Researchers Improve Method For Finding Genetic Mistakes That Fuel Cancer

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project scientists pioneer way to find more chromosomal aberrations in tumors; results likely to advance understanding of cancer

MEMPHIS, Tenn., June 12, 2011 -- A dramatically better computer tool for finding the genetic missteps that fuel cancer has been developed by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project investigators. Researchers are using the new algorithm to help identify the chromosomal rearrangements and DNA insertions or deletions unique to cancer.

The new computational method is known as CREST, short for Clipping Reveals Structure. Using CREST, researchers identified 89 new structural differences in the cancer genomes of five St. Jude patients with a subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) known as T-lineage ALL. CREST revealed complex chromosomal rearrangements, including one that involved four chromosomes. Investigators also used the tool to find 50 new variations in melanoma cells. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. The study appears in the June 12 advance online edition of the scientific journal Nature Methods.

Is it a magic powder?

Creatine increases the body's ability to produce energy quickly. Chad Kerksick, Ph.D., assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Oklahoma describes it like this, "If you can lift one or two more reps or 5 more pounds, your muscles will get bigger and stronger.

Research shows that creatine is most effective in high-intensity training and activities that require short bursts of speed. The use of creatine powder has been deemed to generally be safe to use. However, my standard advice applies, talk to your health care professional first since it's not for everyone and it's not without some side effects.

Cancer drug approved for Phase 3 trials

Polaris Group recently announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for a Phase 3 clinical trial of pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG 20) directed towards patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have not responded to other treatments.

During the Phase 2 clinical trials it was found that other cancers have been reported to have responded. Early-to-mid-stage clinical showed positive results in patients with metastatic melanoma, and Phase 2 trials for small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and mesothelioma are continuing.

There are quite a few resources on the Internet to learn more about mesothelioma symptoms as well as other new cancer treatments on the horizon.

Weight loss can ease knee pain

Knee pain related to osteoarthritis (OA) is a common complaint among obese individuals and retired professional athletes, especially former NFL players, but researchers presenting their work at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day program (February 19th) say they have a simple solution: lose weight.

"Our research on patients who were obese with early-onset knee osteoarthritis showed that those individuals who underwent isolated weight loss via bariatric surgery and lost an average of 57 pounds within the first six months significantly improved their knee pain, stiffness and physical function. Quality of life, activities of daily living and sports activity also improved; all of this without other arthritic treatments," said lead researcher Christopher Edwards of the Penn State College of Medicine.

Millions on male enhancement products

The federal government spent over $100 million last year on just one male enhancement product to those on Medicaid, which means if you take all of the prescription and the non-prescription male enhancement pills, creams and other products out there -- it's a multi-million dollar industry that could actually go into the billion dollar mark. The debate has raged for several years as to should governments pay for this prescription product with some states refusing too. Which creates the interest in some areas where the prescription products are not covered to turn to non-prescription products since many times they are much less costly.

Mastering interviews

Even after years of education, internships and other experiences, it can all come down to an interview. How you handle yourself during an interview can get you moved on or off the list of further consideration. It's why some consider a consultant interview brush up session.

By taking a consultant interview course you can learn where your strong interview presentation areas are and where your presentation is a bit weak. Some services, like one in London, provide you with a DVD of your mock interview as well as access to their website for informational materials after the course has been completed.

Other courses such as medical management courses and courses that teach the teacher are also out there. The "teach the teacher" courses are a great way to stay up to date on the medical profession.

Doctors use web-based tool to improve care

Innovative Web-based Tool Helps Doctors Improve Care

First Large Studies of EMR-integrated Population Care Tool

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- A web-based tool that extracts information from the electronic medical record (EMR) helps primary care physicians improve care and manage their entire panel of patients. Those are the findings of two new Kaiser Permanente studies -- the first to examine the effectiveness of a panel management tool in a large, diverse patient population.

The first study, published today in The American Journal of Managed Care, found that the proprietary Panel Support Tool or (PST), helped doctors improve care for patients with diabetes and/or heart disease. The other study, whose findings appeared in Population Health Management, found that the PST also helped doctors provide better preventive care for healthy patients.

