Friday, June 04, 2010
Cancer genetics and reproduction
Abstract
Cancers of the reproductive organs (i.e., ovaries, uterus and testes), like other cancers, occur as a result of a multi-stage interaction of genetic and environmental factors. A small proportion of cancers of the reproductive organs occur as part of a recognised cancer syndrome, as a result of inheritance of mutations in highly penetrant cancer susceptibility genes (e.g., BRCA1, BRCA2, MLH1 or MSH2). Recognition of individuals and families with inherited cancer predisposition syndromes and individuals at high risk due to familial cancer clustering is fundamentally important for the management and treatment of the current cancer and for future prevention of further cancers for the individual and their extended family
'The worst thing about hospice is that they talk about death': contrasting hospice decisions and experience among immigrant Central and South American Latinos with US-born White, non-Latino cancer caregivers
Abstract:
Hospice care is promoted as a model for improving end of life care and decreasing burden on caregivers. However, hospice use is low in Latinos and little is known about how Latinos make hospice decisions and experience hospice once enrolled. Qualitative methods were used in this study to conduct in-depth interviews and focus groups with 15 Latino bereaved hospice family caregivers and 15 White non-Latino bereaved hospice family caregivers to describe hospice experiences and evaluate whether cultural factors affected the experience. Differences in decision-making and caregiving experience were identified that were influenced by culture. For example, cultural values of denial, secrecy about prognosis and a collective, family-centered system influenced hospice decisions and experience in Latinos but not non-Latinos. This study identifies a significant dilemma: that is, how to discuss hospice with a patient and family who prefer not to discuss a terminal prognosis. Future research is needed to extend these preliminary results; such results may be useful for designing interventions to improve end of life care and caregiving in Latinos.
'They've got to learn' -- a qualitative study exploring the views of patients and staff regarding medical student teaching in a hospice
Abstract:
UK medical school curricula incorporate training in end-of-life care as recommended by Tomorrow’s Doctors.
Previous research suggests that hospice staff have concerns about the burden on patients when participating in medical student teaching and may gatekeep access to patients.
This qualitative study uses semistructured interviews to explore and compare the views of hospice patients and health care staff about patient involvement in medical student teaching. Fifteen patients and 14 staff members were recruited from a single UK hospice involved in teaching third year medical students.
Hospice patients, who have been involved in teaching, are strongly positive about meeting medical students and staff carefully select patients based on a number of issues.
Abstract/full free access: The distribution of the therapeutic monoclonal antibodies cetuximab and trastuzumab within solid tumors
In research/technical:
Conclusions
Cetuximab (Erbitux) and trastuzumab (Herceptin) distribute slowly, but at higher doses achieve a relatively uniform distribution after about 24 hours, most likely due to their long half-lives in the circulation. There remains poor distribution within hypoxic (hypoxia - a deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues of the body) regions of tumors.
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