Medical News: SGO: Hint of Chemoprevention Potential for Lynch Syndrome (endometrial cancers) - in Meeting Coverage, SGO

SAN FRANCISCO -- Oral contraceptives and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, DepoProvera) may have potential as chemopreventive agents for endometrial cancer in women with Lynch syndrome, biomarker data from a small randomized trial suggest.
"Despite the favorable results, Lu noted that the trial required six years to complete, as investigators in the multicenter study had to screen 708 patients to identify 51 who met entry criteria and agreed to participate, including undergoing two endometrial biopsies three months apart."

read the full article & then my comments as below:

Without the benefit of the full paper, I found this article, in part to be quite confusing. In particular "screened women with diagnosed Lynch syndrome". While the first paragraph of the article reflects the focus on endometrial cancer in women with Lynch Syndrome, the paragraph as below, could also be interpreted to include ovarian cancer as well. So, were ovarian cancer patients with Lynch Syndrome included in this study? Chemoprevention in the form of oral contraceptives in the general ovarian cancer populations is well understood, whether or not this applies to ovarian cancer women with Lynch Syndrome may be yet to be determined.
Clarification, please?
Sandi Pniauskas

"To examine the chemopreventive effects of oral contraceptives and DepoProvera in women with Lynch syndrome, investigators conducted a randomized phase II clinical trial. They screened women with diagnosed Lynch syndrome and evaluated them with transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial biopsy."

A Phase 1 First-in-Human Study Evaluating AMG 900 in Advanced Solid Tumors - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

A Phase 1 First-in-Human Study Evaluating AMG 900 in Advanced Solid Tumors

This study is not yet open for participant recruitment.

Verified by Amgen, January 2010

First Received: February 26, 2009 Last Updated: January 7, 2010

University of Louisville College of Business - NanoMark

LOUISVILLE, Ky., (October 18, 2009)

NanoMark Therapeutics wins Ballard Morton New Venture Competition with kinder, gentler chemotherapy concept

IN Research: NanoMark Therapeutics - website - "AUra"

also: Product Pipeline (2011)  

(in research) as per the website:
"To alleviate the fear and provide relief to those brave patients battling with ovarian cancer, Nanomark Therapeutics (NMT) has developed the revolutionary and first product of its kind, AUra. The drug formulation is the only targeted ovarian cancer therapy in the world and works by selectively binding to receptors found exclusively on cancer cells, using the receptor as a docking station and the nanoparticles as vehicles of entry into the cell for the cancer medication.

Media coverage about cancer mortality, end-of-life issues lacking | HemOncToday

“The absence of reporting about hospice and palliative care is significant, given the numerous well-documented benefits for patients and family members,” the researchers wrote. “Specifically, hospice programs deliver high-quality care at the end of life, with excellent patient and family satisfaction, reduced costs and decreased suffering at the end of life.”

Society of Interventional Radiology: Shutting Out Soft Tissue Cancers in the Cold

Note: Cryotherapy "Interventional Radiologists Pioneer Potential Treatment for Cancer That Has Metastasized to Soft Tissues (Such as Ovarian Cancer) and Bones; Seen as Option for Those Who Are Not Candidates for Surgery"

Editorial: Who Are We and Where Are We Headed? Journal of Oncology Practice

Note: factors/needs affecting physicians taking care of patients

Impact of the Cost of Cancer Treatment: An Internet-Based Survey -- Markman and Luce 6 (2): 69 -- Journal of Oncology Practice

Note: abstract only, did not include ovarian cancer patients Conclusion: This survey suggests that a substantial proportion of patients and their families experience considerable distress associated with the cost of cancer care delivery. Furthermore, these costs affect the decision of patients with cancer to receive recommended treatment. This is a particularly serious issue for individuals with a modest annual income.

ACS Researchers: Progress, Challenges in the War on Cancer

some excerpts:

"...many surgical treatments have become far less disfiguring."

"However, the ACS experts note that researchers have yet to find screening tests and effective therapies for other highly lethal types of cancer, such as lung, liver, ovarian, pancreatic, and brain cancer."

"The epidemic of overweight and obesity—which is associated with the incidence of many types of cancer—during the past 2 decades in the United States has created a new public health challenge, and it is unclear how it is affecting cancer incidence rates currently and in the future," Gapstur and Thun write.

Why do patients with cancer visit the emergency department near the end of life? - CMAJ

Note: full access (pdf)
"Between 2002 and 2005 in Ontario, 91 561 patients died of cancer and were included in our cohort."

"...The other highly ranked diagnoses that were common to both periods were abdominal pain, dyspnea, pneumonia, malaise and fatigue, and pleural effusion. A notable difference between the two time periods was the rank of cardiac arrest, which ranked 16th among diagnoses made for visits during the final two weeks but 61st among those made for visits during the final six months. Palliative care, dehydration and altered level of consciousness ranked much higher for the final two-week period than for the six-month period. No specific code exists for pain-related crisis...".

"Clinical descriptions of patients or families as no longer “coping” at home are common."

Mixing NSAIDs with antiplatelet therapy - The Clinical Advisor

Pregabalin in the treatment of post-traumatic peripheral neuropathic pain: a randomized double-blind trial European Journal of Neurology

The Stigma of Being ‘Fat’ - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

In today’s Science Times, Harriet Brown discusses how, in a time of public acceptance and tolerance of differences, the stigma of being obese may be at an all-time high:

"Public attitudes about fat have never been more judgmental; stigmatizing fat people has become not just acceptable but, in some circles, de rigueur. I’ve sat in meetings with colleagues who wouldn’t dream of disparaging anyone’s color, sex, economic status or general attractiveness, yet feel free to comment witheringly on a person’s weight."

Science Times - information and medicine- New York Times

(links to articles) A special issue of Science Times looks at the explosion of information about health and medicine — on the Web, in medical journals, in the doctor’s office and over the air — and offers some guidelines on how to sort it all out.

You’re Sick. Now What? Knowledge Is Power.

Are patients swimming in a sea of health information? Or are they drowning in it?

Searching for Clarity: A Primer on Medical Studies

You Can Find Dr. Right, With Some Effort

What’s Behind an F.D.A. Stamp?
.
Logging On for a Second (or Third) Opinion

Applying Science to Alternative Medicine

While sweeping claims are often made for alternative medicine treatments, the scientific evidence for them often lags behind.

How a Patient Can Help a Doctor Give the Best Care

With Cancer, Let’s Face It: Words Are Inadequate - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

SGO: Rectovaginal Nodules Predict Bowel Perforation Risk with Bevacizumab - in Meeting Coverage, SGO from MedPage 2009

The power of positive thinking : The Lancet Oncology

Note: this article has free access (with free registration)
"..The notion that individuals who adopt a positive outlook improve their chances of surviving cancer has been controversial among the medical community, but is widely accepted in patient culture...."

Blog - Pharmacy Technician Certification - 12 Most Common Medical Errors (And How to Prevent Them)

Note: This blog also gives lists of links to other sites such as: patient assistance programs (meds), receipes, healthy lifestyle, common myths, vegetarians etc