http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/Chronic-Lymphocytic-Leukemia_news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2012. All Rights Reserved. Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:11 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-early-life-risk-factors-for-non-hodgkin-lymphoma-101673-1.htm Family characteristics, high fetal growth, older maternal age, low birth order and male gender are the factors influencing early life non-Hodgkin lymphoma, say researchers. Over the last 50 years, NHL incidence increased substantially, although the overall incidence started to stabilize in the 1990s, at least among adults. But incidence has continued to climb in children, adolescents, and young adults. Perinatal factors have been thought to increase NHL risk, but previous studies of those ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/researchers-identify-early-life-risk-factors-for-non-hodgkin-lymphoma-101673-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/upshot-of-chemotherapy-on-gross-survival-appears-amplified-based-on-tumor-size-101595-1.htm Possibility of a positive correlation amid tumor size and adjuvant platinum based chemotherapy in surgically resected patients with node negative non-small cell lung cancer as pointed by latest research released in June's Journal of Thoracic Oncology. The study, published in the June 2012 issue of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's (IASLC) iJournal of Thoracic Oncology/i, analyzed the effect of tumor size and KRAS mutations on survival benefit from adjuvant platinum ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/upshot-of-chemotherapy-on-gross-survival-appears-amplified-based-on-tumor-size-101595-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/patients-with-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer-may-be-helped-by-accelerated-chemotherapy-before-surgery-101485-1.htm It has emerged that for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, oncologists may begin treatment before they undergo surgical removal of the bladder. A large randomized clinical trial published in 2003 demonstrated a survival benefit for neoadjuvant, or pre-surgical, MVAC (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) using a standard dose and schedule. However, in an effort to improve toxicity, standard MVAC has been essentially abandoned in favor of other regimens. All current ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/patients-with-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer-may-be-helped-by-accelerated-chemotherapy-before-surgery-101485-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-genetic-predictor-of-breast-cancer-response-to-chemotherapy-101288-1.htm While, chemotherapy is a major first line defense against breast cancer, a patient's response is often variable and unpredictable. A study published in BioMed Central's open access journal iBMC Medical Genomics/i shows that 'gene expression signatures' for TOP2A and (and) #946;-tubulin can be used to predict the outcome of chemotherapy. The goal of personalized medicine in cancer treatment is to target therapy to the characteristics of the individual tumor. For example Herceptin treatment ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/scientists-identify-genetic-predictor-of-breast-cancer-response-to-chemotherapy-101288-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/protein-probable-suggestive-switch-to-turn-out-b-cell-lymphoma-101091-1.htm The molecular signals targeting to steer a specific type of lymphoma has enabled to find a key biological pathway leading to this type of cancer, examined by researchers. Cancerous cells have been described as being "addicted" to certain oncogenes (cancer-causing genes), and the new research may lay the groundwork for breaking that addiction and effectively treating aggressive types of B cell lymphoma. B cell lymphomas, which occur both in children and adults, are cancers that attack B cells in the immune system....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/protein-probable-suggestive-switch-to-turn-out-b-cell-lymphoma-101091-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/lymphoma-therapy-could-deliver-a-double-punch-research-100789-1.htm A group of cancers that originate in lymphoid tissues from B cells are B cell lymphomas. B cells are specialized immune cell types that produce antibodies. The development of B cell lymphoma is associated with several known genetic changes, including increased expression of MYC, a transcription factor that promotes cell growth and division. In this issue of the iJCI/i, Andrei Thomas-Tikhonenko and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia report on their studies ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/lymphoma-therapy-could-deliver-a-double-punch-research-100789-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-biomarker-may-open-new-ways-to-treat-patients-with-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-100527-1.htm G protein-coupled receptor expression may predict the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, researchers at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine have shown. Their findings may identify new ways to treat such patients. The UCSD researchers, led by Paul A. Insel, M.