Archive | Treatment

Blood Stem Cell Transplant Cured American Man from Leukemia, HIV

Researchers successfully cured man with leukemia and HIV infection after he underwent blood stem cell transplant in 2007.

According to accounted data, an American who lived in Berlin has been cured by a blood stem cell transplant to treat his leukemia. He received a good match of donor, who had a gene that perfectly match his own and give natural protection and resistance in HIV virus.

Three years after the transplant, the recipient was observed to be cleared of any signs of leukemia and even HIV infection. This finding is reported in the journal Blood.

Dr. Michael Saag, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said that the result finding is an interesting proof-of-concept that with the help of an extraordinary measure for patients who suffered HIV, are now has its full potential to be cured.

However, Dr. Saag noted that the therapy is far too risky to become the standard therapy for patients even to those who found their matched donors.

Sag is the former chairman of the HIV Medication Association. It is an organization of specialist in treating AIDS.

Bone marrow transplant is the most common kind of transplant to treat cancer. However, bone marrow or the most commonly known blood stem cells, and the process of transplanting them in treating the illness is yet unknown especially to those healthy individuals.

The process usually involves destruction of the person’s native immune system, using radiation and some powerful drugs, and then replacing it will the donor’s blood stem cells to develop a new immune system. Based on medical reports, experts accounted a five percent and more in mortality rate due to complications after the procedure.

He stressed that they did not suggest applying the particular approach to healthy people due to the risk it possess that is too high.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Fertility treatment not bound to increased risk of having cancer

According to a study in Sweden, fertility treatment may not be bounded to an increased risk of having cancer in spite of the hormones used.

In a research done by Bengt Kallen and colleagues, they studied the registry information of 24,000 women from 1982-2006 who gave birth after in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and compared the rates of cancer in these women with 1.4 million women in the general population of Sweden who also gave birth in those years.

Less than two percent of those women in the group of IVF built up one or more cancers during the standard period of follow-up for eight years, compared with nearly five percent of the other group. Furthermore, some earlier studies had recommended that fertility medicines may be connected with ovarian, breast and uterine cancers.

In addition, after counting for motherly age, the figure of prior status of smoking and pregnancies, the general risk of having cancer was almost five percent lower for women who had undergone IVF. Kallen also said that a couple who needs to have IVF does not be afraid that the hormone therapy used, at least those employed in Sweden, will take a risk for the women to have cancer.

Moreover, while the risk of having ovarian cancer was more than doubled as high in most women who had IVF as those who did not, Kallen recommended that this may be because the abnormalities in ovarian role that can both boost the risk for having cancer and the risk of having infertility, therefore the need for IVF.

He added that the risk for two most common cancers, cervical and breast cancer was drastically lower than anticipated. Kallen also added that this may also because of women who acquire IVF are being healthier than the standard or, more possible, that those who were treated with IVF may undergo more mammography and cervical examinations.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Merck to stop testing Isentress after initial trial results

Merck said that they settled to stop testing Isentress, the company’s HIV drug, after initial trial results showed that the treatment was not as useful as control treatment.

In addition, the results also showed that it is not also effective as a standard treatment. The research about the drug was designed to evaluate a once a day dosage of Isentress with twice per day of similar drug for its effectiveness.

The company thought that the once a day dosage can be used to substitute the twice per day treatment with the anti-HIV medicine and was ready to present its application for the approval of the regulatory board in 2011.

Moreover, in 2007 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Isentress and specified to lessen the load of HIV in twice a day dosage. The Isentress is also the preliminary of a group of HIV medicines known as HIV integrase inhibitors.

Furthermore, Reuters said that the drug brought Merck yearly sales of $777 million for the first nine months last year. The study also showed that after one year of treatment, 83.2 percent of people treated with once a day dosage lowered the loads of their HIV to an unnoticeable viral level, compared with 88.9 percent of individuals treated with twice per day dosage of Isentress.

