Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Cancer Research Institute
Welcome to the UCI Cancer Research Institute. Approximately 1.45 million people were diagnosed with cancer in the US in 2007; cancer is currently the number 1 killer of people under age 85 in the US, and one of the most feared diseases. While there have been advances in therapies for some cancers, in many cases the “cure” rates are well below 50%. Moreover other cancers have remained refractory to effective treatments or cures (e.g. pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, melanoma). Thus there is a continuing need for research in cancer at all levels.
Stomach Cancer Symptoms
Stomach Cancer Symptoms Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
A simple test that analyzes the chemical signature of a patient's exhaled breath could help diagnose stomach cancer, according to new research by scientists from Israel and China reported online in the British Journal of Cancer this week.
The researchers hope the breath test will offer an easier screening tool than endoscopy, where a specially trained medical professional looks at the inside of the stomach via a tube inserted down the patient's gullet, and sometimes also retrieves a biopsy sample of the stomach lining.
Senior author Hossam Haick, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, at Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, says in a press statement:
"The promising findings from this early study suggest that using a breath test to diagnose stomach cancers, as well as more benign complaints, could be a future alternative to endoscopies - which can be costly and time consuming, as well as unpleasant to the patient."
He cautions, however, that the findings of the pilot study are still at "an early stage", and serve more to confirm the idea that a breath test for stomach cancer is worth investigating further.
"Indeed, we're already building on the success of this study with a larger-scale clinical trial," says Haick.
Haick has been studying the effectiveness of nanoparticle sensors as a way to detect minute traces of disease biomarkers for a while. The sensors use materials that are thousands of times smaller than the thickness of human hair, and capable of detecting just a handful of molecules.
In 2011, the British Journal of Cancer reported how a nanosensor "nose" developed by Haick and his team successfully distinguished patients with head and neck or lung cancer from healthy controls by analyzing patterns of molecules in their exhaled breath.
For this latest pilot study, the researchers used nanomaterial-based sensors to analyze breath samples from 130 patients who had undergone endoscopy, some with biopsy. 37 of the patients had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, 32 had ulcers, and 61 had less severe stomach complaints.
Colon Cancer SymptomsSign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
If you complete your entire colonoscopy preparation your colon should be squeaky clean for the test. This allows the doctor to visualize the inner lining, which can be obscured by leftover stool or fluids, potentially camouflaging a polyp or irregular flat tissues within the colon. The cleaner your colon is, the better your doctor will be able to see.
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Cancer Finding Exams
What is a Colonoscopy?
Virtual Colonoscopy
Colon Biopsy
Am I Regular?
Tuesday April 30, 2013
toilet tissue roll
Image © Julie Wilkinson
More often than not, the majority of questions I receive by email at coloncancer@aboutguide.com focus on gas and bowel movement issues. Fact is, farting stinks, no pun intended. Excess gas can cause abdominal and social discomfort - but bowel irregularities and constipation can hold far more serious complications.
Only you can determine if you are truly "regular" or not. Every one of us has a unique "normal" bowel movement pattern - perhaps you move your bowels every two days, but your spouse moves hers daily. The trick is knowing what is regular for you, and then considering any irregular patterns that deviate from this.
When your physician asks you if you've had any bowel irregularity, he or she is inquiring about your (and only your) bowel schedule. If you used to move your bowels twice daily and haven't had a movement today, it is most likely not a cause for concern and does not mean you are irregular. When this pattern persists over time, and the texture, size, or color of your bowel movements constantly changes, that may be irregular. Your stool travels all the way through your digestive tract and can say a lot about your health upon its exit. Perhaps it's constantly too firm or painful to pass - you may not be drinking enough water or eating enough fiber. Bottom line, if you are noticing something irregular about your bowel movements, schedule a doctor's appointment so you can discuss it. There's nothing embarrassing about it.