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, will present their findings on April 24. A clinical problem for many diseases, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) the most common form of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-biomarker-may-open-new-ways-to-treat-patients-with-chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia-100527-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-added-to-customary-chemotherapy-does-not-offer-survival-benefit-for-older-lung-cancer-patients-100309-1.htm Drug bevacizumab (Avastin) added to the standard chemotherapy regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), an approach authorised by the FDA in 2006, did not lead to notably boost survival rates for patients over the age of 65 enrolled in Medicare, state findings by researchers of a new study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The study is being published in the April 18 iJournal of the American Medical Association/i, a these issue on comparative effectiveness research. "Effectiveness ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/drug-added-to-customary-chemotherapy-does-not-offer-survival-benefit-for-older-lung-cancer-patients-100309-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-drugs-could-improve-with-altering-tumor-microenvironment-100288-1.htm Altering the interaction between cancer cells and their immediate surroundings could improve the effectiveness of "classical" chemotherapy drugs in treating common cancer, a new study by researchers from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) reveals. In research published online today in the journal iCancer Cell/i, CSHL Assistant Professor Mikala Egeblad and her team report using "live" microscopy to observe how cancer cells in mouse tumors react to the widely used chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-drugs-could-improve-with-altering-tumor-microenvironment-100288-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-repair-pathway-score-to-predict-effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-in-ovarian-cancer-patients-100172-1.htm Researchers have developed a DNA repair pathway score that could show whether first-line platinum based chemotherapy can be effective in advanced stage ovarian cancer patients. The study is published April 13 in the iJournal of the National Cancer Institute/i. Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed with advanced disease (stages III and IV). They undergo surgery to remove as much tumor as possible, and then undergo platinum-based chemotherapy. But tools to predict response to platinum-based ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/dna-repair-pathway-score-to-predict-effectiveness-of-chemotherapy-in-ovarian-cancer-patients-100172-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-chemotherapy-life-saving-for-some-leukemia-patients-who-fail-induction-therapy-100022-1.htm Bone marrow transplants are not the best option for some young patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who fail to attain clinical remission after the initial weeks of intense chemotherapy known as induction therapy, an international study found. The largest study ever of such pediatric ALL patients identified a subset of young children who achieved 10-year survival rates of 72 percent after additional chemotherapy rather than bone marrow transplantation. The patients are among the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/study-finds-chemotherapy-life-saving-for-some-leukemia-patients-who-fail-induction-therapy-100022-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/key-mechanism-behind-lymphoma-targeted-by-new-molecule-99903-1.htm The first treatment to target a key pathway in lymphoma is close to becoming a reality thanks to scientists at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. The new findings will be announced at the AACR Annual Meeting 2012 on Tuesday, April 3. "It's an exciting time to be involved in lymphoma treatment and research," says study author Mitchell Smith, M.D., Ph.D., director of Lymphoma Service at Fox Chase. "There's a new understanding of the disease, and new drugs to treat it. I am optimistic that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/key-mechanism-behind-lymphoma-targeted-by-new-molecule-99903-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/survival-in-sarcoma-patients-predicted-by-early-pet-response-to-neoadjuvant-chemotherapy-99745-1.htm Survival in patients with soft tissue sarcomas can be predicted via an early Positron Emission Tomography (PET) response after the initial cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These are the findings of a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prior studies by this multidisciplinary team of physician scientists at the Jonsson Cancer Center had shown that use of FDG PET/computed tomography (CT) could determine pathologic response after the first dose of chemotherapy drugs....