.

“The processes prior to that didn’t take into account the potential to grow in amongst the crop, that potential is fully understood now and we’re taking the precautions to the best we can ensure so that doesn’t happen again,” he said.

Mr Kruhse says an agronomist has advised the prison how to control the weed.

“He comes and gives us advice in relation to what chemicals to use at what time during the cropping process,” he said.

“We’re now going through quite an extensive regime of spraying the land before we plant during the germination and after the cropping as well, which is our new crop, which used those techniques, and which has proven to be quite successful.”

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Vatuvei hamstring injury a ‘mystery’

April 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The immediate playing future of powerhouse Warriors winger Manu Vatuvei remains unclear after he suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury in the win over Canterbury.

The ‘Beast’ was not expected back until round six, but coach Ivan Cleary rushed the Kiwi international back into the team after he came through training well last week.

Vatuvei first damaged his hamstring in the Warriors’ round three win over Brisbane at Lang Park, but medical staff had full confidence the 112-kilogram winger would come through fine against the Bulldogs when he was brought in as a late-inclusion.

Cleary said he was puzzled as to what went wrong after Vatuvei hobbled from the field just five minutes into the second half of Saturday’s 30-24 win at Sydney’s Olympic stadium.

“I don’t know, it’s just a strange one that, there’s something going on there because he was right to play and did some good things but obviously there’s still a bit of an issue there,” Cleary said.

“It’s a bit of a mystery, but I’ll certainly appreciate it when he can get on the field.

“It started mid-week, he basically came through everything and trained on Thursday, got through the whole session, so we brought him over… and he got through everything.

“He was feeling really good so it was one of those things.

“(It was) possibly a risk, but he means so much to us and I’m sure he gave the boys a big lift being out there but clearly there’s a bit of an issue there and we’ve got to sort it out.”

Vatuvei showed glimpses of his barnstorming qualities in the first half, scoring the Warriors’ second try.

He said he did not know how long he would be out for, although another stint on the sidelines appears likely.

“I’m not too sure yet, it’s just kind of hard to tell how bad it is,” Vatuvei said.

“I thought it was bad (when I first did it) but after one week it felt pretty sweet, so I’m not too sure yet, just see how it goes through the week.”

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The pill can reduce reoccurrence of ovarian cysts

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 31 (ANI): Scientists say that the ordinary oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is a simple and effective remedy for ovarian endometriomas, better known as ovarian ”chocolate” cysts for the brown liquid they contain.

The cysts can be easily removed by surgery, but commonly recur and can cause ongoing pain and complications.

Neil Johnson and Shelley Reilly from Auckland, New Zealand, say that a trial has provided evidence that the OCP can reduce the reoccurrence of endometriomas after removal by surgery.

“This study is perhaps the only randomized controlled trial that has evaluated the effectiveness of the use of long-term postoperative OCP treatment to prevent endometrioma recurrence,” the authors said.

The trial consisted of 239 patients who had just undergone surgery to remove endometriomas and who were randomized into groups: those with no prescribed treatment, those taking cyclic OCPs, and those taking continuous OCPs. Patients were followed up for two years.

Women who took OCPs had significantly fewer recurring cysts. Previous studies of the effectiveness of OCPs after laparoscopic cystectomy have produced conflicting results.

But long-term treatment seems to be the key: Johnson and Reilly say, “the length of treatment appears to play an important role in the efficacy of therapy”.

Johnson and Reilly suggest an immediate change to current clinical practice: “If the use of an OCP is considered to reduce the risk of recurrence of an endometrioma after laparoscopic cystectomy, treatment should be given for at least two years”.

The study has been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. (ANI)

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Potential new way to prevent relapse of leukaemia

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 26 (ANI): Researchers at Children”s Hospital Boston have found a possible new way to kill off chemo-resistant leukemia stem cells, and prevent them from initiating a relapse.

Their study shows that leukemia stem cells cannot thrive without a particular cell pathway, known as the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, suggesting that targeting this pathway may prevent acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) patients from having a relapse.

“The biggest potential for this study is in suppression of leukemia recurrence by a drug that inhibits beta-catenin,” says Scott Armstrong, of Children”s Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and senior author of the study.