The variation is statistically considerable. Also, the variation was found typically among people with a high viral load that means the once a day dosage may not be sufficient to restrain the viral development. Anti-viral medicines are frequently used to lessen the viral load even though a low viral load does not always mean that the patient is free from risk of having AIDS.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that over one million people in the United States are living with HIV and 21 percent are not aware that they already acquired the HIV infections.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Researchers say TMS therapy can treat depression symptoms

Researchers from Rush University Medical Center found out that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy can be a helpful and enduring treatment for depression symptoms.

TMS therapy is a non-drug and non-invasive approach that brings greatly focused magnetic field pulses to a particular cortex in order to fuel the parts of the brain connected to depression. The results of this research were published in Brain Stimulation, October 2010 issue.

In addition, this study finds out the strength and enduring effects of TMS. These pulses are of the same greatness to the magnetic field made during the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The frequent short occurrences of magnetic energy established through the scalp stimulate neurons nearby and in linked parts in the brain.

Furthermore, TMS obtained permission from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last October 2008. This new treatment choice is secure and helpful, severe antidepressant therapy, but there is narrow details on its enduring benefits.

According to Dr. Philip G. Jancak, psychiatry professor at Rush University Medical Center and the study chief researcher, this is the only summarize, continuance, potential research which evaluates the durability of severe TMS advantage in patients with major depression.

Moreover, in the research, 301 people who are suffering from major depression were randomly given to receive con or dynamic TMS in a severe, six weeks, controlled assessment. Patients who took action then suffered a three weeks, change period where they were shrank off of con or dynamic treatment of TMS and began on a typical antidepressant for maintenance.

After any thriving severe treatment for depression like electroconvulsive (ECT), antidepressant medications or TMS therapy, it is a common practice to initiate medication for maintenance to reduce the possibility of relapsing. Also, TMS was effectively used as an alternating rescue approach to prevent impending relapse in 84 percent of patients.

Posted in Health, Treatment0 Comments

Natural Cancer Treatments

There are numerous individuals suffering from cancer nowadays that are hopeless for a cure and still often conventional treatments like chemotherapy just appear to make the patient sicker. Though it’s necessary to talk to a doctor and unite with them is searching for the precise cancer treatments. Absolutely, there are few natural treatments for cancer that must be discussed with the doctor, which may either help to eliminate cancer cells or aid to alleviate the consequences of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Glyconutrients as a Natural Cancer Treatment

Glyconutrients are becoming popular for their advantageous effects yet it’s just since about 1996 that the physicians have truly had this entailed in their review. Physicians who qualified before 1996 may need to be asked regarding their usage or perform more analysis in it. Glyconutrients don’t necessarily treat cancer but they can aid with lessening side effects of the conventional treatments and boost their efficiency.

Utilizing Ozone Therapy

Cancer cells can’t live in the presence of natural oxygen as they are known anaerobic. Treatments like ozone therapy may therefore be very efficient in destroying cancer cells while tendering numerous other advantages for the body too. Consult to the doctor about what sort of ozone therapy would be advantageous and how it can be included in cancer treatments.

Anti Cancer Dieting

Anti-cancer dieting is specifically valuable in avoiding, instead of actually curing cancer. Still, is a person presently is suffering from cancer, then it isn’t too late to utilize anti-cancer dieting plans to aid improve the health and positively prevent the spreading of cancer.

The benefit with numerous natural cancer treatments is that there are typically no negative side effects as there are with some other treatments, yet these must still not be followed without due consideration to the exception of other treatments. Incorporating these valuable natural treatments with conventional cancer treatments and develop the chance of the patient to overcome cancer.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Hair Loss Treatments – What Methods to Utilize

Falling hair not just makes a person lose hair from the scalp, yet the admiration is lost as well. Since most women are recognized to take a lot of caring of their hair, hair loss is always considered an issue for men. Numerous ads on balding action and hair loss treatments that prove affirmations are already in existence.

