Study results presented at the 13th European Cancer Conference (ECCO 13) have provided further valuable insights into certain genetic mutations which occur in childhood thyroid tumours and their link to both radiation exposure and patient age.
The unique circumstances of this study were provided for by the legacy of the radioactive accident at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in April 1986. Exposure to radioactive fallout led to a large increase in the incidence of papillary th
Here are a few tips on how to make your fall and winter seasons a bit healthier and happier this year, courtesy of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
An apple a day…
The cold season is nothing to sneeze at, but here’s something that might help: researchers say some apples might do a better job of keeping the doctor away than others. Red Delicious, Northern Spy and Ida Red, pack a greater wallop of disease-fighting antioxidants tha
They might prefer to be in front of the TV or Playstation, but Brisbane teenagers are likely to be healthier if they eat meals with mum and dad.
University of Queensland researchers working on the world’s longest health study found teens who ate regularly with their family were less likely to be overweight.
Lead researcher, Dr Abdullah Al Mamun from UQ’s School of Population Health said regular family meals could reduce snacking and make for healthier food a
Doctors in Canada have discovered that treating high-risk prostate cancer patients with radiation therapy and adding hormone therapy for more than one year allows patients to live longer, have better control of their prostate specific antigen levels and lowers the rate of death specifically from prostate cancer, according to a study published in the November 1, 2005, issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, the official journal of ASTRO.
A total of 307 p
Study supports annual flu vaccination for children with neurological conditions
As another flu season approaches, patients with neurological and neuromuscular disease are especially vulnerable to respiratory failure caused by influenza. Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia identified this high-risk group of patients, who have recently been added to the list of groups for whom the federal government recommends receiving annual influenza vaccine.
Dendritic cell-based therapy uses tumor cells and ’danger’ signals to stimulate tumor immunity
A new type of immunotherapy in which dendritic cells are tricked into action against cancer when they are exposed to harmless pieces of viruses and bacteria is described in the November issue of Cancer Research. Dendritic cells, the pacemakers of the immune system, are known to play a vital role in the initiation of the immune response but are often eluded by cancer.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance in evening primrose oil and several other plant oils used in herbal medicine, inhibits action of Her-2/neu, a cancer gene that is responsible for almost 30 percent of all breast cancers, Northwestern University researchers report.
“Breast cancer patients with Her-2/neu-positive tumors have an aggressive form of the disease and a poor prognosis,” said Ruth Lupu, director of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Breast Cancer Translational R
After a person is diagnosed with cancer, increased surveillance among their family members may result in the earlier detection of asymptomatic familial cancers. This phenomenon is called detection bias and may occur for a variety of cancers, according to a new study in the November 2 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Accurate assessments of the risk of cancer among the family members of cancer patients are essential for clinical and genetic counseling. Knowl
Researchers have identified a protein that disrupts an important signaling pathway in prostate cancer cells and suppresses growth of the cancer.
The protein also assists in the retention of vitamin E in prostate cancer cells and increases the effect of vitamin E in limiting the proliferation of cancer cells, the researchers found.
The researchers, led by ShuYuan Yeh, assistant professor of urology and pathology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, are the f
The active metabolite of vitamin D, calcitriol, and other vitamin D analogs are promising chemopreventive agents that may prevent prostate cancer, according to a study presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research’s 4th annual Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research meeting in Baltimore.
Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute conducted both in vitro (outside the body) and in vivo (inside the body) studies to determine the effects of calcitriol and
Lung cancer patients with extenuating health problems may have an alternative to traditional radiation therapy through a lung-sparing procedure pioneered at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer responded well to high doses of radiation administered through extracranial stereotactic body radiation therapy, according to an article published in the Nov. 15 issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology and Ph
Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a key signaling mechanism that may promote the ability of highly aggressive malignant melanoma cells to metastasize, or spread from a primary tumor to distant sites within the body.
Results of their study, published in the November issue of Cancer Research, suggest that the signaling mechanism may be a potential target for prevention of metastatic melanoma.
The study was led by Angela R. Hess, a research scientist at t
University of Leeds biologists have made an important breakthrough in developing the drugs of the future. Their work on targeting individual genes for more effective and cheaper drug testing opens the way to treatments for a huge range of diseases including diabetes and atherosclerosis, which leads to strokes and heart attacks.
Making new pharmacological ‘tools’ to explore individual genes is an enormous challenge, but vital for public health. “Testing specific genes gives us funda
An international team of scientists including the University of Leeds’ Liane Benning have successfully trialled techniques to search for life on Mars. Their findings – microbes deep within ice-filled volcanic tubes – reveal how to test for life on the red planet.
Dr Benning from earth and environment is the sole UK member of the AMASE team studying rocks, ice and micro-organisms on the arctic island of Svalbard in Norway, which has a geology similar to that of parts of Mars. “
Increasing the safety and reliability of nuclear power as a solution for satisfying energy needs is the challenge addressed by a new initiative announced today. The £6.1 million Keeping the Nuclear Option Open programme will investigate how nuclear power can become a more appealing option for future energy production.
The initiative was announced today at the launch of Imperial College London’s Energy Futures Lab, which aims to play a major role in setting the energy agenda
Imperial College London and BP today announce a £4.5 million project to research the use of energy in cities.
The BP Urban Energy Systems project at Imperial will explore how money and energy could be saved in the future if cities integrated the systems that supply them with resources.
The project was announced today at the launch of Imperial’s Energy Futures Lab, which aims to play a major role in setting the energy agenda over the next 20 years.
The Ur
Feedback
