High Serum Insulin Levels And Risk Of Prostate Cancer

Elevated insulin levels in the normal range appear to be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, according to a new study published online August 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Insulin-like growth factors appear to be involved in the development of prostate cancer, but the relationship between circulating insulin levels and prostate cancer risk has been unclear. Demetrius Albanes, M.D., of the Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues investigated the relationship of the level of serum insulin and glucose, as well as surrogate indices of insulin resistance, to the development of prostate cancer. Rese... More »


Gen-Probe Begins U.S. Clinical Study Of PROGENSA PCA3 Assay, New Molecular Test To Help Assess Prostate Cancer Risk

Gen-Probe Incorporated announced that the Company has begun a clinical trial intended to secure U.S. regulatory approval of its PROGENSA PCA3 assay, a new molecular test that may help determine the need for a repeat prostate biopsy. "Based on the results of our extensive clinical research studies and our European commercial experience, we believe that our PROGENSA PCA3 assay can help predict the risk of a positive follow-up biopsy, thereby improving patient care," said Eric Lai, PhD, Gen-Probe's senior vice president of research and development. "In addition, this is an important step forward in our efforts to maximize the economic value of our oncology strategy." The clinical study of the PROGENSA PCA3 assay is expected to conclude i... More »


Most would refuse emergency use H1N1 vaccine or additive

A majority of Americans would not take an H1N1 flu vaccine or drug additive authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and University of Georgia study. The study, available online today in Biosecurity and Bioterrorism: Biodefense Strategy, Practice, and Science, found that fewer than 10 percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to take such a vaccine or drug and nearly 30 percent remained undecided. The passage of the Project Bioshield Act in 2004 created the emergency use authorization (EUA) giving the FDA the ability to use experimental or ?off label? drugs in the event of an actual or potential emergency. To date, four vaccines against H1N1 virus have been approved under the same process used by the FDA for the seasonal flu vaccine. Also, several drug additives, or adjuvants ? sometimes added to vaccines to strengthen the immune response and stretch the quantity of available vaccines in the event of a pandemic ? have been ordered and stockpiled by the federal government in case they may be needed. But adding them to H1N1 vaccines would trigger an EUA, which is one of the reasons the federal government has chosen not to use them. ?Although the U.S government has held off on including an adjuvant in H1N1 vaccines for now, American officials may need to reconsider this decision as the pandemic unfolds,? said study author Sandra Quinn, Ph.D., associate dean for Student Affairs and Education and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. ?There also remains a significant shortage of the vaccines in many countries around the world. Given this, our finding that few people would accept a new but not yet fully approved H1N1 vaccine or drug is very worrisome,? she said.  More »



One in Eight Strokes Is Preceded by ?Warning Stroke?

One out of every eight strokes is preceded by a ?warning stroke,? which is a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or mild stroke, according to research published in the September 29, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ?These results illustrate the need for better risk assessment tools for preventing strokes before they occur,? said study author Daniel G. Hackam, MD, PhD, of the University of Western Ontario in London, ON. ?Other studies have shown that up to 80 percent of strokes after TIA can be prevented when risk factors are managed intensively.? For the study, researchers identified all people at Ontario hospitals with a diagnosis of stroke over four years. Of the 16,400 patients, 2,032, or 12.4 percent, had a TIA prior to the stroke. During a TIA, stroke symptoms last for less than 24 hours and then resolve. More »

















New Prognostic Marker For Human Breast Cancer

Elevated levels of GLI1 (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1) protein in human breast cancer are associated with unfavorable prognosis and progressive stages of disease. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Cancer found increased expression of GLI1 in samples taken from more advanced and less survivable tumors. Edgar Dahl led a team of researchers from RWTH Aachen's University Hospital who sought to evaluate whether GLI1 could represent a new prognostic marker in breast cancer treatment. He said, "GLI1, a mediator of the so-called 'hedgehog' signaling pathway, has previously been implicated in the development of different human tumor entities. We've found a positive, significant association between overexpression of GLI1 a... More »


New Breast Cancer Study Findings Recently Were Reported By Researchers At Harvard University

According to recent research from the United States, "A diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer (BC) forces patients and providers to make difficult treatment decisions. To pilot test a decision aid (DA) for advanced BC. Pretest, posttest study." "Two academic cancer centers in Boston, Massachusetts. Fifty patients diagnosed with advanced BC. A patient DA that consisted of a 30-minute DVD and booklet. Patients were surveyed at baseline, after the intervention, and at 3 months. included use and acceptability of DA, distress, treatment goals, and preference for and actual participation in decisions. Physicians were surveyed at baseline and 3 months. included treatment goals, assessment of patients' experience with treatments, and patients' p... More »


Human Trials With Kanzius Invention Could Start In 2011: Liver, Pancreatic Cases To Go First

Pancreatic and liver cancer patients would be the first people treated with the late John Kanzius' external radio wave generator if it's approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Human trials for Kanzius' experimental cancer treatment device could get under way as early as 2011, said Steven Curley, M.D., lead investigator for the Kanzius project at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "Why those two cancers? We have antibodies that we know will attach to those cancer cells and not other, healthy cells," Curley said. "They are also two of the worst types of cancers. ... Ninety-six percent to 97 percent of people with these cancers die from the disease." Curley spoke for about an hour Friday morning at a special Eggs 'n'... More »


Childhood kidney disorder has lasting effects

A kidney condition that can arise in children and was until recently believed to disappear after puberty may persist into adulthood and cause significant long-term complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that better treatment options are needed for children with the disorder, called minimal change nephrotic syndrome. Many children who develop minimal change nephrotic syndrome?a disorder that largely affects the blood filtering structures of the kidneys?can be successfully treated with prednisone. The cause of the syndrome is unknown but may be related to an autoimmune illness. Unfortunately, 10% to 40% of patients suffer relapses after childhood and must be treated long-term with immunosuppressive drugs. To determine the lasting health effects of minimal change nephrotic syndrome and its treatment in patients who are not cured during childhood, Henriette Kyreileis, MD, PhD (Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands) and Elena Levtchenko, MD, PhD (University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium), and their colleagues studied 15 adult patients with the disease. The investigators ran a number of tests on the patients?including blood and urine analyses; semen analyses in men; x-ray exams; eye exams; and genetic tests. More »


Scientists identify genetic cause of previously undefined primary immune deficiency disease

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified a genetic mutation that accounts for a perplexing condition found in people with an inherited immunodeficiency. The disorder, called combined immunodeficiency, is characterized by a constellation of severe health problems, including persistent bacterial and viral skin infections, severe eczema, acute allergies and asthma, and cancer. The team that made the discovery was led by Helen Su, M.D., Ph.D., at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and included collaborators from NIAID and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The research is reported in this week?s New England Journal of Medicine. ?NIH clinicians have cared for people with unusual and difficult-to-treat immune disorders for decades,? says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. ?This study exemplifies their commitment to improving the lives of people with these diseases by trying to uncover the causes of these disorders and thereby better understanding how to treat them.? More »