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/survival-in-sarcoma-patients-predicted-by-early-pet-response-to-neoadjuvant-chemotherapy-99745-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/breast-cancer-tumors-and-chemotherapy-treatment-99410-1.htm A recent research states that some breast cancer tumors may be resistant to a common chemotherapy treatment. Principal investigator Ing Swie Goping and her team discovered some breast cancer tumours had low levels of certain genes, and that those tumours didn't respond well to taxane chemotherapy, a common treatment used in breast cancer. "These tumours didn't shrink and were resistant to a common chemotherapy treatment. These results give us a strong incentive to continue our research," she said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/breast-cancer-tumors-and-chemotherapy-treatment-99410-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/safe-chemotherapy-possible-via-genetic-testing-99286-1.htm A way of identifying breast cancer patients likely to suffer life-threatening side effects from chemotherapy has been detailed by scientists. Their research, reported in the Daily Mail, could eventually lead to safer treatments adapted to individual patients. The study of almost 1,100 breast cancer patients found 17 percent needed hospital care for potentially fatal infections after treatment with three widely used chemotherapy drugs. But it also found 15 percent of women in the study had a gene variant linked to the worst side effects....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/safe-chemotherapy-possible-via-genetic-testing-99286-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/symptoms-of-rett-syndrome-in-mice-halted-by-bone-marrow-transplant-99170-1.htm A new study has revealed that using bone marrow transplant (BMT) to replace faulty immune system cells in mouse models of Rett Syndrome arrested many severe symptoms of the childhood disorder. The latter included abnormal breathing and movement, and significantly extended the rodents' lifespan. Exploring the function of microglia deficient in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (Mecp2), the protein encoded by the "Rett gene," principal investigator Jonathan Kipnis, Ph.D. and his team at the University ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/symptoms-of-rett-syndrome-in-mice-halted-by-bone-marrow-transplant-99170-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/cognitive-impairments-linked-to-chemotherapy-agonize-asian-breast-cancer-survivors-99048-1.htm Asian breast cancer patients who underwent or were undergoing chemotherapy treatment indicated symptoms of `chemobrain`, leading patients to face memory loss, difficulty in decision making and speech problems. National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers revealed in a recent study. This first-ever qualitative study conducted among Asians, led by Associate Professor Alexandre Chan and spearheaded by PhD candidate Ms Cheung Yin Ting, from the Department of Pharmacy at the NUS Faculty of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/cognitive-impairments-linked-to-chemotherapy-agonize-asian-breast-cancer-survivors-99048-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/side-effects-of-chemotherapy-could-be-cut-down-by-fresh-discovery-98785-1.htm The structure of a key molecule that can transport chemotherapy and anti-viral drugs into cells, which could help to craft more potent drugs with fewer effects to healthy tissue, has been determined by scientists. The transporter molecule, called a concentrative nucleoside transporter, works by moving nucleosides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA, from the outside to the inside of cells. "Knowing the structure and properties of the transporter molecule may be the key to changing the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/side-effects-of-chemotherapy-could-be-cut-down-by-fresh-discovery-98785-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/side-effects-of-chemotherapy-could-be-reduced-by-new-discovery-98724-1.htm The structure of a key molecule that can carry chemotherapy and anti-viral drugs into cells has been determined by a team of researchers at Duke University. This finding could help to create more effective drugs with fewer effects to healthy tissue. "Knowing the structure and properties of the transporter molecule may be the key to changing the way that some chemotherapies, for example, could work in the body to prevent tumor growth," said senior author Seok-Yong Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry at Duke....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/side-effects-of-chemotherapy-could-be-reduced-by-new-discovery-98724-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chemotherapy-resistance-may-be-triggered-by-protein-98210-1.htm A team of scientists has revealed that a protein abundantly found in treatment-resistant cancers holds an important tumor-suppressor out of the cell nucleus. The latter is the place where it would normally detect DNA damage and force defective cells to kill themselves. The report is published in the current issue of iCancer Cell/i. "Overexpression of Aurora Kinase-A in tumors has been correlated with resistance to DNA-damaging chemotherapy, but we haven't known how this occurs," said senior author Subrata Sen, Ph....