In-class discovery leads to timely diagnosis for BYU student | Deseret News

In-class discovery leads to timely diagnosis for BYU student | Deseret News:

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Management of Hand-Foot Syndrome in Patients Treated with Capecitabine

Still, it's an interesting article for those of us the H-F Syndrome from other drugs. - JHH

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Analysts Differ on Role of 'Individual Mandate' to Health-Reform Law

WEDNESDAY, March 28 (HealthDay News) -- Striking down the so-called "individual mandate," the most controversial provision of the Affordable Care Act, should the Supreme Court do so, wouldn't deliver a death blow to the health-reform package. But, it would alter projected costs and consumer participation, health policy experts said.

"If the individual responsibility provision is struck down, it is important that mechanisms are in place to ensure there's a balance in insurance pools to make sure younger, healthier people participate so premiums don't escalate," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a national advocacy group for health-care consumers.

Pollack, who supports the Affordable Care Act, said other methods of attaining broad participation exist to hold down insurance costs, but it's premature to discuss them. The individual mandate -- which imposes penalties on those who don't buy insurance -- is the most effective formula, he said.

"Massachusetts has the individual insurance provision, and the experience in Massachusetts shows it does work," Pollack said.

It's estimated that at least 30 million uninsured Americans would gain health insurance under the law, 16 million as a result of the individual mandate.

Pollack said that even without the individual mandate, the health-care legislation includes other provisions for extending coverage to millions of people currently without insurance.

For instance, Medicaid eligibility will expand to include citizens and legal residents with annual incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level -- about $14,850 for a single adult and $30,650 for a family of four in 2012. And federal tax subsidies will enable certain other people to buy coverage, Pollack said. It's estimated that Medicaid expansion would add 16 million people to the rolls of the insured.

John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, which opposes the health-reform law, said he anticipates affordability problems with or without the individual mandate.

"The mandate itself is pretty weak to begin with," he said. "I think people are overestimating its importance."

While the provision calls for most American adults to obtain health insurance, people who don't earn enough to file federal income tax returns and many others are exempt, Goodman pointed out. "That's millions of people," he said.

Goodman also said the penalties for not buying insurance are small compared to the price of insurance. That might tempt some people to "game the system" -- waiting until they're sick to buy insurance and canceling it when they're well -- "which will make it very expensive," he said.

Enforcement of the individual mandate will be left to the Internal Revenue Service, Goodman said, adding he doubts the agency will pursue violators aggressively. Fines will be phased in until 2016, when individuals refusing to obtain insurance would pay $695 and families $2,085 or 2.5 percent of total taxable income, according to figures from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

For many people, that's a lot less than the cost of insurance, Goodman said. Although it varies by region and age, typical insurance premiums in 2016 are expected to average about $5,800 for an individual and $15,200 for a family of four, according to Goodman's analysis of figures from the Congressional Budget Office.

"This whole approach is flawed," Goodman said. He suggested that the architects of the Affordable Care Act should have taken cues from Medicare. "If you look at Medicare Part B premiums and Medicare Part D premiums, provisions and methods are in place to prevent people from gaming the system."

Pollack remains unfazed by that argument. If the penalties aren't strong enough, he said, "that can be corrected."

The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, predicts that the cost of buying policies through new insurance exchanges would increase only slightly if the individual mandate provision were removed. (The exchanges will be created to help small businesses and individuals purchase insurance through a more organized and competitive market.)

However, because fewer people would buy insurance if the mandate were eliminated, costs borne by the federal government would rise, the researchers said.

Eliminating the individual mandate would cut the predicted number of Americans buying new health coverage in 2016 from 27 million to 15 million and increase an individual's cost of buying insurance by 2.4 percent, according to the RAND analysis.

But Christine Eibner, an economist at RAND, said government spending for each person newly enrolled in a health insurance plan would more than double, reaching nearly $7,500 a person.