The researchers zeroed in on beta-catenin as an important player in leukemia stem cells by working with two different types of early blood cells – blood stem cells, which generate all the different types of blood cells, and granulocyte/macrophage-restricted progenitors, more mature, differentiated cells that only generate certain white blood cells.

They did this by activating two genes previously found to induce AML, Hoxa9 and Meis1, then injecting the cells into mice.

Activation of the two genes induced AML in mice injected with the blood stem cells, but not in mice injected with the progenitors. Genetic analyses revealed the progenitors lacked an active beta-catenin pathway.

Though this pathway is still active in blood stem cells after a person is born, it plays a vital role only during fetal development, and is completely inactive in more differentiated progenitor cells.

This led the team to think beta-catenin was needed for leukemia stem cells to develop, thrive and induce leukemia.

To test this idea, the researchers introduced an active form of beta-catenin into the progenitor cells after activating Hoxa9 and Meis1. Once injected into mice, these progenitor cells later induced leukemia.

The researchers further confirmed the role of beta-catenin by treating mice they had injected with leukemia stem cells with the drug indomethacin, which blocks the beta-catenin pathway.

Tests showed the number of leukemia stem cells dwindled in the mice that received the drug. Indomethacin also reduced the number of stem cells in mice with fully developed leukemia.

Most young children with AML develop the disease as a result of what researchers call mixed lineage leukemia fusion proteins, which can activate the Hoxa9 and Meis1 genes.

To see if one of these proteins also affected the beta-catenin pathway, the team treated progenitor cells with the mixed lineage leukemia fusion protein MLL-AF9. MLL-AF9 activated Hoxa9 and Meis1, as well as the beta-catenin pathway, and the mice injected with these progenitor cells developed leukemia.

But when the mice were treated with an agent to deactivate the beta-catenin pathway in vivo, the leukemia stem cells could not thrive.

This research suggests that leukemia stem cells need the beta-catenin pathway to survive, and treatments that block this pathway may eradicate the leukemia stem cells and prevent AML patients from having a relapse.

The study has been published online March 26th in the journal Science. (ANI)

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Pregnancy ‘safe for breast cancer survivors’

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 26 (ANI): A new study has suggested that breast cancer survivors can have babies, without fears that pregnancy could put them at higher risk of dying from their disease.

In a meta-analysis of 14 trials, researchers from Belgium and Italy found that, not only was pregnancy safe for breast cancer survivors, but, in fact, it could improve their chances of survival.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women during their childbearing years. As women delay starting a family until they are older, and the survival from breast cancer has improved, increasing numbers of breast cancer survivors want to have babies after their cancer treatment has finished.

Until now, it was unclear whether it was safe for them to do so, due to concerns that the hormonal changes associated with pregnancy, in particular the increase in oestrogen, could prompt the cancer to recur or become more aggressive.

Dr Hatem A. Azim, Jr., a Fellow at the Department of Medical Oncology at the Institute Jules Bordet (Brussels, Belgium), and colleagues in Italy analysed results from 14 trials that had taken place between 1970 and 2009, involving 1,417 pregnant women with a history of breast cancer and 18,059 women with a history of breast cancer who were not pregnant.

They found that patients who became pregnant following a diagnosis of breast cancer had a significant reduction of 42 percent in the risk of death compared to breast cancer survivors who did not get pregnant.

“Our findings clearly demonstrate that pregnancy is safe in women with history of successfully treated breast cancer. There is a wide perception in the oncology community that women with history of breast cancer should not get pregnant for fear of pregnancy increasing the risk of recurrence by means of hormonal stimulation. This meta-analysis strongly argues against this notion,” Azim said.

The study has been presented at the seventh European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC7). (ANI)

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Popular diabetes drug may help fight breast cancer

September 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 15 (ANI): A popular diabetes drug called metformin has been found to be effective in fighting breast cancer.

The findings of the study from Harvard Medical School showed that metformin, along with conventional chemotherapy, shows promise for treating and delaying recurrence of breast cancer.

“We have found a compound selective for cancer stem cells,” said senior author Kevin Struhl, the David Wesley Gaiser professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology at HMS.