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chemotherapy-resistance-may-be-triggered-by-protein-98210-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/understanding-the-long-term-cognitive-effects-of-breast-cancer-chemotherapy-98191-1.htm Researchers conducted a study for the first time to understand the long-term cognitive effects of breast cancer chemotherapy. olliSummary of a study being published online February 27, 2012 in the IJournal of Clinical Oncology/I, showing that women who underwent a once-common chemotherapy regimen known as CMF between 1976 and 1995 score slightly lower on cognitive tests that measure word learning, memory and information processing speed than women without a history of cancer. liWhile ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/understanding-the-long-term-cognitive-effects-of-breast-cancer-chemotherapy-98191-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/anti-cancer-activity-of-chemotherapy-to-be-boosted-by-regular-malaria-drug-97859-1.htm A scientist of Indian-origin has revealed that adding hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) (FDA-approved drug) usually administered for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis - to many cancer therapies, counting chemotherapy, targeted therapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, can improve the antitumor activity of these drugs in laboratory models of treatment-resistant cancers, and ongoing clinical trials. Blocking autophagy-the process of "self-eating" within cells-is turning out to be a viable way to enhance the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/anti-cancer-activity-of-chemotherapy-to-be-boosted-by-regular-malaria-drug-97859-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/chemotherapy-reduces-deaths-in-early-breast-cancer-97835-1.htm bAccording to a recent study, the currently used chemotherapy regimens have reduced deaths due to breast cancer by approximately one-third compared to no chemotherapy./b A number of chemotherapy combinations have been used in the treatment of breast cancer. But is there any regimen that may be better than the rest? An analysis of more than 100 trials to compare the use of different types of chemotherapy in early breast cancer was carried out. The chemotherapy regimens studied were ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/chemotherapy-reduces-deaths-in-early-breast-cancer-97835-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hope-for-blood-disorders-thanks-to-cell-signaling-discovery-97791-1.htm New details about how cell signalling is controlled in the immune system have been revealed by Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists. In the process they have identified potential new therapeutic targets for treating severe blood disorders. Dr Jeff Babon and Professor Nick Nicola, from the institute's Structural Biology and Cancer and Haematology divisions respectively, study interactions between internal cell signalling proteins called JAKs (Janus kinases) and SOCS (Suppressors of Cytokine Signalling)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-hope-for-blood-disorders-thanks-to-cell-signaling-discovery-97791-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/silver-as-competent-as-chemotherapy-drug-to-treat-cancer-97099-1.htm Silver is as proficient as a principal chemotherapy drug in treating cancer and may possibly even have fewer side effects, reveals a new study. Results from the study at the University of Leeds, show that particular silver compounds are as toxic to cancer cells as the platinum-based drug Cisplatin, which is widely used to treat a range of cancers. But the crucial difference is that silver is thought to be much less toxic to healthy human cells, and in some cases, can be beneficial. Silver ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/silver-as-competent-as-chemotherapy-drug-to-treat-cancer-97099-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Drugs-May-Lead-to-Leukemia-Relapse-96007-1.htm Chemotherapy drugs that are used to push a common form of adult leukemia into remission may trigger DNA damage that can lead to a relapse of the disease in some patients, a new study suggests. The research, by a team of physicians and scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is published Jan. 11 in the advance online edition of iNature/i. For patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), initial treatment with chemotherapy is essential for putting the cancer into remission....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Drugs-May-Lead-to-Leukemia-Relapse-96007-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Overall-Survival-in-Follicular-Lymphoma-Patients-Not-Improved-by-Autologous-Stem-Cell-Transplantation-95207-1.htm Formerly untreated patients with advanced follicular lymphoma (FL) show no improvement in the overall survival with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDC-ASCT), compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy alone, contend an online study published December 21 in the i Journal of the National Cancer Institute/i. Follicular lymphoma is the most common sub-type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in North America, characterized by a long natural history, with multiple remissions and relapses following treatment....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Overall-Survival-in-Follicular-Lymphoma-Patients-Not-Improved-by-Autologous-Stem-Cell-Transplantation-95207-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Examining-2-Sisters-Offers-Insight-to-Lymphoma-Evolution-94847-1.htm A 41 year old woman received a bone marrow transplant and subsequent leukocyte infusion from her sister after being diagnosed with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. Though the treatments inhibited her leukemia both sisters developed follicular lymphoma seven years later. Although the phenomenon of a donor passing a malignancy to a recipient is well documented and considered a minimal risk to those in the transplant community, this case gave scientists the unique opportunity to understand ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Examining-2-Sisters-Offers-Insight-to-Lymphoma-Evolution-94847-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Approach-Improves-Lymphoma-Outcomes-in-Children-94697-1.htm A method that twins Rwandan physicians with Boston-based pediatric oncologists has shown to improve lymphoma outcomes in young patients. The first-of-its-kind strategy is credited for curing at least 5 of 10 children at a rural Rwandan hospital; two others are in remission while receiving chemotherapy, and three children have died. The long-distance team approach was designed by Sara Stulac, MD, MPH, director of pediatrics for Partners In Health, and during the last year further developed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/New-Approach-Improves-Lymphoma-Outcomes-in-Children-94697-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Experimental-Agent-Benefits-Chronic-Lymphocytic-Leukemia-Patients-94651-1.htm PCI-32765 - a B cell receptor inhibitor is highly active and well tolerated in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), reveals report. "PCI-32765, one of a new class of experimental drugs called B cell receptor inhibitors, has shown impressive potential in this clinical trial for its effectiveness and particularly for its relatively minimal toxicity," said lead investigator Susan O'Brien, M.D., professor in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Novel-Experimental-Agent-Benefits-Chronic-Lymphocytic-Leukemia-Patients-94651-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-may-Not-be-Necessary-in-All-Patients-Post-Hydatidiform-Mole-Evacuation-94518-1.htm bChemotherapy may not always be necessary in women following the removal of hydatidiform mole. /b bClose surveillance may be sufficient in certain women with high hCG levels 6 months post evacuation of a hydatidiform mole, according to a recent study. /b A hydatidiform mole is an abnormal growth within the uterus at the beginning of pregnancy. The tissues, which should have normally developed into the placenta (the tissue which attaches the fetus to the uterus and provides ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-may-Not-be-Necessary-in-All-Patients-Post-Hydatidiform-Mole-Evacuation-94518-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Researchers-Identify-New-Potential-Therapeutic-Target-for-Lymphoma-94077-1.htm A new potential therapeutic target for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) has been discovered by researchers from the NYU Cancer Institute, an NCI-designated cancer center at NYU Langone Medical Center. The former is the most aggressive and common type of lymphoma in adults. The new study, published in the November 23 issue of iNature/i, reveals the underlying molecular mechanism contributing to the development of lymphomagenesis. "We have discovered that the protein FBXO11 is a ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Researchers-Identify-New-Potential-Therapeutic-Target-for-Lymphoma-94077-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Public-Health-Should-Address-Needs-of-People-With-Blood-Disorders-93530-1.htm While focusing on reducing the burden of common diseases, public health should also address the needs of people with blood disorders , experts say in a supplement to December's IAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine/I. Even relatively common blood disorders fly below the public health system's radar with no established mechanisms for surveillance, supplement editors Scott D. Grosse, PhD, of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Andra H. James, MD, of Duke University; and Michele A....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Public-Health-Should-Address-Needs-of-People-With-Blood-Disorders-93530-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Affects-Congnitive-Function-in-Breast-Cancer-Survivors-93415-1.htm Breast cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy and surgery are worse on cognitive function tests than patients treated with surgery alone, suggesting that 'chemo-brain' or 'mental fog' does exist for real, according to a new study.Scientists studied 25 breast cancer survivors who had surgery and chemotherapy, 19 breast cancer survivors who had surgery but no chemotherapy, and 18 women with no history of breast cancer. As Compared to the women who had no history of breast cancer, both the ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Affects-Congnitive-Function-in-Breast-Cancer-Survivors-93415-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lula-to-Start-Chemotherapy-92763-1.htm Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives at a Sao Paulo hospital to begin chemotherapy treatment for his larynx cancer. Lula arrived at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital just days after his condition was diagnosed. Accompanied by his wife Marisa Leticia, the Brazilian leader skirted dozens of journalists who had gathered at the door of the hospital awaiting his arrival. One day earlier, doctors told reporters that Lula was ready to commence with his treatment, despite ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lula-to-Start-Chemotherapy-92763-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Fails-Dousing-Brazils-Ex-Leader-Lulas-High-spiritedness-92696-1.htm Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is optimistic that the chemotherapy due to start for his larynx cancer will be successful, revealed one of his lead doctors on Sunday. "He is in good spirits and on board, committed, and that is key to the success of any treatment," Dr. Roberto Kalil Jr. told reporters outside Lula's home in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Officials in Brazil announced last week that the 66-year-old Lula was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx following a series of tests....