"Without the individual mandate, the government would have to spend more overall to insure a lot fewer people," Eibner said in a RAND news release.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlines how women will fare under the Affordable Care Act.

SOURCES: Ron Pollack, executive director, Families USA, Washington, D.C.; John Goodman, president, National Center for Policy Analysis, Washington, D.C.; Feb. 16, 2012, news release, RAND Corporation

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

BBC News - Cancer: 'Book of knowledge' published

By Helen BriggsBBC News

The first volume of a "book of cancer knowledge" has been published, which scientists say will speed up the search for new cancer drugs.

The "encyclopaedia" details how hundreds of different cancer cells respond to anti-cancer agents.

UK, US and European researchers say the data, published in Nature, is a step towards tailoring cancer medicine to a patient's genetic profile.

A cancer charity said the work would help in testing new cancer drugs.

Cancer cells grown in the laboratory are an essential tool in cancer research.

Hundreds of different cell lines exist, allowing scientists to study the effect of new cancer drugs on the human body.

Continue reading the main story

Cancer medicines linked to genetic profiles

• A new drug called vemurafenib offers hope to malignant melanoma patients with certain genetic markers
• Erlotinib helps some lung cancer patients by targeting a receptor found in some tumours. Another new drug, crizotinib, tackles lung cancer expressing the ALK gene
• The breast cancer drug Herceptin is given to patients with an overactive HER2 gene
• The cancer drug imatinib blocks cancer growth in white blood cells of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia carrying a certain gene mutation

Now, a team at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute near Cambridge and various cancer institutes around the world have released two papers cataloguing data on hundreds of cancer cell lines.

The UK team, working with colleagues in the US, Paris and Switzerland, screened more than 600 cancer cell lines with 130 drugs, identifying genetic signatures linked with drug sensitivity.

Already clues are emerging that could be of benefit to patients, including the discovery that a rare bone cancer in children (Ewing's sarcoma) appears to be vulnerable to certain drugs.

Personalised medicine

Dr Mathew Garnett of the Sanger Institute is lead researcher on one of the two papers published in the journal Nature.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

We're trying to get smarter about understanding what the right drug is using the genetic profile in each tumour”

Dr Levi GarrawayOncologist

He told the BBC: "It's bringing together two very large and very powerful data sets and asking which cell line is the most sensitive and what is behind that sensitivity.

"This is the largest study of its kind linking drug response with genetic markers. You need these very large studies to identify small subsets of cells that are sensitive to drugs."

Dr Levi Garraway of The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, US, is a senior member of the research team behind the second paper, which profiled 24 drugs across nearly 500 cell lines.

He told the BBC: "Developing this large cell-line resource with all the associated genetic details is another piece in the pie to get us to our goal of personalised cancer medicine.

"We're trying to get smarter about understanding what the right drug is using the genetic information in each tumour. This is a stepping stone along the way."

The next step is use the information to help decide on tailored treatments for cancer patients.

This would involve getting a genetic "fingerprint" of their tumour, which could be matched to information in the database.

Some cancer drugs are already available for individuals with a certain genetic makeup.

The best known is Herceptin, a breast cancer drug that works in patients with an overactive HER2 gene.

Professor Charles Swanton, based at Cancer Research UK's London Research Institute, said the papers were "an invaluable resource" that provided "extremely useful intelligence" for cancer researchers.

He added: "This new resource will help speed up cancer research and may well begin to guide further developments in personalised cancer medicine."

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Drug Interactions Significantly Reduce Targeted Therapy Efficacy

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Compounds in the Wild Tomatillo Weed May Combat Cancer - ICTMN.com

Three University of Kansas (KU) scientists have discovered the wild tomatillo, a weed native to North America and common throughout the Great Plains region, has cancer-fighting potential, reported medicalxpress.com.