“What’s different is that ours is a first-line diabetes drug,” he added.

The drug seemed to work independently of its ability to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar and insulin levels, all of which are also associated with better breast cancer outcomes.

“There is a big desire to find drugs specific to cancer stem cells,” said Struhl.

“The cancer stem cell hypothesis says you cannot cure cancer unless you also get rid of the cancer stem cells. From a purely practical point of view, this could be tested in humans. It’s already used as a first-line diabetes drug,” he added.

Lead researchers Heather Hirsch and Dimitrios Iliopoulos found that the combination of metformin and the cancer drug doxorubicin killed human cancer stem cells and non-stem cancer cells in culture.

In mice, pre-treatment with the diabetes drug prevented the otherwise dramatic ability of human breast cancer stem cells to form tumours.

In cases where tumours were allowed to take hold for 10 days, the dual therapy also reduced tumour mass more quickly and prevented relapse for longer than doxorubicin alone.

“This is an exciting study,” said Jennifer Ligibel, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an HMS instructor in medicine, who was not involved in the study.

“There is a lot of interest in studying metformin in breast cancer, but so far we do not have direct evidence that metformin will improve outcomes in patients,” Ligibel said. “That’s what this trial is for.”

The findings appear online in the journal Cancer Research. (ANI)

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Novel way to block growth of human colon cancer cells

August 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 27 (ANI): Scientists in Switzerland have discovered a novel way to inhibit the growth of human colon cancer cells and preventing the disease from reaching advanced stages and the development of liver metastases.

The study shows that blocking the so-called Hedgehog-GLI pathway can prevent the growth of tumours, metastatic lesions and cancer stem cells, the cells thought to lie at the root of cancer growth.

HH-GLI is a signalling pathway used by cells to communicate with each other, often used to determine position, growth and survival.

“Previous works hinted at the possible role of HH-GLI in colon cancer, but this was denied by other studies, so its involvement was never entirely clear,” said lead researcher Professor Ariel Ruiz i Altaba of Geneva University.

“In this study we have proven that HH-GLI is essential for the development and growth of colon cancers. The research demonstrates the active presence of HH-GLI signalling in epithelial cells of colon cancers.

“Moreover, we find that metastatic tumours rely on this pathway for sustained growth. This identifies HH-GLI as a target for novel anti-cancer therapies against so far incurable forms of colon cancer in distant organs, such as the live,” Ruiz i Altaba added.

This research opens the possibility of new anti-cancer therapies, specifically the use of RNA interference and of Cyclopamine, a plant product known to block Hedgehog pathway activity.

“Recurrence is a major problem in cancer treatment. Even after a patient has displayed an apparent complete recovery from a primary tumour, recurrence at nearby or distal locations has a poor prognosis,” said Ruiz i Altaba.

“While monitoring recovering mice we noted that tumours began to recur in all cases except for those treated with Cyclopamine for a short period of time after tumour disappearance. The treated mice were kept for up to one year after the treatment and remained healthy and tumour free.

“This work firmly establishes the critical action of HH-GLI in human colon cancer cells, providing the platform for preclinical and future clinical work,” concluded Ruiz i Altaba.

The research is published in EMBO Molecular Medicine. (ANI)

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Air Force to have 230 Sukhoi 30 MKI fighters by 2015: Antony

July 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 8 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony today said the government is planning to increase the number of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft in Indian Air Force to 230 by 2015.

Antony informed the Rajya Sabha that since 1996 the Air Force has procured 98 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets. “By 2015, we plan to have a fleet of 230 Sukhoi fighter aircraft,” he said.

The Defnce Minister further said the Air Force is very happy with these aircraft,, and added that the Sukhoi being one of the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, is best suited for Indian conditions.

He said a court of inquiry has been ordered into a Sukhoi crash near Jaisalmer on 30 April during a routine training flight. Both pilots ejected but the flying inspector, who was also a qualified pilot and was occupying the rear seat, succumbed to injuries.

“A total number of 22 MIG Aircraft of the Indian Air Force has crashed from April 01, 2006 till date. There were three casualties in these crashes,” Antony said.