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Fails-Dousing-Brazils-Ex-Leader-Lulas-High-spiritedness-92696-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma-may-be-Triggered-by-Obesity-and-Dietary-Choices-92674-1.htm Research indicates that body weight and dietary choices in young adulthood can trigger non-Hodgkin lymphoma in later life. In previous analyses of the Nurses' Health Study at 14 years of follow-up, lead researcher Shumin Zhang, M.D., Sc.D., and colleagues reported positive associations with NHL for trans fat intake and inverse associations for vegetable intake. To expand those findings, Bertrand and colleagues evaluated the association of obesity, specific types of dietary fats and fruits and vegetables with risk for NHL....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Non-Hodgkin-Lymphoma-may-be-Triggered-by-Obesity-and-Dietary-Choices-92674-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Success-of-Chemotherapy-may-be-Predicted-by-New-Test-92638-1.htm Scientists have devised a new test to determine the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer patients. The test devised by the scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute will predict the effectiveness of drugs based on whether a patient's tumour cells are already "primed" for death. The researchers report that cancer cells that are on the verge of self-destruction are more likely to succumb to certain chemotherapy agents than cancer cells that have yet to reach that stage. The discovery ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Success-of-Chemotherapy-may-be-Predicted-by-New-Test-92638-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Marijuana-Can-Help-Ease-Pain-Post-Chemotherapy-91634-1.htm A chemical component of the marijuana plant could prevent the onset of pain associated with drugs used in chemo therapy, particularly in breast cancer patients, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Pharmacy. The researchers published their findings, "Cannabidiol Prevents the Development of Cold and Mechanical Allodynia in Paclitaxel-Treated Female C57Bl6 Mice," in the journal IAnesthesia and Analgesia/I. The researchers developed animal models and tested the ability ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Marijuana-Can-Help-Ease-Pain-Post-Chemotherapy-91634-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Mechanism-Behind-Drop-In-Platelets-After-Chemotherapy-91247-1.htm Australian scientists have been able to identify the mechanism that causes a precipitous drop in platelets after chemotherapy, paving the way for blood clots. Platelets are formed by a process called 'shedding' where small fragments break off megakaryocytes (large cells normally found in the bone marrow). The researchers say chemotherapy kills the platelet-inducing megakaryocytes by its action on Bcl-2 family proteins. Drs Emma Josefsson, Chloe James and Benjamin Kile from the Walter and Eliza Hall ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Mechanism-Behind-Drop-In-Platelets-After-Chemotherapy-91247-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Nerve-Pain-After-Chemotherapy-may-be-Prevented-by-Marijuana-Extract-91183-1.htm New animal experiments show that a marijuana extract called 'Cannabidiol' could help prevent painful neuropathy in patients receiving the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel. "Our preliminary findings...indicate that cannabidiol may prevent the development of paclitaxel-induced allodynia in mice and therefore be effective at preventing dose-limiting paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy in humans," according to the report by Sara Jane Ward, Ph.D., and colleagues of Temple University School of Pharmacy, Philadelphia....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Nerve-Pain-After-Chemotherapy-may-be-Prevented-by-Marijuana-Extract-91183-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Infused-into-Liver-Extends-Disease-Free-Life-in-Melanoma-Patients-By-a-Few-Months-91141-1.htm Melanoma of the eye (ocular or uveal melanoma) frequently spreads to the liver and, once this has happened, there is no effective treatment and patients die within an average of two to four months. Only about one in ten patients live for a year. Now, final results from a phase III study have demonstrated that a new treatment significantly extends the time patients can live without the disease progressing. James Pingpank, associate professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Infused-into-Liver-Extends-Disease-Free-Life-in-Melanoma-Patients-By-a-Few-Months-91141-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Possible-Measure-to-Preventing-Chemotherapy-Resistance-in-Ovarian-Cancer-Discovered-90757-1.htm For patients with ovarian cancer and their physicians, resistance to chemotherapy is a serious concern. However, researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center have identified a molecular pathway that may play a key role in the evolution of chemotherapy resistance. They are hopeful that the discovery may lead to therapies that are tailored to individual patients