Contract given for solid-organ transplantation research

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the federal government's ongoing effort to improve the lives of organ transplant recipients and patients awaiting organ transplants, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded researchers at the Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation (MMRF) a multimillion-dollar contract to maintain and analyze data on solid-organ transplantation in the United States. Analyses to be conducted by MMRF researchers and allied investigators will support the development of regional and national policies designed to ensure the fair and efficient distribution of life-sustaining organs such as hearts, lungs, kidneys, pancreata, livers, and intestines.

Under the contract, MMRF researchers will operate the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR). They will use sophisticated analytical techniques to evaluate current national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) policy and project the effects of OPTN policies being considered. They will evaluate patient outcomes and transplant center performance, as well as transplant-related costs. The contract calls for a publicly available annual data report and a biennial report to the United States Congress. In addition to its work with the government, other project objectives include providing more information to patients, families, and the general public.

The project will be directed by Bertram L. Kasiske, MD, FACP, with key assistance from Ajay K. Israni, MD, MS, and Jon J. Snyder, PhD, MS. Dr. Kasiske looks forward to his tenure as the SRTR Project Director: "For this project, we've assembled an outstanding team of clinicians and researchers who will build on past progress at a time when further progress is sorely needed in the area of transplantation." As described by Dr. Israni, the state of organ transplantation in the US has become critical: "The number of organ transplant procedures conducted each year has grown steadily as the burden of chronic disease has increased. Currently, there are far more people waiting for organs than there are organs available. Unfortunately, around 7,000 people will die each year while they wait for a viable organ transplant." By conducting extensive analyses of the data in the registry, Dr. Kasiske and his team will contribute to improved allocation of precious organs and better outcomes for patients who receive them.

Landmark discovery with infectious disease

Groundbreaking Discovery Shows Rapid Evolution of Bacterial Genomes Over the Course of a Single Chronic Infection

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Researchers from the Center for Genomic Sciences at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh have made a landmark discovery about the evolutionary nature of bacteria in the setting of chronic infectious disease. Reporting today in the journal PLos Pathogens, the AGH team documents for the first time that bacteria engage in a process called horizontal gene transfer to evolve rapidly during the course of a single infection.
The result is a group of highly-related bacterial strains that are changing genetically so fast that it is likely nearly impossible for the host's immune system to effectively track and eradicate it, said Garth Ehrlich, Ph.D., scientific director of the Center for Genomic Sciences and the paper's senior author.
"Much like we see with other successful pathogens, such as viruses and certain parasitic organisms, which are designed to mutate and confuse the immune system, bacteria - which cause the vast majority of chronic infectious disease in the United States - appear to be using a similar tactic. And they are doing so through a dynamic, real-time process of altering their genetic code that until now has not been understood and which is counter to conventional wisdom about the typical pace of species evolution," Dr. Ehrlich said.
Using advanced high throughput bacterial DNA sequencing, Dr. Ehrlich and his colleagues investigated the tempo and relevance of horizontal gene transfer among nasopharyngeal strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae recovered from a child with chronic respiratory and middle ear infections. Specimens were collected during the child's clinic visits over a seven month period.
"We identified extensive gene transfer among multiple infecting strains of the bacteria. Comparing the original strain that started the infection with strains sequenced at its end, approximately 7.5% of the entire genome had changed. In just a seven month period of time, we documented a remarkable ongoing evolution of this species that appears to be precisely orchestrated to confound the host's immune surveillance," Dr. Ehrlich said.
The immune system works in a similar fashion, Dr. Ehrlich said, by continuously realigning the genomes of white blood cells so they can recognize and destroy foreign pathogens.
"It is essentially a genomic chess match where bacteria, through horizontal gene transfer, are always staying one step ahead," Dr. Ehrlich said.
"Once we have verified that horizontal gene transfer is indeed a common occurrence in chronic bacterial infections, and we expect that to be the case, it opens the door to a realm of promising new directions in the study and treatment of these diseases," he said.