“Besides, a team of Russian experts visited India to probe the recent crashes of the Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft. The report forms a part of the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry, which is under finalization.

“In the past six months January 1 to June 30, 2009 eight aircraft have crashed. During the last one year from June 29, 2008 to June 28, 2009, there have been 10 air crashes/accidents involving fighter aircraft of Indian Air Force,” Antony said.

He added that each accident is investigated through a Court of Inquiry and remedial measures are undertaken accordingly to check their recurrence in future and a continuous and multi-faceted effort is always underway to enhance and upgrade flight safety. (ANI)

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Complications in previous pregnancies may affect health of next baby

June 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 29 (ANI): Dutch researchers say that complications early in pregnancy or in previous pregnancies can help predict further risk in current or subsequent pregnancies.

Dr Robbert van Oppenraaij, a medical doctor and PhD student in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Erasmus MC University Medical Centre (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), believes that the new findings may help predict more easily which women might need greater care and supervision during pregnancy.

“There were several interesting findings,” said the researcher.

“To name two: firstly, we found that after any first trimester complication or event, the risk of preterm or very preterm delivery is increased in the subsequent or ongoing pregnancy.

“Secondly, we found that increased risks of adverse obstetric outcome are, in all cases, related to the severity or recurrence, or both, of the first trimester complication or event,” he added.

The researchers have found that a history of one or more miscarriages nearly doubles the risk in an ongoing pregnancy of preterm premature rupture of the membrane that surrounds the baby in the womb.

It also increases the risk of premature or very premature delivery (earlier than 37 or 34 weeks respectively).

If a previous pregnancy had to be terminated for any reason, that may increase the risk of premature rupture of the membrane, premature and very premature delivery in subsequent pregnancies.

“While it is true that most conditions are difficult to prevent, with improved monitoring in high risk pregnancies it is possible to reduce perinatal or postnatal foetal complications,” Dr van Oppenraaij added.

For example, in pregnancies with increased risk of preterm or very preterm delivery or intrauterine growth restriction, extra ultrasonic measurement of the cervical length and foetal growth can provide a better prediction of pregnancies at risk and better therapeutic care can be given, such as bed rest, corticosteroids and monitoring of the baby’s heart beat.

“Events and complications in early pregnancy are amongst the most common complications in women during their pregnancy and can be extremely distressing for them,” van Oppenraaij added.

The findings were presented at 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam. (ANI)

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Apple CEO Steve Jobs has had liver transplant during medical leave

June 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 20 (ANI): Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs has reportedly had a liver transplant during his medical leave that started in January this year, and is expected to return to work later this month.

The Wall Street Journal has published a news story regarding this, though the publication has neither cited any particular source of information nor got any direct comment from Apple itself.

The report says that “a person familiar with the thinking at Apple” has revealed that Jobs would have a diminished schedule at first when he returns to work.

“At least some Apple directors were aware of the CEO’s surgery (as part of an agreement Jobs made with the board before he went on leave),” the Wired News quoted the familiar person as saying in the story.

According to the journal, Jobs’ surgery took place two months ago in Tennessee, where there are three facilities that can perform such a procedure.

The subject of Jobs health has been a front burner item since he announced, on August 1, 2004, that he had undergone surgery for pancreatic surgery.

On January 5, Jobs told the “Apple Community” in an open letter that the cause of his weight loss was not a recurrence of his pancreatic cancer but a treatable hormone imbalance.

Jobs also said in the letter that he had already begun a “relatively simple and straightforward” treatment for the condition, that he would remain on as Apple CEO during his recovery, and that he expected to be noticeably improved in a matter of months.

Just nine days later, Jobs announced his medical leave. (ANI)

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Steve Jobs (Apple Inc. CEO) has had liver transplant during medical leave

June 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 20 (ANI): Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs has reportedly had a liver transplant during his medical leave that started in January this year, and is expected to return to work later this month.

The Wall Street Journal has published a news story regarding this, though the publication has neither cited any particular source of information nor got any direct comment from Apple itself.

The report says that “a person familiar with the thinking at Apple” has revealed that Jobs would have a diminished schedule at first when he returns to work.

