Monday, January 18, 2010
Breaking down the breakthrough claims - Blog
Note: this one was all over the news this past week: partial excerpt: "A new drug called dabigatran prevents more strokes with less bleeding than warfarin." Dr. Atlas says: "Dabigatran may be a game changer, but there is one thing the story didn't mention. The group that got Dabigatran had more heart attacks than those who got coumadin. Oops! This could be the real game changer from the FDA's perspective. Note it's still under review there."
abstract: The treatment of menopausal symptoms by traditional East Asian medicines: Review and perspectives
Note: abstract provides very limited information
AMA news: Participatory medicine: A high-tech alliance with patients
"At its most basic level, participatory medicine means shared decision-making and deep patient engagement. Because of the rise in technology use -- as well as an increase in out-of-pocket health care expenses -- this has gone well beyond the traditional tell-me-where-it-hurts conversation between patient and doctor in the exam room....Physicians "are afraid this is something that will cost them time and money, and it will create arguments with patients," Dr. Greene said."
abstract: Body mass index as a prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer and correlation with clinico-pathological factors (1994–2003)
"The prognostic impact of BMI on survival was only noted for underweight patients with serous tumors."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
abstract: Pharmacogenomics of taxane/platinum therapy in ovarian cancer
epigentics: The study of heritable changes in gene function that occur without a change in the DNA sequence
"CONCLUSIONS: Other mechanisms of variability, including epigenetic control of gene expression and copy number variation, may play important roles. In addition, nongenetic influences such as concurrent medications, and physiological and environmental factors could also affect individual responses to taxane and platinum therapy."
August 2009: Safety of (Avastin) Bevacizumab in Advanced Ovarian and Müllerian Cancers: A Review: Bevacizumab and Ovarian Cancer
"To date, several investigators (Table 1) have explored bevacizumab as a single agent or in combination with metronomic chemotherapy in the management of advanced ovarian cancer. All studies to date with bevacizumab as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy have shown promising responses. The concern is centered on whether the benefit of this therapeutic agent outweighs its potential toxicity."
Clinical Trial: How Our Immune System Can Help Fight Cancer
Note: not yet recruiting for patients - An interesting study bringing together genetics and immune system. Location: New York, U.S.A.
Clinical Trials Search of: Open Studies ovarian cancer Adult- new studies received from 12/01/2009 to 01/17/2010
13 new studies shown (non specific)
Dr Dizon's blog: The Women's Cancer Blog
"Dr. Dizon is a medical oncologist specializing in women's cancers. He takes care of both breast and gynecologic cancers and has interests in new treatments, survivorship, and sexuality, and is Director of Medical Oncology at the Program in Women's Oncology at Women and Infants hospital of Rhode Island. He is also an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Internal Medicine at Alpert Medical School of Brown University."
Search of: Open Studies "ovarian cancer"
as at: January 17th, 2010 6:26 pm search results = 447 studies (general non specific search) - all types of studies, all phases
free full access: JAMA -- Funding of US Biomedical Research, 2003-2008, January 13, 2010, Dorsey et al. 303 (2): 137
Note: charts for quick overviews
full free access April 2009: Repertoire of microRNAs in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
"...Small RNA cDNA libraries were constructed from RNA sample pools....and epithelial ovarian cancer specimens of serous, clear cell and endometrioid histologies....This report expands the body of miRNAs known to be expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and provides a useful resource for future studies of the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis and early detection of ovarian cancer."
Cancer Blood Tests
"...The team made the discovery partly by accident. They were studying short pieces of RNA called micro RNAs in human tissue samples. These tiny pieces of RNA, discovered only a few years ago, play a big role in regulating genes, and are now known to be altered in cancer..... In a large majority of the cases, just by measuring the amount of micro RNA in the blood, we could tell who had cancer and who didn’t,” Tewari says."
PBS: Genetic Genealogy on Faces of America - airing February-March 2010
Eva Longoria, Meryl Streep, Mario Batali, Stephen Colbert, Malcolm Gladwell, Yo-Yo Ma, Mike Nichols, Kristi Yamaguchi, Elizabeth Alexander, Queen Noor and Louise Erdrich have all submitted DNA tests for a new PBS television series FACES OF AMERICA.
Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. airs on Wednesdays, February 10 – March 3, 2010 from 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS.
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