So far, the researchers have demonstrated 14 compounds found in the plant can fight numerous cancers and tumors without any apparent side effects or toxicity—namely: melanomas, thyroid cancer, head and neck squamous cell cancer, breast cancer, glioblastoma brain tumors, and certain leukemias. Other studies suggest these same molecules may combat both esophageal cancers and pancreatic cancers.

The compounds, known as withanolides, managed to significantly shrink, and in some instances completely eradicate, aggressive cancers in mice models with no noticeable ill responses.

“While our research is still in the early stages, we’re optimistic that some of these 14 molecules could lead to new plant-based drugs or dietary supplements,” said Barbara Timmermann, a medicinal chemist and co-director of KU’s Native Medicinal Plant Research Program, which examines native plants as remedies, supplements or pharmaceutical agents.

Kelly Kindscher, a senior scientist at KU’s Kansas Biological Survey, and Timmermann’s research reveals the Pueblo Indians and other indigenous peoples throughout North America ate the fruit produced by the Physalis longifolia species of wild tomatillo and its sister varieties with no known harmful effects.

Timmermann, Kindscher and Mark Cohen, a surgical oncologist and translational clinician scientist at the KU Medical Center, describe the anti-cancer compounds in the November 2011 edition of the Journal of Natural Products. Now their findings have earned them one of only 31 highly coveted presentation slots on breakthrough technologies at the University Research & Entrepreneurship Symposium on April 18 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Read more:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/03/27/compounds-in-the-wild-tomatillo-weed-may-combat-cancer-104960 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/03/27/compounds-in-the-wild-tomatillo-weed-may-combat-cancer-104960#ixzz1qQBXF7mm

Cancer survivor Hansen Nichols returns to singing - Yahoo! OMG! Philippines

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In Search of a Real “Targeted” Therapy for Thyroid Cancer

1. Marcia S. Brose

+Author Affiliations

1. Author's Affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1. Corresponding Author:
   Marcia S. Brose, Departments of Medicine and Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, Abramson Cancer Center, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19010. Phone: 215-615-6519; Fax: 215-898-2136; E-mail:brosem@mail.med.upenn.edu

Abstract

Over the past 5 years, patients with progressive radioactive iodine–refractory thyroid cancer have responded to “targeted” multikinase inhibitors, which inhibit angiogenesis and not the tumor cell. Here, selumetinib targets the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway in papillary thyroid carcinoma and shows limited single-agent activity in the patients with tumors that harbor the ^V600EBRAF mutation. Clin Cancer Res; 18(7); 1–3. ©2012 AACR.

• Received February 17, 2012.
• Accepted February 20, 2012.

• ©2012 American Association for Cancer Research.

This Article

1. Published OnlineFirst March 26, 2012; doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-12-0153

1. » Abstract
2. Full Text (PDF)

How to Build a Storm Shelter | The Family Handyman

This isn't cancer-related (obviously), but it's a really important topic.  Read the comments section for more storm safety hints. - JHH

How to Build a Storm Shelter | The Family Handyman

Michael Kaufman - Why the Rising Incidence of Thyroid Cancer? | TheONC | A Gated Community for Oncology Nurses and Cancer Care Teams

Why the Rising Incidence of Thyroid Cancer?