There are numerous reasons linked with falling hair. Even numerous researches reveal that men are more susceptible to this case than women are.  Hair loss can happen because of numerous problems.

Hair loss in men and women may be triggered by numerous reasons like due to any illness, various diseases such as lupus and diabetes. Studies reveal a predominant cause of hair loss in most men is an excess of the androgenic hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is partially accountable for the augmentation of the male secondary sex characteristics. An accumulation in DHT may likewise cause follicular miniaturization. The root where the hair grows always decreases therefore creating hairs thinner.

In women, hormonal inequity when they are pregnant as well as after giving birth may cause hair loss. Moreover, an increased level of stress and various genetic disorders, there is a possibility of hair loss. It can as well cause due to lack of in adequate blood flow to the scalp.

A couple of reasons that can cause hair loss include irregular sleeping habit, excessive sweating and anxiety. Likewise, hair loss can be due to excessive sun exposure, dust and some other pollutants.

There are available medications on the market that aids with thinning hair. Originally aimed for curing high blood pressure – Minoxidil created its scene in avoiding falling hair because of its superb side effect, which is promoting hair growth. It is applied to the scalp at least two times a day. It is one of the effective products for hair loss treatments.

Another drug that has proven to be effective in promoting hair regeneration is Propecia. It is originally taken in order to disrupt the effects of male hormones. Propecia is only available by prescription.

Another medication that has been tested and efficient in advancing hair regeneration is the Propecia. It’s originally taken to be able to disturb the effects of male hormones, although this type of medication is only purchasable with prescription.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Ovarian Cancer Treatment: A New Drug from Nektar Therapeutics

Recent reports from American Society of Clinical Oncology said that there is a new drug from the Nektar Therapeutics that is very beneficial for ovarian cancer patient. This is indeed one of the advancement that we can see in the medicine industry. The results show that 48% of patient with advanced ovarian cancer gain benefits from the drug called NKTR-102 in the middle of the study.

The drug was given to the patients in a dose of once every three weeks and lots of positive response was gathered. It is said that there are 23% of patients that was proven to show shrinkage in the size of their ovarian tumors while there are 38% who shows reduction in the number of the ovarian cancer biomarker which is the CA-125.

According to the researchers, the overall total of the success rate in the women with ovarian cancer is 48%. On their study the patient who was given the NKTR-102 drug shows no progress with their disease. This is indeed a good thing and will surely give ovarian cancer enough hope to fight with their condition.

The study result was presented in the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago during the annual meeting last Sunday. The Nektar Therapeutics said that the study was based in the 68 patients with ovarian cancer.

Dr. Ignace Vergote, head of obstetrics gynecology and gynecologic oncology at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium said that the result shows that NKTR-102 is very therapeutic with patients. This is one of the path where in women can take in order to battle against ovarian cancer.

Statistics show that 230,000 women are diagnosed having ovarian cancer every year. This is a big population that the oncology doctors should deal with. From that percentage there are approximately 70% who die with advanced disease within five years.

There is also a study being held whether the drug NKTR-102 can also benefit those patients with metastatic breast cancer or those that have colorectal cancer. There are still further studies about NKTR-102 according to Nektar Therapeutics.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Colon Cancer Treatment: Cetuximab only works with advanced disease

It was an unexpected result in the research this Sunday when it was proven that Cetuximab (Erbitux) does not contribute to the wellness of patients with early stage colon cancer. Rather, the drug Cetuximab is only helping those patients that have the advanced disease. With this result lot of questions has been open in the mind of doctors and they are looking for answers with the connection of the drug and the disease.

The study for the drug cetuximab was a joined effort of Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers biotechnology. Unfortunately, it was needed to be stopped early because it failed to showcase its efficacy in patient with early stage of colon cancer.