“At least some Apple directors were aware of the CEO’s surgery (as part of an agreement Jobs made with the board before he went on leave),” the Wired News quoted the familiar person as saying in the story.

According to the journal, Jobs’ surgery took place two months ago in Tennessee, where there are three facilities that can perform such a procedure.

The subject of Jobs health has been a front burner item since he announced, on August 1, 2004, that he had undergone surgery for pancreatic surgery.

On January 5, Jobs told the “Apple Community” in an open letter that the cause of his weight loss was not a recurrence of his pancreatic cancer but a treatable hormone imbalance.

Jobs also said in the letter that he had already begun a “relatively simple and straightforward” treatment for the condition, that he would remain on as Apple CEO during his recovery, and that he expected to be noticeably improved in a matter of months.

Just nine days later, Jobs announced his medical leave.

-ANI

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Cottonseed-based drug may help treat severe brain cancer

May 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 29 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) say that an experimental drug derived from cottonseeds appears to be efficacious in treating the recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme, which is considered to be the most lethal brain cancer.

The researchers came to this conclusion following the results of a Phase II clinical trial of AT-101, a pill manufactured from a potent compound in cottonseeds that overcomes the abnormal growth patterns of tumour cells.

Glioblastomas are more common in adults, and are considered fast-growing brain tumours that are very difficult to treat.

Research leader Dr. John Fiveash, an associate professor in the UAB Department of Radiation Oncology, said that the cottonseed-based agent was found to halt the cancer’s progression in many of the 56 patients.

He revealed that despite undergoing other treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, the trial patients’ brain cancer had begun to grow again prior to starting AT-101 treatments.

The trial-monitored patients took only AT-101 daily for three out of four weeks.

“After getting this drug some of these patients went many months without any new growth in their tumours. We are able to do that with a well-tolerated oral medication, and that is a major benefit,” Fiveash said.

He believes that the drug would likely work best in combination with radiation and chemotherapy to boost the cancer-fighting properties of those treatments.

Fiveash and his colleagues are also trying to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from AT-101.

The initial results of the drug trial would be presented on May 30, during the poster discussion of central nervous system tumours at the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. (ANI)

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Personalized treatment for early lung cancer on the anvi

May 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 4 (ANI): Personalised treatments following surgery are now being offered for patients with early stages of lung cancer, experts at an international conference said.

The experts reckoned that cancer vaccines and targeted therapies could help patients with lung cancer after surgery.

“Personalizing therapy is the key strategy for longer and better survival in lung cancer,” said Prof Paris Kosmidis, head of the second Medical Oncology Department at Hygeia Hospital in Athens, Greece.

“This is particularly important for early stage disease when following surgery, decisions about preventive therapy are based on specific prognostic and predictive factors.”

Prof Walter Weder, head of thoracic surgery at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, adds: “At the meeting, several research groups will present data from new and ongoing studies that show how existing treatments might be combined with targeted therapies and new cancer vaccines. We hope that these new treatments will provide further progress.”

In one poster presentation at the meeting, researchers described the results of a study that sought to identify which patients are likely to benefit from an immune-boosting vaccine designed to help the immune system to recognize MAGE-A3, a protein that is expressed on about 30 percent of lung cancers.

Studies have shown that the treatment can help patients avoid or delay cancer recurrence after surgery.

At the conference, researchers will describe a gene signature that might predict which patients will benefit from the treatment.

“Because the benefits of vaccination will be limited to a subgroup of patients, strategies to define these patients by means of biomarkers such as a genetic signature are of major clinical relevance, as only these patients might be candidates for vaccination in the future,” said Weder.

A larger, phase III, trial of the vaccine is now underway.

The findings were put forward at the first European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO) in Lugano, Switzerland. (ANI)

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Topical cream may help treat melanoma sans knife

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, April 29 (ANI): Researchers at Saint Louis University have found that a topical cream when used together with surgery may help treat melanoma, potentially helping doctors cut less.

Researchers examined two cases of the most common type of melanoma of the head and neck, lentigo maligna (LM), a type of “melanoma-in- situ”, the earliest stage of melanoma.