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An estimated 56,460 new cases of thyroid cancer are expected to be diagnosed in 2012 in the US, with 75 percent of cases occurring in women, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has more than doubled since 1990, and, according to the ACS, "it is the fastest-increasing cancer in both men and women. Since 2004, incidence rates have been increasing by 5.5 percent per year in men and 6.6 percent per year in women."
The rise in deaths attributable to thyroid cancer, however, has been less dramatic: From 2004 to 2008, the death rate for thyroid cancer increased slightly from 0.47 (per 100,000) to 0.50 in men, and from 0.47 to 0.52 in women. ACS projects an estimated 1,780 deaths from thyroid cancer in the US in 2012.
Nevertheless, the sharp increase in incidence has led to much debate within the scientific community. To a large extent, the increase is attributable to improved diagnosis. Over the last 30 years, notes the Northwestern University Institute for Women's Health Research Blog, "ultrasound and fine-needle biopsies have helped diagnose cases that would never have been found before."
The blog cites findings of a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 that concluded that the 140 percent increase in thyroid cancer from 1973 to 2002 was a result of "increased diagnostic capacity." The authors maintained that most of the tumors detected were "extremely small, papillary thyroid cancer tumors... that would have never caused problems in the majority of cases." The blog concedes, however, that other "unknown factors" also play a role.
A study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in 2010 found that people with high levels of the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in their blood were twice as likely to have thyroid problems as those with the lowest levels. Data was obtained from medical records of nearly 4,000 otherwise healthy US adults. Studies in animals have found that PFOA and a related substance, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), can cause thyroid problems as well as hormone imbalances, liver disease, and cancer.
The substance is so stable that it persists for years. Trace levels of PFOA have been detected in people around the world and in wildlife as diverse as birds, fish, and polar bears. "It's been thought that because they're inert they don't cause any health problems, but we're starting to see some evidence that is suggesting that's not true," said Tamara Galloway, professor of ecotoxicology at Exeter University, one of the authors of the study.
"Because these chemicals are inert they are persistent and they build up in the environment and also in human and animal tissues." High levels of PFOA have been found in drinking water in US communities contaminated by fluoropolymer production facilities in Ohio and West Virginia.
PFOA is a man-made chemical known for its heat resistance and water-, grease-, and stain-repelling properties. Manufacturers use PFOA to make fluoropolymers, used in non-stick coatings for cookware, flame retardants in furnishings, stain protection treatments for carpets, wire coatings, and waterproof clothing such as Gore-Tex. The US Food and Drug Administration has a voluntary agreement with several companies to phase out PFOA production over the next few years.
The good news, according to the ACS, is that regardless of cause, the five-year relative survival rate for all thyroid cancer patients is 97 percent. Survival varies, however, by stage, age at diagnosis, and disease subtype. Thus, the five-year survival rate approaches 100 percent for localized disease, is 97 percent for regional-stage disease, and stands at only 56 percent for distant-stage disease. For all stages combined, survival is highest for patients under 45 years old (almost 100 percent), progressively decreasing to 82 percent for those 75 or older.

Thyroid Cancer: Why Is It on the Rise? | Parade.com

STAY HEALTHY

CAMILLE NOE PAGÁN

MARCH 11, 2012

While new cases of some ­cancers—including breast, lung, and prostate—are leveling off, cancer of the thyroid (an endocrine gland in the neck) is spiking; diagnoses rose a whopping 173 percent between 2002 and 2012, ­making thyroid ­cancer one of the f­astest-growing types in the U.S. “Better screening and detection may explain part of the increase,” says ­Robert Smallridge, M.D., chairman of the division of endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. “Still, research suggests other factors must be at play.” 

One of the few known causes of ­thyroid cancer is ­radiation, and some experts believe ­excess exposure may be behind the increase. Smallridge is less certain. “The most common radiation sources, such as dental ­X-rays and airport security ­scanners, provide extremely low doses,” he says. For its part, the American Thyroid Association says it does not believe that routine dental X-rays, for example, lead to ­thyroid cancer. Still, a large cumulative exposure over a lifetime may raise your risk. Smallridge ­recommends always asking your doctor whether an ­X-ray or a CT scan is truly ­necessary. He also advises wearing a thyroid collar (a small lead bib that deflects radiation) before ­dental X-rays. (Some evidence suggests these collars compromise mammography results, so they’re typically not recommended for breast screenings; talk to your radiologist if you’re concerned.) 

The good news: Thyroid cancer is highly curable and still rare—less than 1 percent of Americans will be diagnosed in their lifetime. To ­further lower your odds, maintain a healthy weight and load up on vegetables. 

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