If you want to learn more about what your bowels might tell you start here:
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Colon Cancer Symptoms
Sign Ribbon cells Horoscope Symbol Tattoos Research Zodiac Sign Ribbon Tattoos
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian Cancer Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
In recurrent ovarian cancer secondary surgery may be an important opportunity to improve survival and quality of life. In order to give a general overview of the available evidence, we discuss publisheddata on the role of secondary surgery in relapsing ovarian cancer. The median survival after secondary surgery has been reported ranging from 16 to 29 months, and seems to be longer in
subjects with optimal debulked disease. However, as with front-line debulking, it is difficult to establish whether the secondary debulking itself has a therapeutic, or even a lasting palliative effect, or whether the patients in whom the procedure is successful are those who have more indolent disease. Any benefit of treatment must be compared with potential morbidity. Post-operative complications are reported in about 25–30% of cases, with a potential impact on hospital stay. During the natural course of the disease, most patients with ovarian cancer develop intestinal obstruction, without impairment of other vital organs or pain. Reported series have suggested that palliative surgery for bowel obstruction is generally feasible in most patients. Some prognostic factors have been suggested to identify patients likely to benefit most from palliative surgery: young age seemed to be associated with longer survival after successful surgery for bowel obstruction, though this finding was not statistically significant. The site of obstruction does not seem to be related to survival after surgery.
CancerPatients
Cancer Patients Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) via either surgical or chemical castration is the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). In North America, it is estimated that more than 40,000 men start ADT each year. The side effects of this treatment are extensive and include gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, and reduced libido. These changes strongly challenge patients’ self-identity and sexuality.
The historical term for a man who has been castrated is ‘eunuch’, now a pejorative term implying overall social and sexual impotence. In this paper, we review key historical features of eunuch social performance and sexuality from a variety of cultures in order to assess the validity of contemporary stereotypes of the androgen-deprived male. Data were taken from secondary sources on the history of Byzantium, Roman Antiquity, Early Islamic societies, the Ottoman Empire, Chinese Dynasties, and the Italian Castrati period. This cross-cultural survey shows that castrated men consistently held powerful social positions that yielded great political influence. Many eunuchs were recognized for their loyalty, managerial style, wisdom, and pedagogical skills. Furthermore, rather than being consistently asexual and celibate, they were often sexually active. In certain cultures, they were objects of sexual desire for males, or females, or both.
Collectively, the historical accounts suggest that, given the right cultural setting and individual motivation, androgen deprivation may actually enhance rather than hinder both social and sexual performance. We conclude that eunuch history contradicts the presumption that androgen deprivation necessarily leads to social and sexual impotence. The capabilities and accomplishments of eunuchs in the past gives patients on ADT grounds for viewing themselves in a positive light, where they are neither socially impotent nor sexually chaste.
Cancer Signs
Cancer Signs Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
FORT WAYNE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Matrix-Bio, Inc., a diagnostics company that uses metabolite profiling to detect cancer and other diseases, has signed an exclusive global licensing and marketing agreement for metabolomic biomarkers with Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world’s leading provider of diagnostic information services. Under the agreement, Quest Diagnostics will have the rights to use the biomarkers for the future, potential development of a clinical lab-developed test to aid in the detection of breast cancer recurrence.
“It also delivers on a central tenet of our strategy to deliver a robust menu of services, in this case for breast cancer, which spans the continuum of care, from predisposition genetic testing to post-surgical monitoring.”
Quest Diagnostics plans to independently develop and validate the laboratory-developed test from its Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute research, development, and laboratory center in San Juan Capistrano (SJC), Calif. It will co-fund clinical studies with Matrix-Bio to demonstrate the clinical value of the test using the metabolomic biomarkers and, assuming successful validation, offer its own version of the test through the SJC laboratory and market the testing service in the United States and other countries. Quest Diagnostics also has the option to pursue an appropriate regulatory pathway for an in vitro diagnostic version of the test. Additional terms were not disclosed.