This early form, known as LM, precedes the more invasive form, lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), and the progression of LM to LMM typically occurs after 10 to 15 years. Though surgical removal of LM is most often used to treat the non-invasive form of the cancer, it can have high local recurrence rates.
n two patients who had both LM and LMM, researchers used imiquimod in conjunction with surgery. In both patients, surgery was first done to remove the area of known invasive disease, followed by the topical cream to the outer area of LM.

This approach was chosen with patients who did not want extensive surgery due to the large size of the melanoma on their scalp and face.

Researchers found that imiquimod produced good results for patients when used together with surgery to treat the cancer, potentially helping doctors cut less.

These cases, along with other recent studies, suggest that imiquimod may help to reduce the area needing surgery, manage the LM and hopefully minimize its recurrence.

Researchers hope that topical treatments like imiquimod may be used to lower the seriousness and the cost of treating the disease, as well as limit scars from surgery, and, most importantly, improve patient care.

The study is published in Dermatologic Surgery. (ANI)

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UPA dedicated towards fight against terrorism, BJP incapable: PM

April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Latur (Maharashtra), Apr 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is dedicated towards the fight against terrorism and the repetition of the Mumbai-style terror attacks would be prevented at all costs.

Addressing his first election rally in Maharashtra, Singh said, “We want to avoid recurrence of 26/11 type attack at any cost… we also want that no religion or community is subjected to unnecessary harassment on the issue.”

He claimed that the Congress is taking steps to strengthen and modernise the intelligence agencies and security agencies.

Brushing aside the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) promises to provide a strong government at the centre, Singh said, “The country cannot be run merely by making tall claims”.

Criticising the NDA government for failure in handling attacks on the Red Fort and the Parliament during its regime, he said, “Some parties are claiming that they would provide a strong government but these claims are hollow.”

Attacking the opposition on the 1999 Kandahar plane hijack episode, Singh said, “During the NDA regime, their foreign minister (Jaswant Singh) himself escorted dreaded terrorists to Kandahar.”

Singh asked the people to vote for the Congress on the basis of his government’s performance.

Pointing out the achievements of the UPA in the last five years, he said that the government has recognised the districts in the country where the population of minorities was significant and has undertaken measures for social and economic development of minorities.

“Three districts in Maharashtra also figure in the list,” informed Singh.

He also claimed that the vacant posts under the Scheduled Castes recruitment quota were being filled up.

Asserting that the Congress has lived up to its expectations of fulfilling the needs of the common man, he said that the track record of the Congress in running the government has been appreciable. (ANI)

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Agent Orange exposure ‘raises prostate cancer recurrence risk’

April 21, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 21 (ANI): A new study has revealed that people who have been exposed to Agent Orange, a herbicide and defoliant used during the Vietnam War, are at an increased risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer.

Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War, when an estimated 21,136,000 gal. of Agent Orange were sprayed across South Vietnam.

About 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, and 500,000 children born with birth defects.

Of 1495 veterans who underwent radical prostatectomy to remove their cancerous prostates, 206 exposed to Agent Orange had nearly a 50 percent increased risk of their cancer recurring despite the fact that their cancer seemed relatively nonaggressive at the time of surgery.

The recurring cancer had doubled the level of prostate specific antigen, or PSA- an indicator of aggressiveness.

“There is something about the biology of these cancers that are associated with prior Agent Orange exposure that is causing them to be more aggressive. We need to get the word out,” said Dr. Martha Terris, chief of urology at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta and professor of urology at the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine.

“Not only are their recurrence rates higher but their cancers are coming back and growing much faster when they do come back,” she added. (ANI)

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Liverpool’s Gerrard to miss crunch game against Arsenal

April 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Apr.18 (ANI): Steven Gerrard will miss Liverpool’s crunch clash with Arsenal on Tuesday as he is down with a groin injury.

Gerrard suffered a recurrence in the Reds’ final training session before the game, preventing him from even taking a place on the bench.

He may be even in doubt for the trip to Hull four days later.

A Liverpool insider told The Sun: “In the training session before the Champions League game with Chelsea, Steven aggravated a strain he had previously suffered in his adductor muscle. A scan has since confirmed our medical team’s initial diagnosis and the player is expected to be out for between seven and 10 days.” (ANI)

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