According to Dr. Steven Alberts of the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, “This trial is important”. This study was presented in the American Society of Clinical Oncology in the annual meeting in Chicago. He said that this is somehow an implication that the early stage and the advance stage can be a different thing in some ways. In an interview he said, “Clearly, it is important to understand why the drug did not work”

Looking back, this is also the same case that happened in the last research about the colon cancer drug bevacizumab (Avastin). This bevacizumab can also benefit patients with late stage of colon cancer but not those in the early stage. Bevacizumab and cetuximab are both approved by the FDA and they are applicable for patients with the advanced disease.

The two drugs have different way on how they act but they have the same actions. The cetuximab works by stopping the epidermal growth factor receptor. If this EGFR was blocked the cancer cells is also hindered to multiply. On the other hand, the bevacizumab blocks the supply of the blood in the tumor which hinders its growth.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the chief person of the American Cancer Society said, Erbitux and Avastin both failed in early stage trials. Logically, you would think they would have been a home run. Maybe we have to rethink how we think about what we look for in some of these newer treatments.”

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

Thyroid Cancer Treatment – Influences of AstraZeneca Drug

AstraZeneca (AZN) currently presented promising step III information on its thyroid cancer successor, vandetanib. Information displayed that treatment with the use of vandetanib resulted in about 54 percent decrease in the ratio of the disease development than placebo. These outcomes were submitted at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Furthermore, in attaining the main endpoint of the development free survival, vandetanib likewise displayed improvement than placebo in the alternative endpoints, which were objective reaction ratio and disease control ratio. In addition, AstraZeneca announced that the reaction ratio in the vandetanib arm was around 45 percent.
The haphazard, placebo-controlled, double blind, multi-center research, ZETA, was performed in almost 331 patients who are suffering from an advanced medullary thyroid cancer. Typical antagonistic occurrences involved hypertension, rash, fatigue, diarrhea as well as headache.
In regards to these promising outcomes, AstraZeneca signifies to advance with its regulatory registrations for vandetanib both in the United States and in Europe. The vandetanib adores orphan medicine designation in the US and in the Europe for this advanced medullary thyroid cancer manifestations.
The National Cancer Institute affirmed that approximately 37,000 new predicaments of thyroid cancer are distinguished every year in the United States. Researchers have also found out that medullary tumors are the third most typical of all thyroid cancers.
It has been likewise noted that AstraZeneca has past experienced disappointment with its progression plans for vandetanib. Last year, AstraZeneca had filed for recommendation of vandetanib for its utilization together with chemotherapy for treating the patients having advanced non-small-cell lung cancer or NSCLC.
Nevertheless, AstraZeneca decided to nullify the regulatory compliances both from the U.S. as well as from the EU as a modernized examination of results displayed no complete survival benefit when vandetanib was included to chemotherapy. Furthermore, the regulatory authorities had pointed out that the submitted information by AstraZeneca might not be enough for approval.
Though the market for the medullary thyroid cancer may not be extensive, once vandetanib is approved, must be able to secure a substantial share of the market, as none approved treatments are now available.

Posted in Treatment0 Comments

New Wipes On Market Can Test For A Dozen Drugs

Now, with a new product just introduced, you can simply wipe any item you can touch and perform your own drug test for the presence of of a large variety of well known drugs. The product called the Securetec DrugWipe®, can test for the presence of marijuana, heroin, oxycodone, amphetamines, crystal meth and many other drugs.

Currently available on a limited basis in several areas in the US, the drug wipes are being distributed by certified technicians from the Securetec Corporation. Law enforcement agencies are definitely interested in acquiring this highly portable testing device that is approximately the size of a couple of Q-tips. The manufacturer is claiming a 100% accuracy rating for the Securetec DrugWipe®.

Initial interest seems to be from a broad range of services including health care centers, treatment services and law officers. Early feedback indicates employers are checking their options for using the product in the workplace.

Posted in Business, Drugs, Legal, People, Technology, Treatment, Trend0 Comments