Cancer, Cancer Treatment

The risk of fatal methotrexate toxictty appears to be markedly increased by previous treatment with cisplatin.

Six out of 106 patients died with clinical signs of methotrexate toxicity 6-13 days after receiving 20-50 mg/m2 in the absence of the usual signs of renal dysfunction and despite having previously been treated with methotrexate without serious toxicity All had had prior treatment with cisplatin Four of the patients were regarded as good-risk. A study in children and adolescents suggested that the cumulative dose of asplatin received appears to increase the risk of methotrexate toxicity. Another study indicated that the sequential use of cisplatin and high-dose methotrexate was nephrotoxic and decreased the amount of methotrexate which could be given. A report on 14 patients on high dose methotrexate indicated that prior treatment with one course of cisplatin sharply increased their serum levels of methotrexate, and after two courses the increase was even more marked (an eightfold rise).
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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 7 — Digoxin, a drug used for many years to treat irregular heart rhythms and heart failure, may also be a cancer-fighting agent, researchers report.

Cancer cells need to create new blood vessels to survive. But many of these cells are oxygen-deprived and need to switch on genes that produce a protein called hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1), which help cells survive in low-oxygen conditions.

Digoxin reduces HIF-1, causing cancer cells to die, the scientists from Johns Hopkins University found.

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Researchers at McGill University, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) and the McGill University and Gnome Qubec Innovation Centre, along with colleagues at other Canadian and Belgian institutions, have discovered DNA variations in a gene that increases susceptibility to developing Crohn’s disease.

Their study was published in the January issue of the journal Nature Genetics .

The study was led by McGill PhD candidate Alexandra-Chlo Villani under the supervision of Dr. Denis Franchimont and Dr. Thomas Hudson. Dr. Franchimont, now with the Erasme Hospital in Brussels, Belgium, was a Canada Research Chair formerly affiliated with the Gastroenterology Dept. of the MUHC. Dr. Hudson, former Director of the McGill University and Gnome Qubec Innovation Centre, is now the President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), located in Toronto.

A mammogram is one of the safest ways that is used to check if there is any problem with the breast of a woman. It is actually an x-ray of the breasts, as it involves in using a special and very low dose x-ray machine taking pictures of both breasts. Effective Method of Preventing Cancer
Mammogram is an effective way of breast cancer prevention, as it is the most reliable procedure to detect early stages of breast cancer. However, there are some limitations of mammogram. Many cancers may not be detected by mammograms. Such breast cancers can be detected by breast self-exam. This article will guide you in getting ready for your mammogram. What You Should Watch Out For? Firstly, you should check the place where you are going to have your mammogram, so that you get to know about any special instructions, which you must follow before you arrive there. You should make the appointment for your mammogram for at least one week after the completion of your period. This is because your breast generally hurt less during this time. You should make sure that you tell your mammography facility, if you have ever got any type of breast implants. Things to Remember Before Visiting Mammogram Facility It is better that you wear a shirt preferably with shorts, skirt or pants. This helps you to undress from the waist up, thus leaving your pants, skirt or shorts on while you are getting your mammogram. It is highly advised that do not use any sort of deodorant, lotion, powder or lotion on your breasts or under your arms on the day you are having your mammogram. Using these things may result in shadows on your mammogram, as they contain small aluminium particles. You can use cornstarch in place of talcum powder or deodorant, as it does not interfere with the x-ray image. You should not use any sort skin lotions on your breasts, as it can make them slippery. Hence, it will result in a movement during the process and a blurred image may be produced. What Actually Happens During the Diagnosis Process? After reaching the clinic, you should undress up to your waist. Try wearing clothes that can be easily removed and has loose fittings. Do not wear a bra on the day. Do not forget to take a hairbrush, so that you can tidy up at the time of redressing. After undressing, you will be asked to put on the hospital gown, opening to the front. The technician will help you in positioning yourself in front of the mammogram machine while standing. While taking the mammogram, your technician will rest each of your breasts on a metal plate, arranging maximum of the breast tissue between the top compression plate and the bottom plate. Your breasts will then be imaged and compressed for various lateral and vertical images. It is recommended that women, especially those belonging to the upper age limit of 40 years or more, have a mammogram of their breasts done every year. This helps in early detection of breast cancer in ones breast and ensures proper treatment, which can even cure cancer. To Your Health!

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THURSDAY, Nov. 6 — Cancer-screening messages targeted to minorities that take a negative approach — emphasizing, for instance, that colon cancer is a bigger threat to blacks than whites — can actually make minorities less likely to be screened, a new study found.

“There have been some other studies that have hinted at the same thing,” said study lead author Robert Nicholson, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at St. Louis University School of Medicine.

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Prostate cancer is one of the leading killers of men. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 186,320 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, and 28,660 will die from it.

Although it’s one of the most common cancers suffered by men, there are ways to minimize the risk of getting it, said Dr. Ihor Sawczuk, chairman of urology and chief of urologic oncology at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

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- Actor Patrick Swayze, who has stage IV pancreatic cancer, has checked himself into a hospital for observation because he has pneumonia.

Executives from A&E, the network behind Swayze’s new TV show, The Beast, announced Swayze’s hospitalization today in Las Vegas at the Television Critics Association.

Swayze, 56, was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer, which had already spread to his liver, in March 2008. Swayze spoke with ABC’s Barbara Walters about his cancer and cancer treatment in a television interview that aired two days ago.

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With October being the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, many are trying to find ways to help raise money for further research into prevention and treatment methods for the deadly disease.

In that spirit, QVC, a popular shopping network in the United States, has decided to sell more than 100,000 pairs of shoes at half-price, the money being scheduled to be donated to breast cancer education and research.

Coming from approximately one hundred brands, the shoes will be sold during a program that is set to air Wednesday, October 15, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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The chances of surgically removed breast cancer relapsing is reduced by following surgery with radiation therapy. This therapy is important and should not be skipped if you dont want your cancer to reoccur. Once you are diagnosed with breast cancer, the next thing you want to do is start an immediate treatment for the cancer. You should ask your doctor for available treatment options and what is involved in each before taking it up. With proper treatment chances are your breast cancer can be treated. And that’s a very high probability because more and more women are now surviving breast cancer, than was the case in the past.
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THURSDAY, Jan. 8 — After nearly a year of review, U.S. health officials said Thursday that they supported the continued use of the controversial cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said there was no significant difference in carotid artery thickness between patients taking Vytorin and patients taking the drug Zocor.

But, the agency reported, the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol decreased by 56 percent in the Vytorin group compared to 39 percent for the Zocor group.

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