Itchy dilemmas

Thankfully I've never had to worry about which type of eczema treatment would work, yet I have friends who have had to deal with eczema. One was extremely stricken, going from specialist, to specialist and not finding any relief. It was a huge self esteem issue for her since the worst spots were hard to cover up. Since then, more treatments have been discovered, so while she still suffers from it, it is no where near how bad it was years ago.

What to do when you lose a body part...

It was hard to take this seriously at first, though it is really good advice from CNN about what to do if a finger or tooth or some other body part experiences a trauma so that it's removed from your body...I had heard to ice a finger, so I was glad that I had never had to do that since I now know cold...not ice for that particular type of digit loss.

I also thought the whole put a tooth in milk was true too - but it's not either. So, read the article and help dispel any myths you might have heard.

In search of slumber

I've had insomnia often enough that at one point I went to my family physician for sleeping pills. I was put on Ambien, which worked wonderfully as far as putting me to sleep. The downside was that I didn't want to wake up, which if something happened, as in one scenario, one of my children got sick in the middle of the night, I did not awaken. That concerned me, it was not a major crises since my husband was home and able to deal with the situation, but for me that was a bit too strong of a sleeping pill. There are a huge number of prescription and non-prescription products out there so it pays to do your research.

National Conference on Addiction Disorders held

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, and Hazelden, the national nonprofit focused on addiction treatment, prevention and recovery announced today a new strategic partnership focused on improving the treatment of co-occurring disorders. The partnership announcement was made by NAADAC Executive Director Cynthia Moreno Tuohy during the National Conference on Addiction Disorders in Washington, D.C.

"The new Hazelden/NAADAC affiliation will provide NAADAC members, psychiatrists, psychologists and other counselors with collaborative in-person training and distance learning in the integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders," said Hazelden President and CEO Mark G. Mishek. The partnership will kick off in September with the national launch of the new NAADAC/Hazelden Lifelong Training Program, Integrating Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders: An Introduction to What Every Addiction Counselor Needs to Know.

"Thousands of people in need of addiction treatment services in the U.S. also have mental health or medical issues such as depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome and bi-polar disorders," says NAADAC's Cynthia Moreno Tuohy. "In fact, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) estimates that fully half of Americans with mental illness also abuse illicit drugs or alcohol. Hazelden and NAADAC have worked together for years to train clinicians and administrators in the addiction profession and to advocate for addiction treatment. This new partnership will be the most cohesive effort yet from Hazelden and NAADAC to promote excellence in the field of diagnosing and treating co-occurring disorders."

Hazelden and NAADAC will also feature other training opportunities and print publications on each organization's Website, making them more easily accessible to professionals. In addition, NAADAC and Hazelden will also co-sponsor Web conferences on the integrated treatment of co-occurring disorders.

For more information on co-occurring disorders, visit Hazelden's behavioral health Website, www.bhevolution.org or go to NAADAC's Website, www.naadac.org

Family Insurance costs up

I already knew that family health insurance costs were up -- my family was hit once again with not only an increased premium deducted from my husband's paycheck, but our copays went up as well, creating an additional financial hardship. It doesn't really feel any better to know we are not alone:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- American workers are taking yet another blow to their wallets this year -- a whopping 14% jump in costs to insure their families.

The spike comes even as premiums for family coverage rose only 3%. This discrepancy is a result of cost-conscious companies shifting more of the insurance burden onto employees.

Employees are paying about $4,000 to buy family insurance in 2010, $482 more than they did last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation said Thursday.

Ours actually increased 20% as far as premium cost with copays and prescription drug costs also rising.

Multiple Sclerosis info

Several years ago when I went through a series of health problems, one of the diseases that was mentioned as a possible reason for the way I was feeling was Multiple Sclerosis. The doctors went through a series of tests since some of what I was experiencing could have been Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms.

In my case it was something else, Lupus, but now there is much more information out there on the internet than there was during the time frame I went through this. There are also a variety of topics such as a Multiple Sclerosis Diet as well as the ability to stay up to date on Multiple Sclerosis News. This helps those who have been diagnosed as well as those who have not yet received a formal diagnosis be as informed as possible, this is especially important for those newly diagnosed, if nothing else than to remind yourself you are not alone.