Matrix-Bio has developed a technique that uses mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to identify metabolic changes occurring in cancerous cells. In 2010, Cancer Research, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Association of Cancer Research, published Matrix-Bio’s findings, Early Detection of Recurrent Breast Cancer Using Metabolite Profiling. Using metabolite-profiling methods, Matrix-Bio’s laboratory-developed test correctly predicted a recurrence of breast cancer an average of 13 months before clinical diagnosis and two times the sensitivity of the current standard tests involving immunoassays.
“Our relationship with Matrix-Bio builds on Quest’s leadership in oncology and mass spectrometry, and moves us forward in the emerging field of metabolomic clinical diagnostics,” said Jay Wohlgemuth, M.D., Senior Vice President, Science and Innovation. “It also delivers on a central tenet of our strategy to deliver a robust menu of services, in this case for breast cancer, which spans the continuum of care, from predisposition genetic testing to post-surgical monitoring.”
Commenting on the agreement, Matrix-Bio Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dan Raftery, Ph.D., said he is excited to collaborate with a company of the stature of Quest Diagnostics to advance the potential commercialization of a novel breast cancer recurrence test.
“Since 2006 when we first started working on metabolite profiling as a cancer detection tool, we have had the ideal partner in mind to help bring this potentially life-saving technology to those at risk of cancer. Licensing the biomarkers to Quest Diagnostics is a big step toward our goal to make improved and more efficient testing methods for diagnosing many forms of cancer available to physicians and patients. Quest has the people, processes, and presence to bring a clinically valuable breast cancer recurrence test to market and with it, hope to breast cancer survivors who want more accurate cancer recurrence monitoring,” Raftery said.
Matrix-Bio is developing additional biomarkers that may provide the basis for tests for other cancers utilizing its patent-pending VeraMarker™ metabolite profiling technology platform. Raftery founded Matrix-Bio while a professor of analytical and physical chemistry at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., where he received entrepreneurial support from the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization. Raftery is now a Medical Education and Research Endowed Professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and Director of the Northwest Metabolomics Research Center at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also a member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Raftery’s work is supported by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Defense.
Skin Cancer
Skin Cancer BIography
Source(google.com.pk)
PERRY ROBINS, M.D. is Professor Emeritus of Dermatology and was Chief of the Mohs Micrographic Surgery Unit at New York University Medical Center for more than forty years. A pioneer in Mohs Micrographic surgery, he has performed more than 40,000 Mohs surgical procedures. An accomplished educator in his field, Dr. Robins was the first to offer one-year fellowships in Mohs surgery and was also the first to train Mohs techniques to dermatologists from other countries. Dr. Robins has trained more than seventy doctors from around the world who are now leaders in dermatologic and skin cancer care. Approximately 40 percent of all doctors who specialize in Mohs surgery were either trained by Dr. Robins or doctors he trained. He has lectured in thirty-four countries in four languages. Dr. Robins is the founder and president of The Skin Cancer Foundation, a national and international organization dedicated to skin cancer research and public and medical education. In addition, Dr. Robins is the founder/president of the International Society of Dermatologic Surgery, founder/former president of the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery, and former president of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery.
The American Academy of Dermatology has made Dr. Robins an honorary fellow for outstanding contributions in dermatology, and on behalf of The Skin Cancer Foundation, he has received its Award for Excellence in Education, 14 Gold Triangle Awards for Excellence in Community Education, and a Presidential Citation. He has been honored as a distinguished member of both the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, and was awarded a Presidential Citation by the International Society of Dermatologic Surgery. The impact of Dr. Robins' work is far-reaching, and over a dozen international dermatologic societies have presented him with honorary memberships.
Dr. Robins has published over sixty articles in leading medical journals and is the founder of the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery and Oncology. He has authored five books for the general public: Sun Sense: a Guide to the Prevention and Early Detection of Skin Cancer, Understanding Melanoma: What You Need To Know with Maritza Perez, MD, Understanding Basal Cell Carcinoma: What You Need to Know, Understanding Squamous Cell Carcinoma: What You Need to Know, and Play it Safe in the Sun, an illustrated book for children. Dr. Robins is known internationally for the advancement of his specialty, his commitment to his patients, and his contributions to education.
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