with ovarian cancer; reversing resistance to chemotherapy and improving survival from the disease. "Few clinical or biologic events affect survival ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Possible-Measure-to-Preventing-Chemotherapy-Resistance-in-Ovarian-Cancer-Discovered-90757-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fish-Oil-Inhibits-Chemotherapy-90493-1.htm Fatty acids found in fish oil supplements can undermine the effectiveness of chemotherapy, say Dutch researchers. Fish oil supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are sold worldwide, and are touted by manufacturers as a way to boost heart and brain health. However, researchers at The Netherlands' University Medical Center Utrecht report in the journal Cancer Cell that two types of fatty acids, known as platinum-induced fatty acids or PIFAs, were shown to block one type of chemotherapy from working in animal tests....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fish-Oil-Inhibits-Chemotherapy-90493-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Before-Breast-Cancer-Surgery-Equally-Effective-As-After-90320-1.htm Chemotherapy is as effective before breast-conserving therapy (BCT) as it is after it, a new study has suggested. The study also found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (given before surgery), often shrinks breast cancer tumours, making them more likely to be treatable with BCT, or a lumpectomy to remove a portion of the breast followed by radiation. The retrospective study of almost 3,000 women treated for breast cancer at MD Anderson from 1987 to 2005 also confirmed several prior studies showing ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chemotherapy-Before-Breast-Cancer-Surgery-Equally-Effective-As-After-90320-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/BRCA1-Gene-Mutation-and-Neoadjuvant-Chemotherapy-90224-1.htm Patients carrying the BRCA1 gene mutation experience a complete pathological response - regardless of disease stage after standard neoadjuvant chemotherapy, shows research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study, published online in IThe Journal of Clinical Oncology/I on September 6, is the largest study to date to find that the pCR rate is significantly higher in BRCA1 carriers (46 percent) than in women carrying the BRCA2 mutation (13 percent) and non-carriers (22 percent)....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/BRCA1-Gene-Mutation-and-Neoadjuvant-Chemotherapy-90224-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Half-Match-Bone-Marrow-Transplant-Procedure-Shows-Promising-Results-90151-1.htm A clinical trial conducted at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson testing its unique, two-step half-match procedure has produced some promising results. The probability of overall survival was 45 percent in all patients after three years and 75 percent in patients who were in remission at the time of the transplant. Neal Flomenberg, M.D., Chair of the Department of Medical Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Dolores Grosso, DNP, Co-Principal Investigator and lead author of ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Half-Match-Bone-Marrow-Transplant-Procedure-Shows-Promising-Results-90151-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-How-Tumor-Cells-Withstand-Chemotherapy-90126-1.htm The mechanism by which tumor cells change their appearance to adapt to new environmental circumstances has been identified by researchers. Tumor cells protect themselves against chemotherapy and radiotherapy and invade neighbouring organs, eventually causing metastasis. Tumours "shed their skin" because some molecular switches called microRNAs -responsible for maintaining epithelial appearance of cells- turn off, they found. "We have discovered that some microRNAs, a group called microRNA-200S, ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-How-Tumor-Cells-Withstand-Chemotherapy-90126-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Impact-of-Chemotherapy-on-Fertility-89675-1.htm Chemotherapy has greater impact on fertility of women, reveals University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) study. The researchers say their analysis of the age-specific, long-term effects of chemotherapy provides new insights that will help patients and clinicians make more informed decisions about future reproductive options, such as egg harvesting. Previous studies largely have focused on amenorrhea, or the lack of menstruation shortly after treatment, as the primary reproductive side effect of chemotherapy....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Impact-of-Chemotherapy-on-Fertility-89675-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Avastin-Added-to-Preoperative-Chemotherapy-Benefits-Breast-Cancer-Patients-89607-1.htm A new multinational Phase III clinical trial shows that Avastin significantly increased tumor response rates in breast cancer patients when given before surgery. The Avastin findings have come amid a controversy surrounding the Food and Drug Administration's ruling that Avastin should no longer be used to treat metastatic breast cancer, At the annual meeting for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the nation's premier association of clinical oncologists, Harry D. Bear, M.D., Ph.D., ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Avastin-Added-to-Preoperative-Chemotherapy-Benefits-Breast-Cancer-Patients-89607-1.htm