1,500 die every day from abusing substances

Joseph Califano, former US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare wrote a book called, “High Society - How Substance Abuse Ravages America and What to Do About It” -- it focused on the reasons why drug rehab and alcohol rehab have become even more necessary in our country in recent years.

Califano also focused on some of the costs to society outside of the costs of drug treatment and alcohol treatment. The amounts may surprise you:

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Each baby born from a mother who drank alcohol or used drugs during pregnancy to the point of having a FAS or FADE baby, could cost up to $4 million in health care and specialized services over the course of a lifetime. The total cost to American taxpayers is estimated to be $1.9 billion/year.

Criminal Justice System Costs: According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), it was estimated that of the $38 billion spent on corrections in 1996, more than $30 billion was spent incarcerating individuals who had alcohol or drug problems or committed alcohol or drug related crimes.

Impaired Employees: In “Employer Costs of Alcohol Related Injuries” (American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Zaloshnja, Miller, Hendrie, and Galvin, Wiley-Liss. Inc., December 22, 2006), the annual employer cost of alcohol-related injuries to employees and their dependents was reported at $28.6 billion.

DWI Costs: Driving While Intoxicated continues as a horrendous problem throughout the country. According to “The High Cost of Drunk Driving” (Russell Weisman, Article Alley, January 5, 2006), the cost to society from D.W.I. in 2001 was estimated at $230 billion tax dollars due to highway DWI collisions.

It's said that every day 1,500 die from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, this makes the need for drug and alcohol treatment center information and access, more important than ever.

I wish our local emergency rooms would do this

Recommended piece from Newsweek. While the average emergency room wait may be 37 minutes before seeing a doctor nationally, I've never had a situation where we have gotten in that fast here in Ohio. When my husband went in for what turned out to be appendicitis, he waited for over an hour in severe pain before he was seen by a doctor...

Thankfully they did the surgery before it ruptured.

The fixes are relatively simple—bedside check-in, online reservations, a fast track for common procedures like stitches. It’s the marketing that’s getting elaborate. Health centers in Virginia, Georgia, and Indiana are offering text-message updates and door-to-door trip planners (92 minutes for a broken arm, for instance), while counterparts in Maryland are utilizing mass mailings and highway billboards to boast about quick service.
Perhaps the efforts seem crass. But the early results—waits of just 14 minutes at one Maryland hospital—are hard to fault. Emergency fixes have rarely been performed so urgently.

Yes to scrubs...

While the song by TLC "No Scrubs" became really popular in the 1990's, there's a different kind of scrubs that has become popular. They've become popular far beyond nursing scrubs with people who are not even in the medical profession wearing them. Not just for pj's but as they go out in their daily lives, to the store and beyond.

Why is that? I asked one of the teenage scrub wearers that I know, she likes them because they are comfortable and lighter weight than sweat pants. Another reason expressed was the vast amount of colors scrubs come in. If you check out blue sky scrubs you'll see what she states is very true. You'll also learn the story of why Blue Sky Scrubs was formed. So while you say "yes to scrubs" and visit the website to check it out, you can listen to "No Scrubs" by TLC.

Natural products versus prescriptions

There are a good many products out there that are derived from natural sources that are marketed to be similar to prescription products on the market. One area where this is popular is when it comes to testosterone booster supplements. Part of this is logical, many prescriptions that are now chemically based once started from a natural element. The chemical formulation may be less expensive than the natural product but at times there are side effects that did not exist in the natural form. As always, check with your health professional before taking any supplement, this is especially important when you are taking other prescription or OTC products.

One way to save on taxes - HSA

One way you can help reduce the amount of taxes taken from your pay is to look into having a health savings account. There are many advantages to HSA's including the fact that they go with you no matter where you are employed and there is no "use it or lose it" clause. There are also quite a few other options in funding an HSA that you can look into, including rolling over money from an IRA. The rules are fairly concise and in some situations there can be a penalty so it pays to do your homework and know what exactly what is allowed and what is not allowed under the current law.